BMW R1200RT (2005 - 2009) Review

Year: 2005

Every bike aged 20 years or more has it's gremlins. But generally speaking I'm happy with it. Currently 65000 km on the odometer and still going strong. Did 3 trips (during summer) from Belgium to Portugal without a glitch. The last one was first to Italy (crossing the Stelvio) and then back and forth crossing the Pyerenees, with a short pass over the Picos. Also had a few very bad days due to rainstorms, but the bike wouldn't give up. PS: the specs on this site suggest a tank range of 190 miles. That's incorrect. The tank range is at least 250 miles (400 km).

Buying experience: I purchase it directly from the previous owner. The bike was in excellent condition and had low mileage. I should have studied user experiences on various BMW forums in more detail before getting excited about this one. Low mileage is not always a guarantee for trouble-free ownership.

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £120

Bit of a beast, but great fun as a tourer and surprisingly agile too. As a tall rider it's brilliant. I do basic servicing, but have found a reputable place for major services, which can be costly but necessary on an older bike. Really pleased with it's my first bike after a long break.

Buying experience: Bought from a dealer and no opp to haggle. Came with 3 month Warranty.

Version: SE

Year: 2009

Annual servicing cost: £100

50 years of touring different bikes but BM still the best

Buying experience: Dealer price £5450 with 8,000 miles SE model with full luggage and equipment. px'd old 80k 650 vstrom and paid £4000 cash.

Version: SE

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £140

Sublime tourer, handling is amazing considering the size. Some vibration.

Buying experience: Bought from non franchised dealer. Used 20000 miles immaculate condition £6000 when it was 9 years old

Version: Fully Equipped radio CD player

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £200

Comfort and weather protection

Buying experience: Dealer very good choice of bikes.

Year: 2007

i bought a 2007 r1200rt with full BMW service history and 32,000 miles, its really comfy to ride smooth on long motorways and easy to handle on the back roads, the reason I have score so low is the problems, the problems I have had are - final drive failing, fuel gauge not working, intermittent electrical problems, ESA not working these problems are all over the forums and are normal faults with the r1200rt these problems are not cheap to fix,

Buying experience: I px my 2006 CBR1100 plus £1000 for the RT wish I never now.

Year: 2006

Annual servicing cost: £150

Made of biscuits and twigs

Buying experience: The seller was great, the buyer was an idiot.

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £250

My bike has 77889 miles on it at the moment.

Buying experience: I got this from a dealer I got £500 off the advertised price because it needed a new rear tyre.

Version: LE. (Limited Edition)

Year: 2009

I've given it 5 out of 5 because it's a 'do everything' bike. With quality build and ride. With exceptional economy from a 1200 motor. But more of that later. I have read the 1150 can be a somewhat very different bike to ride. And not for the better. Having not ridden one I cant compare. So, the worst bits. Hmmm, this may depend on you're body height and inside leg length. For me i find the seat, which has 2 height settings, uncomfortable after 2 hrs riding. I ride on the higher setting, which gives my legs (32") more room. Having bought a re positioning kit for the pegs, which I have yet to fit, should give me even more of a relaxed feel. It's all to do with the angles at you ankle-knee and hip. And soon to be 54 yrs young, I sold my Apprilia 1000cc Falco. Fantastic bike. But my joints don't like it nowadays. In favour of a new love in a R1200RT. I use a Air Hawk seat for touring. Which easily doubles my riding before a leg stretch is needed. Also I found the original screen not wide or tall enough, in that it also produced too much wind noise. (And I ride with ear plugs) Easy fix with a touring screen. So much quieter. And now only my shoulders get a little wet in doen pours. otherwise I stay perfectly dry. Quite amazed. The BMW Canbus system can deplete the bike battery in 2 to 3 wks. This is without the alarm armed. Probably with all canbus systems. Fit a trickle charger. They reckon £1 usage for a year. No brainer. Just check if its not canbus compatible, you'll have to plug it direct to the bikes battery. The bike is a little tall and the weight could catch you out. Just check before you go to put you're foot down on the tarmac that it's not a adverse camber. I nearly dropped mine because of this. Lesson learnt. The bmw luggage top box and panniers are heavy. But the quality is top end. And lastly. The indicators. I prefer the original single indicator button instead of one on each side of the handle bars (like harley) they went back to the original method a few years later. BEST BITS. Everything else :) My 09 RT is exceptional. Especially after making some inexpensive changes. Build quality is the best I've ever had. Still polishes up like new. It gets a BMW service every 2 years. That's it. And in 7 years ownership its cost me 2 new headlight bulbs. Which bmw fitted for free. Ride. So smooth and positive in the bends. A very easy bike to ride. Almost pilots itself. I've never been cold on this bike. So good is the protection from the elements. And at the press of a button, I can change riding modes whilst riding. And height adjustment for passenger or passenger and luggage while stationary. All electronically. A first for me, and very useful. At 110 Bhp I can cruise 90-100 effortlessly. (On the Autobahns ofcourse) still maintaining very good fuel economy of around 50mpg. My 09 LE (limited edition) they only built 200. And is the one bmw threw every accessory at, factory fitted, to sell off the last of the air cooled single cam engine. All the normal bmw gadgetry, plus Tyre pressure display read out. Sat nav. Full audio system Cruise control. 2 x panniers and full size top box all colour coded. In metallic black. I'm sure all 200 were this colour. Would I recommend to a friend. Or anyone for that matter. Ofcourse I would. There is so much more I could say about this bike. All positive. Having toured on mine for thousands of miles. Also used for local runs etc. I doubt I will ever part with this bike. It's just too good.

