Background of the RT line
The BMW R 100 RT, which appeared in 1976, was released as a more relaxed and comfortable version of its sporty cousin, the BMW R 100 RS. The RT is a fully cowled touring motorcycle with a protective fairing based on the R 100 RS, but wider and with a larger vertical windscreen. In 1984, the BMW R 100 RS was discontinued, but the RT continued to be produced as it was much more functional and therefore much more popular.
When the boxer BMW R 1100 finally replaced the classic /7 series in 1996, the BMW R 1100 RT was the flagship of the family. It offered the same comfort and wind protection that made the original R 100 RT a success, but with a more sophisticated aerodynamic shape that combined the designs of the past RT and RS. The RT continued to evolve from then on until the new GS took over the role of the company's flagship, but even then the RT's unrivaled performance and superb on-road capabilities kept it from remaining in the shadows.
BMW R 1250 RT
The appearance in 2022 of a 136-horsepower 1250 cc four-valve boxer with overhead camshafts made the RT model even more attractive. And now BMW Motorrad has further improved this wonderful model by equipping it with modern electronic features. The new R 1250 RT is perhaps the most technologically advanced motorcycle in the touring segment, and even more importantly, it is extremely comfortable and easy to use.
Electronic assistants BMW R 1250 RT 2021
The BMW R 1250 RT is equipped with two electronic systems, one of which controls the dynamic functions of the motorcycle, and the second controls its complex engine. Both of them are closely integrated, but still, given their wide functionality, they represent separate systems that work both independently and jointly. The range of dynamic functions is based on Bosch's latest six-axis inertia measurement platform, the most advanced on the market.
A good example is the evolution of the BMW R 1250 RT's ABS braking system. The new fully integrated ABS Pro braking system allows you to activate both brake circuits by pressing the right lever or pedal - no difference. Both 320 front discs with four-piston Hayes calipers and a 276mm rear disc with a floating two-piston caliper will handle braking based on the bike's lean angle, automatically distributing braking force to each wheel and calculating weight transfer based on lever or pedal force. All this allows you to brake as safely and effectively as possible without worrying about the brakes locking.
BMW R 1250 RT
The updated Dynamic Traction Control has been improved to ensure maximum handling of the BMW R 1250 RT in all riding conditions. This feature also includes Hill Start Control and can be integrated with optional Riding Modes Pro, which includes four riding modes including Dynamic. In addition, this includes an engine braking control system (Engine Trag Torque) when closing the throttle. There is also an Eco mode that optimizes fuel consumption.
The new Dynamic Cruise Control is fitted as standard and works not only on the throttle body to control engine speed, but also on the braking system to maintain the selected speed when driving downhill, for example. Active Cruise Control, available as an option, adds the ability to control the speed of the BMW R 1250 RT by monitoring passing vehicles and maintaining a rider-selected distance from the vehicle in front. This is done using a radar sensor, the data from which is sent to the engine ECU. A separate remote control for cruise control is located near the left handlebar, and an icon indicating the selected distance appears on the 10.25-inch TFT instrument panel display. The display also displays settings for security and assistance systems, and in conjunction with a smartphone displays navigation and other wireless functions (such as call and music control). The display is perfectly readable in any lighting conditions, and the phone can be placed in a special compartment with a USB socket and a wireless charging module. In addition, on-board electronics may include an optional audio system and adaptive LED headlights.
Engine BMW R 1250 RT 2021
The new version of the BMW boxer is homologated to Euro 5 thanks to an advanced ECU. The BMW R 1250 RT engine retains 136 hp at 7,750 rpm and 142 Nm of thrust at 6,250 rpm , while the content of harmful substances in the exhaust gases is reduced compared to the previous version. At the same time, the engine has a smooth and uniform torque plateau from 2000 rpm, and 120 Nm is available already at 3500 rpm. The new version of the engine retains the same geometry - a piston diameter of 102.5 mm and a stroke of 76 mm, as well as a compression ratio of 12.5:1. The combustion chamber has an extremely compact profile, and the valves are set at an adjacent angle of 18 degrees: the intakes are set at an angle of 8 and the exhausts are set at an angle of 10 degrees. The valve diameters are 40mm for intake and 34mm for exhaust. Each cylinder is equipped with a separate 52mm throttle body with two injectors.
BMW R 1250 RT
BMW designers continue to refine the legendary boxer engine, equipping it with modern technological features. Thus, variable phases and valve strokes make it possible to control the engine response depending on the speed, and the combustion of the fuel-air mixture is significantly optimized to meet modern environmental standards. This required adjusting the valve stroke by mechanically switching the camshaft cams from medium to high profile, as well as reconfiguring the camshafts to change the duration of the valve overlap phase. The new engine's timing mechanism features pushrods directly driven by the camshaft lobes, and the intake valves feature asynchronous opening timing for a highly turbulent intake that ensures maximum combustion efficiency.
