BMW R1200RT SE Road test review

ddkity82 · Wysłany: 14 Mar 2011, 08:0 Temat postu: BMW R1200RT SE Road test review

By : Mohammed McNaughton
Submitted 2011-02-08 07:42:06 The road trip would take around five days, and have me cover around 1500 miles in all. Whatever the weather, road and traffic conditions, I needed a bike that could do everything I asked of it. It would have to do so with ease, help me to do the same, and be pretty much ignored for most of the way. I was happy to quench its thirst for time to time, but wouldn't be happy if that happened too often. And if it let me down in any way, I'd probably verbally abuse it, kick it, and send it back to its keepers.
In the end, and it must be said after having performed the allotted task above and beyond the call of duty, the last thing I wanted to do was hand it over to anyone. BMW's exceptional R1200RT SE turned out to be so completely capable at its role of eating miles without fuss or pain of any sort,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I wanted to keep the thing!
It's the second time I've fallen for a BMW this year. The first, the S1000RR superbike, was something I found hard to resist, and ended clocking around 850 miles on. This one had me approve of it in a different sort of way, but my affection for it ended up running just as deep.
With its panniers packed, big kit bag strapped to the seat, and sat nav programmed, the first stage of my trip saw me set off up north to pay homage to my mother (March 9th being the relevant date) in the north-east of England. A 275-odd stint mile on a motorcycle is normally considered a long way. On the RT it feels like a run round the block. All in all, the big tourer was probably tipping the scales at over 350kilos with me and my kit on its back. But that mass never stopped me meeting my mother with a smile following a fulfilling ride along A roads and motorways, and feeling as fresh as I'd started five hours before. The 1200 hadn't needed much attention either. I'd topped up the very usefully-sized 25 litre fuel tank at 205miles, though the on board computer reckoned I could have done another 30 more. The lack of interruption had helped keep down the journey time, as it would throughout the rest of the adventure.
Duties done and lunch devoured I then set of for another 130mile run to Scotland. By this point in the proceedings, the Bee-Em had been so relaxed and easy-going the prospect of a short jaunt like this seemed no more taxing than a long walk. I ended up taking my time over it, stopping to take lots of photos along the extremely pretty and spectacularly undulating A68 which takes you over the Borders area and into Scotland. Words uttered into my voice recorder describing the bike were very complimentary. Effortless, comforting, super fairing, strong gutsy engine, powerful brakes, roomy luggage, and very, very convenient were all descriptions included in my enthusiastically expressed babble. It got me to my guest house south of Edinburgh feeling a bit guilty really. I'd bragged to friends about the challenge of my long and hard mega-mile haul up to Scotland and beyond. But still feeling as fresh as I did, I felt I'd deceived them. I've felt more fatigued getting off the sofa!
Tomorrow was to be another long day, and hopefully by the time I got up Inverness, 225 miles away, I'd feel worthy of some sort of praise. Up until now it had been just too easy, and I felt I'd endured nothing - no doubt because of the BMW's workhorse-like abilities.
Rain and wind were forecast to greet me for the start of the trip and as I packed the bike I worried the Forth Road Bridge crossing might unsettle the RT with its acres of plastic acting like a sail in the breeze. I shouldn't have worried. The German bike carried on as stoically as the bridge itself and got me to the other side unflustered. With snaps of the magnificent railway bridge in the bag, I continued towards the Highlands.
Once near Perth, with the tripmete recording 220 miles, I filled up and headed east on the A85 towards Crieff and Crainlarich. Here, along the twisting and very picturesque route I started to feel a real affinity with the BMW. It's such a dutiful servant you have to respect it. Handling the unfamiliar territory as competently as if it had been down it many times previously, the 1200 proved easy to ride in its understated and stable manner. The wet conditions could have caught it out, but the RT remained just as sure-footed, with its superb fairing and button-adjusted screen keeping me fully sheltered and dry. Warmed by the heated grips and seat, I really couldn't have felt any more comfortable. Being able to adjust the suspension settings at the touch of a button just added to the convenience of it all.
Traffic is hardly what you'd call heavy in this neck of the woods, but whenever I did need to overtake any, the torquey twin cylinder engine made it happen almost automatically. Top gear's a bit of an overdrive, but the box is slick enough to easily drop a gear or two to effect the operation more urgently if needed. You can notice the new bike's slightly greater torque, refinement, and lovely exhaust note when you do that. But for the vast majority of the time I just cruised along enjoying the splendour of the Highlands with the high geared motor purring away quite smoothly and effortlessly in sixth.
Joining the A82 at Crainlarich boosted the mood still further. I've ridden this stretch of road before and just as I'd remembered it, the scenery was truly staggering. Once through Tyndrum, home of the motorcycle-friendly, and highly recommended Green Welly restaurant, the road climbs into the Highlands proper. There the scale and grandeur of the mountains is jaw-droppingly impressive. With snow-capped Glen Coe completely free to view in the sunshine, its size and age helped to put me and my bike into perspective. Compared to that mass of rock we were insignificant morsels making no contribution to the world. Moments later though, down the twisting descent the 1200RT seemed a highly important part of my life bringing me much pleasure with its graceful progress. I'd really warmed to it by now and I really couldn't think of another bike I'd rather be on. I still felt as fresh as a daisy and the idea of reaching Inverness before the day was done was disappointing me. I wanted to cover at least double the remaining miles and continue with the delight of it all. For this sort of ride, the BMW was proving very much fit for purpose.