Buying experience: I bought mine from bmw in Norwich. Can't say enough good things about them. From first glance out the corner of my eye on the bike. I had only gone there for a cuppa as it was their open day. Amd had no intention of buying yet another bike. But the draw to the bike, hearing it say "try me for size" was only going to have one outcome. 7 yrs on I enjoy and admire the bike more each day. The older it gets the more appealing it is to me.

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £200

So comfortable, surprisingly nimble and nippy too. Great tourer and commuter, mine has the abs and heated grips only, but no complaints from me. Best bike I've ever had.....

Buying experience: I got mine from a dealer, went to see a hayabusa and came away with my RT. Always wanted one, and fell in love when i see it in the gun metal grey. Servicing is easy and not painful from my dealer, cannon Bmw who are great for everything, including free coffee and advice.

Version: SE

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £180

Expensive to repair. Clutch worn out by previous owner riding in London. Over a grand to replace, and that's not by a BMW dealer. When fixed, it became the bike I wish I'd always had - quick beyond its appearance, comfy, great handling and with a good road presence, especially with additional LED spots added. Luggage as good as it gets. Easy to add mods such as 12v power socket (not one of the silly BMW DIN ones). I love it.

Buying experience: Bought privately knowing there were one or two issues. Unfortunately the worn clutch wasn't worn enough to slip when I test-rode it; that started about a thousand miles later. Check service history, check for oil leak around sight-glass. Check rear wheel bearings. If you get the chance to test ride, open the throttle wide in 4th or 5th at low revs - if the clutch slips, walk away or consider the £1000+ possible repair bill.

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £425

Spectacular comfort and weather protection, with oodles of heating to keep the cold a bay. On first impressions the R1200RT is an enormous machine, edging on the side of intimidating; coming to BMW after years of Japanese bikes was a tough choice, but a good one none the less. If you have the inclination to ride quickly and show little fear for fast cornering, the bike is an engineering master piece, the electronic suspension is unbelievable at dealing with damping and rebound and offers the rider a very impressive cornering experience, far better then you would think was possible.

Buying experience: I purchased my R1200RT privately for £5000 with 18000 miles on the ODO

Version: SE

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £250

Handling once rolling is very good even at low speed but choose your parking spot well otherwise hauling approximately a quarter of a ton around is hard work on a slope!

Buying experience: Bought from Southport Superbikes, sadly no more. We negotiated a part-ex which we were both happy with. I don't recall figures now.

Year: 2006

Annual servicing cost: £350

Looks like a big comfy tourer, but is, above all, a very good fun all-rounder; even more so than the GS. Unlike most modern tourers, the engine has quite a bit of quirky character too without making it less usable.

Buying experience: I bought this 2nd hand from a (non-BMW) bike dealer with warranty, 40.000 miles 3 years ago, for £6000. It then had 30k on the clock.

Year: 2006

Annual servicing cost: £500

I do recommend it and friend got one.

