rangerdog
New member
Time to say hello. Long time rider but haven't had a BMW since I sold my R100RT to buy a new '93 Honda ST1100. I've had a dozen or so bikes since then and still have the ST1100. However, Honda stopped making a lot of parts for it and figured it was time for an update. Thought about a number of other bikes, but every time an R1200RT went by, that's what turned my head. After months of shopping and keeping an eye out, found the 2009 R1200RT with ESA, heated handgrips (a must for me), heated seats and trip computer. It was in my favorite color I've seen on an RT, Biarritz Blue and, the best part, on the ride home is when it turned 6,000 miles.
Yup, pretty much a brand new bike. It just had the 6K service and brand new tires, so it's ready to roll for awhile before I need to do anything. I got the dealership to toss in the factory tank bag, which is great because I could never bring myself to pay $350 for a tank bag!
About the only thing that doesn't look brand new are some very minor scuffs on the saddlebags. Now I'm looking for touch up paint. Any recommendations? Heck, the right shade of blue Sharpie would work for these little blemishes.
I put a Givi e193 adaptor on the rack so the Maxia case that has been serving me very well for years just snaps into place. I also just ordered a Ztechnik VStream windshield. Was between that and CalSci but a BMW dealer had a brand new VStream on ebay for $158 with lower shipping than any windshield manufacturer so I went for the deal.
Things to do:
Bar risers, maybe.
Cylinder head protection. The one thing I'll miss about the ST1100 is how you can lay it down gently and it has outriggers that result in absolutely zero damage. I love the way the cylinder heads look on the RT so will probably go with some crash bars. Wunderlich seems like the best bet between looks and price, but open to suggestion.
Seat: Haven't had a problem with the stocker, but also haven't done a long ride yet. I've loved Corbins and my Bill Meyer custom saddle on the ST. I'll wait on this unless there's a real good deal on a lightly used one to my liking around.
I'll probably sell the ST1100 but haven't yet. Still love that bike and it certainly has a different feel to it than the RT. I've rarely owned only one bike, but as I get older, I ride less and want just the one right ride. And my wife likes putting her car in the garage.
One thing I wish I could fix but doubt is possible: That LCD panel is so darn hard to read in many light conditions. Is there any way to fix or improve that?
So nice to meet you all. I'm finding searching this forum challenging so I'd appreciate anyone who points out the most useful threads for this particular bike.
Yup, pretty much a brand new bike. It just had the 6K service and brand new tires, so it's ready to roll for awhile before I need to do anything. I got the dealership to toss in the factory tank bag, which is great because I could never bring myself to pay $350 for a tank bag!
About the only thing that doesn't look brand new are some very minor scuffs on the saddlebags. Now I'm looking for touch up paint. Any recommendations? Heck, the right shade of blue Sharpie would work for these little blemishes.
I put a Givi e193 adaptor on the rack so the Maxia case that has been serving me very well for years just snaps into place. I also just ordered a Ztechnik VStream windshield. Was between that and CalSci but a BMW dealer had a brand new VStream on ebay for $158 with lower shipping than any windshield manufacturer so I went for the deal.
Things to do:
Bar risers, maybe.
Cylinder head protection. The one thing I'll miss about the ST1100 is how you can lay it down gently and it has outriggers that result in absolutely zero damage. I love the way the cylinder heads look on the RT so will probably go with some crash bars. Wunderlich seems like the best bet between looks and price, but open to suggestion.
Seat: Haven't had a problem with the stocker, but also haven't done a long ride yet. I've loved Corbins and my Bill Meyer custom saddle on the ST. I'll wait on this unless there's a real good deal on a lightly used one to my liking around.
I'll probably sell the ST1100 but haven't yet. Still love that bike and it certainly has a different feel to it than the RT. I've rarely owned only one bike, but as I get older, I ride less and want just the one right ride. And my wife likes putting her car in the garage.
One thing I wish I could fix but doubt is possible: That LCD panel is so darn hard to read in many light conditions. Is there any way to fix or improve that?
So nice to meet you all. I'm finding searching this forum challenging so I'd appreciate anyone who points out the most useful threads for this particular bike.