BMW R1250RT Test Ride 

Hey Paul I just got back from Lakewood, CO, and rode 863 miles over two days. …so happy to be back on the bike. I did have an FJR back in 2014. The bike I picked up yesterday was a 2016, and it had the bar lifters on the bike…it raisers the bars 30mm, and then they had the lower foot peg kit, and what a difference in comfort from my old 2015 RT.

Great choice. I bought a nice 2017, in Carbon Black which looks like blue in the light, fully loaded R1200RT that I am very happy with. The Audio system does so much more than play the radio. I have an intercom system I installed in my helmet [ Cardo Freecom 4 ] and connected it to the audio system of the bike so in combination with the Navigator 6 sat Nav , a must have, you can stream music, make phone calls, get Sat Nav directions, listen to radio get traffic and speed camera warnings, [ with Garmin Smartphone link on you phone ] talk to your pillion or other riders in your group etc... With the Navigator 6 you also get some great features like lean angles, how many corners, braking stats plus loads more that most people are not aware of. You also control the Navigator 6 with the thumbwheel and it goes on. I am so glad i bought mine as its such a great all rounder and when you get to know the bike you'll realize how much you can throw it around if that's your thing. The Dynamic ESA suspension is great and the integral ABS pro brakes are just brilliant. Front brake operates rear brake too. You can basically put the anchors in in a corner an it wont throw you out in an emergency situation. The gearshift assist pro works in a specific way and once you've learned that you can forget the clutch. Basically you keep the throttle half to full open above 3000 rpm and it just magically gets you up the gears.... on downshifts you have to keep the throttle closed and change down at no less than 3500 rpm and its seamless. Its which-craft.... Central locking for all the cases and storage compartments is a great idea. Great engine braking on downhill twisties and just exudes confidence. Its a very safe bike and I just love every trip. Enjoy the new bike ! I still am !

What an awesome machine Paul!!! So you finally made your choice and what a choice it is!!! Always Nice to see Ray, good luck with your new bike👌

Hi Paul, good choice. Made the switch from an FJR to the R1200RT recently. The FJR is a good bike and Me and My wife made some very good trips with it but, in my opinion the rt is better. Next June will be our first trip with this bike to Germany. Congratulations. Take Care.

Nice one Paul! Both look great bikes! Never ridden either of them, however after watching both videos I would have made the same choice. Enjoyed watching. All the best with the new bike, Greg.

Correct choice in my opinion matey I'm on my third lc Rt, the latest being one of the 1250's fantastic machine you won't regret it!

Great info and video. I'v not ridden either of these but I'm sure both are great bikes. For what your using your bike for I feel the BMW is a good choice. What i will say about the BMW is make sure you keep it in warranty with BMW ( ie extend it) as long as you can and sell it when you can't.

Too many expensive extras needing to be added to make this bike comfortable with various electronics for better riding experience. I bought the FJR1300AE which has lots of things as standard, also has a 4 cylinder engine with better power. Aftermarket gel seat and touring screen can also be added to the FJR at a fraction of the cost of adding a touring seat/screen to the RT. The FJR is also only 75cm wide (inc mirrors) where as the RT is a meter, so not so nimble when filtering. The RT is a nice bike certainly, but not a realistic alternative to the FJR in my opinion.

Paul, very nice review. Many of my own 05' FJR experiences were captured in your review. Thank you.

Thanks for reviewing this and the FJR, they’re 2 of the bikes I’m considering next... My shortlist is down to BMW R1250RT, Yamaha FJR1300, or Harley Davidson Ultra Limited. I’ve had many bikes over the years, but the Touring bikes I’ve owned include a Pan European, FJR1300, and also a BMW K1600 which I traded for my current Harley Heritage Softail. I go for comfort and practicality now I’m in my late 50s :-) Thanks again for a great review, the 2 bike split screen was really interesting and also including the view from your mates cam was good.

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guessed that in the first few minutes, you appeared way more comfy on it, looks like a right beast coming down the road, looking forward to seeing your first proper outing with it now, ride safe

Hard choice. If I had enough cash for a new bike and the related servicing costs then I would go for the beemer. Good luck.

I think they call hill start Did you buy it And how do you like it a year in Nice little review Thanks for posting

Great review Paul. I was looking at both of these and your review helped me decide. I’ve gone for the R1250RT in Mars Red with all the gadgets including the radio. Look forward to seeing you on the ride out as long as it arrives in time on week commencing 13th May 2019!

Bought the GSA version, even better, what an engine...

April's gonna be good Paul. Sore bottoms coming up!

