BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Personally I wouldn't rush to make those changes. I have made extensive changes to various bikes over the years, but so far my RT has remained absolutely stock. This is because I haven't identified any major shortcomings (yet)!

The boxer twin is very good at low rev cruising. 2500 rpm should be fine on a level road, constant speed. If you have previously owned high-revving Jap bikes, this may feel strange at first!

My reservations about crash bars in general is that the load goes directly to a part of the frame that wasn't designed to take a sideways impact. Surely this threatens the integrity of the frame? I use head protectors and would happily replace them, and head covers if necessary, in the event of a ma...

I have always found Bluetooth to be a bit flaky. Check that the only 'paired' device in range of your mobile phone is the sat nav. For example, if you have paired your phone to a Bluetooth headset, the phone may be swapping back and fore between sat nav and headset. (Ditto car etc.) Do you keep your...

Glad to hear that it's sorted. For the record, the phone doesn't decide which channel to use when a call comes in. It links to either the headset or the satnav when they come into proximity. All calls will be routed to that device from then on. If the phone is paired with both, the phone will link t...

Fab! Did you hands get a tad cold at the top?

I agree. A smartphone is a pain to operate with gloved hands, and most aren't very tough. Try eBay for a second-hand device. For many years they have come with 'lifetime map updates' so you should be able to get something usable.

A couple of years ago Garmin split the map of Europe into two parts. I had a major problem when Express removed the half I needed and updated only the other half!!! When I disembarked the ferry I saw only the base map (a few major roads) and no details. It's easy to double-check that your device has...

Don't you just pee on the screen?


Okay, perhaps it's just me...

The RT is so comfy, and provides so much weather protection, that BMW decided we needed a little warning light to tell us when it has become rather cold beyond the fairing. The snowflake symbol is only for information. On other bikes your frozen hands and feet would provide that same information.

A thought - others have found this helpful: Try rolling your hips forward so that your coccyx ('tail') is pointing in the direction of the rear licence plate. This may be especially helpful if you remove the bar risers because you will end up closer to the bars. The posture may feel unnatural at fir...

Without his panniers that's cheating!

Yup, after years of owning an adventure bike, I really noticed the disadvantages of tourers with panniers! I often go down narrow country lanes that have gravel, moss and grass down the centre. That's so disconcerting on a tourer that I have recently bought a Suzuki VStrom for exploring, and I keep ...

My RT LC appears to transfer road surface vibrations to the footpegs far more than all the other bikes I have ridden over the decades. I'm not talking about bumps or potholes, but the nature of the road surface. Near my house, there are some 'traffic calming' raised sections that are paved in small ...

I've done about 1000 miles on my 2014 R1200RT. Mostly it's fine, but I have experienced weird gear change problems on three occasions. Twice I have upshifted from second and found that the gearbox has somehow 'bounced' down to first, resulting in high revs and a diving front suspension! And yesterda...