Totally confused about BMW's

[Snapping Twig]

Starting in 2011 the fuel strip was eliminated and a float is used.

Consider one of these.

R1200R


They are not as popular as... well... any other BMW, sort of a sleeper model really. Think of it as a naked RT because... it is.

Smaller tank too at 4.8g, but still plenty of range.

Do all, be all, go anywhere bike.

[Silverbird]

I guess the biggest thing holding me back is the telelever front end.  I have the forks and front end geometry set up so much to my liking on the XX,  I'm not sure if I could ever go back.  I noticed immediately when riding the RT it would handle excellent but never feel anything like a sportbike on corner entry.  Is this something I should let stop me?

[chesthing]

The 12RT is a highly capable bike in the Colorado canyons, once you get used to it it just rails. I  I can ride it just as fast as my ST2 and VFR800 I used to own - I know that sounds hard to believe but true. You're initial question was more to the point - that of reliablity and cost of ownership due to shit breaking. I'm at a teetering point of whether to keep mine, one more bullshit problem and it's gone.

[coho]

What chesthing said about the railing and such is spot on.

The telelever will never give you the same feedback as telescopic forks, but once you get used to it it doesn't feel numb, just incredibly smooth. It's not going to feel like a sportbike because it isn't one, but the RT can be a remarkable SPORT-tourer.

[Silverbird]

I understand it's not a good thing to put all your stock in one guy's opinion, but I have researched almost every bike out there worth touring on, and the damn BMW's have more people talking about them like Chesthing than any other bike make I've looked at.

[Orson]

You should start a totally confused about Moto Guzzi thread.

[sagerat]

The telelever front end is actually confidence-inspiring.  The thing just takes the bumps out of the road.

I'd say fish or cut schnitzel, er, bait.  

[NoGear]

I understand it's not a good thing to put all your stock in one guy's opinion, but I have researched almost every bike out there worth touring on, and the damn BMW's have more people talking about them like Chesthing than any other bike make I've looked at.

Brain washing will do that to them......    

[chesthing]

The RT air cooled engine puts out NO heat, nada, zip -you can't say that about any other bike in this class. If nothing else goes wrong with it for a couple or more years I'll have a very positive opinion of the bike - right now I'm a bit jaded. Take away the reliability factor and it's overall a WAY better bike than the FJR, ST13 or C14 (yes I've ridden them all, the FJR several times). Way more expensive too, but buy used and avoid that problem like I did.

[Cablebandit]

The RT air cooled engine puts out NO heat, nada, zip -you can't say that about any other bike in this class.

Doesn't air cooled mean it puts all it's heat into the air?  

Oh, my bike doesn't throw any heat on me.  Now if you're standing next to it on a hot day when the fans kick on.....well get out your marshmallows.  That said, it still doesn't blow on the rider.

[R Doug]

I guess the biggest thing holding me back is the telelever front end.  I have the forks and front end geometry set up so much to my liking on the XX,  I'm not sure if I could ever go back.  I noticed immediately when riding the RT it would handle excellent but never feel anything like a sportbike on corner entry.  Is this something I should let stop me?

I have less than 2,000 miles on my new-to-me BMW with Duolever front and telelever rear.  While at first I thought the the front felt vague, I soon found out it feels different but not vague.  With the limited amount of seat time on this bike so far, I have no problem getting it around in the twisties.  

[Carbonero]

The bitching about BMW's issues are only exacerbated by the initial cost of the bikes. They're as relatively troubled or trouble free as any other bike. Look at it this way... if you spend $12k on a Japanese bike and $18k on a comparable BMW and they both break the same way, the same time, with the same frequency, the BMW starts to feel more expensive.

That's really the heart of the bitching, IMO.

Plus the air of superiority that gets completely shattered when the bikes break. ALL bikes break eventually.

If you like the bike, buy it; it's a fine machine.

[Max Wedge]

I think people make too much out of the price difference. An FJR is $15k, and a similar equipped RT (no radio or GPS, but cruise, heated grips and ESA) will go for $19.5k. (This is like the one at a local dealer).  So depending on how much you can beat the dealer up for, and if you plan on adding cruise, or heated grips and stuff, you are really looking at $4-5000 price difference, not the $10k everyone likes to throw around.

Put the numbers on paper, consider warrantees, insurance costs, financing (the BMW had better financing through my credit union, don't know why) and farkles, then make your call, pay it and ride.  

[sagerat]

+1 for Schuberth helmet, which is almost required for Beemer riders, posts the guy who also had a C2 and now has a C3 and gf has C3W.  

[R Doug]

+1 for Schuberth helmet, which is almost required for Beemer riders, posts the guy who also had a C2 and now has a C3 and gf has C3W.  

 

Don't forget the Akra exhaust.  

All German bits.  

[bikerfish1100]

I have less than 2,000 miles on my new-to-me BMW with Duolever front and telelever rear.  While at first I thought the the front felt vague, I soon found out it feels different but not vague.  With the limited amount of seat time on this bike so far, I have no problem getting it around in the twisties.  

nope. You have a Paralever in the rear. Telelever is the A-Arm style front end used on Oilheads.
Love mine, but have only put 90K miles on it, so i'm not quite sure about it yet.  

Siverbird- shut up, buy the damn bike, ride it a ton, and fall in love with it.

[ConPilot1]

 

Don't forget the Akra exhaust.  

All German bits.  

Akropovic is Slovenian.

[R Doug]

nope. You have a Paralever in the rear. Telelever is the A-Arm style front end used on Oilheads.

Siverbird- shut up, buy the damn bike, ride it a ton, and fall in love with it.

It's been a long day.  I knew that but couldn't get Tele out of my mind.  

And, yes... buy what gives you wood.  If the BMW is that bike, do it.  

Akropovic is Slovenian.

I'll be darn.  I would have sworn Igor was a German racer.  But, you are correct.  I was two countries off.  

I knew Remus as Austrian and that's why it's on the KTM.  

[chesthing]

C14, then R12RT now you want a Tiger? I think this thread should be titled "totally confused about motorcycles" instead of BMWs. My advice is to ride your BB until you know what you want. If I didn't have tinitus issues and hate chain drive a BB with decent suspension sounds pretty damn good to me.

[Silverbird]

Not confused anymore! Getting the Tiger. And I didn't want any of those bikes after I test rode them. How else was I supposed to know? It's not like I was looking at R1's one day and K1600's the next, geesh.