2018 R1200RT - Pre-Purchase Questions

[jbtex]

My wife and I decided to step up from our two Honda CTX700s to a couple of 2018 R1200RT this week and I have a few questions.

I have a 2004 R1150R at the moment, which I will be selling shortly. Too many bikes in the garage. However, I'm familiar with the engine design and handling of the bike, so the 1200RT is hopefully not a big new learning experience. More likely for my wife than myself.

Navigator
I currently have the TomTom Rider 550 on the CTX and a mount on the R1150R. I've seen the Wunderlich universal mount for the R1200RT, which I am weighing on whether to sell the TomTom and adding the Garmin Nav 6 to the R1200RT.

Question 1: Any experience and recommendations for mounting options, the Wunderlich included?

Question 2: I'm looking for input and experience with the Garmin Nav 6. Read that there can be issues with the features. Compared to the TomTom, there is obviously the embedded features, but I am trying to determine whether the additional cost is worth it.

Seat Height

Question 3: My wife is 5' 4 1/2" and we are looking at the lower seat option for her. Any experience from shorter riders. The concern is the additional 100 lbs the 1200RT has compared to her Honda.

Comments, Suggestions, Recommendations before Purchasing

Any other suggestions or recommendations?


Appreciate all the input! Been doing a lot of research and those are the last few questions before making the final decision.

 

[pappy35]

You should ask the moderators to move this thread to the Wethead forum as that is what you are talking about buying but I'll provide my thoughts regardless.

It's all about inseam.

I'm 5'6" with a 29" inseam and can handle the bike just fine after a lifetime of riding big, heavy, ST rides. I almost bought a CTX before finding my factory-lowered RT so I'm somewhat familiar with how they differ. The CTX and the RT are WORLDS different in terms of seat high and overall weight.

My '13 with the "comfort" seat is very comparable to the '18 with it's low seat in terms of ground reach. I am unable to flat-foot the bike but, again, I've developed coping skills for handling tall/heavy machines so I don't have any trouble other than the occasional "oh crap" moment in sudden or off-camber stop situations. The '18 is a few tens of pounds heavier but not enough to make any real difference. BMW did a good job of offering a machine that us shorter riders can handle without needing an altered suspension design.

I would respectfully recommend you consider buying one and letting her ride it a bit before jumping all in. I do think it would be awesome to have my wife riding her own RT, that would be really cool.

 

[jbtex]

Thanks for the input!

You should ask the moderators to move this thread to the Wethead forum as that is what you are talking about buying but I'll provide my thoughts regardless.

It's all about inseam.

I'm 5'6" with a 29" inseam and can handle the bike just fine after a lifetime of riding big, heavy, ST rides. I almost bought a CTX before finding my factory-lowered RT so I'm somewhat familiar with how they differ. The CTX and the RT are WORLDS different in terms of seat high and overall weight.

My '13 with the "comfort" seat is very comparable to the '18 with it's low seat in terms of ground reach. I am unable to flat-foot the bike but, again, I've developed coping skills for handling tall/heavy machines so I don't have any trouble other than the occasional "oh crap" moment in sudden or off-camber stop situations. The '18 is a few tens of pounds heavier but not enough to make any real difference. BMW did a good job of offering a machine that us shorter riders can handle without needing an altered suspension design.

I would respectfully recommend you consider buying one and letting her ride it a bit before jumping all in. I do think it would be awesome to have my wife riding her own RT, that would be really cool.

Thanks for weighing in! I usually post over in the Oilhead forum ('04 R1150R), so thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I'll look and see what's involved in having a moderator move the thread.

Love your suggestion to first buy mine and then let her ride it. That's what we did with the CTXs we're moving up from. At issue is the new old stock we found, so we'll have to make a decision on the spot before they're all gone. I just test rode one with the low seat and wish my wife could have been with me today. I think she'll do fine, although flat footing may not be in her future the way she is used to the CTX.

We'll see how it plays out. We have them lined up for pickup end of this week, but we will make sure she rides hers at the dealership before signing all the paperwork.

Again, appreciate the input!

 

[wbrownell9]

Tough to say whether the Nav integration is worth the price of admission. If you didn't already have a GPS I'd say go for the BMW-branded one but you say you do, so that's a pricey and arguably unnecessary expense - your call. The RT has a (non-locking*) mount for the Nav, at least the ones with the GPS prep option, which you basically have to special order to omit. I have a Nav V that I'm satisfied with, and I haven't been able to persuade myself that the extra brightness of the Nav VI screen is worth the $$$ (and it is nice, don't get me wrong); all of the other features are basically irrelevant since I do my trip planning on Base Camp and don't use its internal functions to navigate me anywhere, I don't use the music options, etc. Maybe you can find someone selling a Nav V?

* several people have come up with solutions to lock it in, Google is your friend. Or you can just remove the release button and reinstall it when you need to remove the unit.

 

[gsinnc]

I think the integration of the Nav 6 is worth the price of admission and I REALLY love the display on the Nav 6 as I can see it clearly even in bright sunlight. it is not cheap but if you can afford it I think you will be happy you did. You an asp sell your current GPS to offset some of the cost of the Nav 6.

