Guy Boutin's Motorcycle Touring and Travel Pages

Adventures in Sport Touring with the Honda ST 1100, 1300 and the BMW 1200RT

Exploring North America...One Road at a Time

                     2005 BMW  R1200RT

 RT promo video.

 Background- After riding Hondas all my life, how did it come to pass that I would purchase and ride a BMW?  Good question.  In 2004 I started thinking about adding a second bike to my garage.  Some say, " Why? You can only ride one at a time?"  True, but I can put more miles on any 2 bikes, then most with just one.  At this stage of my life I have the time and the means to indulge myself with the things I love most.

I came to the RT because I wanted a bike that would do the same things as the Honda, but in a different way, and that is exactly what the RT does.  Sport bikes, dual sports, cruisers would for sure give me a different "ride," and that was why I dismissed them.  I'm not going to ride one of them to California.  No, I wanted a sport touring bike, a bike I would take on a long tour.

I shopped the Asian sport touring bikes, most notably the FJR, but in the end it was slanted a little too much to the sport side of the equation.  But make no mistake, it is an excellent sport touring bike, and it was on the short list.  But the more I thought about it, the more I said, "it is really not that big a difference then what I have currently, but I won't rule it out."

About that time the new and improved RT began arriving in dealer showrooms.  I rode up to Birmingham to check it out.  I was hearing a lot of great things about it.

I always liked the looks of the RT.  I shopped it late in 2000 when I entered the sport touring world, and in fact it had come down to the RT or ST 1100.  My bias was with the Honda, and after riding the RT I knew why.  It looked good and had a excellent cockpit, but I couldn't past the transmission, and rumble motor of the boxer twin, so without much internal debate I went with the Honda.

The new 2005 RT was an evolution in every way above the 1100 series.  The transmission was a vast improvement, it still didn't/doesn't shift like a Honda, (nothing does) but acceptable.  The vibey motor had been tamed to the point it felt good at cruising speeds, and I think the bike is stunningly designed.  It draws positive comments everywhere I park it.  When non riders take time out to praise your mount, you know you're riding a nice looking bike.

Over a 2 month period I took 3 test rides, then filled out the paperwork and brought the bike home.  I have been pleased ever since.

Now, 3 years later, and 45k miles, I can say I still love the bike.  It does exactly what I want it to do.  Like taking me places, and showing me a different experience than the Honda.  The RT has a unique feel, and look, and people are drawn to it from all walks.

The RT is supremely comfortable and agile.  BMW has been in the sport touring business a long time, and knows the stuff such bikes need.  Like heated seats and grips, cruise control, quiet cockpits, class leading wind management, large gas tanks with excellent mpg motors.  Other items like on the fly suspension adjustment, and great load capacity round out this well thought out bike.  I thoroughly enjoy riding the bike and really have no complaints other then you have to service it every 6k miles.

Is the RT worth the few thousands more they are asking for over the Honda?  I really don't know.  It does offer more things for the money, that do make up the difference, but you have to give up a few things also, so that pretty much makes it a wash.  In the end, if your bias is with the BMW you won't be disappointed.

Motor- The boxer twin makes good power, and gives ample passing prowess.   The bike still feels like a boxer twin at low speeds, and shudders at low rpm till the clutch is fully out.  At cruising speed, the bike is smooth and quiet.  In the 60-100 mph range, it feels just like any 4 cylinder bike.  The motor will never have the linear power and high rev of a 4 cylinder, but it has all the power and speed you need.  If you like the ST 1100s power and torque, you will like the RTs, feels much the same.

The air cooled motor is noticeably cool, and I have NO heat from anywhere on a hot day.

Brakes- The brakes are servo assisted, ABS, and partially linked.  Meaning the pedal is independent, but the lever is linked to the rear.  They are powerful, smooth, and predictable.

Handling-  If there is ONE area the RT is the best, it is how it handles in the twisties.   It has a very light feel, and the steering takes less effort of any bike I've been on in a long time.  It does not feel top heavy, and it inspires confidence over any road surface.  Finding yourself in a curve with a rough surface does not upset the RT.  It has the best suspension in the business, and smoothes out whatever you come into.  At 571 pounds, the bike is close to the VFR.  The RT has enormous ground clearance, more than I'd ever use.

It offers excellent feedback from the road, more than any bike I've ever ridden, and is a pleasure to push in tight curves.  It is a lot fun to ride.

This is how well balanced and stable the bike is- At 90 mph I can set the cruise and take both hands from the bars, and the bike doesn't flinch, no pull to either side, just straight and true.

