Lighter. Faster. BMW?

by Lance Oliver

Less weight, more power.

It's the predictable claim every year in the sportbike arena, where manufacturers have to squeeze a few more horsepower out of already-screaming engines and shave grams off already-light parts. It's a game BMW has not played much in recent years.

But that has changed. BMW's new K1200S sets new standards for power and lightness in a BMW motorcycle, and last year's R1200GS debuted the new and improved 1,170cc boxer engine, as well as a host of other changes that reduced poundage.

Now, the new air/oil-cooled boxer engine gets slotted into two more new models: the R1200RT and R1200ST. I rode the RT first, which is appropriate since this is such an important model for BMW in the United States (see sidebar).

BMW says the 2005 RT is 15 horsepower stronger and 70 pounds lighter than the R1150RT it replaces. BMW says the bike weighs 571 pounds fueled and ready to ride, but without the bags attached.

The RT is completely new and it looks it. About the only part BMW says hasn't changed is the handlebars, and even those have a different finish. The extent of the mechanical changes is reinforced by the styling.

"Everyone can see this is a completely new generation," said BMW's Peter Maier.

The new bike's looks are dominated by the wider, two-piece fairing up front, a design intended to break up the large expanse of plastic that can result when the rider is given a lot of weather protection.

Comfort features abound: electrically adjustable windshield, cruise control, heated grips, and 32-liter saddlebags to carry your worldly possessions. Those who complained about the exhaust taking up saddlebag space on some K-bikes can breathe easy, because no such intrusion occurs here. Options include a heated seat and stereo with CD player.

As I settle into the cockpit, the upright riding position is comfortable and feels like touring BMWs have for years. Plenty of legroom, short reach to the handgrips, and room to move around on the spacious seat. The new instruments include an LCD display with a fuel gauge, oil temperature, odometer and clock, flanked by dial-type speedometer and tachometer.

At the heart of the changes to the RT is the 1200 engine, and I'll get to that in a minute. But the most newsworthy addition to the RT's resume is hinted at by icons that will be found on the RT's instrument display.

In a last-minute decision, BMW decided to equip all R1200RTs sold in the United States with its ESA system standard, instead of optional. The acronym stands for Electronic Suspension Adjustment. It allows the rider to change the rear shock preload and the rebound damping at both ends by selecting one of nine different settings, which are intended to cover conditions ranging from a single rider wanting a sporty setup to riding two-up with luggage and seeking maximum comfort.

Unfortunately, because the change was made at the last minute, the bikes BMW had available for the press introduction were not equipped with ESA, so I can't tell you how well it works.

As soon as I got up to speed on the new RT, the feel of the 1200 engine was noticeably different. BMW's new boxer has a balance shaft, a first for the company's twins, that makes it smoother than ever. Lightened engine parts provide a greater willingness to rev to redline, which is 8,000 rpm. The added smoothness, and the power available at higher rpms, make it worthwhile to rev this newest boxer.

The 1200 showed no hint of the surging that some owners of previous-generation fuel-injected BMW boxers have complained about.

Like its predecessor, the R1200RT allows the rider to adjust the windshield while riding with a switch on the handlebar. But that's where the similarity ends and where a huge improvement (for me, at least) begins.

Everyone fits differently on a bike, and your experience may vary, but on the R1150RT I struggled to find a windshield position that worked. When it was all the way down, I suffered buffeting. When it was up, the weather protection was great, but a low-pressure zone formed in front of me, and I felt like someone was pressing my back from behind. On a long day, either was tiring.

No such problems with the R1200RT. In the twisty sections, I left the windshield fully down and had clean, buffet-free air over my helmet. In the highest position, the newly shaped windshield provided great protection, though the view through the plastic is a bit distorted. The highest position works best for interstate cruising, when you're looking far down the road over the top of the shield.

On the switchbacks of California Route 74 out of Palm Springs, and on the tighter coils of Mount Palomar, the R1200RT's weight loss paid off. The RT comes equipped with top sport-touring tires from various manufacturers, in 180 rear and 120 front widths, and the RT allows the rider to use all the tire. This bike looks big, with its wider fairing and capacious saddlebags, but the handling won't make you feel like you're on a luxury tourer.

After the much-debated boxer surging issue, the next most popular topic among picky BMW riders is brakes. BMW rarely backtracks from its technological steps forward, but it did respond to public opinion and put a partially integrated anti-lock braking system on the R1200RT, not the fully integrated system the R1150RT had when it debuted. The partially integrated system proportions braking between the front and rear when the rider uses the hand lever, but the pedal operates only the rear brake.

BMW has not abandoned its servo-assisted braking, however. With plenty of bikes offering powerful, two-finger stopping, it's still an open question in my mind about why we need power brakes on a motorcycle.

The R1200RT's braking system provides powerful results, but with its extensive plumbing and the servo-assist, it's possibly the most complicated braking system in motorcycling today. True, it just plain works, but you'll probably look long and hard to find an owner of a late-model RT who changes his own brake fluid, unless he's a certified BMW mechanic.

The R1200RT begs to go for a long trip. The six-speed transmission has a higher final drive than the ST stablemate, for relaxed rpms. In addition to the saddlebags, a top box is an option, as is a tank bag that slots into the rail that sits on top of the tank. That tank, by the way, holds 7.1 gallons of premium. Start planning your long rides accordingly.

All of these touring features don't come cheap, however. The addition of ESA boosted the MSRP on the R1200RT to $18,240. Add the full stereo outfit and the price hits $20,000, even before your passenger starts lobbying for the optional heated seat.

BMW is counting on the new RT to accomplish some important goals in the U.S. market. It expects to sell 40 percent of the RTs to customers coming from other brands, and for the average age of the R1200RT buyer to be five years younger than the average R1150RT buyer. Both of those goals, increasing "conquest" sales and luring younger riders, are important for BMW in this country.

Within a few days, the R1200RT will be arriving in dealer showrooms to carry on BMW's long tradition of boxer-based touring and try to win new buyers to the BMW way.

Watch for another review of the R1200RT in a future issue of American Motorcyclist magazine.