Big mistake...R1200RT!

RTETR...love it!

(Now watch...some dude on a GT is going to counter that with an STETR plate. Of course the GT dude could also get RTETR, but someone's got that already!)
 
Guy, thanks for the feedback. From just sitting on an RT in the showroom, it seems more upright which I like. My ST1300 is an awesome machine, but I am still having difficulty making it fit like a glove. I am having the OEM seat redone, and the Corbin is good but still makes me slide just a little forward. I've got MCL risers but like them with a set of GenMars stacked (barely allows cables to work this way). I may be trying too hard to get a good fit, but I'd be interested to hear how you have both your bikes set up and compare how you feel about riding long distances on each.

Do you or would you do all your own service on the RT? If not, why?

JDP
 
JDP,

I wouldn't service an RT mainly because of BMW's warranty restrictions and the fact that BMW are far less forgiving or flexible than Honda when it comes to service and service records.

As for how my ST is set up I can offer you mainly the following that might help your comfort situation:

I'm 5'8", 185lbs with a 30" inseam and now have 38K since June last year.

My ST has a Top Saddlery seat which is set in middle front, lower at rear with the two rubber stops removed from the under seat bracket so I am tilted slightly farther backwards. (You might want to try this?)

I do not have bar risers however I have replaced my stock grips with larger diameter "mushy" grips. (They are dirt bike grips but very, very comfy)

My wind screen is a 2+2 Cee Bailey's and it's mounted in the lower (upper) mounting position for a steeper wind current in addition to the added wind protection from the mirror and fairing deflectors. (See the manual to adjust the windscreen brackets)

In case your wondering, my boots are Sidi On Road's and they don't really add any length to my reach I don't think. But they are one h3ll of a boot :p:

At the end of the day it boils down to rider comfort and preference but I can tell ya that my friends with the RT's have done as much to their scoots than I have to improve their comfort level also.
 

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RTETR,

Thanks for your input. I'm about 6'1" and 225 with about 33" inseam. I can reach the bars with or without risers but it is the forward lean with some weight on the wrists I'm trying to avoid. I really like the looks of the top saddlery saddle. It looks like it would put one closer to the bars than the Corbin. That is out of France isn't it? I think getting the seating taken care of is the most important thing now. I've got the 2 V-Stroms which are hugely comfortable and fun. The ST is much more refined, and I want to make it work for me. I've put about 15,000 miles on it in 6-7 months as well as quite a bit on the Stroms so I'm not spending too much time in the garage wtth them, LOL.

JDP
 
How many posts have you read about ST owners tipping over their bikes; only the plastic wing was scratched. I think the RT could be very expensive.
 
Almost Bought 12RT

I spent a half-day test riding an '06 12RT in late January. I loved it. Except it really vibrated. It felt like little German hammers were pounding through the grips at 70-75 mph. I did not like that. Then there was price. Ouch. Then there were maintenance/repair costs. Ouch, again.

One month later, still concerned with the cost and vibration issues of the 12RT, I bought an almost new '05 ST13 (abs) for about $6k less than the RT. Granted the 12RT had some nice features, but my used ST13 had more than that value in owner adds that came with it. And it had the smooth V-4.

At first, I was totally thrilled with my ST13. I had never owned such a nice, smooth and refined motorcycle. Then after about two months, the doubts crept in. I was thinking about the 12RT a lot. Did I make a mistake buying the ST13? Should I have thrown the cost issue aside and bought 'what I really liked'? The ST13 was big, heavy, tippy, hot and had a low amplitude high frequency buzz in the foot pegs I did not like. It was actually causing pain in my reconstructed left knee after more than thirty minutes on the bike. I thought the counterbalanced 90 degree V-4 motor was supposed to be smooth?

Then summer came and I started really riding it. The miles started piling up as I did my 52 mile highway commute each way to work. My Miata sat unloved in the garage. I got brave and adjusted the counterbalancers. The buzz that had been causing pain in my knee improved enough to make that a non-issue. And it happened. I realized that I was riding more than I ever had in my life, the way I had always wanted to ride, and it was because the ST13 was so good at what I needed.

I have a friend who also rides his 12GS a lot. And the BMW shops have seen the insides of it repeatedly. My ST13 needs gas (50 mpg for me), oil, and tires. Period.

One thing I'll say for the BMW, you will establish a relationship with your dealer.

I'm thinking I might one day hit 100,000 miles on my ST13.

Tim
:biker:
 
Both my bikes are totally stock. Windshields, seats, handlebars etc. I do have PIAA lights, heated grips, and power outlets on the ST. But neither bike has been modified for comfort, both fit me well right out of the crate.

The RT with its more upright position, and deeper cut seat, is just a notch better on a ultra long day 700+ miles. I can handle that mileage on the Honda, but the RT is a little better.
 
i was in the same boat when i bought my 05 ST about 4 months ago...

FJR = too much heat, good price on a new one, like the HP kick in from the I4
ST = similar price to the FJR but more comfy with bigger windshield, better warranty
RT = higher price and maintenance intervals suck arse...plus the posted hourly shop rates at the BMW dealer made my eyes go as big as saucers...
Wing = much higher price, but man i thought about it for a good long time if I wanted one...

my 2 cents...
 
