New RT test ride

[theop]

Having ordered the RT a month ago, I thought of giving it a test ride just to be sure.

Bike as expected by the many reviews so far by pros and customers alike. Mostly wonderful.

Top 3 comments from me:
- super nimble at any speed which belies the size that meets the eye. Comfort and suspension set up beyond criticism too
- feels very torquey with a much much better top end than I recall the single hex engines ( my previous boxer sold in 09). It also hides it's speed like any big tourer should very well. 90 feels like 60 and what feels like 90 is bail able prison sentence 110ish.
- apparent quality of plastics, nuts and bolts, cable mounts etc as well as assembly. All the stuff that appears cheap and Chinesee on a Triumph for example. Let's hope reliability is half as good as the materials and I ll be happy.

Bottom 3:
- it still does not feel as fast as 125hp. Although it is. Both similarly powered Pan European and Trophy feel faster.
- indicator switch is weird and unergonomic. Too far to reach while curling your thumb over the menu wheel, and its action is too tinny and light. There is barely half a millimeter of move. Radio is also too inaudible above 60mph. Given its £1000 price I m not sure it would add any value quid pro quo. I m glad I ordered mine without.
- I m 6'4 (193cm). I found the regular seat on the high setting just about tall enough. Pegs are basically an inch too high for me. There is less knee angling on the old Rt which the shop had next to mine so I did a back to back sitting test.

 

[GSTourer]

Having ordered the RT a month ago, I thought of giving it a test ride just to be sure.

Bike as expected by the many reviews so far by pros and customers alike. Mostly wonderful.

Top 3 comments from me:
- super nimble at any speed which belies the size that meets the eye. Comfort and suspension set up beyond criticism too
- feels very torquey with a much much better top end than I recall the single hex engines ( my previous boxer sold in 09). It also hides it's speed like any big tourer should very well. 90 feels like 60 and what feels like 90 is bail able prison sentence 110ish.
- apparent quality of plastics, nuts and bolts, cable mounts etc as well as assembly. All the stuff that appears cheap and Chinesee on a Triumph for example. Let's hope reliability is half as good as the materials and I ll be happy.

Bottom 3:
- it still does not feel as fast as 125hp. Although it is. Both similarly powered Pan European and Trophy feel faster.
- indicator switch is weird and unergonomic. Too far to reach while curling your thumb over the menu wheel, and its action is too tinny and light. There is barely half a millimeter of move. Radio is also too inaudible above 60mph. Given its £1000 price I m not sure it would add any value quid pro quo. I m glad I ordered mine without.
- I m 6'4 (193cm). I found the regular seat on the high setting just about tall enough. Pegs are basically an inch too high for me. There is less knee angling on the old Rt which the shop had next to mine so I did a back to back sitting test.

Can you explain please?..............as it appears to be both a + and a - from your comments.

 

[theop]

Can you explain please?..............as it appears to be both a + and a - from your comments.

Yes exactly this. I posted my most and least favorite bits of the bike after a 45min 20 mile run...

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

45 mins for only 20 miles, you could cycle quicker?

 

[GSTourer]

Yes exactly this. I posted my most and least favorite bits of the bike after a 45min 20 mile run...

Thanks for the post and your help!

 

[Wreford Miles]

45 mins for only 20 miles, you could cycle quicker?

Definitely and when you consider some was done at 90 and 110 ish the rest of the test rest must have involved sitting in traffic and doing feet up u turns

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Definitely and when you consider some was done at 90 and 110 ish the rest of the test rest must have involved sitting in traffic and doing feet up u turns

Thank God I live in rural north Yorkshire with none of that traffic nonsense

45 mins - I can be across the Dales & into Cumbria in that time

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Yes exactly this. I posted my most and least favorite bits of the bike after a 45min 20 mile run...

I'm a bit confused as the two pints highlighted appear to contradict each other?

Andres

 

[Cortina]

I'm a bit confused as the two pints highlighted appear to contradict each other?

Andres

2 pints ? ... that would be 1.1365 litres .........

 

[Boxed-in]

2 pints ? ... that would be 1.1365 litres .........

I think your missing the pint here!

 

[theop]

45 mins for only 20 miles, you could cycle quicker?

Lol, yes indeed! It included a 20min briefing where a summary of summaries of the menus was delivered followed by a conference between 2 other members of staff! Did I mention the manual of this bike ( I ve only seen it not opened it) makes the bible ( or a Ken Follett book) look positively small.