Efficient supply and ignition of the mixture and optimal timing are only half the battle for maximum environmental friendliness of the engine. The other half is an advanced sequential injection system and a volumetric catalytic converter in the exhaust tract, plus digital engine control carried out by the BMS-O ECU. The final touch of efficiency is combined air-liquid cooling, which uses antifreeze to cool the cylinder heads and tops.
BMW R 1250 RT chassis
The chassis structure is centered around a massive engine block, used as the structural strength element, with parts of the frame bolted to it at the front and rear. Fully customizable ESA suspension elements - the Telelever fork and Paralever rear suspension can be optionally equipped with the Dynamic ESA “Next Generation” active electronic suspension system. The motorcycle has a relatively short wheelbase of 148.6 cm, the fork offset angle is 25.9 degrees (however, in the Telelever suspension it changes with wheel travel), and the trail is 11.7 cm. The BMW R 1250 RT is equipped with 17-inch wheels measuring 120/70 at the front and 180/55 at the rear, the standard seat height is 82.5 cm with the ability to set it to a lower position - 80.5 cm. The declared weight of the motorcycle is 279 kg , and the distribution of this mass along the axles is not disclosed.
Design and ergonomics
From the side, the new BMW R 1250 RT appears quite graceful, but when viewed from the front, a massive front fairing is revealed, providing maximum comfort in any weather and at any speed. A wind tunnel was used to optimize the RT's body kit, and the fairing works with the adjustable windshield to redirect turbulence away from the rider. At high speeds, the wind protection of the BMW R 1250 RT provides an incredible level of comfort, almost completely cutting off the oncoming air flow, and when driving in cool weather, the heated grips and seat are very useful.
BMW R 1250 RT
I want to make it clear right away that reviewing motorcycles is not my strong point, and in general there are few models today that really interest me. Therefore, you will not find deep technical details here, but there will be a lot of beautiful photos, elaborate text and personal impressions. As the owner of a BMW R1200RT 2011 blower, I really wanted to try the new BMW R1250RT 2022, so to speak, to experience ten years of progress. In view of my photographic activities, I have some acquaintances at the representative office of a Bavarian company and managed to get a new guy for a test drive. Unfortunately, due to my main job I had to hand over the motorcycle ahead of schedule, but in a couple of days I managed to ride about 400 km in various modes and form an opinion. The RT concept itself suits me very well, it’s a big motorcycle on which I (TTX 180/90/Puziko) don’t look like a bear on a bicycle, solid wind protection, comfortable seat, roomy panniers, both for photography and for travel, I have almost no problems in in the city due to its size, but on the highway it is a fabulous machine with minimal fuel consumption and even a cardan, so the new model already fits perfectly into my needs, which is not surprising.
I got a handsome one in sports colors, of course I wanted to get white with a brown seat, but the blue one is just as gorgeous. The 2021 silhouette is quite familiar, with a loaded front that makes the wheel look a little small and a rear that is better hidden with panniers; by the way, I only got the motorcycle with side ones.
The Bavarians put a new predatory “face” on the proven silhouette and I frankly like it, a sort of symbiosis of angelic eyes and Ducatev’s grin, not without a drop of Japanese kawaiiness. The optics themselves are LED, and even have the ability to highlight turns.
Let's get behind the wheel and see what's new and interesting. The motorcycle has keyless entry, which is not new to the market, I had something similar on the Ducati Multistrada, but then it worked crookedly, but now there are no complaints, except for one thing.
There are not very many buttons on the right remote control, just like in my airship. An engine start key combined with a killswitch, a driving mode selection button, there are 4 of them (RAIN, ROAD, DYNAMIC, ECO) and a central locking button. You press and the trunks with glove compartments close or open themselves, which is super convenient and you don’t have to run around the motorcycle with the key before going to the store or gas station.
On the air, the place of these buttons is taken by the control for heating the handles and the driver's seat, which in my opinion is more logical and does not distract from the road, but now, as I understand, they can be assigned to the functional buttons on the left side of the plastic, where the radio control used to be, but in + I didn’t check it was 35 degrees outside.
There are zero questions about the left remote control: turn signals, menu selection button, window height adjustment, cruise control control, which is equipped with an adaptive function. We managed to test it on the track and it’s really cool, you set the cruise speed and the distance to the car in front, the motorcycle will accelerate and decelerate depending on the behavior of the vehicle in front, and in case of absence, keep the previously set speed. The option itself is most likely suitable for long straight roads, for example the USA, but I also found a use for myself, for example, you can more comfortably take off and put on gloves on the go, stretch your hands on a long journey, drink water, grab a snack or sit on Instagram (just kidding ). And yes, I almost forgot about the traditional BMW torque washer; as always, it is convenient and multifunctional.