Enjoy getting your valves checked every 6K. I'll be down the road a couple 1000 miles waiting for you to get out of the shop. ;)

Curt
 
Honda dealers that I've seen carry very few ,if any, parts for Honda street bikes. Might have an oil filter in stock. Will carry enough parts, though to build several ATV,s. Parts for Hondas have to be ordered like any other shop.
 
tdeboeser said:
You might miss your $$$. Check STN beemer sub forums, seems not only will the rear end give out on you, so might the clutch. And appearently the clutch is a NON-DIY. It's two pices and the case has to come apart.

I really like Beemers, But I will never own one.

Tom de
Click to expand...


Just more hearsay and mis-information, I own a couple of boxers, rt and S. Some people have had problems with the final drive bearings which is what I presume you are alluding too, (though you don't actually say what the 'rear end' issues is) but the vast majority of bikes don't. As for the clutch nonsense, absolute bollox, it's non-diy in the way that some owners here feel that valve adjustment or even coolant replacement is !!! Yes it's a dry clutch, but I have personally replaced both of mine and some other owners at home in my garage. The design of the boxer engine and the shaft drive means that it is a more involved process getting access to it, but that's it, easy to remove easy to replace. Fine bikes, though I'd agree a little pricey ! and the finish isn't what you'd expect on the S.

Toodle Pip
:confused:
 
While I may be a bit biased because I love my ST, our stable now has an R1200RT in it thanks to a swap of rides Maggie made last summer. I've put about 150 miles on her bike, mostly in the twisties and while it's well engineered, it's not an ST. It vibrates, doesn't shift as well, and I don't like the left to right torque when you're reving the engine. I don't think it handles the twisties as well as an ST, but then I don't have as many miles on Maggie's bike as I do on mine. The ST just feels more solid on the road to me at freeway speeds and higher than the RT does.

But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Maggie loves the lighter weight, lower center of gravity, and cool running RT.

John
 

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Easy solution,,,,
Go the ST, and you won't look back at all,,,,
THEN with the savings pick up a low mileage R50 "Beakster",,naked,,.
Use it as a "summer ride" , evening cruises, ice cream runs, quick and dirty stuff....You'll enjoy it's charastics, also.,,,own 2 rides, and cover most of the road riding spectrum with $'s left over...It works..
Roadancer
 
BamaRider said:
Both my bikes are totally stock. Windshields, seats, handlebars etc. I do have PIAA lights, heated grips, and power outlets on the ST. But neither bike has been modified for comfort, both fit me well right out of the crate.

The RT with its more upright position, and deeper cut seat, is just a notch better on a ultra long day 700+ miles. I can handle that mileage on the Honda, but the RT is a little better.
Click to expand...

Guy, what kind of milage do you have on the bikes?

Bill
 
I belong to the BMW Touring Club of Detroit and have had a lot of conversations with BMW riders about their bikes and mine. They routinely comment that my ST1300 is "bullitproof" and might have bought one if only they could get a demo ride at a Honda dealership. By the way local rallies are held around the country and all makes are welcome. BMW riders are universally friendly and are heavily into camping.
 
c-lapier said:
BMW riders are universally friendly and are heavily into camping.
Click to expand...

I've come in contact with only a couple Beemer dudes that don't fit the "universally friendly" label. They were apparently yuppie newbies at a Beemer rally who couldn't fathom why people who weren't riding kraut were allowed. There bikes and gear were all brand new. ("That's some fine expensive gear you have there, Mr. Hooper," said Quint.)

Most of what I know about motorcycle camping I learned from BMW guys...well, and the Guzzi guys, and the Connie guys, and the Ducati guys, but mostly the BMW guys who also ride a Honda, Yamaha, Triumph, and a couple extra BMWs.

Caveman TV rules. :cf1:
 
I've recently sold my 04 BMW oilhead (R1150RA) and moved to my 06 ST. I liked the BMW and it's handling, I liked the fit and finish too. I had a rear main seal leak under warranty at 4,400 miles (no big deal). There wasn't much I didn't like about it.

Why switch? The R1150R isn't really a touring bike although for the dollars you can get it close. I wanted a smooth tourer like the ST and I didn't think the RT was 5K plus better than the ST.

More important though, dealers keep closing (read every edition of the the BMW Owners' News) and service is expensive. The shrinking dealer network spooked me. I won't have to be concerned with that on an ST! Good luck with your decision. Bob
 
Every time I read the BMW vs Honda "discussions" I think about the time in Key West when someone deliberately knocked my covered ST (on the center stand) over on it's side. There was minimal damage - broken mirror, minor scratches on rear bag, no oil or gas leaks on the street and the bike started right up after I got her back on her feet. Random act of violence.

I've looked at the beemer like everyone else has on this board and compared it to my Tigress and it still comes up short - too expensive to purchase and maintain, perhaps slightly better ergos and handling, but at a price, fewer (and decreasing) number of dealerships, and could not justify the switch.

Had my BMW R1200RT been knocked over in Key West- given the price of Japanese plastic vs. German plastic- I'd still be paying for it....

Thank you, Mother Honda, for tip over wings that really work.
 
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