I went to BMW - Countryside, Illinois. It was a much better experience than my local Honda dealer, Lake Cycle, Merrillville, Indiana.
I was ultra excited to ride my first BMW 1200RT after reading all the rave reviews. What a MASSIVE letdown it was.
The RT is the first bike in over 20 years of riding I could not wait to get off of. The dealer also had a 2003 Honda ST1300 with low miles, so I figured why not do a back to back comparison since I was there. Bear in mind I knew almost nothing about the ST1300. I own a 1984 GoldWing ( still comfortable for long rides) and a 2005 Yamaha Warrior (thumping v twin beast not good for long rides).
2007 1200RT 15k miles
Pros:
Very nice styling.
Rode smooth
Plenty of power (once moving)
Wind control- very good
No heat from engine on rider.
Cruise control.
Cons:
(bearing in mind the dealer had not pre-serviced this trade in)
I am 5'10" with a 31" standover. Even at lowest seat setting - standover height way to high. Felt like a dirtbike.
Motor and sound - forget it. Sewing machine. Exhaust note, sounds like a scooter.
Foot controls - basically as tiny as a dirtbike. Very awkward.
Overall it felt awkward and a lot like I was riding an enduro bike.
High center of gravity was noticable and odd.
I am dumbfounded since I read so many rabidly positive reviews of the BMW 1200RT online. I just don't get it. I would rather not ride than ride one.
I was ultra excited to ride my first BMW 1200RT after reading all the rave reviews. What a MASSIVE letdown it was.
The RT is the first bike in over 20 years of riding I could not wait to get off of. The dealer also had a 2003 Honda ST1300 with low miles, so I figured why not do a back to back comparison since I was there. Bear in mind I knew almost nothing about the ST1300. I own a 1984 GoldWing ( still comfortable for long rides) and a 2005 Yamaha Warrior (thumping v twin beast not good for long rides).
2007 1200RT 15k miles
Pros:
Very nice styling.
Rode smooth
Plenty of power (once moving)
Wind control- very good
No heat from engine on rider.
Cruise control.
Cons:
(bearing in mind the dealer had not pre-serviced this trade in)
I am 5'10" with a 31" standover. Even at lowest seat setting - standover height way to high. Felt like a dirtbike.
Motor and sound - forget it. Sewing machine. Exhaust note, sounds like a scooter.
Foot controls - basically as tiny as a dirtbike. Very awkward.
Overall it felt awkward and a lot like I was riding an enduro bike.
High center of gravity was noticable and odd.
I am dumbfounded since I read so many rabidly positive reviews of the BMW 1200RT online. I just don't get it. I would rather not ride than ride one.