BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Why did you choose and buy a BMW RT, and what bike did the RT replace.


Why
It felt light with its LCOG and a good riding position. The wife also liked being pillion on it.

Replaced
Gen2 Hayabusa which was my main summer bike.

WHY

Needed a bike that could be comfortable two up and able to cover distance at a good pace. Had to be powerful and sporty enough to handle B roads and the odd blast solo as well as long rides without getting battered by wind buffeting. Went for a 2019/2020 as I didn’t like the TFT and I use a Garmin XT. Found one that had 9k on the clock and with a two year warranty……..

REPLACED

2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure Sport, great bike, lovely addictive power and handling but had been made smaller from the previous model, and my wife and I had no room. The seating, all three we tried, must have been invented by someone that likes to provide torture as it is too narrow. At the front I was basically sat on my crotch . The bike was designed to allow standing up and to accommodate shorter riders according to the KTM brief. Seems to be happening everywhere but they forget some people are not short and do not want to be Ewan and Charlie clones. The RT gives you a choice of seating positions without compromising comfort and I could last more than 1.5 hours without having to sleep with my legs apart that night.

WHY
It’s a bike style that suits me best. Comfort, performance, handling and luggage. My 3rd RT having had 1150, 1200 and now 1250.

REPLACED
2019 Triumph Rocket 3.

For me it was that I wanted the ultimate tourer for me and the missus!

I had sports bikes all my life but the wife wouldn't get on them when we met and I worked shifts at the time and lots of weekends so when it came to weekends it was spent with the wife and the bike was getting left out!

I took her out on an FJR and she loved it so got one of those to start her in in to the world of bikes with the aim to get the RT

We have done a fair few trips and the comfort of the RT compared the the FJR is second to none

There was always something about the RT that kept drawing me to it so I just had to get one

Why?

I've had BMWs for the past 7 years, all touring models, and I've kind of got used to the layout and tech. This one was lighter than my past couple which I was struggling with a bit at low speeds due to a HCOG on one model, and then a bit of an un-nerving weave at speed on another (they all do it apparently) This was a balance of handling, lightness, tec, carrying capacity and quality.

Replaced?

Last one was a BMW K1600GA - fantastic bit of kit, loved that engine, but it was too hard to handle at low speeds and had a weave at higher speeds, not dangerous, but weird and unsettling

One before that was the GTLE version of the same bike, even worse at low speeds, but way better at high speeds, I should have got the RT after that, but loved the engine so much I spring for a new GA and only done about 4000 miles on it before swapping.

Why?

My first bike in 2020 after being bikeless for 40 years was the BMW F900XR. Compared to my 1997 Yamaha 250 Trail Bike it was powerful and sophisticated. But after 3 years riding the XR and 30,000Km of exclusively highway touring, I was increasingly noticing a number of things I didn't particularly like. These included...

1) Power and acceleration were OK, but needed to work the gears and keep revs up to feel at all sporty - not really.
2) Not a comfortable seating position even after getting custom seat made which was 50mm higher for my 6'4" height.
3) Under heavy braking, particularly at low speed the front would dive and tend to want to jack knife.
4) On the curves you have to work body weight to get onto the right line.

The R1250RT solved all these issues and particularly.

1) The higher torque at lower RPM gives a solid sporty feel. Open the throttle and you feel the shift cam kick in.
2) With stock high seat option I can sit on it all day comfortably.
3) It is unbelievably stable under heavy braking due to combination of the Dynamic Braking system and Telelever front suspension.
4) On curves it is highly flickable for a heavy bike due to low CG. I now just have to look through the curve and the bike seems to do the rest.
5) Marathon screen reduces wind buffering to a minimum, and noise substantially.

I didn't know at the time of buying the RT that it would solve all my "wish list" issues so well. This is a keeper. Love this bike.

Why?

Winter hack.

Replaced?

Nothing. Bought to stop me using my other bikes in bad weather.


....turns out I don't like ruining a winter hack either. It's in much better shape now than when I bought it!

Why?
new job, all motorway commute, previous bike was 5 years old so time for a replacement
I had an RT before, it's the ultimate sport touring couch for me, ltos of comforts but still sporty enough for my competence.

replaced?
my F850gs, great bike but it vibrates like hell and I can't do offroad in Belgium anyway.
and with the high seat the RT is as good for my knees as the gs.