Seat height is really rider specific. But I love the idea of buying one first and letting your wife ride it and if too tall then maybe a R1200R or RS would be a better fit for her and both the R and RS can be equipped with nice had bags and top box.

Good luck!

 

[WalterK75]

If seat height and the weight of the 1200 is a concern for your wife, maybe an 800cc BMW could be a possibility for her.

 

[cadmanpilot]

NAV 6 Question

I have a NAV 5 I use on my 2015 Wethead and really like it’s integrated functionality. Maybe since you’re planning to purchase (2) new bikes, the dealer might consider getting the NAV 6 for you at cost or even at a better discount. When I purchased my used 2015 last fall from my local dealer, he had a customer trade in a bike with the NAV 5 which he gave me a killer deal on.

Paul

 

[jamo]

New or pre-owned?

 

[jbtex]

New or pre-owned?

Both are new old-stock 2018s. The dealer is already throwing a bunch of things in at lower cost, including the Nav 6. With all the comments about the Navigator, I've made the decision to go for it and sell the TomTom to recover some of the additional cost.

 

[jbtex]

Great input from everyone who's commented. Truly appreciate it.

One of the toughest things to decide with a large purchase such as this is the (almost) non-existent personal experience or history with them and thus the request for input.

I have tremendously enjoyed the '04 R1150R I bought last year, so there is some familiarity with a BMW bike. Stepping up from the Honda CTX I know is a big step, especially for my wife. I think it's all about how confident especially new riders like us become with a particular bike or riding style. We are both now completely comfortable with the CTXs and in my case with the R1150R. Having seen her grow in her skills and confidence in motrocycling, I have no doubt that she'll love the transition to the RT. The physical dimensions are what were the most questionable, but we'll find out this weekend when she has a chance to sit on it.

I also made the decision to go for the Nav 6 and sell the TomTom. After having read comments here and doing a bit more research, what surprised me the most is the integration of the navigator with the bike itself. That was a nice surprise.

 

[gsinnc]

Great decision and I suspect you will really like the Nav6!

Enjoy the new bikes !

 

[jamo]

... a large purchase such as this is the (almost) non-existent personal experience or history with them ... .

"Them" being BMWs generally or your dealership in particular?

You are quite a fellow buying two of the same new motorcycles at once!

One thought, if you aren't familiar with the dealership. WHen it comes time to sign the contract, they will point to two boxes and ask you to initial them. One is the waiver of all your legal rights in favor of arbitration. In arbitration you have to pay their costs if you lose. It's probably worth a lot of money to them. You give up your right to sue, for free. I'm not sure I'd do that again without at least getting a free pair of gloves or something. Just say'n.

 

[jbtex]

"Them" being BMWs generally or your dealership in particular?

You are quite a fellow buying two of the same new motorcycles at once!

One thought, if you aren't familiar with the dealership. WHen it comes time to sign the contract, they will point to two boxes and ask you to initial them. One is the waiver of all your legal rights in favor of arbitration. In arbitration you have to pay their costs if you lose. It's probably worth a lot of money to them. You give up your right to sue, for free. I'm not sure I'd do that again without getting a free pair of gloves or something. Just say'n.

"Them" was referring to the R1200RT, two in our case. We intend to use them as our "forever" bikes and are willing to make that investment, thus the decision to go for new ones close to what I have seen used '15 and '16 go for.

I did quite a bit of research on the year and model, been looking for the last four months as to what people are saying about them, watching prices of good used ones compared to new old-stock deals, and decided that it's time to proceed. Found great deals on the two bikes.

I read your post with the experience you had buying your 2015. It's a bummer that it didn't turn out differently for you. I bought an '04 R1150R with 18k miles in October last year from a non-BMW dealer and had to address an issue with a slow oil leak myself. The sales rep claimed that "they all do that", which of course isn't the case. I talked them into a zero deductible extended warranty, which would have covered something major. Turned out that whoever did the last oil change didn't put a crush washer on the screw. Fixed it by doing an oil change, something I wanted to do anyhow not having the service history of the bike.

As for the current BMW dealer, so far it's been a stellar experience. Nothing that would give me a concern. I do read contracts very carefully and the arbitration clause, if it is included in their contract, is a calculated risk. I doubt that their legal department would allow us to execute the contracts without agreeing to those stipulations, so it's a judgment call at the time of signing.

We'll see how it plays out.

 

[pglaves]

As for the current BMW dealer, so far it's been a stellar experience. Nothing that would give me a concern. I do read contracts very carefully and the arbitration clause, if it is included in their contract, is a calculated risk. I doubt that their legal department would allow us to execute the contracts without agreeing to those stipulations, so it's a judgment call at the time of signing.

We'll see how it plays out.

We purchased two new BMW motorcycles a year or so ago. There was no such arbitration clause. There was in fact no real purchase agreement. I tendered a check; signed the bottom of a one page bills of sale; received the MSOs, rider's manuals, warranty books, extra keys, and motorcycles.

