I love my RT. I ride it hard, fast and long with great comfort. But, it's just too dang hot in the summer. Also, I think the body panels make me too disconnected to the road. I often get bored unless I'm on challenging twisty roads. Not a good bike for flower sniffing speeds.
Is a R1200R the prescription for what ails me? I don't like a lot of noise while riding, and don't like ear plugs. I'm concerned that some R owners seem to struggle with windshield trial and error.
I've already negotiated a good deal on an '07 R. Can't decide if I should pull the trigger. Comments appreciated.
Here's me and my RT.
Last edited by brock29609 on Thu Dec 05, 2013 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
brock29609 wrote:Anyone here come to the R1200R from an RT???
I love my RT. I ride it hard, fast and long with great comfort. But, it's just too dang hot in the summer. Also, I think the body panels make me too disconnected to the road. I often get bored unless I'm on challenging twisty roads. Not a good bike for flower sniffing speeds.
Is a R1200R the prescription for what ails me? I don't like a lot of noise while riding, and don't like ear plugs. I'm concerned that some R owners seem to struggle with windshield trial and error.
I've already negotiated a good deal on an '07 R. Can't decide if I should pull the trigger. Comments appreciated.
If you don't like noise or earplugs, I think the R will be problematic for you. Me, I like my hearing (what's left of it anyway) so I wear plugs. I've had five windshields on mine, as well as ridden it naked. Still not totally stoked about how it is, between the ugliness of a bigger shield and the excessive rumbling with a smaller shield, but I'm close now.
It's an awesome bike, but I'd ask yourself this—if you took the panels off your RT, would you suddenly be stoked? Because—in overly simple terms—that's what you'd be doing.
I don't need my next bike to be as quiet as my RT. I've had several cruisers with garden variety Memphis Shades windscreens and have been quite happy with them (noise wise).
I just want to make sure the R is a bike that I ride for 5 days straight on twisty country roads and not have my ears ringing at the day's end. I do very few highway miles.
brock29609 wrote:I don't need my next bike to be as quiet as my RT. I've had several cruisers with garden variety Memphis Shades windscreens and have been quite happy with them (noise wise).
I just want to make sure the R is a bike that I ride for 5 days straight on twisty country roads and not have my ears ringing at the day's end. I do very few highway miles.
The R differs from other relatively naked bikes with a small screen in that it has these channels on either side of the front, where the air comes up through the front of the tank. The front end of the bike is anything but clean, in terms of wind noise caused by the shapes of the bike. I pointed this out because you specifically said you don't like a lot of noise or wearing earplugs. The shapes at the front of the R create a lot of turbulence and therefore noise.
My experience is that with a medium-to-large shield, the bike can be quiet up to 50 MPH or so—fine for your back roads scenario. Not quiet enough for riding without earplugs, in my opinion, but as I said, I ride with plugs (and a nice quiet helmet) because the wind noise on most bikes is enough to damage my already damaged hearing—thanks to years as a sound engineer/musician + many years of motorbikes before I got smart enough to wear plugs. I also get the feeling (based on conversations 'round here) that I ride my R faster than most, too.
Brock,
I came to the R1200R from a 2002 RT in 2007. I felt the same as you about all the plastic. I LOVE to look down at the cylinder heads sticking out in the breeze on the R. The main reason I switched was the weight factor. The RT is wonderful for making miles, but a bit much for me to handle in slow riding. I'm 71 now and I have no problem with the R in this regard. Being generally smaller, the R really handles well in corners, it comes out of a corner stronger than the RT as well if that is what you want to do. I have the luggage and top trunk for over nights, but I just run the side cases most of the time. You may want a larger shield. I had the larger BMW shield, but it was way too small for any kind of wind protection. I went with Cee Bailey on that. Good luck to you, you won't be sorry for getting and R! Ride safe, Hank.
I bought my R1200R 3 years ago. I had a California Scientific windshield with the Don C on it and the wind protection was good. I always rode with ear plugs. Most of my riding is done on the freeway commuting to work.
I just bought a Parabellum Scout fairing and that made a MAJOR difference. Most of the wind on the R1200R comes up from under the windshield around the fuel tank. The fairing blocks all of that off. Now it is almost calm air behind the fairing. I still wear ear plugs on the freeway but I do not need them for 50 MPH and below. The fairing also gave me better gas mileage. I highly recommend the R1200R with the Parabellum Scout fairing.
Thanks for all the advice! I have made a decision, for now at least.
If my garage was empty and I was looking for one bike, I would definitely buy a R1200R. Maybe that will happen one day soon, but not now.
