2009 BMW R1200RT User Ratings

I have been riding motorcycles for 33 years now and it has been well, a bit of a compromise. If you wanted to ride fast, than you had to have a sport bike. This meant relegating those 200 mile jaunts for a series of stops so I could get the feeling back in my hands and butt. Or worse, drive a car! On the other hand, to go touring you would have to own a bike that was about as inspiring to ride as sofa while watching the mating ritual of a slug. I have owned both and can say that both worlds appeal to me as riding is more of a religion rather that means of transportation. Unfortunately, most of us must make that terrible decision and I usually favored sport bikes as they seem to stir the soul oh so very well! But then came the R1200RT. I think I must be dreaming. This bike does it all and not in a compromising way but with the very real intent of delivering all of both worlds! 110h.p. with enough torque to do roll ons two up with luggage in sixth gear, check. 60 liters of storage and an additional 47 for she-who-still-cannot-pack-light, check, Heat on the seat and grips with a fairing so good at 60 feels like you have a 50mph wind at you back, check. Handling so light and flickable that this thing must have anti-gravity, but its rock solid stable at 100mph with, "look at me ma, no hands" going through my head! Then there is the sportiness, oh wait...was I just describing all that? Maybe, I don't know anymore. It goes through corners with minimal turn-in at low speeds but on the gas in the "ride it like I stole it mode" and the on-the fly adjustable suspension set to sport, this is easily a grin factory if there ever was one. Obviously, I am thrilled by this magnificent machine and it seems as though all those years of compromise were just a bad dream. Riding my BMW R1200RT is what is was supposed to be all along, I just had to wake up 33 years later!

I have owned plenty of motorcycles, including Beemers but I have never owned a more complete, capable , and well rounded bike. I came off a 2005 BMW R1150 RT and I THOUGHT it was the bees knees but after riding for awhile I wished it were lighter and had a bit more power, but I was happy with the bike overall. I started reading reviews about the 09 and how it was 70 pounds lighter and it has 15 more horsepower and cruise control to boot, I had to test ride one and the rest is history. I would say the main improvement is how smoother the bike operates, from shifting to handling. I can truly say that TRUE cruise control is the neatest thing I have ever had on a bike, and the design has much better coverage, even the stereo[A NEW CD PLAYER] has been upgraded. Please do yourself a favor and go test ride one, turn up the stereo and the shield set the cruise control and the suspension[ has also been upgraded ESA2] on the go with a touch of the thumb, again I ask who could ask for anything more???