Buying experience: Dealer. Traded in CBR1100 and got very good trade in. Got free top box 50 L color coded to main paint. I added hated seat, electronic suspension.

After 9 years I upgraded from my R1150R to a 2005 R1200RT. What a difference! The seat is more comfortable, the riding position has more feel, the engine is more responsive, the handling is better, brakes are better, the fuel range is much more and on top the screen is excellent when cruising! It's just a massive improvement across the board! Took the bike across Spain and Portugal and I actually didn't want to get off on any of the days. This bike will not disappoint and it loves being thrown into corners and eats them all up.... I already feel this is going to be my bike for he next 9 years

On my second RT1200 - truely fantastic bike. Perfect for cruising at 90+mph all day fully loaded 2 up. Also perfect for a weeks holiday in the worst rain imaginable in Scotland. Never got very wet. Perfect roadholding in the wet thanks to traction control. Never thought cruise control was right on a bike until I bought my LE version - cruise is perfect for 400 miles in a day continental touring - great to rest the right hand even for 5 minutes.Very frugal in fuel economy. In 4 years of owning RT1200's I have travelled 30000 miles without any mechanical problems. only downside is the awkward way of measuring oil level although the on board computer does register when the level becomes very low. Can't wait to get my next RT in 2011.Off to Italy for 3 weeks in August for some serious riding in the mountains.

On my second RT1200 - truely fantastic bike. Perfect for cruising at 90+mph all day fully loaded 2 up. Also perfect for a weeks holiday in the worst rain imaginable in Scotland. Never got very wet. Perfect roadholding in the wet thanks to traction control. Never thought cruise control was right on a bike until I bought my LE version - cruise is perfect for 400 miles in a day continental touring - great to rest the right hand even for 5 minutes.Very frugal in fuel economy. In 4 years of owning RT1200's I have travelled 30000 miles without any mechanical problems. only downside is the awkward way of measuring oil level although the on board computer does register when the level becomes very low. Can't wait to get my next RT in 2011.Off to Italy for 3 weeks in August for some serious riding in the mountains.

I bought the 1200 RT after test riding it and a Honda Pan European and loved it from the start. I am 6 foot 3 and weight 16 stone so the only thing I needed to change was the screen. I found a bigger one at Nippy Normans. I have now done over 12000 miles with 3 trips to Spain including a non-stop Barcelona to home. I love the bike and feel relaxed and comfortable at all times.

First off I'm 6ft 4 and 15 stone (I think these figures are important with bike reviews). The bike is a '59 LE (fully loading end of line). Ive had the bike since Oct 09 and have covered the best part of 2000miles on it so far. Its one of the best handling bikes I have ever ridden and the engine is fantastic for everything from cruising around country lanes to having a blast along A'roads and along tight n twisty B roads. Comfort is exceptional for both me and my lady, weather protection is fantastic. The screen does allow a little wind onto the helmet however it also can work to clear the rain I have found and there are aftermarket larger screens if it really annoys you. The only down side so far has been the reliability hasnt been fantastic with a knackered ABS Sensor and stuck indicator cancel switch however they were all sorted quickly and efficiently. I personally love this bike. If you are after a bike that can do abit of everything on road and still have quite abit of fun as well this is the bike for you.

Had the RT for a month now, great equipment, love the ride, surprisingly quick. I even use the cruise control, which I didn't see the need for.

TEST RODE ONE IT BROKE DOWN SO THE DEALER GOT ME ANOTHER TO TEST AND YES IT BROKE DOWN AGAIN SO FOLLOWING WEEKEND HE SAID HERE TAKE THIS FOR THE DAY YES YES YES IT WENT MAJORLY WRONG, FAILED PANNIER, ELECTRICAL FAILIURE, AND WORST OF ALL THE FRONT PADS WENT IT HAD 480 MILES ON THE CLOCK SO I DIDNT BUY ONE I LEFT VERY DISSAPOINTED PS ENGINE POWER IS OOR TOO ODD BIKE BMW HAVE LOST THERE BUILD QAULITY AND THEY ARE EXPENSIVE NOT IMPRESSED

Bought an R1200RT new in 2005, since done 31k miles. ESA failed after 4 days, took BMW more than 2 years to make it work properly.Throttle jammed due to incorrect assembly. Horn bracket fractured. Starter motor failed. RHS indicator switch failed. OIl leaks. Front engine cover and rear wheel replaced due to corrosion problems. Fuel pump elelectronics failed. Wiring harness to ignition switch fractured. Needle roller on final drive failed. Blew 8 headlamp bulbs. BMW washed their hands of it after 2 years. Conclusion, lovely bike with totally unacceptable quality, good luck to prospective buyers, goodbye to BMW.....