Comfort-  Wind management on the RT is arguably the finest on 2 wheels.  Bring the adjustable screen up just a little, and you can take your ear plugs out.  Nothing but still air covers you.  The screen and fairing, are well designed.  The fairing is a little bigger than the 1300s, and as a result makes a very quiet cockpit.  The 1300 has a effective wind screen, but it doesn't reduce the wind noise to the level of the RT.  The Germans have always been good at aerodynamics.

The screen does appear to be a little cheesy but it is effective.  It will shake and move around, but has never caused a problem over the miles.

The electric suspension on the RT will do for shocks, what BMW did for windscreens when it introduced the adjustable back in the 90s.  The ability to adjust settings on the fly is great, and something I do all the time on the RT.  I can set pre load and dampening from the saddle to match changing conditions.  When I have the settings in the sport position, the bike feels like its on rails when you lean it.

My RT has cruise control, something I'll never do without again, and I'm going to have to install a unit on the 1300.  The heated seats and grips work great.  The bike has a gear indicator, something sorely needed on the 1300.  The RT has all kinds of computer readouts and trip meters.  The readout is easy to see, but you have to toggle the displays, something I'd rather not do.  I prefer the Honda's display.

My bike has the low seat, and I find it comfortable.

Little things- I love the luggage on the RT.  Simple to work, and lots of room.  The adjustable seat is good, allowing a rider a range of options.  Headlights are excellent, but I still plan to add PIAAs, as soon as a bracket is made available.

I like how I sit IN the RT's cockpit, and not ON it.  It envelopes the rider, protecting him, but still keeps you in contact with the environment.

The 6 speed transmission is nice, and really helps the bike at freeway speeds.  

The RT has self canceling turn signals!  What makes those hard to come by?  Thank YOU BMW.

Looks are a personal thing, and with that in mind I like the RTs lines and 2 piece fairing, like a modern motorcycle all set to go.  The fit and finish are first rate.

What do I like best about the bike?  It is really 2 bikes in one.  An excellent mountain carver, it can hold its on with bikes outside its realm of expertise.  No, it can not make the power of a Hayabusa, or Blackbird, but it is just as much fun to lean, and gives up nothing on a 1000 mile day in the saddle.  I can carve up the Blue Ridge Parkway, go to I-40, hit a few buttons to bring the suspension back to comfort setting, set the cruise, raise the screen, and watch the scenery roll by.

Stuff I don't like- Not really much to put here.  The mirrors look good but you can't see much out of them, and the bike demands more maintenance them I am use to, and the dealer is 80 miles away.  The warranty is only 3 year, 36k miles (going for the extended, and they are expensive).  The spare key was junk, but Bogarts secured a better one for me.  And thats about it.  I will keep a record of how the RT performs, and compare cost of ownership.

I love the RT.  A very functional and well thought out bike.  If it can hold together as well as the Honda, then BMW has tilted the balance of power, and it will be interesting to see how Honda responds.

Four years on the BMW 1200 RT

Well another year with the BMW closed out recently, so time for a update.  I won't go into maintenance details, that info is available on here.

What I will report on is how I like the bike after 4 years of touring and riding it.  

Now that it is paid for I like it even more!  I made the last payment on it a few months ago, and now I hold the titles for TWO top of the line sport touring bikes!  

The RT has served me well the last 4 years.  It has not had anything breakdown.  I keep my bikes clean and polished and it does not look like a bike with 50k miles on the meter.  It continues to serve the purpose why I bought it- To give a different experience then the Honda.  Even though both bikes do the something, they do it so differently it makes identical rides a totally distinct entity.

Over the years I've found the RT to be just a little more comfortable for me.  It has the better seat, and riding position.  

The 6,000 mile valve checks are still annoying, and too frequent for a guy riding as many miles as I do.  I should do these myself and save time and money, but it always seems I have some thing else to do.  For some reason it goes through headlamp bulbs every 12k or so.   Right now one is out on the head and taillight.

The final drive is still going strong, and not given me any problems, but the shop meticulously inspects and it services it.  Final drives on the R series have issues, but mine has been good so far.

Last spring I had the RT out in West Virginia in some really bad weather, and it handled it very well.  The excellent cockpit kept me mostly dry in the rain, and linked ABS brakes were a great comfort.

Would I buy a BMW again?  Probably, it depends on how the next 50k miles goes.  The next miles tell the story how a reliable a bike is.  I know the Honda in this territory but not the 1200, but it is off to a good start.  I still love the RT, I think it is well designed and functional, all it has to do is hold together the next 50k miles and win final approval.

As of July 18th 2009, the RT has clocked over 52,000 miles.