Are RT's any good ?

Only recently joined the forum and have found it both informative and helpful, so thanks to all you contributors. A year ago I bought a 2001 R1150RT and have done about 6,000 miles on it since. Initially I did suspect that it may not be the bike for me, but stuck with it and I am now glad that I did. It was not an instant love affair by any means, but patience has more than paid off. Now that I have given it a fair chance I have to admit that I love it !! It is comfortable, does 45mpg and handles much better than I initially thought it did. Nothing to boast about, but I have scuffed the edge of my boots on the tarmac whilst cornering enthusiastically, and I have no doubt that, in more capable hands, the bike could safely go farther over !! I have often done 200mph a day and will be going down through France, Spain and Portugal in September. The previous owner had to suffer the agony (and expense) of an abs failure, so took what I consider to be the sensible route and went for the conversion to 'standard brakes' which involved a kit form Motorworks. This does away with the servo-assisted abs and costs about £120 as opposed to £1,200. The brakes work fine and, if you ever need to stop any quicker than I have had to, you are already in a situation where you really should not be. At the end of the day we are all individuals and love riding motorbikes, so we don't need to fall out with each other over which is best, better, more desirable, reliable or most economical. Each to his own - keep it on two wheels and enjoy !!!

200 My 1200 RT only does 140

Not many desire a RT and you are right, stick it out and the benefits soon come obvious, especially when the weather is like it is now in the south

I liked my RT but not as much as my GSA and it was thanks to a post I read on here that I deceided to not p/ex my GSA in for an RT. A good decision for me as it turns out. The RT is a fantastic bike but the GSA suits me better

We had to change from a GS to an RT due to my "dodgy neck" problem which was made worse by the constant buffeting from the GS screen. Now 24,000 miles later I can say that the RT is brilliant and suits us down to the ground. Comfort for two, relatively light weight for a full on Tourer, loads of luggage space, more than adequate performance and 55 mpg. Only down side compared to the GS is the slightly increased serviceing costs. Just had a quote of £499 for the 24,000 mile service.

I rode RT all week and 11 hours this weekend. Great bike, but as above I prefer my GSA.

My humble remarks are:

Speed: 7/10. Quick enough. Acceleration strong.
Protection: 7/10. Good but I'd need to get a wind deflector or something as I just can't seem to get the screen in the best position to balance buffeting and reducing the low pressure zone behind the screen ('pulling' me forwards).
Cornering: 6:10. But this may be the suspension settings incorrect for me as it is a pool bike and I'm not supposed to change it.
Fuel: 6/10. I rode it very sympathetically and got about 45mpg.
Range: 7/10. Good enough but could do with about 4 litres bigger tank - but 200 miles before fuel indicator is usually fine for most touring.
Kit: 7/10. All works fine. Heated grips were same as my GSA - could do with a 3rd setting.
Gearing: 7/10. 30 / 40 mph limits are a bit of a pain in the UK. Selecting 3rd or 4th gear and offering sympathy to the bike is a dilemma.
Looks: 9/10. I reckon it's one of the best looking bikes out there.
Brakes: 8/10. No major issues but then again I didn't have to push them.
Seat: n/a as it's a pool bike and the seat was hard. Nevertheless, many hours in the saddle gave me very little discomfort.
General handling: 8/10. Easy to use, pretty comfortable to handle and enough feedback to give confidence.
Mirrors: 7/10. Good enough and no major issues. Very nice placement on the bike helps with the styling.
Display: 8/10. Bright, easy to operate, looks nice.
Leg position/footrests.: 9/10. I didn't find any discomfort generally. I suppose the gear and brake positions could have been better for me but that's obviously adjustable.

stonehenge said:

200 My 1200 RT only does 140

Not many desire a RT and you are right, stick it out and the benefits soon come obvious, especially when the weather is like it is now in the south

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I agree, the RT is perhaps not the most desirable bike and I reckon my "street cred" took a bit of a dive when I bought one but I'm too old and way too stupid to care what other people think. The RT does however give a superb quality of ride and that's the most important thing especially for me with all of my "old battle wounds" so I can now cover long distance with no discomfort. If you want a bike with head turning style then get something else but if you want a bike that will do the job then get the RT.