My garage has 2 bikes that complement each other well, and I currently don't have the motivation to disrupt that situation. Not prepared right now for the maintenance and customization a 3rd bike + the preparation to sell another (unbolting farkles, etc.).
When I decide to thin the herd to one bike, I will ride an R (likely with a Parabellum Scout).
Used to have an RT and liked it a great deal. Bought my wife an R and she did not bond with it, so I had both. Found I was always getting on the R. Sold the RT and replaced it with a FJR. Now the R is for going north (we ride to Alaska and the Yukon every year), dirt road riding and local rides just because. I have a Scout fairing and have been very pleased with it. I have a 22 inch screen and a 10 inch tinted screen for hot summer days. The FJR is great for long distance touring. Feels lighter than the RT, quicker, smoother, better handling. My wife has made rumblings about wanting 'her' R back. Not going to happen unless I'm getting a newer one.
Kevin Huddy
Intrepid Incompetent
Canyon Creek, MT
Team Pterodactyl Montana Outpost
-BMW GPS
-Factory side cases with bag liners
-BMW 28-liter top case
-Parabellum Scout fairing + oem windshield
-soft tank and tail bags
-ABS
-traction control
-heated grips
brock29609 wrote:Hmm, starting to think I should by an R.
What does everyone think about this deal?
$8,500 for a '07 w/ less than 9K miles with...
-BMW GPS
-Factory side cases with bag liners
-BMW 28-liter top case
-Parabellum Scout fairing + oem windshield
-soft tank and tail bags
-ABS
-traction control
-heated grips
Horrible deal. Where is it listed, exactly?
Kevin Huddy
Intrepid Incompetent
Canyon Creek, MT
Team Pterodactyl Montana Outpost
I went from a 2005 R1200RT to a 2009 R1200R and couldn't be happier.
My three motivating factors to make the change were:
1. Fairing on the RT did not allow enough airflow for riding in the hot/humid south. It was great for winter riding and in the cold rain, but I roasted most of the year. The fairing was also problematic for me when trying to maneuver the bike into a parking space at slow speeds and I could not see pot holes or off camber pavement surfaces (see #3 for complicating factor of the seat height).
2. Weight of the RT and its tendency to be top heavy got tiresome, especially when trying to maneuver it around at slow speeds or just "duck walking" it into a parking spot.
3. Could not flatfoot the RT with the 32.3 inch seat height with my 29 inch inseam and hereditary bow legs. I was on the tips of my toes and was not comfortable with moving an approximately 700 lb bike.
Just my personal observation, but you can't do anything to diminish the wind noise on any bike if you don't wear ear plugs. I never wore ear plugs around loud noises and now have high frequency hearing loss from too many nights listening to rock bands as a bartender in a college bar, too many small airplane rides, and operating lawn mowers and chain saws without ear protection. I was being macho and paid for it with my hearing.
Well, I'm certain the R is great and perhaps is the best bike for me, but my RT isn't enough of a problem to justify the hassle of a switch right now. This past summer was my first on an RT, and it was a mild one here in The South. Maybe after a typical sweltering one I'll be more motivated to make the switch.
I had a 2000 RT. Went to trade it in. I test rode an 09 RT. It seemed bigger and less responsive. I bought a brand new R1200R instead. LESS THAN 500 lbs for the new R. I love it. I still have the RT but it sits in the garage.
The RT was a little much for riding to work. Just backing it out of the garage took most of what I have.
I have a color matched Parabellum scout. I ride with no shield on my helmet or I have it flipped up at any speed unless its raining. I do not wear ear plugs.
What David R and dbrick says, +1. I LOOOVE my R1200R. It is a cross between a sport bike and (with a screen) an RT Lite, ready for commuting, carving turns on Cal 33 or heading out to Denver CO or Helena MT, the one bike that can do it all. You gotta try one, at least...
Mike in SB
2009 R1200R all black
ex1970 BMW R60/5
ex1959 BMW pre-slash R60
ex Matchless G80CS
I've test riden 3 of them locally (two 1200, one 1150). Nice bikes, but all were off for me ergonomically so it was hard to envision what "mine" would ride like. One had a super low scooped seat w/ barn door shield, one had a high seat w/ aftermarket bars & Wilber shocks, etc.
My first bike was an 85 700. Did suspension mods - RaceTech valves and springs & 20wt oil, WORKS dual rate Street Trackers in the rear. Handled REAL good.
Really liked that bike, but when I got the R1200R and would transition between them, the brakes on the Virago messed with my head. I'd ride it and feel like I couldn't stop - or - I'd get back on the R1200R and overdo the brakes.
