I have to add my name to the new BMW r1200rt riders. Drank the coolaid and bought a used 2014 light blue r1200rt factory bike. Still getting used to the beemer style but overall my impressions are good.
Differences between the bmw and the ST. The bmw is a much more a sophisticated, purposeful sport touring machine, in almost all facets except the great power curve and smoothness of the st. Sorry Honda, get with it.
1. Flyby wire throttle, still getting used to.
2. Computer control of different modes of driving , rail , dynamic ,normal.
3. esa suspension that auto adjust. single rider, rider with bags, rider with bags. And auto adjust to riding conditions.
4. Garmin Nav v that is controllable by the wonder wheel on the bars. Nice large screen that is easy to read that can be linked to a smart phone for traffic and other alerts. Changes time on the bike when you cross time zones. Fits in prewired compartment.
5. Heated seats and grips controllable by the wonder wheel.
6. Auto Locking and unlocking compartments and alarm.
7. Bmw halo lights.
8. All other lighting led.
9. Top-case with built in lights and led brake light.
10. Great adjustable windshield and wind protection.
11. Great ergonomics right out of the box.
12. Hill assist brakes that hold the bike on a hill.
13. Shift assist that allows clutch less shifting that at first I did not like but after awhile if found quite useful.
14. Better hand grip for the passenger . (more forward than the st.) My wife says it is both quiet on the back and right now comfortable. She has not gone more that 50 miles on the bike.
15. Excellent radio system,xm, fm radio (Bluetooth intercom if you want it. ) all readable on the screen. I interfaced the bike with my autocom spa, j&m cb2003, and radar. Mainly because of the cb.
16. Better locking system on the saddle bags. You do not need to unlock with a key every time, and to remove the bags is a separate lever and lock.
17. Built in screen info that moves to the navigator v (if you have it.) outside temp, oil level, tire pressure, trip, etc, etc. Way too much info.
18. 6 speed transmission.
19. Great handling on par with my racetech suspension on the st.
20. Cruise control, finally!!! I did not know what I was missing.
21. Bike is cool. no more hot tank or hot seat.
22. Also looks great without the saddle bags and top box.
23. Brake and clutch levers are both adjustable.
24. Two built in power outlets one up front and one at the rear for passenger. Also a usb powered outlet in the front compartment.
25. Dash screen is adjustable for a couple of angles to suit rider.
There are some items that take some getting used to.
1. The bike feels much wider than the st. For lane splitting this takes some time getting used to.
2. St has a much quieter engine. BMW has more of a low frequency growl that takes me back to cruiser days. Still a very smooth engine.
3. More shifting on the bmw, engine wants to be worked a little, but there is still plenty of power there, just coming out at a different rate.
4. Not nearly the tip over protection that the st has, looks like I will have to buy some crash bars or at the least some engine covers.$$
5. No highway wings, I would have to buy the guards to have a place to attach hi-way pegs.$$
6. Gear shift is a little cramped, I will try to adjust. Nice thing is it is adjustable to some degree.
7. Temp gage is not rock solid like the st. Partial water cooled and air cooled. So if your sitting still you will watch the gauge climb.
8. Expensive, Because of all the gizmos it can be distracting, Need to focus on driving instead.
9. Would have been nice if the navigator v locked as well as everything else.