BMW R1300RT test ride and review

[Doctor T]

Way too much money for me. As the same as you I would rather buy a 1 or 2 years old 1250

[BoB21]

The 1300rt for £281 you can get a sat nav mount fitted above the dash. It would seem even BMW dont trust their connected app.

[burridge01]

The 1300rt for £281 you can get a sat nav mount fitted above the dash. It would seem even BMW dont trust their connected app.

£281 for a mount,sounds like a right bargain

[simbo]

The 1300rt for £281 you can get a sat nav mount fitted above the dash. It would seem even BMW dont trust their connected app.

I don't think it's so much BMW don't trust their connected ride app, I think it's just people have different preferences on sat navs and BMW saw a market in this too release more money from their wallets

[Old Foxy]

When I took my R1250RT in for its MoT recently, I had a new (400 miles) R1300RT as my loan bike. I managed put on another 150 miles.

First thing that I noticed, on riding away, was the decrease wind protection, especially on the Old Foxy knees. Almost like riding an unfaired machine! The engine is good and more responsive than my 1250. In fact, I thought it quite “buzzy” – similar to a vertical twin and most unboxer-like! Not bad, just different. The gearbox is much, much better and the shift assist (I had the full-fat machine, with a proper clutch) works superbly, in all gears, both up and down the box. For the 1250, I tend to do manual changes for gears 1 & 2, then the shift assist for the rest. The R1300T box is better overall, with much less clunking.

The bike rides well on the road – very little difference to the 1250 (I'm no Marc Marquez), though it somehow seems to be smaller. The tank is smaller, but the bike is a tad heavier! The seat, initially, felt a bit hard (new bikes are often like that) but comfort was good – better after an hour than after ten minutes. The mirrors are on stems now, rather than “built in” but are still in the wrong place. Useable, as the panniers are smaller, but I still dislike the location.

The stands are very substantial bits of kit. The side stand is easy to operate, but the bike leans over a lot more than the 1250 – which gave me a start, first time. The centre stand has a fold-out arm, which is essential to get the bike up and over, but the process is much harder than for the 1250. In fact, BMW have gone backwards here – my R100RT was dead easy; the 1250 is OK, but requires a bit of effort; the R1300RT is approaching K1600 territory! Another regression is the storage space (or lack of it). With the R100RT, I had two lockable fairing pockets, each of which could accommodate spare glasses, spare gloves and a mobile phone. The 1250 has one compartment, which is half the size, but takes my spare glasses. The R1300RT has a small telephone cubby, which is required if you want the BMW SatNav function. Poor show, given that the panniers are a lot smaller (even extended) than the 1250's. Perhaps it is a marketing ploy, to get punters to buy the (very expensive) BMW top box?

I did like the adaptive cruise control, which works superbly and the addition of “blind spot” proximity warning lights, in the mirrors is a nice touch. It would be even better, if the mirrors were up in the line of sight, where they should be.

I liked the “filled in” appearance of the body work, but overall, there has been cost-cutting on the trim. This is especially noticeable around the screen, with “stuck on” wind deflectors and no covers over the screen fitting screws. The screen is a bit too small for my liking, but a taller screen is an option (at no extra cost). It is still electrically operated.

The exhaust still has a “flappy valve”, but it has been relocated further back and is easier to locate. To my mind, it should have been relocated to the skip and should not be necessary on a modern, computer-controlled engine! The silencer is much more compact and somewhat Akrapovic-like in appearance. I quite like that. The wheels are cheaper looking, IMHO, and have angled valves, rather than the neater, cast-in, types on the 1250. More penny pinching, methinks. I'm sticking with my 5 year old 1250, as it does everything that I need (and more). The extra dosh that would need to pay for a trade-in will more than cover any ongoing maintence and repair costs!

Old Foxy

[Panman40]

I was wondering if there maybe more room on the 1300 for rider and larger pillion than the 1200/1250 ?, the new seats look to have much less of a step between them.
Anyone notice on a test ride or new owners ?.

[ds99]

The R1300RT does not seem to have been overly well-recevied and most people seem to prefer the R1250RT, especially when conidering the new cost of the 1300