Yet another Secret... sort of a secret... well, maybe an anouncment coming...

[Carl_T]

Pretty much, you have to be the type to enjoy the slightly rougher, motorcycle like feel, of what big jug twin engines are like to gel with an RT. For now at least, it seems to me, It's more lighter weight and handling over engine with this one, and twins (and even big singles) are a particular enjoyment for me. My former 1000SV was one of my favorite engines. Of course the ST engine was too, but in a different way. Like I've said before, so long as the vibes aren't physically obnoxious or painful, if I want silky smooth I'll go take a ride in my car.
Alan, get a test ride to be sure you are the type to appreciate the kind of engine the RT has. Reminds me of a Guzzi at a traffic light, rev it and you can feel the torque to the right. Not when moving though. There is no mistaking you are riding a large twin engine, but it was a LOT smoother than I expected. I was a bit surprised about how smooth actually.

Then again I didn't feel that John's GT vibrated, and Bones noted that it did. However I'd been riding a 4 cycl Bandit that DOES vibrate at a certain RPM just before, and Bones came off of an ST that day. So if you're the type, that very mild vibration in some spots of the rev range makes no never mind to, then twins aren't a problem. If you feel a motorcycle engine has to be as transparently smooth as an ST, best to stick with an ST.

 

[John Anthony]

Nice! Maggie had an R1200RT for a while and I thought it was a nice bike. Engineering, lines, fit and finish were tough to beat.

John

 

[steve3b3]

Carl,
Congratulations on the new bike!
We're going to start needing BMW icons if this keeps up...

Steve

 

[Carl_T]

Hope she got something cool to replace it.

Hmmmmm BMW Icons, good Idea Steve Though the ST ones are pretty close in looks :

Thanks for the congrats.

 

[Alan T]

The new GTL is an in-line 6. I think the price is going to be in the 27k neighborhood. I need to wait 5 yrs for the price to get reasonable before I could consider one.

 

[Carl_T]

That new one is an LT Light. Even the Dealership agreed with that.

 

[Panhandler]

I purchased an '08 RT last fall and love it. Keep the revs above 4k and you will never suffer from lack of power.
The only complaint I have relates to the mirrors. They are great at some speeds and worthless at others. What type of mirrors do you have? Is it true that you can just screw them into existing holes?
A closeup photo of the mirror would be great.

 

[Carl_T]

What type of mirrors do you have? Is it true that you can just screw them into existing holes?
A closeup photo of the mirror would be great.

The extra mirrors were on the bike before I purchased it. However it is my limited understanding that they are another model BMW bike mirror just screwed into existing holes. I won't be able to get you a photo until Monday, but I'll take some detail shots for you then.

I've only had a test ride and it's been snowing ever since... all the freakin' time it is snowing it seems. Snowing like heck right now as a matter of fact.

However during the test ride, I did check out to see if the extra mirrors were useful enough to keep on the bike. At first blush, I would say decidedly yes. they give a good rear view, and the stock one on the left can be set to look more into the normal blind spot to help out with that. I like the idea, and they are spaced well enough so there is no conflict in easily seeing both mirrors on one side at the same time.

Photo Monday, if I don't post one Monday post up to remind me.

 

[dduelin]

I swapped bikes Saturday and rode a new camhead R12RT that had the second set of mirrors installed and found them useful but somewhat buzzy/blurry from vibration. The shakes were not much better than the vibes on my '81 R100. The odd thing was the standard mirrors mounted on the fairing remained crystal clear but I guess the vibrations that make it to the bars don't make it to the stock mirrors.

 

[Mick]

Thanks Joe. Hey you look a tad like Robert DeNiro in that avatar, cool.

Personally I miss Joe's Zombie Avatar! :mrgreen:

 

[Bones]

I swapped bikes Saturday and rode a new camhead R12RT that had the second set of mirrors installed and found them useful but somewhat buzzy/blurry from vibration. The shakes were not much better than the vibes on my '81 R100.

Interesting. I've heard some people say the new camhead fixes the shakes and others (now including you) say otherwise. I'd still like to take one for a ride...maybe if the snow ever leaves New England.

