BMW R 1200 RT

Ghosteh · 3 Aug 2010 at 21:56

Just wondering if anyone here owns one? I'm possibly looking at this as my next bike, not to replace the GSX-R, to have along side it. Just looking at something like this as I'm planing on doing quite a bit of touring in the future across Germany and the rest of Europe, and I'm looking at something that I can easily take pillions on, cover large distances, and take plenty of luggage.

Will be getting a test ride of one in the near future, but just looking to see if anyone's got any long term experience with them, how they are to live with etc?

Or if anyone has any recommendations for any other bikes that'd suit my needs, it's a new area for me lol.

Cheers in advance for any help

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growse · 3 Aug 2010 at 22:13

Any reason to go for the R series over the K series, like the K1200GT? In my (admittedly, limited) experience, I'd probably prefer a 4 over a twin, especially for long distances.

Ghosteh · 3 Aug 2010 at 22:20

I was just chatting with one of the sales persons today at Poole Quay bike night, there was a BMW stand there. He said the new twin had a lot more low down torque, said it was more 'lively' and would be a bit more fun. He said the 4 would be great, but it just lacks that extra punch and that it would just progressively get though the gears, so great for touring I'm sure, but I just don't want it to lack that extra bit of fun.

That said' I have got a test ride with a K1300 GT, and also the F800 R, which he said he had just come back from a 1300 mile trip to/around France on. I just don't think it'd provide enough all year round protection, especially the cold winters in Germany.

growse · 3 Aug 2010 at 22:58

Ghosteh said:
I was just chatting with one of the sales persons today at Poole Quay bike night, there was a BMW stand there. He said the new twin had a lot more low down torque, said it was more 'lively' and would be a bit more fun. He said the 4 would be great, but it just lacks that extra punch and that it would just progressively get though the gears, so great for touring I'm sure, but I just don't want it to lack that extra bit of fun.

That said' I have got a test ride with a K1300 GT, and also the F800 R, which he said he had just come back from a 1300 mile trip to/around France on. I just don't think it'd provide enough all year round protection, especially the cold winters in Germany.

The (twin) engine on the 800 has a lovely amount of low down grumble, but I felt it lacked any excitement once you got near the redline. Personally, I'm after a bike that will treat me sanely at low revs but let me have fun higher up when I need it - all the 4s I've tested so far have shown just that.

On the flip side, if you're carrying a lot of stuff, I'd imagine the grunt would come in more useful than having to rev it everywhere.

The F800R's a great bike, if it's to your taste. I couldn't imagine touring on it though. Can you get the ST instead?

Actually, even then, the luggage options on the 800s are pretty pants. Best go for the 1150/1200/1300 sizes to get decent luggage capacity.

I don't own one, so I'll step out of the way to allow actual knowledgeable people to chip in

Ghosteh · 3 Aug 2010 at 23:20

growse said:
I don't own one, so I'll step out of the way to allow actual knowledgeable people to chip in

I appreciate any help to be honest. It's never been a style I've looked at, and wasn't expecting to at 25 lol.

But yeah, the luggage options seem nothing on the 800's compared to the 1150/1200/1300's etc, so to be honest, that test ride will just to see what the bike is like with no real intention on buying it lol.

As for the engines, I've got no real idea, I've never ridden a twin of any sort before, and I'm used to my high revving 4 at the moment, which I enjoy thrashing the **** off of, but definitely need something more sensible for touring, so interested in trying these flat twins.

PieEater · 4 Aug 2010 at 12:12

I've not ridden a BMW twin but I doubt that they can be considered fun or exciting, how about a Triumph Sprint ST, Plenty of luggage options and the engine will be a good compromise of grunt and top end.

Ghosteh · 4 Aug 2010 at 16:17

I'm not expecting a mahoosive amount of fun on them to be honest(hence why I'm keeping my GSX-R too), I just don't want it to be completely drab and boring.

I may book a test with a Triumph too, just to see what they're like. I'll have to find out if they have anything sorted out with BFG(British Forces Germany), which will save me from buying a German speced bike over there, trying to deal with Germany dealerships etc. The good thing about BMW is they've got a dealership in London which will do all the work for me, and sell me the bike, ready for German roads, over here, saves me a load of hassle.

