BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Greetings everyone.. I'm a new member from Ontario Canada..
I am considering an '05 through to '15 R1200RT. I have not had a chance to take one out for a test ride as of yet.

I'm coming over from my current ride that's a '83 Honda Goldwing GL1100 Aspencade. My ride before that (in the late 2000's) was a '90 ZX1100 Ninja.. So i've been all over the place.. Currently I mostly commute about 50km each way to and from work, which is a combo of country roads and a little highway, with a few weekend blasts thrown in for fun. 90% of the time I'm a single rider.

I'm a larger lad, standing at 6'4" and +-290lbs. So the fit and comfort of a bike is important and hard to find. I like the idea of the adjustable screen and electronic suspension. Can anyone around the same height with a 34" inseam comment on the wind protection with a stock screen? Did you have to move up to a turing screen? I would also probably have to consider lower foot pegs. I know bikes are set up stock for an much lighter average rider weight. Will the electronic suspension even be able to account for the extra load, or will uprated springs be required?

Hi and welcome to the forum

Hi & welcome

Crazzy450z wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 5:46 pmWill the electronic suspension be able to account for the extra load.

Yes, the max. payload on a Camhead RT is 510 lbs. At 290 lbs, you are likely to have to set the ESA preload to Two-up (with luggage).

BMW Rider Weight Guidelines, viewtopic.php?p=67424&hilit=weight#p67424

So the ESA will account for more load up to the max payload??

On both my ZX11 and my dirtbike, I had to go to RaceTech to get higher rate springs to allow me to get within a adjustable rage to get the correct sag.. Is this an option with the ESA setup? Or would it be better to find a bike without that ESA and just go with a higher spring rate? I do understand it does not increase the payload on the bike. It does however allow the suspension to work correctly.

OR, am i overthinking this, and should just allow the ESA to do its job, set at the higher setting of two-up with luggage..

My knowledge is more old school when it comes to suspension set up, i have not had any experience with ESA or its equivalent. The closest is the air suspension on my Goldwing. Being able to adjust it with the onboard compressor.

David. wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 6:21 am Yes, the max. payload on a Camhead RT is 510 lbs. At 290 lbs, you are likely to have to set the ESA preload to Two-up (with luggage).

BMW Rider Weight Guidelines, viewtopic.php?p=67424&hilit=weight#p67424

So a follow up question on RT's and the R1200 motor..
One bike I'm considering is a 2010 with 110,000km on it, asking $6,300CAN. So, is mileage a critical factor. As long as the bike has had regular proper maintenance.. My current ride ('82 Goldwing) has about the same mileage..

Welcome