I was riding my Versys with the CT-STOC crowd and had Nelson behind me on his R1200RT. For part of the day Nelson was behind me and at every stop he'd line up in my right mirror. I noticed the image in the mirror was blurry. At the next rest I checked the mirror to see if the mounting bolt had loosened. Nope, tight. In the next leg Nelson was still behind me but someone previously in front had migrated behind us in line so at stops Nelson now lined up in my left mirror and the image was always blurry. Lightbulb illuminates...it was just the nature of a boxer at idle.

 

[Carl_T]

Next campout you bring the Margarita's I'll bring the shaker Bones. Hey! maybe this will work out cool and I'll shake off all the old age belly fat??? Images looked Ok in the mirrors to me, but then again I'm used to a Bandit, and the ride was short. I'll give a better report after the Russell Seat arrives and spring comes.

 

[Bones]

I've wanted to love the RT since I walked into a dealer planning to write a check for an '02 1150. The sales guy insisted I take a test ride and I came back no longer ready to part with my money. The ST has the motor I love but she's a big girl. Now some big girls dance really well, but the lighter ones can be easier to toss around. Anyway, there's a dealer an hour away that also sells Triumph...I'll be keeping my eyes open for a test ride event. Thanks for the insight, Dave.

 

[Judge]

From my experience the camhead boxer is the smoothest yet. It is smoother than my DL1000 Vstrom, and at steady throttle highway speeds I never even noticed it.

My favorite twin that's for sure.

 

[Carl_T]

A closeup photo of the mirror would be great.

Panhandler. A day late, but here are two photos of how the mirrors mount. The hole should already be there. I "think" they are likely GS mirrors. They get held on at the bottom where the green arrow is. The shot at the BMW shop, shows how they relate to the stock ones pretty good. Hard to get a decent shot in the garage right now.

 

[Carl_T]

Panhandler,
Have to send the seats to Russell Day Long Monday, and it reached 34 degrees here today, so I took a little ride, even with all the salt on the road. I'm liking the bike a lot. I paid attention to the mirrors and could see clearly enough in them. At no point did they vibrate badly enough to stop me from seeing what was behind me. Certainly they are clearer than some other bikes I've had. the right shows a lot, the left though is only about half usable (due to seeing your arms in the other half), kind of like my old SV1000 with mirror extensions on. Not great, but adequate and a lot better than the stock one.

Long and short of it is I'm happy they are there and will use them with appreciation. I find I wasn't even bothering to look in the stock mirrors. That being the case I will definitely point the stock one as far as possible into the usual blind spots, as secondary checks.

 

[Carl_T]

Russell Seats came this morning, so I got to go out on a nice long "get acquainted ride this evening. It snowed here yesterday morning so they had sanded some more and the roads were real crud and dangerous, so it was an easy going get acquainted ride.

The Russell seems spot on. I like they raised Dawn up some so she gets a better view than before and thicker padding. Gotta keep Momma comfortable. I got the top box on. Still have to get the fuse box, un-switched powerlets, top box lights, Steble, etc hooked in.

The shocks seem to struggle a tad with square edged sharp hits, I'll likely need to save for Ohlin's next season for sure. I can tell they will improve things a good deal overall. the present shocks are still working, but could use a bit of help, but then again that's a lot of bikes, including the ST. John's K-GT is better by some good bit.

I got back at dark, and by that time I was getting a better rhythm and feel for things. The bike is certainly nimble for this class of bike.

It was a bit weird going from full out in the wind on Dawn's little ninja to a massively faired bike again. I haven't been on one since the ST. At 42 degrees, with heated seat, grips, and my heated liner along, plus the electric wind shield, I was so toasty warm it was weird. I ran with the windshield down some just to remind me I was on a motorcycle. I was 2/3 of the way through the ride when I realized the reason my heated liner wasn't heated, is that I disconnected the socket to later put it on the fuse box... duhhhh.... plugged into another powerlet and I could have been on the beach it was so comfortable. Lord the bikes in this class spoil you in spring and fall. Summer I'll need a cut down shield as I actually LIKE wind as part of the experience. Probably an East Coast humid weather thing.

 

[Bones]

How's the seat height, Cardinal?

 

[Carl_T]

Just toes down but down solid almost to the balls of my feet, so, good enough. They dropped about and inch and a half off of what I sent them and leveled it out. Feels great.