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BMW R 1200 RT
DJYVictoria
- 8 reviews
- 4 likes
Now a affordable touring bike
I finally bought a r1200rt it is a 08 mod not the se but with the things you need for a decent touring bike. These day's you can get a decent bike for under $8000 when you compare this to back in the day it's good value. Anyway just as I thought it is a pleasure to ride and own average fuel economy is 500kms and with the cruise and electronic screen there could be more in saving fuel, if you get a chance ride one.
Purchased in October 2019 for A$5,000.00.
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The reviewer stated that an incentive was offered for this review
batcheeSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 19 reviews
- 10 likes
Long legs and plenty of tech
Mine's a 2008 oil-cooled model fully optioned, including an audio system.
I bought it in 2015 after umming and ahring about the total indulgence.
It serves no other purpose than riding for pleasure. For its age, its loaded with very nifty features.
Side panniers, tyre pressure sensors, electronic ignition lock, trip computer, audio system, ABS plus BMW's telefork front suspension, and paralever rear. Not bad for an 11-year-old bike.
It's simply a marvellous ride. I bought it in as-new condition with only 16,000 km. Riding it is sheer pleasure. ...Read more
Purchased in April 2015 at Morgan and Wacker.
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Wedge
- 3 reviews
- 4 likes
The guardian angel of bikes
It's been a year today since I rolled my RT out of the showroom and time for a review. As background, I live in Canberra and don't own a car. When we think about which bike to buy we often have in our mind's eye a deserted road on a summer dawn or springtime in the mountains. That's part of motorcycling but so is being caught in a cataclysmic storm outside Narromine (like being hit with a firehose), slushy snow and black ice on a dark night at Marulan, coming into a corner on the hot side and finding a huge pothole right on your line and long t...Read more
ail backs on a baking hot afternoon. Your bike has to handle these as well. In some ways, the RT still has the soul of the old R90S, a bike you greatly admire but not love. One you buy with your head and not your heart. But with a year of experiences mostly wonderful but sometimes terrible I see it now as trusted companion whose tremendous competence is always there when you need it. Good points, reasonable weather protection in a relatively light weight package. The light weight makes it very flickable but more importantly, it will do a major change of line at speed without fuss as per the aforementioned pothole. It also makes it less a handful in heavy traffic. The engine is an improvement from the previous oil head. Power all over the range, 0-100 in four seconds or so and numbers with a two in front of them appear in the time it takes me to write this. It's no ZX 1400 but its fast enough for most of us most of the time. Handling is excellent (I'm a fan of Telelevers), braking likewise and it rides well with plenty of on the go suspension adjustment. The quick shift is also great particularly when going down through the gears while setting up for a corner. Instrumentation is comprehensive and easy to use and the pannier system is likewise excellent. I can only confirm other reviewers' opinion when they say it is the world's best touring bike. So seamless is the fit of rider and machine you are often not consciously aware you are riding it. The bike just goes where it is supposed to go and hundreds of k's go by. Bad points. There are some areas of poor design. The short fender lets tar and road grime from the front wheel spray all over a hot engine where it is very difficult to remove. Likewise, a gap behind the swing arm pivot allows stuff from the rear wheel to spray onto the pillion's boots and trousers. I know these are solvable problems and almost all European and Japanese bikes have these features but that doesn't make it less dumb. Other issues are that a short top lip on the mirrors mean they get wet in the rain and are useless just when you most need them, the standard screen is too small if you're over 5'10" and the gearbox thunks into first gear (apparently fixed on the 2017 models). If something happened to the RT would I buy another one? In a heartbeat. There are many wonderful bikes out there that you could love, the very beautiful Moto Guzzi Californina, the charismatic and superbly built Rocket 3T to name just a couple. Would I look on them after a year and think I how lucky I am to be paired with a bike that seems always on the look out for me as a trusted companion is? Probably not.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Find out how BMW R 1200 RT compares to other Touring Bikes
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Great bike although...
Excellent for 12k until after an official BM service it has llost the initial urge to accelerate when the throttle is opened during down shifting! BM are mystified. Apart from this the bike can handle 500+ miles a day comfortably.
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BattleaxeKaroonda
- 2 reviews
This is a awesome ride
I always favour sport bikes .....But since i took my BMW R1200RT fore a ride i was amaized. Low down toque ... more than enough!!!! Smooth like silk in gear changing. A Bit heavy but managable.
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Loving it
After 25 years without a bike (previous CBX750F) I can say it was a dream to ride. Even two up. And this is a 2007 model. Very pleased. Rode it from qld to Vic straight away. All faults with the nut holding the handgrips.
