BamaRider adds 2018 RT to stable

I'll let y'all be the first to know- a new 2018 RT now occupies space in my garage. I'll post pictures on my website sometime tomorrow. Had eyes on this bike for 3 years. Dealer in Huntsville who also sells every metric bike plus Indian and BMW huge place.

I waited to to see the new GL before pulling the trigger. They had 2 in the showroom, and after checking it out, just wasn't me. Too big, and complicated, and after my due dilgence went with the BMW. The money was about the same, so it comes to what you like.

Both bikes have lots of technology, the RTs has been tested and tweaked the last 4 years. The GL not so much, but I don't expect any problems, it is a Honda. In the end I wanted the much lighter RT, and its class leading cockpit and do dads. Everyone told me, as good as my 2005 RT was, it is not in the same class as the 2018, and they were right.

I rode the bike home from the dealer, 200 miles non stop. I've never experienced a bike so well balanced, with every imaginable extra to take long riding to the next level. I only managed to one twisty on the way home, and the bike just falls into a lean. Smooth, light clutch action, slick transmission. After a 200 mile non stop ride, I didn't want to get off it when I pulled in my garage. It is that comfortable. It is still the finest cockpit and seat position in the sport touring world. It is a bunch of money, but if you demand the best, you gotta ante up. It is light, nimble, and leans like all get out. It is by far the most responsive bike I've ever owned.

I traded my 2005 RT.

Red of course!

Welcome to the club.....RT's are a sweet bike. Congrats and enjoy!!

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Well, you know you can't hide the money ...

Congratulations on your new ride!

Sounds like you found a great bike that will work for you, enjoy it.

:yes: Enjoy!

Uncle Phil said:

Well, you know you can't hide the money ...

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I knew that was coming, says the man who rode all over the world.

Uncle Phil said:

Well, you know you can't hide the money ...

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Well, you can hide it.. but, the older you get the harder it is to remember where you hid it....

You know, I was sorting through the various manuals last night to learn how to work all the stuff on this bike, and it reminded me of new refrigerator.

A few years ago when I moved, D wanted a new stainless steel fridge. Hustled down to lowe's and picked one out had it delivered. The thing was so high tech, it was packed with features- icemakers, and veg bins with various controls. It sounds like a jet turbine when it cuts on. The fridge alone can turn a mountain dew into block of ice in short work if you dial down the digital controls. It literally does everything. For 50 years I had some kind of simple Kenmore from Sears. No buttons or out the door stuff, just a dump box and if lucky a icemaker. No crushed ice out the door options either. You stuck your hand in the box and grabbed a handful of ice. It worked faithfully for 35 years. This new samsung is magical, but if it ever had a problem, it is so complicated I don't even know who to call. But I digress.

That is how I feel about the new RT. Glittery, and full of technology, bluetooth this, automatic that, hell it has various adjustments for road conditions, satellite radio, all kinds of shock adjustments and the most quiet, and comfortable cockpit and seat there is outside my man cave. And as I rode it home, I wondered how motorcycles have come to this point. When they work, nothing like them, but when they don't oboy LOL. I'll predict this new RT will make my upcoming ride to Montana and back feel like a Sunday ride in the country, but you know, my CB 1100 is the bike I still enjoy the most. I ride it all the time on the roads in my home territory.

It is the simple air cooled, in line 4 I grew up with. Void of fancy cockpits, and other high tech nuances of the FJR and RT. It has no fairing or windscreens, you just ride through the countryside in the open, out right heresy these days. The RT costs 2x the money the CB 1100. You know if it was 50 years ago I'd ride the CB to Montana, back then traffic not what it is now. The little CB is out of his element on the superhighways of today's America. I can't imagine trying to ride the Dallas interstate system with it, it would struggle to keep up with the 90 mph traffic flow, and the wind blasts on the rider would make him hang on for dear life.

This was probably the last motorcycle (age 62 now) I'll ever buy, so I went into it as such. It is a tremendous testimony to technology and function, and all that comes in light weight package, a bike that needs no reverse. In my eye if a bike needs a reverse too heavy for me, and I let that be the measuring stick. Getting a GL in and out of my garage would be a job in itself.

So there ya have it, pics soon to follow but I gotta lot to do today.

Congrats, I hear they are fabulous motorcycles.

BamaRider said:

I knew that was coming, says the man who rode all over the world.

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Yes, but I spend mine on trips making memories that increase in value over time and you spend yours on bikes that decrease in value over time ...

Mellow said:

Well, you can hide it.. but, the older you get the harder it is to remember where you hid it....

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That's why you have to leave yourself good notes on the computer ... ;-)

Uncle Phil said:

That's why you have to leave yourself good notes on the computer ... ;-)

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Right... like I'll remember what file that's on...

Do you still have your CB1000?

I understand the complications if something's goes wrong part. I took the side fairing off of my GTL yesterday to run wiring for the radar detector. It looked a whole lot different than my ST1300.

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Mellow said:

Well, you can hide it.. but, the older you get the harder it is to remember where you hid it....

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Think of it like a senior retirement fund.

Congrats on the new bike!

Congratulations on the new ride. The 2007 I bought (and sold) was replaced by 2018 RT.

BamaRider said:

This was probably the last motorcycle (age 62 now) I'll ever buy, so I went into it as such.
.

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I've said that 3 or 4 times. Now, at soon to be 68, I might be looking for another one...or two lol. ..but my CB 1100 isn't going anywhere.

The difference between the air/oil cooled boxer and the WC engine has to be experienced to appreciate. I don't know what else they did to the internals but, IMO, the WC boxer motors rival the V-4 of the ST in performance as well as smoothness (above an idle that is).

I would have an WC RT in a heartbeat but a few things hold me back.
1. I am still seeing if I can wear out an ST
2. Like UP, I rather spend my money seeing other parts of the world and
3. the level of "gadgetry" spooks me a bit. It seems that most issues with most any new bike has to do with the electronic do dads. As an example......I was riding in Scotland with a fellow with a new RT. He had a tip over and the bike refused to start after being righted. Seemed the key sensor ring around the ignition had malfunctioned. Not sure the tipover had anything to do with it but it required a tow. The electrical gremlins are not unique to BMW. The CR survey cites electrical and accessory problems as being the cause of over 40% of problems (over all brands surveyed).

Having said that, I have ridden the tricked out BMW's for about 20,000 miles and never experienced a single problem so maybe I am just a paranoid luddite. They are great bikes to ride. No question!