I thought that I would write a few words to convey my experience of riding one of the new BMW 1200 RT “liquid cooled” bikes, in comparison with my experience of the previous twin cam “air cooled” model. I realise that people attach many different names and acronyms to these bikes; to keep things simple, I will refer to the old RT as the “TC” (twin cam), and the new model as the “LC” (liquid cooled).
To put this comparison into perspective: I have owned my TC (it’s a 2012 SE model) for 18 months and about 14,000 miles. Before the TC, I owned an earlier 1200 RT (one of the first 2005 models). I covered about 26,000 miles on that bike in the 2 years that I owned it. I’ve also owned 3 other “Boxers”, and about 30 other bikes!
I do most of my mileage on touring trips, often with my SO on the back; fully loaded with camping kit. I enjoy riding smoothly and efficiently; a reasonably quick road rider.
So, why am I trying a new LC? I love the TC, however I do find it to be annoyingly vibey at 80mph+ speeds, or when accelerating hard. I have had the TC re-mapped as soon as it was run-in (Hilltop) to try and address this. The remap made the bike a little nicer to ride, but it still has bad vibrations when under moderate load. I also find there to be a lot of backlash in the drive-train; this can be tiresome when trying to ride smoothly with a pillion onboard. The gearbox is a bit harsh too.
Looks.
I’m not going to comment much on these; everyone’s opinion will be different. I think the TC looks a little dated; a bit blunt, whereas the LC looks a bit bulbous at the front; a bit too nose-heavy and sharp maybe? Things are similar from the saddle; the LC is much more modern looking with its new clocks and display.
Engine.
This is the bit that I was most looking forward to experiencing. The LC that I rode had two riding modes: Rain and Road. I had it set to Road for this test.
The engine sounded quite noisy at tick-over; with a lot of clutch rattle too.
Pulling away from a standstill, the LC seemed to initially hesitate before fuelling cleanly. Ridden gently it was a similar experience to the TC engine. However, when given a big handful at low revs, the LC provided an almighty burst of acceleration. This would crush the TC at this point. This power seemed to flatten off through the mid-range before giving a final burst of acceleration at higher revs. The engine was smoother than the TC at all points.
The engine remained impressive at motorway (ahem) speeds. Where the TC would feel like it was trying at 80 mph (I have seen almost 140mph once or twice though), the LC was just ambling along. It retained this relaxed feeling up to about 110mph. I would certainly have been happy to sit at this speed for several hours in order to cover German ground quickly. The bike pulled hard to beyond 130mph; however I cannot comment on its smoothness at these speeds; too much forward concentration needed!
The new LC engine is a belter. Its only downside being the mechanical noise that it makes when idling.
(I only tried “Rain” mode for 2 minutes; it just made the bike feel dull. Pointless in my opinion).
Gearbox.
This is where the new bike falls down; the gearbox is rubbish.
Neutral was easy enough to find (others disagree), however, the change into first when stationary is dreadful. I tried everything: changing quickly, changing slowly, no throttle, a blip of throttle, rolling backwards or forwards, etc…… It’s horrible. Engaging first when at a standstill always felt like a controlled crash. The bike jumped up an inch, pedestrians cowered, I grimaced. Bad.
Things didn’t improve much when on the move. The gear lever always felt heavy; the gear changes often noisy and rough.
On a brighter note, the new clutch is lovely and light!
The bike that I rode had the “Gear Shift Pro” feature. Again, I was unimpressed with this.
This feature allows clutchless gear changes. Going up the box you just keep the throttle pinned wide open and hit the gear lever up at the appropriate points (a quick-shifter), going down the box you just poke the gear lever down as you slow down on a close throttle.
Using the GSP as a quick shifter it was great; it facilitated extremely rapid progress when drag-stripping it away from lights, the front going light through the first couple of gears. But you don’t buy an RT to ride like that! I certainly wouldn’t when charging up a mountain pass whilst away for a fortnight!
The GSP downshift was rubbish; the gear lever heavy and the change almost always harsh. My pillion would fall out with me very quickly. This feature did seem to work smoothly when conditions where perfect for it (ie, engine and road speeds).
I would not bother paying for this Gear Shift Pro feature, particularly when the clutch is so light and pleasant to use.
Whilst I’m whinging; the clutch makes a racket when the bike is ticking over in neutral. Not anything like a dry-clutched Ducati, but noisy all the same; about on par with my KTM RC8 I’d say. Not very refined and tourer like!
Suspension.
The Telelever front end still suffers on square-edged bumps, a necessary compromise for the front not diving under braking, but the new “Dynamic ESA” felt like an improvement over the ESA II of the TC. The difference between the various modes was very noticeable on the WC; this isn’t as apparent on the TC. I find the suspension difficult to describe; it works well in the background, but feels harsh when put to the test; ie, potholes and speed bumps are always going to upset a bike!
I’d be interested to see how the new bike handles when fully loaded; I’d be betting that it would be fine.
