We're you on the 1100 series or the 12? The bike does idle like a twin, but once up to speed the counter balancers kick in and vibration is not a factor until you get into triple digits, but even then it is nothing dramatic.
Having logged almot 70k miles on the 1300 and 40,000 plus on the RT the last 3 years, there are ALOT of things both manufacturers can learn from the other.
For Honda they need to stufy the excellent road manners and wind mgt of the RT. They need to look at the small touches the RT brings to the game, such as heated seats, grips, cruise control, great balance and wt distibution, class leading instrumentation, power plugs, and awesome load capacity.
For BMW they need to find out who designs the transmissions and final drives and put him to work. They need to see what makes Hondas so reliable and at the same time low maintenance. The Honda V4 is for sure the finest all around motor you can put in a touring bike, the boxer twin can never match it, but it is not trying to. It is what makes the BMW unique and allows it so much versatility in frame design and suspension.
On the open highways and town of America, where I ride and tour, the RT without question brings the most comments. It turns heads where ever I park it. It is admired by young and old, parked in a field of bikes it will be the one the folks gather around. Why I dunno, to me it looks not much different then the ST, but I rarely ever get a comment on the Honda. The bike will get you in trouble, I've been asked for a ride in at state park and outside a steakhouse. I think the deep red color of the bike has something to do with it.
For sure it is not a bike for everyone, and for anyone that has spent a lifetime on Hondas it can be a quite foreign feeling. Prior to the RT I'd logged over 250,000 miles on Hondas, including 97k on a 2001 ST 1100. I took to the 1200 RT right away, where I cared not one iota for the 1100 series.
Although my RT has been trouble free over 40k miles, I believe the Honda wins that catergory hands down.
But people are people and you never know.