Got an RT SE last year for something different, bike is great, except..... the standard screen: The wind either hit me directly in the mouth at low3 setting, or at full tilt on the top of my helmet making it really unpleasant and I am only 6 foot tall. Put a Cee Bailey screen on with the largest size option and this has helped a lot but has killed fuel consumption and not so good in a side wind, which I can appreciate. When I tested one I thought that the screen was a bit low but thought that with a bit of fiddling I could sort it out, but no. The new screen also allows you to look through it rather than having the top edge of the standard screen vibrating in your line of sight.

Had bike for over a year. Done some serious long milage around South Africa in December - super comfy, great power and wind protection for long trips. Also competent commuter but prefer its open road capabilities.

Had bike for over a year. Done some serious long milage around South Africa in December - super comfy, great power and wind protection for long trips. Also competent commuter but prefer its open road capabilities.

Done 15k miles on my 2nd hand Dec '05 1200RT from Vines (Guildford) without ANY reliability problems. Originally wanted a K1200S, but the pillion comfort was not much better than my Firestorm, so got the R1200RT old mans tourer! Can't say anything bad about it, but can't say much good about it? Terrific all rounder, but primarily designed as a one or two up long distance tourer. I use it daily throughout the year for work and the panniers and grip heaters are brilliant. Some quality issues, but items replaced under warranty, watch out for corrosion on footpeg support plate, engine front plate and fork stanchion legs. Bridgestone 020's better then the Conti Road Attack's, will try the B021's at next change. Have kept my sports bike for more spirited rides, but will always go on the BM when distance/luggage/rain are involved. Wind protection very good with the height adjustable screen, cruising at 80+ you can read a newspaper behind the screen! Given the choice purchase choice again, I would still go for the K1200S, but it is not as good as the RT for everyday and touring use. Handling surprisingly good once you get used to the bouncy suspension (in comparison to a sports bike) and very stable at all speeds. Main niggle at the moment is how to turn off the indicator auto-cancel 'feature', which is a pain in the a**e. Dealer says that they will have a look at cancelling it through the diagnostics at next service. If you want a comfy, quick (but not fast), ultra tourer, then give one a test ride. Bear in mind, if you haven't ridden a beemer, then it can take at least 500 miles to acclimatise to them (that's just the indicator switches), so don't expect miracles during a test ride.

First impression on the ride home -  it seems to suffer more from sidewinds. Sat behind a large screen, tillers for handlebars and mirrors underneath. Played with the electric screen to find a spot where the wind noise and turbulance disappeared and rode home 30 miles. Collected my wife, her first opinion was that the seat was comfy but she felt unsafe, missed the grab handles from the ST and the RT's felt too low and under her legs which was uncomfortable. It didn't get much better I'm afraid as I found the brake/clutch span adjusters would not get as close to the bars as the ST and felt I was trying to steer a barge and Sally described it as sittng on a sofa. We had intended to have a full day out but just took it back to the dealership. Never been so glad to get my own bike back and even more grateful to see that after a year I am still happier with the ST! It felt far more responsive, under my control and has killed of any thoughts of ever buying a true tourer again. Strengths: Build quality and load carrying ability for continental trips, brakes, engine and proven reliability. Weaknesses: Too large and not much fun once you get to you destination and remove the panniers unlike other sport tourer type machines.

I have never liked the BMW RT range. Being short of leg they have always seemed far to big and cumbersome for me to ride safetly. Problem I had was I wanted to tour two up and the wife could not get comfortable on the Harley. Enter the 1200 RT. The dealer suggested lower suspension plus the low seat option, had a ride on one and was totaly won over. So easy to ride especially at low speed and brilliant at motorway speeds. Spoke to Ohlins (Harris Performance) and they supplied the front/rear shocks 1.5 ins shorter than stock in one week, realy impresive service. Bought the bike and away I go. Strengths: Brakes are fabulous, I can not belive how well it handles for such a big bike. After the Harley this is a revelation. Weaknesses: Havent found any yet.