Ergonomics and comfort. (This is always going to be very subjective. For comparisons, I’m 5’10” and 12 and-a-bit stones)
Better than the TC in my opinion. Some of this is owing to the Dynamic ESA, and some to the improved bars and seating. I always feel like the TC’s bars are too narrow and too angled inwards; I want them wider and flatter, and really don’t understand why so many people want their bars even higher and further back!
The WC’s bars felt wider and at a better angle than on the TC; my wrists were at a more comfortable angle. The new seat was much better for me too. I find the TC’s seat to be very wide and squishy. The WC’s was firmer, flatter, and narrowed to the front. I found this to be more comfortable for me, and allowed for easier reversing. I have the TC’s seat in the low position; the WC’s in the high position.
The new bike’s screen worked well. I had it in its mid-way position for most of the time. This gave a good balance of a quiet ride, wind protection and visibility. I should add here that I hate looking through a screen. I use a Cee Bailey’s “Summer” screen on my TC; this works well for me and pillion; very quiet, with enough protection or air flow when needed.
Switchgear and display.
The new bike’s display is initially impressive. The screen is almost ‘phone-like in appearance, and can be set-up in different ways. I had it set to display the speed in a digital format. The switchgear is similar in appearance to the TC’s, with the addition of the scrolling thumb-wheel. This combination can bring a lot of information to view; instantaneous fuel consumption, battery voltage, etc. All very impressive and user friendly (no instruction book needed here); however, after a few hours on the bike I began to find the new system to be a bit annoying. Most of the additionally available information is superfluous; it can take several clicks to find the data that you actually want. I prefer the older bike’s system; the information needed is all there to be seen (or a click or two away), more buttons have dedicated functions: ie, I can just press a button once to switch the heated seat on; this is several scrolls and clicks away on the new bike.
Conclusion.
I can’t comment on how the new bike would perform when loaded, nor on its fuel economy. From my comprehensive experience on older RTs v one day spent on the new WC:
• The new engine is great
• The new gearbox is a shocker
• The new clutch is lovely to use, but noisy
• Gear Pro Assist? No… it makes it worse
• Suspension has moved on a notch (but how reliable?)
• New display is nice to look at; I prefer the older bike’s in use though
So will I be trading in?
No!
The new bike’s engine is great, and I found the ride generally more comfortable. But that gearbox alone ruins it for me. The TC’s gearbox isn’t exactly refined; it can be slow to change and a little heavy and clunky, but the WC’s is terrible.
This test ride has highlighted to me a couple of areas of the TC that I’d like to improve: first of all is the seat….
I'll add a bit more here when I get the chance
http://birotus.wordpress.com/
To put this comparison into perspective: I have owned my TC (it’s a 2012 SE model) for 18 months and about 14,000 miles. Before the TC, I owned an earlier 1200 RT (one of the first 2005 models). I covered about 26,000 miles on that bike in the 2 years that I owned it. I’ve also owned 3 other “Boxers”, and about 30 other bikes!
I do most of my mileage on touring trips, often with my SO on the back; fully loaded with camping kit. I enjoy riding smoothly and efficiently; a reasonably quick road rider.
So, why am I trying a new LC? I love the TC, however I do find it to be annoyingly vibey at 80mph+ speeds, or when accelerating hard. I have had the TC re-mapped as soon as it was run-in (Hilltop) to try and address this. The remap made the bike a little nicer to ride, but it still has bad vibrations when under moderate load. I also find there to be a lot of backlash in the drive-train; this can be tiresome when trying to ride smoothly with a pillion onboard. The gearbox is a bit harsh too.
Looks.
I’m not going to comment much on these; everyone’s opinion will be different. I think the TC looks a little dated; a bit blunt, whereas the LC looks a bit bulbous at the front; a bit too nose-heavy and sharp maybe? Things are similar from the saddle; the LC is much more modern looking with its new clocks and display.
Engine.
This is the bit that I was most looking forward to experiencing. The LC that I rode had two riding modes: Rain and Road. I had it set to Road for this test.
The engine sounded quite noisy at tick-over; with a lot of clutch rattle too.
Pulling away from a standstill, the LC seemed to initially hesitate before fuelling cleanly. Ridden gently it was a similar experience to the TC engine. However, when given a big handful at low revs, the LC provided an almighty burst of acceleration. This would crush the TC at this point. This power seemed to flatten off through the mid-range before giving a final burst of acceleration at higher revs. The engine was smoother than the TC at all points.
The engine remained impressive at motorway (ahem) speeds. Where the TC would feel like it was trying at 80 mph (I have seen almost 140mph once or twice though), the LC was just ambling along. It retained this relaxed feeling up to about 110mph. I would certainly have been happy to sit at this speed for several hours in order to cover German ground quickly. The bike pulled hard to beyond 130mph; however I cannot comment on its smoothness at these speeds; too much forward concentration needed!
The new LC engine is a belter. Its only downside being the mechanical noise that it makes when idling.
