BMW R1200RT Test Ride in San Rafael, California - Will i buy one ? the GOOD and BAD - CHP choice ?
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- BMW R1200RT Test Ride - Will i buy one ? the GOOD and BAD - CHP choice ?
Comprehensive review of this bike. Watch before you buy one !
I find it takes me a couple of hours to truly settle into the dynamics of a new to me bike. I would say the RT is far more capable than most riders who own one,......very capable in the twisties once the rider gets past their pre-conceptions of a "Huge Bike" or "traveling in your couch". You haven't appeared to have really pressed the bike at any point,.....It's a far sharper tool than you realize yet,....more time in the seat will show you the bikes true capabilities. I have owned 4 Ducatis and over 45 BMWs,......Every time I take on a new Ducati, I quickly become unimpressed with its power delivery,....gutless and shaking below 4500 (Granted they have been older Multis , 916, ST) while most BMWs can smoothly pull from as low as 1500 (or lower).
The runner should be running on the left side. It is safer cause he can see incoming cars. If he would run on the right side then he couldnt see incoming cars.
Greeting from Sweden! Thank you for a great review and beautiful ride. It almost feels like being there myself - and I miss it terribly! I keep an 1150 RT-P in San Francisco since 2009 and enjoy riding it around town as well as all the way up to Canada a few times. I would like to comment on a few things. There is a lot more SPORT in this machine that you might "feel" at first try. I think it is also worth mentioning that the ESA system offers different adjustment levels of the suspension system and you can drive extremely sporty even with a pillion and fully loaded and very heavy bike.
I have personally witnessed Paris rush hour traffic jams, seeing people driving and handling the big RT amongst bumper to bumper cars like it was a ballet with small scooter! That was darn impressive and after Paris I think driving around downtown San Francisco is a breeze compared. It is all in the handling which again is always very individual, I find. I was also amazed at the amount of RT's I saw there, not really considering it being a city bike. Until then.
I am in the process of upgrading from my 1150 I keep here at home to a 2010 1200 RT-P and your video made me feel already at home on the 1200. Thank you! And I am also looking to buy a GSA..oh well, apples and oranges...
it feels bulky at the beginning, I felt the same way about mine but after few months of riding, you get used to it and the size become comfortable for you. I lean a lot on mine (no chicken stripes lol) and it feels great with the low center of gravity. It feels comfortable and easy to handle.
I’ve owned both the Harley Ultra Classic and a BMW RT and without a doubt the BMW will eat the Harley’s lunch in the corners.
These bikes require gel batteries. Mine was over 300 to replace. Review abs, brakes, grips are item covered, neo and shifters, missing panels and bolts, headlights are a pain to replace, windshield motor to adjust, final drive play (if it’s crazy slack it will need replacement), adjustable shocks, scrapes on side motor covers, body, ect.
These are great bikes, avdream to ride, so comfortable, sporty touring meaning it does corner like a sports bike,
They get old and replacement and services and parts are extremely expensive. But, once replaced, they last a long long time.
Mine is 90,000 miles. It’s still going strong. Needs some expensive maintenance but then it’s good for another 5 years.
Math: 25k for a new bike or 4-5k for the next 5 years.... unless it strands me. Then it’s going to the dump. I won’t play around with it.
Yes chp love these bikes. But. Top speed is 120ish. Maybe 130. So most bikes they can catch but absolutely not any bike that can do 130+. 110 is very comfortable.
The government contracts switched. It’s why they switched. Harley’s are complete shit compared to bmw. This comments reveals your extremely limited experience. Chp hates the Harley’s. They baby the bmws to keep them as long as possible. Hd are shit.
Primary advantage of the Telelever is near elimination of brake dive.
Hi SFR. Nice review. I have one of those and they are called 'Camheads' since they have DOHC and shims. 110Hp and 120Nm of torque. They are very nice for casual cruising between 3-4000RPM or for faster touring above that. Is a beautiful machine for open road riding and would cruise all day at 100Mph with no sweat and in cocooned comfort. The bike is air and oil cooled. The oil cooler is beneath the headlight inside the BMW kidney grill. For a tourer it is a lot lighter than its competitors at 250Kg. Most other tourers are nearer 300Kg (e.g. FJR1300 or Concours or ST1300).
The R1200RTP (police version) can be bought a lot more cheaply than a civilian version. All it is missing is a back seat and cruise control (plus a few electrical switches and knick-knacks).
great points this is a great bike !
The RTP versions also have a strong fan behind the oil cooler which kicks in when the engine temperature reaches a certain level so it has extra cooling for hot days when you get stuck in slow traffic for a long time. This is a great feature, so the bike can't really overheat. The RT is a nice cool bike on hot days as very little engine heat gets anywhere near your legs. I often ride in shorts in Australian summers with no problem at all.