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VerneAU
- 2 reviews
Comfy for the long haul but not designed for the city commute
Nice bike for touring on and for putting away many kilometres. Easy to sit on all day long and will smoothly get you from A to B. Running Pirelli Angels and these are very positive. The mirrors are set low and don't afford very good visibility, unless you are interested in seeing the knuckles of your gloves. Plenty of creature comforts to make the long haul easier and more enjoyable, my favourites being the adjustable screen which I use to help modulate airflow over my body to keep cool and the stereo. It is certainly squarely aimed at touring ...Read more
and/or long rides and is not an all round bike. It does what it is designed to do well and is boringly nice. Comfortable seat and riding position, speakers, adjustable screen, good torque for smooth riding, manouverable for its size, economical fuel consumption, cruise control Poor visibility in rear view mirrors and location of them, sluggish from standing start, pannier space is hard to utilise well, clunky gearbox - first is difficult to engage from neutral and keeps hitting neutral on the upshift from first1 comment
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Clydester
- 4 reviews
- 4 likes
Good
Typical excellent BMW quality. I like it a lot with the exception of the suspension issue, that might be able to be adjusted out. Great on long trips as it is kind to my old bones. Didn't realise just how comfortable it was until I rode a Jap sports tourer for 350km last weekend. The Beemer is certainly sreets ahead on the long distance touring stakes.
Comfortable, ample power, great brakes, good improvement on previous model, R1150RT. Good tourer. Can even get the front wheel up on this big bike.
Suspension is a bit soft and wallowly when pushed. The suspension is not as good as R1150RT this bike replaced. But then again its not intended to be a sports bike.
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Questions & Answers
Battleaxeasked
Hi Guys.
Thanks for all the answers about what to look for when buying a used R1200RT.
Another question.......... Is there some place to register on BMW so they can email me if there is a recall on either the bike or a parts that needs to be replaced? I stumbled across a web side that mention about the rear brake disc that needs replacing. It turned out mine was one of them. I hope my nearest BMW dealer will be kind enough to let me know. But in the mean time its all wondering and searching.
Thanks
Battle axe
2 answers
Funny enough just this morning I received a letter from the BMW Group Australia with reference to my chassis number to get me to replace the rear wheel flange for being faulty. Sadly mine had failed earlier and I replaced it at my expense. So to answer your question, having the bike serviced with an authorised repairer ensure you're in the information loop.
You will not believe this... This morning i received a letter from BMW Group (customer relations manager) I was automatically registered on their website when i purchased the bike. I appreciate the service, and i think me and BMW are going to become good friends. Happy days and hours of fun on my BMW. Thanks REMCO.
Battle axe
Battleaxeasked
I am about to buy a R1200RT it is a 2009 model. This bike was a old police bike with 44 000 on the clock. It looks very neat, But what questions do i need to ask? And what do i need to look out for?
Thanks
Battleaxe
4 answers
Ask the owner if it was used for daily commuting in the city to work or used for touring. City riding is hard on the bike compared to the open road. The reason I mention that is that these bikes have a clutch at the rear of the engine that are expensive to repair...quite a job to get to it and replace the clutch assembly. Something with that many kms on it in city traffic may be due for a new clutch down the track. Of course you can gauge clutch wear by how far you have to release the clutch lever before the bike starts to move off from stationary. If the lever is a long way out - IE 3/4 of it's travel or more it is a clear indication that the clutch plate is worn. If there is a shudder as you release the pedal that is also a sign of a uneven wear in the clutch.
The engine's rear main oil seal can go and cause oil to get onto the clutch plate hence creating poor clutch performance. If there is any sign of oil under the rear of the engine (even weeping slightly) that is a good indicator of a leaking rear seal. Also check the drive shaft for any leaks or excessive movement in the outer housing. All in all they are a great bike and very reliable.. I am giving you a mechanical point of view to just check it out so you don't get hit with expensive repairs down the track. Hope this helps!
Thanks guys this is very helpfull. Hope you have a great day.
Battleaxe.
Kevinasked
I am thinking of trading my RT 2006. It only has 33000ks on it but it is getting a bit outdated I feel.
I ride mainly with Adventure type bikes and I feel like a bit of a Dinosaur. Would the 1200R be a better bike?
1 answer
A "dinosaur"? Hmmm I just rode from Townsville to Perth, 7 000km on the RT in ten days. It purrs at 130kph (in the NT :) ) and steers itself by leaning into the curve of the road. It's quiet, easy to maintain (no coolant for example), a low centre of gravity, light with high power to weight ratio and comfortable to sit on for a 12 hour day doing 1200 km Newman to Perth in one day (and I'm 65 btw). I can see reason for moving to a lighter bike eg the Honda NC700 or whatever), but not a stripped down version of the RT. I can see reason for the cost and availability of parts to change, but this aint a dinosaur. I have two RTs btw.
Other Touring Bikes
Triumph Rocket III Touring
4.1(11)BMW K1600GTL
5.0(1)Yamaha FJR1300A
5.0(8)Victory Vision
5.0(1)Indian Roadmaster
4.7(3)Suzuki Boulevard C50T
4.5(2)Harley-Davidson Touring
4.5(2)Victory Cross Country
4.0(3)Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport 4V
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Stef
I have been using mine for 5 years, riding every single day rain or shine, commuting 25km in Brisbane traffic and doing the occasional long weekend rides. I found the bike good in traffic thanks to th... Read more
e low center of gravity. Regarding the rear view mirror, they are just perfect for me, it might be my height (186cm) and the fact that I ride with the seat in its high position. My gearbox isn't clunky at all and finding first is no problem so I don't know what the problem is here.