Motoring Discussion > BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: R.P.	Replies: 22

New Fri 26 Mar 10 12:39   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

Mine was delivered a week last Tuesday a 1000 mile dealer's bike. First impression was the overall bulk compared to the GS which it currently shares a garage with. One advantage is that I can get both feet flat on the floor with the standard (heated) seat fitted. Fire up the bike from the newly designed starter button (IMHO the old kill switch/starter button is superior but the new one takes up less space on the rather crowded handlebars - switches for heated seats and grips compete for space) and the rather muted thump from the all new boxer twin (although the basic 87 year old design is still recognisable) - engage a clunk free first gear proves that finally BMW have sorted the gear change out and the box now changes as good as any Japanese bike - well almost. The new engine is a lot smoother on the move, the upgraded gear change is spoilt a little by over-thick footpeg rubbers - considering an after market gear change extension (20 quid from Nippy Norman's) or a straight swap with GS footpegs..... The bike is wide with the standard panniers fitted and feels a little "long" but once moving at a decent pace this melts away really - steering is a lot more ponderous than the GS' but the latter's wider handlebars help here - but there are after market fixes. I don't like this bike's specific Metzler tyres, they catch cats' eyes too easily, the GS never has this problems on its Dunlops....Metzler will be chucked out come tyre change time. Instruments are far too Head down for the good of your licence - this means that the excellent BMW badged Garmin 660 which sits quite high can double in dashboard mode as a head up speedo. Everything happens quite leisurely in this bike - performance is a but sluggish but given time the engine should pep up a bit with running in. Once moving you can actually toggle through the suspension modes and the "sports" mode tightens the bike up considerably. All in all a very nicely built and engineered bike which pound for pound is far better value than a VFR1200 and arguably a far better touring proposition. Oh an BMW's silly indicator set up has been ditched in favour of one switch does all Japanese style toggle - good design. Cruise control is not as intuitive as a car's but an option I will only need occasionally. Electrically adjustable screen is brilliant - giving a turbulence free area when erected and a nice sporty feel when retracted - nice touch. Last edited by: Pugugly on Fri 26 Mar 10 at 12:43 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 13:35   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - Woodster

Pug, sounds very nice indeed. Leisurely one up? How do you think it will be two up? I'd be a bit miffed if it struggled when loaded. I haven't ridden for 6 years so perhaps not qualified to speak but I can't imagine the new VFR struggling or being leisurely. How old is the GS and has it kept it's finish? I never had a blemish on a Honda but 2 friends did with Beemers within a year of purchase, but a GS is still a bike I'd want. Perhaps a little more leisurely would suit now. An age thing perhaps??!! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 13:58   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

The GS is an 04 - seems its an ex-Motorrad bike and the finish is still perfect - it has nigh on 13k on it now - I am a fastidious washer of bikes in winter. Leisurely two up ? maybe on back roads but on Mways (its natural habitat) it'll be ok - the VFR was too peaky for me with the VTEC cutting in at 5k revs the GS manages the perfect compromise between grunt and comfort.....I nearly bought a new GS but the write ups on the RT and the "bargain" I got the RT for - I've bonded with it though, nice bike. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 15:27   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - hawkeye

Nice to hear of someone else quietly enjoying their motor cycling. "All new boxer twin" you say. I thought they'd just redone the heads and valve gear drive to give overhead camshaftage. I'll see if I can find the reference in a magazine. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 15:32   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

You're quite right its the HP2 head and the pushrods have finally been dropped after 87 years ! Its only all new in marketing terms really. But to think this engine in its basic form was nearly dropped in favour of the K series 3 and 4 cylinder engines - its a remarkable engine bearing in mind it was originally a British engine built under licence by BMW....remarkable - The new one prefers 98 RON fuel as well. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 20:31   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - biker bones

heated seat , heated grips ??? i am missing out on my old blackbird , think i need to move up to modern times :) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 20:39   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

Yeah a bit of a Jessie thing but it was part of the package. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 20:41   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - Runfer D'Hills

What, the wand thing? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 20:46   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - biker bones

my dad swears by heated grips , hes fitted them to a blackbird , gixxer 1000 , zzr1400 and now hes finally realised hes too old for fast bikes his new triumph . Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 20:47   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

I have to grudgingly admit that the grips are good, especially in the wet. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 20:56   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - hawkeye