SGCWill · 4 Aug 2010 at 17:14

I have an 07 R1200R and I can tell you the engine is good in them, plenty of low down torque and just enough of a kick at high rpm to be a little unexpected - It's more like a 2 stroke powerband, just with power down low as well.

But it is quite boring. Of course if you are touring - boring, reliable and mpg are usually the decent choices. My dad toured around france on his RT and GS and he loves them. Still he sold it for one of those new ducati multi-strada in white

K means water cooled and R means air cooled btw - It just so happens that the water cooled is a 4 cylinder and the R is usually 2 cylinder.

They do tend to drink a little oil as well.

I think it has the best brakes I've ever used - Takes a while to get used to, but you can stop as fast as you can accelerate and that's pretty quick. It's also really comfortable as well.

Dureth · 4 Aug 2010 at 17:20

Like you at the age of 25 I never thought I'd see myself buying something this "boring" but I've just got myself a Suzuki Bandit 1250SA with a full set of hard luggage and heated grips.

I've added a 12v socket and GPS mount to the bars and I've got myself a full blown tourer for a shade under £7K brand new.

My initial impressions are that the finish is ok, not great but better than most people seem to give Suzuki credit for. The power, even while running it in below 5K RPM, is immense. Sure the headline figure is only 95bhp but it's EVERYWHERE! I've found myself just bombing around in 6th gear, rolling on the power for overtakes from 30/40mph up to 95/100mph where the 5K RPM limit stops my fun. Once the first 1000 miles is out the way I'll report back in about the top end of the rev range. It pulls smoothly right from tickover making slow manouvers and traffic a doddle.

Cruising on the motorway is effortless with good wind protection up to about 90mph. The ABS system doesn't feel weird at all, I can't even notice it. The brakes will stop this huge bike very quickly but need a hard pull on the lever to do so.

Everything is silky smooth, cornering is actually far better than I had anticipated! It's more than happy to get right over to the edge of the tyre and feels rock solid through bends even when 2-up. No bouncy-ness or wallowing sensation. The steering is a little slow but it just means you can't throw it around and have to ride smoothly. More than enough bike to keep up with the sportsbikes on a ride out, and there's somewhere to stow all my gear when I get there!

The day after I got it I did 360 miles in 1 day and felt fine at the end of it. None of the other bikes I've ever owned would let me enjoy myself for that long, I'd be in agony after 200 miles on most. My bum was a little numb by the end so might invest in a gel seat pad in the future as I also plan on doing a bit of touring round Europe.

Ghosteh · 4 Aug 2010 at 22:32

SGCWill said:
I have an 07 R1200R and I can tell you the engine is good in them, plenty of low down torque and just enough of a kick at high rpm to be a little unexpected - It's more like a 2 stroke powerband, just with power down low as well.

But it is quite boring. Of course if you are touring - boring, reliable and mpg are usually the decent choices. My dad toured around france on his RT and GS and he loves them. Still he sold it for one of those new ducati multi-strada in white

Yeah they're kind of the things I'm looking for, good MPG, comfort and reliability, as said, I'm not buying this for the 'fun' factor, but hope they aren't exceptionally boring lol.

K means water cooled and R means air cooled btw - It just so happens that the water cooled is a 4 cylinder and the R is usually 2 cylinder.

They do tend to drink a little oil as well.

Ah, I wondered what the letters represented lol, cheers

. Not too fussed about the oil too, I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

I think it has the best brakes I've ever used - Takes a while to get used to, but you can stop as fast as you can accelerate and that's pretty quick. It's also really comfortable as well.

Again, that's a good thing to hear

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Dureth said:
Like you at the age of 25 I never thought I'd see myself buying something this "boring" but I've just got myself a Suzuki Bandit 1250SA with a full set of hard luggage and heated grips.

I've added a 12v socket and GPS mount to the bars and I've got myself a full blown tourer for a shade under £7K brand new.

My initial impressions are that the finish is ok, not great but better than most people seem to give Suzuki credit for. The power, even while running it in below 5K RPM, is immense. Sure the headline figure is only 95bhp but it's EVERYWHERE! I've found myself just bombing around in 6th gear, rolling on the power for overtakes from 30/40mph up to 95/100mph where the 5K RPM limit stops my fun. Once the first 1000 miles is out the way I'll report back in about the top end of the rev range. It pulls smoothly right from tickover making slow manouvers and traffic a doddle.

