New wheels

Congrats on the new bike Scott! It's a nice looking machine and I really like the color. Looking forward to the long term ride report. Lucky for me my ST is still putting smiles on my face but I'm with you on the weight!
 
Congrats, I have been wanting to ride one of those. Could possibly be one my future rides, way in the future though. My impression from sitting on them is it's kinda dirt/ADV bike ergos on a lighter weight Sport Touring platform. What's not to like. Anxious to hear your experiences with it.
 
Congrats on the new Beemer Scott. What swayed you to BMW ? Awhile back you thought the front of K16 was fugly & the R12 wasn't much different. They grow on you don't they. What dealer did you get it from? Did they show you the secret BMW hand shake? Many miles & lots of smiles to you.
 
Booger Man said:
What swayed you to BMW ?
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A lot of things. For starters, nothing in the offing from Honda. And then, riding several thousand miles in the company (er, in the dust!) of blueSTormer and his K1600GT I really started to like the performance, the attention to detail, the integration of everything, and the look of his bike. Bob offered me the keys to his GT (he didn't have to ask me twice) and after a blast on some of my favorite local roads, I was impressed by everything but the weight. I'm 140 pounds after a big dinner and soaking wet (I'm Bones for a reason) and shedding bike weight has been on my list for years. In 2008 I bought a Versys for a lighter mount.

The 2014 RT is a much lighter ST-type bike and it piqued my interest. One thing that intrigued me about it was complaints I read from long-time boxer owners who thought the new RT had lost the "soul" of a boxer because it was so smooth. I planned to take a demo ride on a weekend in June around my birthday and literally a couple days before the whole "rear shock worldwide do not ride" issue sprung up so that plan was on the back burner. Honestly, I'm not sure how I would have responded if I were a new RT owner at that point. When it all was done and people got their rides with new shocks back, I looked at what had happened and thought BMW got a major black eye, created some artfully-phrased CYA customer communication, and things took a while, but BMW made good. Anyway, I put the plan to take a demo ride back on the calendar and an hour in the saddle was all the convincing I needed.

Got it from Max in South Windsor, CT which, curiously, is closer to me than the nearest Honda dealer. I haven't been let in on the secret handshake yet...show me at Moonshine?
 
Holy Crap... who are you and what have you done with Scott!

Seriously, you are gonna love it... I just rolled over 11,000 miles since February (and mind you, this is missing 2 1/2 months due to the recall). If you need any tips on what to accessorize with, just shout back. Welcome to the fold. : )
 
The RTs look nice, not sure what maintenance will be like.

With so many folks going to other brands....I think I'll just stick with what I got...;)
 
SupraSabre said:
The RTs look nice, not sure what maintenance will be like.

With so many folks going to other brands....I think I'll just stick with what I got...;)
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Here is a breakdown of maintenance so far:

600 mile break in: just under $200.00

6,000 mile valve check and oil change: approximately $200.00

12,000 mile Service 2: $357.00 (New plugs, oil and filter, final drive, Valve check, new brake fluid, and new Air filter)
 
Chris Parker said:
Here is a breakdown of maintenance so far:

600 mile break in: just under $200.00

6,000 mile valve check and oil change: approximately $200.00

12,000 mile Service 2: $357.00 (New plugs, oil and filter, final drive, Valve check, new brake fluid, and new Air filter)
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Doesn't look too bad!
 
Rode a BMW RT1150 years ago for about 30 miles. Loved the bike, electric adjustable w/s, handling, brakes, ergos fit me well and all.
Could not justify the cost......mercy they are expensive new! At the time I was riding a '98 Pacific Coast I paid $6,400 for vs close to $18,000 for the RT. I now have a 2010 Honda NT ($8,400) and a 2009 Wee ($5,700). Two for less than $15k.
Still would love to have an RT......maybe as my last bike. That would mean selling the two I have now. Seeing the market for used bikes is very slow, selling them could take a long time!
 
Chris Parker said:
Holy Crap... who are you and what have you done with Scott!
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Listen...is that the sound of h3ll freezing over? Of pigs flying? Nah...just me acting on my Dad's life lesson to be skeptical of what you're told and willing to find things out for yourself. A lighter bike has been on my radar for several years and this one fits the bill. I'll always love that Honda V4, but not the heft that comes with it.

Did I mention that my ST is for sale? (Someone buy it before winter, please!)

Thanks to a weekend of rain/snow and gusty wind, so far I have more miles on the demo bike than the one I bought. I should be able to sneak out for a while tomorrow, with my excuse that I need to get a state inspection sticker.
 
Bones said:
......

Got it from Max in South Windsor, CT which, curiously, is closer to me than the nearest Honda dealer. I haven't been let in on the secret handshake yet...show me at Moonshine?
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When I had my BMW I ordered parts from Rusty at Max's even though he was 900 miles further than the closest dealer at the time. A pleasure to deal with.
 
TourNut said:
Keep your Hondas in case you have trouble with the BMW RT . I'm glad I kept my Hondas.
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I'm keeping the Kawasaki which hasn't so much as sneezed since 2008. It's the stone ax to BMW's scalpel.
 
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