Moving from 2016 R1200RT to F750GS ??

I am concerning moving from my R1200RT to a F750GS. Looking for feed back from others who may have done the same or similar thing .
Do ride two up at times but both of us are not big . I am 150# and wife 120#
Thanks

I considered making a similar move from my 2015 RT a few months ago. I thought I'd like something lighter as I'm not as young and spry as I used to be. The sales guy at the BMW dealer gave me a good price, but then said, words to the effect: "Really. You won't be happy. It's much less bike than the RT."

So, I'm still on the RT.

60 years of bikes, 40 years of BMW's, 20 years of that on RT's (with some Harley's mixed in), last RT being a 2018. Went to F750GS...both salesman and I knew what I was looking for, as these knees and my thoughts of long tours have lessened in my 8th decade. I found the F750GS to be more than adequate. In fact, I found I can do anything I could before, be it speed, distance, cargo, comfort and so on. And quite a bit cheaper one might add. Three caveats to that: I needed a Madstad 20' windshield (that looks like a factory design for this bike), set of BMW GS cases and a Sargent seat to achieve comfort level I desired. A new RT, around $24,000...a new F750GS with GS Vario (same bags as R1200/1250GS models) bags, Sargent seat and Madstad shield was $14,700....over $9,000.00 savings. Lighter weight, more than ample power, plenty of storage, updated electronics AND above all else, more friendly to my "older" physical being. The RT's are great however, I for one, have moved beyond that need.

Motodan said:

60 years of bikes, 40 years of BMW's, 20 years of that on RT's (with some Harley's mixed in), last RT being a 2018. Went to F750GS...both salesman and I knew what I was looking for, as these knees and my thoughts of long tours have lessened in my 8th decade. I found the F750GS to be more than adequate. In fact, I found I can do anything I could before, be it speed, distance, cargo, comfort and so on. And quite a bit cheaper one might add. Three caveats to that: I needed a Madstad 20' windshield (that looks like a factory design for this bike), set of BMW GS cases and a Sargent seat to achieve comfort level I desired. A new RT, around $24,000...a new F750GS with GS Vario (same bags as R1200/1250GS models) bags, Sargent seat and Madstad shield was $14,700....over $9,000.00 savings. Lighter weight, more than ample power, plenty of storage, updated electronics AND above all else, more friendly to my "older" physical being. The RT's are great however, I for one, have moved beyond that need.

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I still came ride the RT with no issues . Just don’t ride long distance any more and only 3000 miles a year .
So this is why I am thinking of moving to something else . I do want to add better wind protection , better seat , side cases so if I go on a 250 mile day ride two up she will do the job

R12GS to a F750GS

Well if it is any comfort, I went from a R12GS to a new / left-over fully loaded 2019 F750GS back in January, 2020. Love the 750GS as it has plenty of power for me, especially comfortable after adding Rox Risers, foam grip covers, Fastway pegs and a Puig touring windshield. I also added a rear wheel covering piece to keep the crud off of the shock. I am still debating on a different seat but, would rather spend the money on luggage at this time. Actually, the two bikes aren't that far away in weight but that was not my reason for the switch. The one salesman that appeared to have discouraged the potential buyer by saying it was not a RT, well, yeah...he's right and pretty obvious. If I drop the 750, no big deal as not much will get damaged whereas on a RT, it gets expensive quick (I know I stupidly dropped a RT a number of years ago)...a minor driveway drop still counts! It's all in what you want and feel comfortable with. I am 6'2' with boots on and am very comfortable on the 750GS but, I have not truly tested it yet with a long trip...that comes in July to CO. If you have not done so yet, go test ride one on the roads you normally ride and see what you think...I bet you will like it...just different than the RT.

I rode 650's (Versys and Paris/Dakar) for a couple of summers, and they had plenty of pop, even in the Rockies.

I have both a 1200RT and a 750GS. The GS is more than adequate and my RT doesn’t get much use now. I find everything easier on the 750GS, it is much more nimble to navigate than the RT.

I changed the windshield (Madstad), seat (Sargent), added hand guards (Bark Buster), added large panniers and moved the GPS from the factory installed location to above the TFT screen. Comfort is no problem now. Time to sell my RT!

Mark

Moving to a smaller CC motorcycle

Hi all,

It's not exactly the same move that you are considering but here's my story on this topic.
I started riding street bikes this past yr with some ADV riders. Well, after a few months I started looking for an ADV bike. I ended up finding a very well equipped 2017 F800GS. This is the first bike in 40 yrs that was under a liter in size and I wasn't expecting to like it. I love it, I ride a 2015 K1300S most of the time until I got the F800 a few months ago. The seating position, the power is really all I need and it can handle the twisties very well and hang with some of the big bore bikes when tuning it up in the switchbacks. It carries more luggage than my K bike and I'm now being initiated into the off road riding that I need more practice at. Versatility with a ADV bike is better than I thought, now I see why this group of motorcycles is so popular now. Couldn't explain that to me prior to buying one, I understand why a smaller motorcycle can be more fun.

Just my recent experience

I too had had only liter+ bikes for over 20 years until a couple of years ago, when I rented an F700GS in California. A week on that rental was a revelation: I was amazed that it did everything I wanted it to do and did it really well. I bought one as soon as I got home. I had apparently been buying too much bike for years.

I still have and enjoy my R1150R, but it feels kind of primitive compared to the GS, which is more than the sum of its parts. As for power, it has plenty for my purposes, and the quality of the power delivery is a delight — the motor is all sweet spot. My only reservation was the chain final drive, but the installation of a Scottoiler resolved that issue. Sometimes less is in fact more.

Shaft-driven telelevered boxer RT’s are unique and for some an acquired taste. There’s really no direct comparison to any other motorcycle except maybe to a 1200GSA.

The market is flooded with chain-driven mid size twins, however. That’s a fairly generic design and quite different from the RT experience. Think Africa Twin, Versys, V-Strom, new 700 Tenere and a host of others, including the BMW f-twins. Some are more comfortable than others. Some are more expensive to purchase and maintain. Some are easier to accessorize. It’s a very personal decision that only you can make. Look at and test ride as many as you can.

I do understand the size issue. My 1200 gs is a real handfull sometimes, but i find the 700 a bit buzzy and am working on correcting that to the extent possible. The 750 gs may be smoother and indeed a great bike but i would rather buy a loaded bike with a Japanese engine in it rather than a Chinese one. That’s not a problem for others.

Good luck and have fun selecting your next bike. It’s all good!