Basically I think BMW have spent a lot of money updating and refining this bike, where as the FJR has not changed that much recently. I am sure you will love it.

Oooh some good viewing for later on tonight when I finished my shift 😁👍

Congratulations On the New Bike Paul health to enjoy it when you get it. Now GO for a real run get yer self and Captain Faff up round the NC500 and give Betty a real test ride

Congratulations .. I'm sure you'll have many happy miles of fun ...

Welcome to the RT club Paul,I skipped out on the Audio,,totally useless especially over 60,,as for the side stand ,you can get a footprint pad from Nippy Normans for about 30 quid which is handy when youre on soft ground(saves on a puck) Considering updating my 16 plate maybe later on this year.

You state in the clip that the BMW is quicker than the FJR , well sorry to burst your bubble but the the FJR is actually quicker than the BMW . FJR - 145 hp, BMW 136 hp !.

Great, now i will have to do an attempt to draw a new picture. But lets be honest that bike, is a stunner. Just do not drop it :D

My 2020 RT with Hayes brakes leak like a sieve, even after being recalled and new calipers were installed. The 2021 looks like BMW branded Hayes brakes again. You've been warned!!! My 3 videos of the leaking brakes. @ @ @

Now that you got the BMW don't think there is anything you can go back to. Had most makes got a gs now and thats it for me just don't want to get off it. Best out there for me good choice.Nice one buddy......

Funny thing is you were riding a much older FJR1300 and not a brand new one! I don't think it's a fair shootout on your part. But that was the dealer fault for not putting on a brand new bike. I agree with you on a lot of your calls. Although I didn't develop a backache on the FJR1300 after riding mine for 10 hrs. And I'm 6'3 270 pounds with that being said I found the BMW a little small for me and especially when I threw a passenger on it. Also I found the BMW quick not fast like the Yamaha! BMW quite Nimble through corners but so was the FJR . I went with the FJR1300 because of price and my size. I will be putting wider handle bars on it cause I feel pinched in some? And thinking about steel braided brake lines to improve the breaking on it . Thank you for posting your video...

Did you end up ordering one. I have the fully optioned 15 Model - all the things you touched on during your test ride were apparent when I took delivery of the beast. The LOGO can only be changed to Speedo when the vehicle is stationary. The radio is good when you are crawling around town in traffic and you get used to the aerial. The hill start assist is great. You were pulling on the front hand brake too hard and setting the Hill start - you get used to not doing this. After the gear box is bedded in the quick shift gets very smooth. I could not go back to an inferior bike now. Hope you love the RT as much as I do.

FJR had no chance enjoy your BMW I know we will :)

A good choice of bike, however I wouldn't bother with the Navigator - a total waste of money on an RT as it doesn't integrate properly with the JOG wheel.

Happy days Paul,congrats mate,even before knowing wether you bought it or not,you looked really comfy on it,as you said "As One",have fun take it easy for the first few anyway lol ;-) Ride Safe Baza ;-) PS,Your turn now Ray ??? ;-) ;-)

Congrats, nice vid, great choice, enjoy..

All I can say is welcome to the club. Seriously though you have made the right decision, you’ll be able to ride all day on the BMW, the side stand after a few rides your foot will instinctively find it, the gearbox you can use as normal if you prefer but I reckon you’ll soon be getting the hang of it. One thing I would recommend you buy is the BMW Navigator 6, it’s a great investment and sits in the holder great...you can use the whizz wheel to control so many things and get real time data up. Chuffed to bits for you mate 👍👍👍👍

Kraut bike - Japanese bike - what ever feels the best. Still would go British, Just joking what ever best is always the best fit. What have you done with the old bike? Get a good trade in?

Get it in dynamic mode and open the throttle.

Great choice , your going to love it , I love my GS , ,my mate bought a GS from there this week 👍 Are you far from there ,we are about 28 miles ,Crewe

Bloody hell you even bought it from the same dealer as me!! We couldn't of bought them of the same salesman surely????

U had to leave your wife as collateral for the bike? Lol. Love the color. I like the seat color it’s different. Like the music in your videos,& the fade to black .

Hi Paul my 750 has got the gear assist, it's good when you get used to it

nine bike👍

Nice review but I had a hard time understanding the accent. So I turned on the closed caption and even that couldn't get it right. I died laughing at some of the words that popped up. So when are the Brits going to learn to speak English?

You do a great vid mate but leave the music out..

Why do people do bike reviews without knowing all the nuances and specs of the bike before the test ride?

Paul are you 1,9m tall ?