>> my dad swears by heated grips I swear by my heated grips too. Mmmmmmm! But a heated seat? What's that all about? Now that really is a Jessie accessory. Or is my fundament better insulated than some? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 20:46   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

As well - I did a Winston Churchill ! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Mar 10 20:51   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - Runfer D'Hills

and you..... :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 May 10 14:12   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

Nice ride - needed a paper and 98RON fuel - so ended up riding a 50 mile circuit down the A5 through Bethesda to Betws y Coed and back to near Llanberis where I'm holed up these days - really quiet roads, phenomenal views, good weather and a bike that if it could sing would be singing something by the Ramones.....loved every second of it, the bike is really connecting now, exploring its performance envelope and handling characteristics all part of the love affair that is a bike. It's not a sportbike but I'd give good money to anyone that could have raced it today. Staggeringly capable with enough room for the Daily Post in the glove-box ! www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jFLyCjlvKI&feature=related - maybe ? Last edited by: Pugugly on Tue 4 May 10 at 14:23 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 19 May 10 17:27   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

Forgot to mention in a recent trip had to stamp on the brakes because of a fearless sheep in the highway - superbly balanced brakes, came down from 80 with no drama, although the rear brake pedal gave my foot a tickle as the ABS switched in... Off to France for the weekend in June - Arras and the Somme - a thousand plus miles in three days should prove its mettle - thanks to Tesco for the free crossing by train ! Edit - Hopefully I'll have some headcam footage to post as well. Last edited by: Pugugly on Wed 19 May 10 at 17:31 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 19 May 10 19:04   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - VxFan

>> Off to France for the weekend in June PU, better get them brakes checked before you go:- news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10123403.stm Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 19 May 10 at 19:05 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 19 May 10 19:06   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

Thanks - found out about it yesterday, the RT is outside the date range thankfully. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 19 May 10 19:07   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - VxFan

Our posts overlapped. Just seen your other reply. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 17 Mar 11 18:19   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

I lugged it out of the garage on Saturday - re-reading this thread nothing seems to have changed - It blew away the cobwebs that had taken up the space that used occupy my brain (when I had a job) - a good run around the same circuit, A55 to Glan Conwy then down the A470 - cracking bit of road for a bike, sadly the scene of many a fatal so heavily Policed....shouldn't have worried - the Assembly are busy ironing out the last of the decent bends and there were three sets of lights on the resulting road works....shame. It's a blast of a road, I have been known to do a recon run before "using" it. The bike seems faster now, maybe using the Kwaker for odd outings has had an effect. What impresses me is that despite this bike's size and weight it is still on the cam for the very good roads around here - saw some awful driving mainly from cars but one bike overtook on DWLs towards me - hairy moment. Amazing bit of kit, engineered to provide a subtle sporting feel (powered screen to full droop and suspension to sport) yes...I won't be selling this year other than or another GS maybe. Bonus was a full tank of Shell Optimax I'd left in it since its last outing. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 17 Mar 11 22:30   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - Berisford

>> but one bike overtook on DWLs towards me >> After more than 40 years in the saddle I'm all too often seeing another biker as the greatest threat to keeping the plastic and metal bits off the tarmac. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 23 Apr 11 09:05   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - mickyg10

have you had a chance to test it with a pillion. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 23 Apr 11 09:11   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

No ! I took it out for a 130 mile blast yesterday - I'd really looked forward to it. Funny day though, I really wasn't "on the cam" so to speak - it was busy on the roads as well, the bike went well enough and was as good as ever, just I didn't quite get as much out of the day as I'd expected maybe I looked forward a little bit too much what with the house move and working. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 21 Aug 16 12:24   BMW - R1200RT -2010 Facelift - A rider's review - R.P.

Funny re-reading this after 6 very busy biking years. A friend came to stay earlier in the month -his 2013 RT now has something like 15000km on it and he loves it dearly. It was odd seeing parked in the garage at home. Still a fantastic and desirable bike despite its recent replacement by an all singing and dancing liquid cooled version by BMW. Would I buy another ? The answer is probably "no" the reason was recently firmed up by a tyre-kicking visit to the local Triumph dealership. Talking to the sales-guy there revealed that they are dropping their version of the RT (Trophy) because of poor sales and the fact that people are buying Explorers (Triumph adventure bike) by the bucket load and using them to tour and for year round biking......The GS has a lot to answer for ! Reply to this message | Report message