 

[theop]

Definitely and when you consider some was done at 90 and 110 ish the rest of the test rest must have involved sitting in traffic and doing feet up u turns

It was and it has! The bike will cover most of its life doing a 14 mile return commute within London aside from a once a year Europe trip. The previous trip computer had calculated my daily routine to be done at an avg of 11mph. So I needed a bike that will survive ( let's hope being a BM- or it will be returned to its maker the day the warranty runs out) and will be easy to handle at u turn speeds but at the same time be a proper tourer when needed. The RT is perfect for town work despite apparent size. Unlike a Paneuropean which would have been my favorite bike otherwise apart from being way too heavy and ancient.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

It was and it has! The bike will cover most of its life doing a 14 mile return commute within London aside from a once a year Europe trip. The previous trip computer had calculated my daily routine to be done at an avg of 11mph. So I needed a bike that will survive ( let's hope being a BM- or it will be returned to its maker the day the warranty runs out) and will be easy to handle at u turn speeds but at the same time be a proper tourer when needed. The RT is perfect for town work despite apparent size. Unlike a Paneuropean which would have been my favorite bike otherwise apart from being way too heavy and ancient.

Buy a scooter instead for a 14 mile London journey perhaps

 

[theop]

Buy a scooter instead for a 14 mile London journey perhaps

Vespas and 125s bit too small esp for winter lacking screens etc, my current TMax ( other bike was an uncommutable vfr12) is as big and cumbersome as the new RT. So one bike will cover all bases from now on. It will look totally trashed, rusty and well worn by year 4 and 20k miles later, but not all bikes are born equal... Some are more unlucky than others. My 04 GS 12 was only a tad better than scrap by the time I finished with it ( Czech guy bought it for a song)

 

[(RIP) Mark H]

" It will look totally trashed, rusty and well worn by year 4 " nowt as queer as folk I spose!

A bike like the new 1200RT spending most of its life on a 14 mile round trip commute in central London is totally wasted in my opinion, judging by your estimated use & condition after just 4 years use have your worked out the cost per mile in depreciation?

Buy a middle range used commuter for that.

 

[Wreford Miles]

Buy a scooter instead for a 14 mile London journey perhaps

Boxer engine bikes are great for London commuting, big enough to stand your ground, great for the traffic light GPs, drop into and grunt out of those side turnings with ease and when you park in a tight bike bay next to a Vespa your cylinders can rest in there foot well

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Boxer engine bikes are great for London commuting, big enough to stand your ground, great for the traffic light GPs, drop into and grunt out of those side turnings with ease and when you park in a tight bike bay next to a Vespa your cylinders can rest in there foot well

Fair enough

There's no way I'd spend £16k on a bike to ride 28 miles round trip through London, every day

 

[iand46]

If I didn't commute on motorways I'd have a little Honda 125, cheap to buy & run as a 2nd bike, light & nimble & easy filtering.

 

[theop]

If I didn't commute on motorways I'd have a little Honda 125, cheap to buy & run as a 2nd bike, light & nimble & easy filtering.

No motorways as such but regular heathrows and gatwicks, as well as part A roads in London. 125s are too small, been there done that. The ideal bike is an Xmax or tmax which I have. But trying to consolidate into all in one. I had my GS for 5 years like that. It was perfect until the bike started asking too much money to stay running.

 

[theop]

" It will look totally trashed, rusty and well worn by year 4 " nowt as queer as folk I spose!

A bike like the new 1200RT spending most of its life on a 14 mile round trip commute in central London is totally wasted in my opinion, judging by your estimated use & condition after just 4 years use have your worked out the cost per mile in depreciation?

Buy a middle range used commuter for that.

True, like a transalp or something... Thought abt it, new toy tickle won me over. Plus there are the 3k touring miles I do once a year. Bigger personal dithering was wether I d go for a 10-11k twin cam from say 2012, rather a 17k fully loaded one. A bit of dirtying and scuffing around the city on a brand new machine etc etc. thoughts too, but as I said, new toy factor won.

Depreciation etc, I don't really factor around. If I wanted a 15-20k investment I d put it elsewhere. I buy cars or a bikes like I buy a laptop , I.e. That I will get zero back after I m done. After all the big D eats everything. 3 years on the best maintained shiny example has 55% of value left over, the worst example probably around 45%. On 15k initial price that's less than 2k difference between my scratched and tired rt in June 2017 to yours. My life view is that these are toys to be paid for and enjoyed to the full as we only live once and I certainly don't live to keep my bike clean and shiny in case big brotha bmw final value accountants disagree with my treatment of the machine. It has to be safe and sound, to be operational and reliable for what it does. Whether the panniers are scratched or whether I washed it last in Feb 2014 or in February 2013, who cares. I have an 06 tmax I bought in 09 that I have never washed or polished ( but it is being serviced) you know what? It looks ok.. Ish. If I thought abt depreciation, it would probably mean I can't really afford it and that would eat me away slowly. Plus I have two kids in London private schools which in case you don't know is an RT per year. New. Each. The ways of this bloody world eh?