BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

When i use to walk into a motorcycle shop to look at what bikes were for sale.
I use to go "wow thats nice, i want one".
But now over the last 20 years or so, when i walk into a motorcycle shop, there is nothing in moden bikes that make me go "wow" anymore. Even the amount of tech on them is starting to become the norm and not, wow thats cool.
I think it does not help seeing rows and rows of the same bikes in the same colours in the big supermarket style motorcycle shops. There are not many if any of the old type small motorcycle shops that were once in nearly every town.
Where can motorcycle goes from here, there even bringing the old style and colours back with moden tech.
Also bikes are getting smaller and some are to small for the 6ft plus group.
When i now go in to have a look im more drawn to the old bikes that are not for sale.

Yes I agree with you. I changed from my last KTM as the drive to save weight translated into make it a smaller bike so little room for a pillion was the result. It will be interesting to see real world reviews for the 1300GS as that has been made smaller. I await TMF’s (The Missendon Flyer) pillion video. I just hope they do not make the next RT smaller but I can guess I will be disappointed. I believe all manufacturers are chasing the Eastern Markets now as motorcycle sales drop in the west. Our younger generations cannot watch TikTok on a bike and do not like getting wet. Either that or we are getting old.

I also find universal the snub nosed headlight, Power Ranger / Transformer styling of so many naked bikes makes them all look the same. Throw in the lack of raised mudguard rear end and it just makes it worse. What we need is someone who's handy with photoshop to debrand a few, then set up a identify the bike competition. Any takers?

Whilst we're having a moan about styling, I'm going to add useless front mudguards, exposed engines with far too many nooks & grannies and how the heck are you meant to keep them clean? We as RT owners are a little luckier than others, but below is a perfect example of what is fundamentally wrong, (that is unless you actually like spending hours on end sitting on a stool and working a detailing brush into all those impossible to reach places):-