Cruising on the motorway is effortless with good wind protection up to about 90mph. The ABS system doesn't feel weird at all, I can't even notice it. The brakes will stop this huge bike very quickly but need a hard pull on the lever to do so.

Everything is silky smooth, cornering is actually far better than I had anticipated! It's more than happy to get right over to the edge of the tyre and feels rock solid through bends even when 2-up. No bouncy-ness or wallowing sensation. The steering is a little slow but it just means you can't throw it around and have to ride smoothly. More than enough bike to keep up with the sportsbikes on a ride out, and there's somewhere to stow all my gear when I get there!

The day after I got it I did 360 miles in 1 day and felt fine at the end of it. None of the other bikes I've ever owned would let me enjoy myself for that long, I'd be in agony after 200 miles on most. My bum was a little numb by the end so might invest in a gel seat pad in the future as I also plan on doing a bit of touring round Europe.

Hadn't actually considered a Bandit, just not sure if it would provide enough crappy weather protection for a European winter. There are some pretty gucci things on the BMW, heated seats for example, and the movable wind shield, and the integrated audio system which I think would just make life on long journeys with a pillion just that extra bit more comfortable.

But yeah, if you could get back to us when you've broke the engine in, report back on the performance and feel etc, that'd be great

.

Ghosteh · 4 Aug 2010 at 22:34

Also just looked at MCN's top 100 bikes, saw the R1200 RT at position 8, so that's given me a bit more confidence in buying lol.

Crowze · 5 Aug 2010 at 10:12

I would suggest you might want to look at the Guzzi Norge as it's a similar spec to the R1200 but a lot prettier (and a little cheaper). I current ride its predecessor and while it's not the most exciting bike to ride it's ideal for touring - comfortable, loads of luggage space, good fuel economy and a large tank, and plenty of power in the mid-range to make overtaking a breeze. They've also just released the new 8V model which ups the power and has a few other tweaks such as sharper handling - only trouble is finding one.

Dureth · 5 Aug 2010 at 16:51

Ghosteh said:
Hadn't actually considered a Bandit, just not sure if it would provide enough crappy weather protection for a European winter. There are some pretty gucci things on the BMW, heated seats for example, and the movable wind shield, and the integrated audio system which I think would just make life on long journeys with a pillion just that extra bit more comfortable.

But yeah, if you could get back to us when you've broke the engine in, report back on the performance and feel etc, that'd be great .

I'll post up next week once its had its first service and is fit for thrashing!

If your after more protection and an adjustable screen then you could look at the new this year GSF1250FA which is basically a fully faired bandit with GSXR style front lights and dash. You can add a variable screen as an extra to these as well as full luggage options/heated grips etc.

Ghosteh · 5 Aug 2010 at 22:50

Dureth said:
I'll post up next week once its had its first service and is fit for thrashing!

If your after more protection and an adjustable screen then you could look at the new this year GSF1250FA which is basically a fully faired bandit with GSXR style front lights and dash. You can add a variable screen as an extra to these as well as full luggage options/heated grips etc.

Ah right, hadn't heard of the FA model before, so that could be a possibility. Although, just not sure if I want another bandit, I did love mine, but just want to try as many different bikes as possible lol.

Crowze said:
I would suggest you might want to look at the Guzzi Norge as it's a similar spec to the R1200 but a lot prettier (and a little cheaper). I current ride its predecessor and while it's not the most exciting bike to ride it's ideal for touring - comfortable, loads of luggage space, good fuel economy and a large tank, and plenty of power in the mid-range to make overtaking a breeze. They've also just released the new 8V model which ups the power and has a few other tweaks such as sharper handling - only trouble is finding one.

Hmm, the Guzzi Norge doesn't look too bad actually spec wise, although I do prefer the look of the BMW. I'll see if I can get a test ride on one of them as well, may prefer the look of it in the flesh too!

Cheers for all the help and advice fellas, much appreciated

.

Ghosteh · 9 Aug 2010 at 19:54

Got myself booked in to test ride one of these next week, looking forward to it, hope it lives up to expectations lol. Still need to try and book some in with some other dealers like Triumph, and maybe a Suzuki too.