Through Fort William, past Ben Nevis and then alongside the famous Loch Ness the bliss remained. And even when Inverness did appear with its surprisingly congested rush hour streets, the width of the 1200 and its bulky-looking panniers didn't handicap progress anywhere near as much as I expected. As long as the mirrors could get through the gaps,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], then the rest of the bike could follow. I wouldn't say the BMW would make a great London-based despatch bike, but it's by no means either slow or frustrating through heavy traffic either.
Two days, and another 200 miles spent in the area testing Bridgestone's new BT-023 sports touring tyre (which fitted to the RT before I set off, had already proved faultless in all conditions during my trip) gave me periodic breaks from the bike, but helped put it into context a little. Swapping between the RT and bikes like a Kawasaki ZZ-R 1400, Suzuki B-King and GSX-R100, and Ducati 1100 Monster made me realise the weight and bulk of the RT a little more. But each time I'd returned to it, it only took a few minutes before I felt dialed back in well enough to feel fully at home on it. Which was just as well considering the penultimate leg of my trip was going to be nearly 600 miles long.
This was to be the sternest test of the bike's civility. The task would take around ten hours and hopefully leave me in a fit state, as I was to fly out to Spain from Gatwick the following day. Once I got down into England I would have to spend as much time as possible on motorways to make my deadline, so the ride was unlikely to be as interesting and entertaining heading south as it had been going up north.
I shouldn't have worried in the slightest. Setting off from Inverness at 8am had me pull up bang on time in Horley, Sussex at 6pm. The ten hours in between saw the RT perform just as perfectly and perfunctorily as it had done so far. The first few hours of the trip were very wet, but the fairing once again did its job of keeping the weather at bay totally. I never needed to wear any really heavy kit to fend off the chills, and thanks to the protection offered by the plastic and the heated grips I never wore anything other than thin racing gloves throughout. Just as it had done previously, it churned out the mileage without a whimper of complaint. In fact so matter of fact and efficient is the way the BMW goes about its business, it's only when you reflect on the day that you realise how well it's done. During the ride itself, because it just gets on with the job so effectively, it's easy to take it for granted and forget its achievements.
The fact that I walked into Horley that night to get something to eat in just the same way I would have had I never been near a bike was a real reflection on how fantastically comfortable and calming the 1200 really is. When I woke the next day I actually felt refreshed enough to ride all the way back to the beauty of Scotland, and tackle the 593 miles with exactly the same level of enthusiasm I did at the start of each of the previous days.
Looking back, the ride down had been blighted a bit by having to stop twice as often to refuel as I needed to thanks to travelling with another journalist on a thirstier, and shorter-ranged Bandit 1200. But that only helped me to appreciate the BMW more.
Returning home from Spain two days later saw the trip clock up a total of 1575 miles. During those miles the tourer had recorded an impressive average of 47mpg with a best of 51mpg.
I'd pretty much enjoyed each and every minute I'd been on the RT. It's utterly brilliant at performing tasks like the one I'd set it, and had done absolutely everything I asked pretty much to perfection. The 2010 model is the latest and best version of the RT yet, and though there are a couple of things I like to see improved (slightly more certain gearchange action; it dropped between gears a few times, marginally better damped suspension; very occasionally it felt crude, and a digital speedo; to read more definitively for speed cameras!), I can't really fault it. The biggest compliment I can perhaps pay it is to say that whenever I have a long trip to make by bike in the future, I wouldn't consider ANY other motorcycle. There may well be many big and highly capable tourers on the market currently. But none of them can quite match the multi-talented R1200RT for its sheer ability to consume miles and generate the sense of achievement it does. It's a fantastic touring machine.
SPECIFICATIONS
2010 BMW R1200RT SE
ENGINE
Type: 1170cc,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], air/oil cooled, eight-valve, DOHC, flat twin
Maximum power: 110bhp @ 7750rpm
Maximum torque: 88lb/ft @ 6000rpm
TRANSMISSION
Transmission: 6-speed
Final drive: shaft
CHASSIS/COMPONENTS
Cycle parts
Frame: Steel tube subframes
Suspension:
Front: Telelever fork, ESA II (electronically adjustable)
Rear: Paralever monoshock, ESA II (electronically adjustable)
Brakes:
Front: twin 320mm discs with four piston ABS calipers
Rear: single 265mm disc with twin-piston ABS caliper
Tyres:
Front: 120/70-17
Rear: 180/55-17
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITY
Seat height: 820/840 mm (780/800mm low option)
Wet weight: 259kg
Fuel capacity: 25 litres
DETAILS
Price: ?12,880 (?13,740 in trim tested)
Contact: 0800 777155, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
Performance: 4
Handling: 4
Practicality: 5
Value for money: 4
OVERALL: 5