Just as you comment that it is a low revving engine, yet why do you keep changing gears like a multi cylinder high revver low torque engine? Leave it in 3rd gear and just troll around, it'll pull from 2,000rpm (or lower) easily. Gear changing is not this bike;s forte either :) A lot of engine momentum, large single plate clutch etc... still I liked your review, as I love riding my big girl as well! And as you say, you do get used to the rock steadiness in a corner and how to swing from corner to corner with ease. I would bet that it handles the corners better than the HD's you talk of - a lot more ground clearance for one. ;)
There is no way any harley cop-bike could match the lean angle of the BMW. You are wrong
I have the exact same model. The top case acts as a rudder at freeway speeds. I thought my FJR was more stable. But I do love this bike. Sadly, I can go to the grocery store and fit $120 of groceries in the cases 😅.
That's what I told someone the other day about my GSA lol 'grocery getter"
Fantastic California review SF rider! BTW, the 1200RT you tested is 580 wet and in model year 2014 weight increased 25 pounds up to 605 pounds. Lets say you scored R1200RT comfort/wind protection a 10/10. How would you score a 2017-19 Vstrom 650 with after market comfort seat and wind screen, raised bars and lower pegs if needed, for comfort/wind protection?
probably a 9 , i like the 650 due to its lightness and agility
...you are quite incorrect, the R1200RT is by far a better handling bike, especially compared to the Harley - Harley, being American is making deals to improve visibility and why Harley has improved the handling of all of it's lines, there are design issues where the Harley will Never handle as well as any of the Big makers but Harley also has it's own special feel and following and works for many on its strong points... You are also riding an older R1200RT that may not be in the best state of tune or have the proper tires, properly inflated... The new BMW Police Cruisers are stunning in every way! A new RT under a good rider can keep up nicely with many sport bikes... None the less, your viewpoint is worthy and appreciated...
👍 good points
I find with my 2005 RT is the fairing is so good that I get Hot,hot hot in sunny weather...its also a great handling bike..even for it size...and carrying a pillion is no problem ,it carrys the weight well....
i love the rt
The weight is about 600 compaired to 700 or 800 for a lot of cruisers and that BMW's speedo goes to 150 mph I believe.
Nice video, if the bike had ESA (electronic suspension) you could have put it into comfort mode, you would have floated across those ruts in the twisty bits. The RT is higher geared than the GS it'll do 125 easy. An ECU reprogram gets you around 20% more torque and 20% HP too and very economical on fuel also. A very under rated bike.
Do you have info on where to get the ECU done ?
@@bayouboy8644 - Hilltop motorcycles UK, they do mail order to most places.
If you're really considering this bike, you need to ride a new one. BMW has made significant improvements to the RT since 2009. The new RT has a much improved motor, suspension, and electronics.
Yes a new BMW would be great but if you can't afford that then your stuck as I am, if I could win the lottery I would buy new.
This bike drive better and more comfortable than a goldwing.
Hey brother, I like that boxer motor on those BMWs. Good torque and enough speed for street riding. The only thing that I found that I did not like on those bikes is the slight "kick" to the left when down shifting on a hard braking application (while downshifting at the same time). I did not feel it on my K1200R Sport (with the inline 4 cylinder motor), but on my R1100RS and my K1200RS (with the "Flying Brick" motor) they "kicked" left for some reason. Did you feel any of that on the R1200RT????
The best thing about a BMW bike is the quality of every part and the way the bike handles, like a "bird on a wire" around turns! Take care brother and again, thanks for the "childhood video" you did for me!
yes i noted that kick/jerk action, for me it did not bother me as i just ignored it :) and enjoyed the other great facets of the bike...........i want to add this to my collection and the gs and a ducati and a harley :)
Hi there, I hope you bought that RT. For a couple of weeks I've owned one and since then I always take the long way to work or home.
ps. great landscape. greetings from Switzerland
Switzerland is one of my favourite places - so beautifull and epic mountains - very similar to my Sierra Nevada in California !
@@SanFranciscoRiderr Hi again, i realy like your video, so i watch it again and again. One single question: Is the guy in the video wrealy on the wrong side of the road? 🤔 🤔 where I grew up, we hab a sing beside the road that sayed: Links gehen, gefahr sehen. In englisch this means something like: if you walk on the left side on the road you see wat's coming up too you. 😉 😜
And about my RT, i did some 10'000 Km sinc i buy it last September.
Enjoyd every single Km.😍😍😍😍
Best wishes, and keep riding. Andi
Not sure about the BMW, SFR. A bit too big and unmanageable for li'l old me me, but I'm really enjoying the sunny tours around Marin County!...Take care...and more tours!