Speaking of Instagram, the front is equipped with two glove compartments, a regular one on the left for storing small items and a functional one on the right. You can put your phone in it using the built-in clip, and wireless charging will replenish the battery, but the coolest thing is that the Bavarians did not forget about heating the device and installed cooling for this glove compartment; if you stick your hand in, you can feel the ventilation well. There is also a USB connector, but it was not possible to listen to music; due to global problems with the supply of semiconductors, the motorcycle did not have an amplifier, which will soon be sent to the factory and installed by a local dealer, which is already practiced on client motorcycles. We live in amazing times.
The motorcycle tank also has keyless access, which in my opinion, on the one hand, is convenient, but on the other hand, the implementation of opening is such that I was able to do it only with the help of two hands, it requires skill. The tank itself is 25 liters, we’ll talk about consumption below.
Of course, we can’t help but talk about the beautiful big screen in front of our nose. It is visible in any weather, unlike my black and white screen, it has a huge number of functions and settings built into it, which you need to sit with for a couple of hours and figure out. I used it for its intended purpose when driving: tachometer, speedometer, motorcycle status and the daily and total mileage screen.
From the general information I learned an interesting detail: the mileage of the motorcycle was about 5,000 km, and the average consumption was 5.5 liters per hundred; on air I had 6.5 in the combined cycle. I know many motorcycle journalists and other bloggers and testers, and these guys don’t like to ride in vegetable mode, full throttle, wind in the mug, mouth open, hair back, fuel economy, but this is a complete surprise. It turns out that you can drive about 450 km on a tank in dynamic mode. not bad. I also failed to exceed this figure in my 300 km. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a headset, it was not possible to enjoy all the media functions of the device, such as a navigator, but the guys from the dealership promised to loan out the motorcycle for a couple more days.
The landing, the seat is super comfortable, it feels stiffer compared to mine in the air, but overall, the highest level. The passenger seat is just as comfortable with a more convenient and larger heating switch. My wife has such weight that she doesn’t even feel it on a single-seater scooter, so there’s nothing to say, I can seat a couple of them on this seat, all I have to do is find the second one and persuade the first one... I didn’t really like the lack of padding for the knees and internal parts in the base on the tank hips, but this is a thing that can be solved for 2 kopecks.
The engine is a song. An increase of about 40 horses compared to the air is super-cool, like a blow to the balls with a sickle, it changes the character of the motorcycle to a different steppe, I would even move the RT to the sports tourists section, but this, of course, is a very big stretch, but to pin half-bent tourists - It never hurts to have friends. The power reserve has never bothered anyone, except perhaps Scrooge McDuck when paying vehicle tax.
The brakes are combined; when you press one of them, the system redistributes the forces to both. On the caliper there is a beautiful BMW inscription, a manufacturer like Tokiko. There are no complaints about the system itself, it stops quickly, the ABS works.
The exhaust is quiet, just the way I like it.
The side cases seemed smaller than mine in the air, at least the photo bag fits in not so comfortably, but a full-face helmet can easily fit.
Their dimensions do not protrude beyond the dimensions of the rear-view mirrors, which is very comfortable for me when driving; on my air car it’s exactly the opposite, which makes me constantly think in traffic jams about food and karma if I rub the sides of polished cars.
Perhaps due to the fact that I’ve been riding RT for a long time, I don’t have a problem with my feet touching the panniers, unlike previous test drive participants, these scratches are from the bow-legged testers. Haha.
The quick-release system for the panniers is also convenient and does not cause any complaints.
And most importantly, the ride, the motorcycle feels lighter, more compact than its ten-year-old ancestor, the engine accelerates faster, the suspension works better, the “frame” holds long high-speed turns more stable, it’s a real pleasure to drive. I am especially pleased with the presence of a tank; my sportbike background still requires that the body hold on not only to the steering wheel, but also to the tank. For example, such a trick will not work on gold or cruises, and it is difficult to cope with habits developed over the years.
So, this is what I want to upgrade to, but in the era of global inflation, cheap mortgages and falling real incomes in Russia, I will postpone this issue for some time. It’s even scary to go into the configurator on the BMW website. I honestly still don’t know the cost (I didn’t look specifically), but I am completely sure that it is justified and the money will not be wasted. Yes, and you can wait a year, when the first owners will throw theirs into a trade-in and on commission to dealers.
Test BMW R 1250 RT 2022
The engine of the BMW R 1250 RT is superb, with powerful, immediate response at any speed, exceptionally torquey at any speed, in the city and on the highway. The balance shaft almost completely absorbs vibration from the opposed cylinders, ensuring smooth operation. In Road mode, the engine has a comfortable, soft response, but in Dynamic mode it impresses with its composure and a clear sense of connection between the throttle and revolutions.