When purchasing a vehicle with cash I would never sign an arbitration agreement. There is absolutely no need to and if a dealership said I would need to for them to take my money, my money and I would both be out the door before the sales person could say "wait a minute." On a bike being financed through the dealership I probably wouldn't have as much choice.

 

[jbtex]

We purchased two new BMW motorcycles a year or so ago. There was no such arbitration clause. There was in fact no real purchase agreement. I tendered a check; signed the bottom of a one page bills of sale; received the MSOs, rider's manuals, warranty books, extra keys, and motorcycles.

Simple contracts are used by folks who are still willing to trust others and believe in serving customers well. I can see where a dealer might want to use a complex contract that watches out for their business. It's refreshing that you had a straight up experience.

 

[pglaves]

Simple contracts are used by folks who are still willing to trust others and believe in serving customers well. I can see where a dealer might want to use a complex contract that watches out for their business. It's refreshing that you had a straight up experience.

Same dealership since 1984. Purchased 6 used and 6 new motorcycles from them: Most tires and parts needed to ride (Voni and I combined) 2,000,000 miles too. I now live over 1,000 miles away and still order my parts from them. And when nearby, drop in to say hello and buy some stuff. In the motorcycling world there is almost nothing more valuable than a great relationship with a dealer you can count on. As in the time they took a part off a new motorcycle and shipped it overnight to me when I was stranded in Wyoming: and that was after being their customer only 6 years.

 

[gsinnc]

We purchased two new BMW motorcycles a year or so ago. There was no such arbitration clause. There was in fact no real purchase agreement. I tendered a check; signed the bottom of a one page bills of sale; received the MSOs, rider's manuals, warranty books, extra keys, and motorcycles.

When purchasing a vehicle with cash I would never sign an arbitration agreement. There is absolutely no need to and if a dealership said I would need to for them to take my money, my money and I would both be out the door before the sales person could say "wait a minute." On a bike being financed through the dealership I probably wouldn't have as much choice.

I too had a similar experience! My dealer is great and would never even consider asking me to agree to an arbitration clause. And I would never sign one and would not do business with a dealer who asked me to sign one.

 

[jbtex]

I have a NAV 5 I use on my 2015 Wethead and really like it’s integrated functionality. Maybe since you’re planning to purchase (2) new bikes, the dealer might consider getting the NAV 6 for you at cost or even at a better discount. When I purchased my used 2015 last fall from my local dealer, he had a customer trade in a bike with the NAV 5 which he gave me a killer deal on.

Paul

Got a great deal on the NAV 6, which we added to one of the two bikes. Since we're riding together when the NAV is really needed, one seemed to be sufficient. Had some issues with it responding slughishly to touches with the bare finger. Perhaps it's better with gloves on. Will have to see what that is all about. But so far, it looks very useful.

One thing that I was less impressed with is the audio quality pairing it with my Sena 20s EVO. Still working through that one.

 

[robsryder]

I did not see where the colors of the "new" 2018 R1200RTW bikes was stated. Although it is common knowledge that red colored bikes are 5% faster than other colors, my comment mainly concerns the stock windshield.

I had already planned to replace the stock windshield on my mars red 2018 R1200RTW, but I was truly surprised at how awful, in my opinion, the small windshield was on the red RT. Fortunately, I only had to endure the 7 mile
ride from the dealership to my home. Thereafter the stock windshield was removed and replaced with a Werks Quiet Ride Windshield. I have been very happy with this choice. I have also heard many indicate positive things about
the Aeroflow Touring Windscreen for the R1200RTW. Links to both vendors follow -

https://www.werksparts.com/quiet-ride-windshield---bmw.html

http://www.aeroflowscreens.com/R1200RTW/R1200RTWAeroScreen.htm

 

[jbtex]

I did not see where the colors of the "new" 2018 R1200RTW bikes was stated. Although it is common knowledge that red colored bikes are 5% faster than other colors, my comment mainly concerns the stock windshield.

I had already planned to replace the stock windshield on my mars red 2018 R1200RTW, but I was truly surprised at how awful, in my opinion, the small windshield was on the red RT. Fortunately, I only had to endure the 7 mile
ride from the dealership to my home. Thereafter the stock windshield was removed and replaced with a Werks Quiet Ride Windshield. I have been very happy with this choice. I have also heard many indicate positive things about
the Aeroflow Touring Windscreen for the R1200RTW. Links to both vendors follow -

https://www.werksparts.com/quiet-ride-windshield---bmw.html

http://www.aeroflowscreens.com/R1200RTW/R1200RTWAeroScreen.htm

Good to see alternatives for the Mars Red, which is what I got. My wife has the Carbon Black, which she absolutely loves the blueish undertones.

I knew that the stock small windscreen on the red would be an issue, so I asked the dealer if we could swap it, which they did. They really worked with us to make it a great buying experience. So, I have the standard windscreen from a black on my red RT, not the stock screen.

I'll check out the links you provided. Summers in Texas can be brutal and there is quite a bit of fairing and screen real estate to block wind that might otherwise cool us. We'll have to see.