Why:

After the Shift Cam engine came online, I started to pay attention. After the re-styled fairing, I finally conceded the new RT is gorgeous. After seeing the TFT dash at the dealer, it honestly blew me away. I'm not a big fan of digital gauges. I love the clocks on my '74 R90s, or my 2000 Corvette much better, but the new display with the way it's laid out and the way they change the height of the RPM numbers when approached is brilliant IMHO. It's just beautiful to look at.

Replaced:

My 2004 RT bought new:

Perfect riding companion since purchased new. Several track days, and ridden in about forty states. Loved the whizzy brakes, well, because if maintained they're pretty spectacular. The Telelever is brilliant and all day comfort riding near triple digit speeds. And IMHO, one of the most beautiful bikes BMW ever produced. Even after 115k miles, it barely used any oil and zero leaks. And I always thought it was remarkable that I never had the heads off, or even repaired the rear end. Sadly, I'll have to sell it to make room in the garage.

Why:
I can have only one bike, and although I would love to do more off-road, there are very limited possibilities for that in Ireland.
Additionally, my partner started riding with me.
Although I don't have the best experience with BMW drivers (just to clarify: "drivers" and not "riders"), the research came with only one candidate that is still on sale, has good service coverage across Europe and can still ride like a bike.

Replaced:
Honda CRF250L Rally. It was my return to biking after more than 20 years, it was perfect for commuting in the city as it was narrow and tall. Change of jobs, remote working and spending time in the country meant a lot of black top commuting. And the bench seat was not the most comfortable for longer trips, especially for my passenger.

Why:
I told myself I could buy a nice bike as a reward for quitting smoking. Hell the monthly payment is much lower than the smokes.

Replaced:
Honda ST 1300 (or I believe it's a Pan America in Europe). That was a GREAT bike. I halve had 2 over the years. Rode them to 40 states in the US. I'm sad Honda didn't make an updated version of it. That engine was a gem. But all the extra features on the RT make it way better overall.

Bonus:
Since I bought the RT, I also bought a 2014 Valkyrie and a Yamaha tracer 9gt. Both of those are great too.

Why.
Well it was a cheap trade only bike. 40 thou miles with full BMW history and only one owner. I've had a few RTs over the years, the first in the 80's.
I wanted a more upright seating position for covering lots of miles and the weather protection. Parts cheap and servicing that any home mechanic can cope with
Cons.
Too much wind protection in hot weather. (My old RT had air vents in the dash). Can feel a bit heavy pushing the bike. The fairing could do with 2 cubby holes like the pre 90 bikes

Why?

First "big" bike was a 650 tourer, really worked for me, but was lured by the Triumph Triples. Not getting the leisure miles in like I used to and ecountering more traffic, so back to what I know and get the fairing and carrying capacity back. And, the big one, shaft drive. The RT is also ergonomically the best bike I ever rode, although I do miss the "tip" the earlier ones had when flicking the throttle when stopped.

Replaced: A Triumph Street Triple 675R. Fantastic bike, would have kept it if I was getting a lot of leisure miles in. If I get back to riding like I used to, I may well look at another, or maybe a Daytona 675 (had one as a track bike, enjoyed it)

Pics below because.

Why?

We tour, so needed a bike that my patient pillion was comfortable on. Over a three year period we tried eleven other bikes of various marques before the RT, and as soon as she sat on it she was hooked. I had no problems going for the BMW as I’d ridden them for years in the Job and was well acquainted with their unique charm.

Replacing - The Pan.

She’s only ever been on two bikes previously, a Blackbird on which she was uncomfortable and frightened the bejesus out of her, and the Honda ST1300 Pan which was a great touring bike, but heavy, hot, and outdated.

WHY

The R100RS Monolever that I had inherited made my hands numb. So, either give up biking or buy something that I liked. We were a BMW family since before the war so I purchased a R1100RT.
Since then, I have had a 2005 1200RT, a 2014 1200RT and now a 2019 1250RT.

I have had a K1300GT as a service loan bike and ridden a demo K1600GT both of which were too heavy for me as was the Triumph Trophy 1200.

REPLACED

Clearly, I have only owned RT's as my main touring machine and until someone makes a better overall package .............