BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

In short:

I come from a Harley/muscle bike background. I’m getting up in age (60), so I want a lighter, responsive touring bike with upright riding position. I’m 5’9” so seat height is an issue. Don’t want vibration in the bars, mirrors or seat. I dont care about flying through the twisties but good torque is a plus.

I was looking into the k1600s but loaded up they’re an extra four grand and a hundred plus extra pounds. Also looked into the multistrada but its seat is too high. And I don’t see a diavel as a distance tourer.

So is the R 1250 RT the one?

Your best bet is to test ride one.
There is a little bit of vibration as its a flat twin. but i found i soon forgot about it.
What i really like about the RT is the low COG. Very good at slow speed.
You can also buy a lower seat if needed.

Don't forget the RT as an inbuilt seat lowering bracket. It literally is just a 30 second, no tools needed job to flip the bracket to the 'low' height side. If seat height is a concern get the dealer to change it to it's lower setting before going out for a test ride or look up how to do it yourself and swap it over mid test ride. It really is easy to do.

I haven’t been able to get test rides “insurance” they say. But I haven’t asked at the BMW dealer yet

Good news on the manual seat adjust!

Mikeyg00 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 03, 2024 9:43 pm In short:

I come from a Harley/muscle bike background. I’m getting up in age (60), so I want a lighter, responsive touring bike with upright riding position.

You’re not alone and in fact 14 yrs younger than me, plus ‘getting up in age’ doesn’t mean a lot when a recent poll on this forum revealed 75% of those who took part were over 60.

Am the same age and height with a 29" inseam. I have a 2007 RT with the low saddle option and I can flat floor easily.

Rollocks to it, Just go out and buy the RT
Some of us bought ours without riding or even seeing the bike.

Not me… if I don’t ride it I don’t buy it. Simples.

Go to a BMW dealer and have a test ride.

Steve398 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:37 am Not me… if I don’t ride it I don’t buy it. Simples.

Go to a BMW dealer and have a test ride.

You must be one of the old age members

Edit..
Just so you know, i am only joking

Edit Edit....

I only every did 10 miles on an RT and not the one i bought.

The K1600s are fantastic bikes, but they feel way more heavy than the hundred pounds you quote, as the more upright models like the GT/GTLE are a bit top heavy, so hard to handle at low speeds, and the GA, which has a lower COG and should be great, has an unnerving weave above 60mph

The engines in these bikes are so good I miss them dearly when driving the RT, which is just as fast, handles better, but does not have the same kind of torque by a long shot. In comparison, the HDs I've ridden were not as good as the K1600s, but were easy at low speeds due to their lower COG, but lacked a lot of the good tec in the BMWs. I know this as I've done about 6000+ miles in America on HD rentals in the past few years

So all in all I went and bought the RT - because if your going to be dropping something heavier then it's not for you, so you should buy something you can handle and feel comfortable with or your will hate every minuet of it.

James

Capt Sisko wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2024 10:12 am Don't forget the RT as an inbuilt seat lowering bracket. It literally is just a 30 second, no tools needed job to flip the bracket to the 'low' height side. If seat height is a concern get the dealer to change it to it's lower setting before going out for a test ride or look up how to do it yourself and swap it over mid test ride. It really is easy to do.

This only works if the bracket is already in the "high" position. Sounds like the OP needs the low seat option.

Tom

I am similarly challenged in the vertical achievements category... bought my '21 RT at age 67 to replace a beloved Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS for similar concerns -- wanted a somewhat lighter, elegant, high-tech, comfortable bike that could do everything I needed.

I ordered the stock seating, and I ordered the low seat too as I was sure I would want it. Then, on a day I was feeling particularly flush, I ordered the Option 719 seating combo. Here is what I know: the stock seat is quite nice as-is, and while I am not on my toes I do want my feet a bit flatter on the terra firma.

The low seat does exactly what it promises - it gets my feet flat on the ground - but I find (all) low contour seats to be less comfortable than their flatter counterparts... something about a wee bit of pressure "down there" that I'd prefer to avoid.

The Option 719 seating is wonderfully comfortable -- I believe there is an additional layer of memory foam in the thing -- but it actually (for me) rides slightly lower than the stock seat. And, yes, it is wickedly expensive, but I now ride a BMW and choose not to cry about such things.

So for now I am riding luxuriously on the Option 719 seating, getting my feet securely enough to the ground (28.5 inch/72 cm inseam in jeans) -- at least until the vitamin D runs out and I start shrinking again.

I sat on a 1600 at the dealer this weekend. Definitely too heavy. Even a Street Glide felt lighter at 100 lbs more (low COG)

EasyRider wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:16 am Some of us bought ours without riding or even seeing the bike.

I didn't test ride one either. There weren't any in dealerships yet. I was the first person in Texas to get at 2019 in 2018. No regrets

Great post! I'm in the same position, and somehow stumbled across the R1250 RT & have been doing a lot of research. My HD Ultra Limited is getting heavy & I'm tired of throwing money at seat mods, windshields, and suspension to increase my comfort as I've aged & my back issues got worse. I'm hoping to learn a lot from this forum, as I have very little faith that HD will get up their game before I get to old or beat up to ride anymore.