The BMW R 1250 RT steers clearly, accurately and confidently even at very high speeds, corners perfectly and maintains its trajectory. The front wheel feels quite light, but maintains excellent traction with the asphalt, providing easy and intuitive control. On narrow mountain roads with poor asphalt crossed by roots growing underneath, the BMW R 1250 RT does not move so confidently, due to the high center of mass and some imbalance in the suspension.
The BMW R 1250 RT ensures safe driving at night thanks to its powerful LED headlights (even in the basic version). However, the optional adaptive headlights provide excellent cornering illumination without disturbing oncoming drivers.
BMW R1250RT
I doubted for a long time whether it was worth trying. The best is the enemy of the good, and I like my Bob so much that the thought of replacing him is not even allowed. However, experience, my friend, experience... the son of difficult mistakes! We are still far from a genius, but there are so many rakes scattered around that it is simply impossible not to step on them, especially if you really want to do it...
On Saturday after training I was in a good mood. Many times I was tempted to stop by after work and sign up for a test. However, either my tail hurts, or my paws fall off, or I’m just stupidly lazy, I was looking for excuses for myself. Maybe he was just afraid? Yes, most likely so.
And then, as they say, the cards aligned. Having signed up for Sunday morning, I joyfully rushed home, changed four wheels to two and rushed out of the city, wherever my eyes were looking. Just ride.
In the morning, after getting dressed, washed, and equipped, I went to the salon. I won’t drag it out and describe everything that happened to me there, I’ll start with the essence.
Matacycle turned out to be a virgin, I was her first. The mileage is only 3 kilometers. As they say, the fly didn’t sit still!
She is beautiful, noble and collected.
Five minutes of instruction and here I have a herd of horses between my legs. And for a minute, if I’m not confusing anything, there are already 136 of them...
The first meters form several axioms in your head.
1. The handles are very thin.
2. Walky when you drive slowly.
3. Feet on toes to the ground, a tall bastard, and I’m only 183 cm.
4. I’m used to hitting neutral with an oar, but I can’t hit it.
5. He's kind of ugly and the brakes are harsh.
6. SOUND IS SHIT!
Well, off I went. The first discipline is the city. There is nothing to do on it between the rows. Even on a bob, I feel much more confident between cars than on an Erteshka.
Acceleration after 3.5K rpm is hellish. The ass slides into the passenger seat.
The landing is shitty and uncomfortable. My legs are numb, not touring at all... but a spendthrift, a real tourist.
It leans into a turn a couple of times; in general, its turnability was very surprising. So obedient. You can’t hear the rubber at all, so the question is for the bean... either it’s too doughnut-shaped, or the pattern is noisy, the tread.
I got stuck in a traffic jam at the foundry. I will say this, this is not at all, not even close to a city spendthrift. In conditions of dense traffic, maneuvering at near-zero speeds was difficult for me. Although I don’t have much experience, maybe that was the problem. However, the bean, this steel rail, seems to me more maneuverable, and a full foot on the asphalt gives confidence much more than a toe, God forbid you get on the hump of a track...
Well, the route certainly aroused delight. The motor is blowing, the wind is cut off very well. The engine spins and maneuvering at high speeds is an incredible pleasure. It feels like you are driving a bicycle. You have to put a lot of your weight into the bob in order to screw it into the trajectory in comparison with the ertecha, which goes into an angle, you only have to tilt your head a little...
But it has a number of problems. The speed is not felt at all. First of all, I was hot. Secondly, blinking while accelerating is extremely prohibited, because once you blink and now you’re already going 100, blink again and bam 140, and then you’re already 160... scary.
For the first time in my life, I started hooliganism on two wheels. Dangerous business at such speeds. But, damn it BMW, they all seem to be like that... both cars and motorcycles. They provoke arrogant, inappropriate behavior on the road and give incredible pleasure.
What didn't you like?
As I already said, not a touring fit. It's not comfortable to sit on.
It's a wooden seat; you can't hold your butt on that long.
An unpleasant, itchy vibration is felt on the footrests and on the steering wheel after 4K revolutions. After riding, my hands itch... an unpleasant sensation.
There is no engine sound at all. And no exhaust will fix this! Well, it’s just not my thing... oppositists apparently all sound like that.
Finally.
Would I buy such a motorcycle for myself? Most likely yes!
But by no means instead of Harley! Only together... and most likely, after a season. While I can’t carry passengers, I don’t see the point in a second bus.
The next test cart will be the dumbbell. BMW K1600GTL - to be honest, I'm afraid of it. It's heavier than my Harley, it has a higher center of gravity and it's as tall as an Erteshka. But I really want to try it. And when you want it, it’s worse than it hurts.
Hi all!