(I only tried “Rain” mode for 2 minutes; it just made the bike feel dull. Pointless in my opinion).
Gearbox.
This is where the new bike falls down; the gearbox is rubbish.
Neutral was easy enough to find (others disagree), however, the change into first when stationary is dreadful. I tried everything: changing quickly, changing slowly, no throttle, a blip of throttle, rolling backwards or forwards, etc…… It’s horrible. Engaging first when at a standstill always felt like a controlled crash. The bike jumped up an inch, pedestrians cowered, I grimaced. Bad.
Things didn’t improve much when on the move. The gear lever always felt heavy; the gear changes often noisy and rough.
On a brighter note, the new clutch is lovely and light!
The bike that I rode had the “Gear Shift Pro” feature. Again, I was unimpressed with this.
This feature allows clutchless gear changes. Going up the box you just keep the throttle pinned wide open and hit the gear lever up at the appropriate points (a quick-shifter), going down the box you just poke the gear lever down as you slow down on a close throttle.
Using the GSP as a quick shifter it was great; it facilitated extremely rapid progress when drag-stripping it away from lights, the front going light through the first couple of gears. But you don’t buy an RT to ride like that! I certainly wouldn’t when charging up a mountain pass whilst away for a fortnight!
The GSP downshift was rubbish; the gear lever heavy and the change almost always harsh. My pillion would fall out with me very quickly. This feature did seem to work smoothly when conditions where perfect for it (ie, engine and road speeds).
I would not bother paying for this Gear Shift Pro feature, particularly when the clutch is so light and pleasant to use.
Whilst I’m whinging; the clutch makes a racket when the bike is ticking over in neutral. Not anything like a dry-clutched Ducati, but noisy all the same; about on par with my KTM RC8 I’d say. Not very refined and tourer like!
Suspension.
The Telelever front end still suffers on square-edged bumps, a necessary compromise for the front not diving under braking, but the new “Dynamic ESA” felt like an improvement over the ESA II of the TC. The difference between the various modes was very noticeable on the WC; this isn’t as apparent on the TC. I find the suspension difficult to describe; it works well in the background, but feels harsh when put to the test; ie, potholes and speed bumps are always going to upset a bike!
I’d be interested to see how the new bike handles when fully loaded; I’d be betting that it would be fine.
Ergonomics and comfort. (This is always going to be very subjective. For comparisons, I’m 5’10” and 12 and-a-bit stones)
Better than the TC in my opinion. Some of this is owing to the Dynamic ESA, and some to the improved bars and seating. I always feel like the TC’s bars are too narrow and too angled inwards; I want them wider and flatter, and really don’t understand why so many people want their bars even higher and further back!
The WC’s bars felt wider and at a better angle than on the TC; my wrists were at a more comfortable angle. The new seat was much better for me too. I find the TC’s seat to be very wide and squishy. The WC’s was firmer, flatter, and narrowed to the front. I found this to be more comfortable for me, and allowed for easier reversing. I have the TC’s seat in the low position; the WC’s in the high position.
The new bike’s screen worked well. I had it in its mid-way position for most of the time. This gave a good balance of a quiet ride, wind protection and visibility. I should add here that I hate looking through a screen. I use a Cee Bailey’s “Summer” screen on my TC; this works well for me and pillion; very quiet, with enough protection or air flow when needed.
Switchgear and display.
The new bike’s display is initially impressive. The screen is almost ‘phone-like in appearance, and can be set-up in different ways. I had it set to display the speed in a digital format. The switchgear is similar in appearance to the TC’s, with the addition of the scrolling thumb-wheel. This combination can bring a lot of information to view; instantaneous fuel consumption, battery voltage, etc. All very impressive and user friendly (no instruction book needed here); however, after a few hours on the bike I began to find the new system to be a bit annoying. Most of the additionally available information is superfluous; it can take several clicks to find the data that you actually want. I prefer the older bike’s system; the information needed is all there to be seen (or a click or two away), more buttons have dedicated functions: ie, I can just press a button once to switch the heated seat on; this is several scrolls and clicks away on the new bike.
Conclusion.
I can’t comment on how the new bike would perform when loaded, nor on its fuel economy. From my comprehensive experience on older RTs v one day spent on the new WC:
• The new engine is great
• The new gearbox is a shocker
• The new clutch is lovely to use, but noisy
• Gear Pro Assist? No… it makes it worse
• Suspension has moved on a notch (but how reliable?)
• New display is nice to look at; I prefer the older bike’s in use though
So will I be trading in?
No!
The new bike’s engine is great, and I found the ride generally more comfortable. But that gearbox alone ruins it for me. The TC’s gearbox isn’t exactly refined; it can be slow to change and a little heavy and clunky, but the WC’s is terrible.
This test ride has highlighted to me a couple of areas of the TC that I’d like to improve: first of all is the seat….
I'll add a bit more here when I get the chance
http://birotus.wordpress.com/