I have owned Harley Road Kings and Street Glides-- they would not keep up with the RT in the curves. I was forever dragging the the floor-boards in corners. IDK, maybe I am missing something but I don't feel there's any comparison.
I bought a K1200LT. I love my bike. It is very nimble for such a big bike. So comfortable. Buy the RT. A most the same bike. You went regret it.
You should definitely get an RT they are amazing I have a 2015 LE Spec and love the hell outta it
nice choice Aaron, i like the RT a lot ! its a great bike particularly your model with liquid cooling
Good review. I think the K1200gt or k1300gt would be more of a comparable to the concours.
Best review I've seen on the R12
thanks bro
Nice riding around. Amazing views, sunny, summerly :) Greets from Ukraine.
thanks bro ! Zdravstvuyte Zdravstvuyte Zdravstvuyte
Holley's are junk. That bike will run rings around the HOLLEY.
12RT holds 7.7gal gas. Top heavy when full. N that bike is air and oil cooled. Oil cooler under headlights. I got 80,000mi on mine n i love it
From what I can see, that road is very bumpy and dangerous with all the curves...
Nice country, Marin County. If you want a boxer that handles the twisted, you are needing an R1200RS or 1200R. The RT is the best weather protection. At speed, any of the aforementioned bikes handle without effort.
I doubt a Harley can out handle any BMW. Talk about weight. Less torque and horsepower. Harley's look nice, all that chrome. Kinda like riding a tractor though.
An RT is more than capable of handling the twisties, no problem
@@krytenLister I'm not criticising in anyway on the guys riding but my r1200rt would whip round those twisties 3/4 times faster.
But after jumping straight on confidence is built and not on tap.
You don’t need to shift so much and the twisties are better at high rpm. Really wring it’s neck and it will both handle better and the engine will work better.
You seem preoccupied with not stalling the bike. Is this like its biggest weakness? I rented an rt from eaglerider two years ago and that was a annoying issue. It turned me off.
Learn how to counter steer and you will enjoy those twisty's.
Was rear shock cranked all the way down and bucking you or somethin? That road looked exceptionally bumpy and uncomfortable around 10:00
yes it was - nice observation
@@SanFranciscoRiderr thanks ! This changes things for me! i was literally looking back into DL650 because I didn't want to deal with those kind of bumps. I know those roads and bumps, I also live here in (so) Cal!
cool - are you looking to get a new ride ?
@@SanFranciscoRiderr Yeah man I got a spread sheet goin lol. I think for me it would really come down to V Strom 650 or R1200RT. F800ST is an interesting machine also and they are VERY cheap for what you are getting at the moment. V Strom is a horrible second hand deal in the current market.
@@SanFranciscoRiderr Did you have a chance to ride with the RT rear shocked adjusted so it wasn't beating you up? I would hope it would float over any city road..
NOT a sports tourer.......what do you ride over there,two wheel semis?
Edit: Enjoyed the test but that sports tourer thing rattled me:p
What is the song from the beginning? I like it❤️❤️❤️
Pedestrians are supposed to be on the left side of the road but that guy was not moving over ....edited...
You state the Ducati would be flying over the road and through the turns, I will say it's the rider, I've had a Ducati, you want to ride fast then you do it, stop complaining.
Git rid of the damn intro music, and a Harley's has a HIGH center of gravity, NOT low, the big top cylinder heads cause this, they are always top heavy, I've owned my share and fixed all I've owned, do not own one right now though.
Do you still have it? Any problem?
Dude say's HARLEY like Arnold Schwarzenegger!
I agree it’s a great bike.
Now that you have reviewed my two favorite dream bikes (1200RT and GS) how would you compare the ride and weather protection of the two? Will the large fairing of the RT be hot during the summer?
Hey Tom - RT has better weather protection, ride is more plush on RT because seat is wider and heated, yes RT will get more hotter in summer than GS because its practically so quite and protected in cabin............both are great bikes, get the bike that you dream of more ! i want both !
Nice video, can you please tell me the model of the cam you used ?
That's not a stock windshield
yep you can take this off road to a big degree
Hey, you gonna keeps the revs up high?
That will be my first bike!
Cool song what is it?
What’s the name of the intro song?
The only reason CHP uses Harleys is because they are cheaper. A cop on this BMW will destroy any Harley in any circumstance.
That bike is a "Sport Touring" bike sir, not just a "Touring"; you should do some more research. A touring bike weighs more.
That's an old pre LC version
5:47. It's was nice girl, yes? ;)
✌🏿😜 VAS-Y MON POTE
T'ES GÔÔD GÔÔD GÔÔD 💪😜
🏍 🏁 🏍️ 🏁 🏍️ 🏁 🏍️ 🏁 🏍️ 🏁 🏍️
Une song en Français 🇫🇷 ✌🏿😜
its a 2010
Zzzzzzzzz