Need opinions- R1150RT vs Triumph Trophy 1200

[epd1102]

I've been looking for a good used sport-touring bike. I want to spend no more than about $8,000. I have owned several BMW GS motorcycles but we no longer have any dealers nearby. I really like BMWs but I've also been looking at other sport-tourers.
I live in Evansville, Indiana and our nearest dealers are in Louisville, Kentucky (2 hours away) or Cape Girardeau, Missouri (3-4 hours away as I've been told- I've never been there myself) or Nashville, Tennessee (3 hours away).
We have a Triumph dealer here in Evansville and they have a 2002 Triumph Trophy with all of the accessories for $6,900. It has 7,600 miles and looks great except that it's a REALLY BRIGHT green. I just don't know anything about Triumphs.
I'd appreciate any opinions on the bikes or anyone else's suggestion for a similar style bike.
Thanks in advance.

Edited to add: Please let me know if I've posted this in the wrong area. Thanks Again

 

[MOTOR31]

If dealer availability and service is necessary to you, I 'd guess you would be happier with the Trumpet. If you go with a BMW it sounds like you would need to do most of the service yourself. If you are OK with that then go with the beemer. (I HAVE to say that as I own one obviously. )

 

[FredRydr]

I'd definitely choose the Triumph because of the local dealer. Besides, Triumph has more dealers in North America than BMW, so for service, you'd be happier in the long term. Check out the triple ST, a great bike.

If you had the convenience of both dealers nearby, then it'd be a different ball game.

Fred

 

[LENRT1200ST]

EPD,

Just one person's opinion, but I owned a Trophy 900 (1999), Chamgaign Silver. It's the triple version of the larger four cylinder 1200 you're considering. I loved the bike, must of the time, great highway ride.

I found the bike to be heavy at low speeds, however. It stalled once while pulling out of a side street (making a right-hander) onto a busy two-lane. I put out my right foot to stop the bike from falling over, but my knee buckled. Oops! Down I went in a slow motion low speed slide, darn 50 year old knees anyway!

The upshot of this unfortunate accident: cracked front fender, front turn signal broke off, fairing scraped, and a broken rt. foot peg.

The only mechanical trouble I had w/ her was the ECU. After the firat service, it blew the instrument cluster fuse everytime I nailed it. The bike was out of commission while they diagnosed the problem and finally ordered a new ECU from GB. I was w/out a bike for about 5 months, while the dealer fuzzeled around finding the problem.

The service manager confided in me later that the tech's couldn't get the bike to blow a fuse, unitl he took it out and RODE IT! He said that he does not allow his tech's to ride a customer's bike that hard. We're talking legal speeds here, in fact the first time this outage happened I was accelerating out of a tight spot on I 81 north of Columbus, just making a move into an opening in traffic. It was nearing a construction zone, everyone jocking for the two left lanes, so speeds were in the 45 to 50 mph range. I signaled, dropped a gear, and leaned her into the left lane. Bingo! the tach, fuel gauge, etc. went blank!

After much delay at the dealer, who I believe was doing the best he could, after learning the cause of the outage, Triumph NA finally came across w/ the needed part under warrenty.

This turned out to be a longer post than I wanted, sorry. I've had a 2002 Bonneville and loved it. But, the Trophy, I'd look closely at the BMW, a V-Strum, or VFR before I go that way.

Len

 

[ROTTEN]

I have an R1150RT right now but I did have a Triumph 900 Trophy.
The Trophy was a neat bike in my opinion. It had enough power for two up riding , was very comfortable, and handled well for my conservative riding style.
Compared to the BMW - not a large difference in my opinion (other than more power with the 1150cc vs 900cc). It ran trouble free the entire time that I owned it.

Why did I get rid of it? I wasn't touring much and wanted to try a cruiser. Now that I am back to touring more, I thought that I would try the RT.

You won't go wrong with either bike in my opinion. Dealer service might be your deciding factor. If you do your own routine work, it's easy to get filters, washers, spark plugs, etc. and a shop manual shipped to you which would make dealership distance less of a factor.

Happy riding on which ever you buy!

 

[EKENFECKER]

I sold my '02 Triumph Speed Triple last year because i wanted a 2 up bike. I received nothing but the best from my Triumph dealer and the bike was wonderful. I've heard Triumph bends over backwards for their customers due to the long past problems and being a newer company. I also road the older Sprint 900 for about a 4500 mile tour and other than being top heavy, it was a trouble free blast. I reluctantly bought my '01 GS due to a deal falling through for a '99 Tiger. I would own a Triumph again without a 2nd thought.

 

[epd1102]

I appreciate the great replies both here and on the BMW Luxury Touring Forums. I went into this with a loyalty to BMW even though I've had a hard time finding the bike that I want and I don't like to have to travel for service. I think I'll probably avoid the Triumph and keep waiting to find the right Beemer.
Atrovarious on BMW LT Forums suggested a GT but it looks like it's got a more leaned-over aggressive seating position and my lower back doesn't like that position. I might have to do some travelling to some dealers to sit on one though just to try one out.
Thanks

 

[knary]

Which is more important to you - handling or power?
RT = better handling
Triumph = big motor

 

[epd1102]

I'm looking for a comfortable bike with good power for some long two-up rides. I thought I wanted a LT until I sat on one and it felt awfully bulky. I didn't ride it, just did a sit-test at a local Honda dealer that had a used one.
I found a 1100RT at a local Harley dealer and it sold before I got back from the bank with financing.
I found the Triumph and I like the looks except that I'm not crazy about it's color.
I have had a couple of GS bikes and I currently have a Kawasaki KLR650 enduro for short trips and around town. I've gone on a few 300-miles rides with it but it's not real comfortable and definitely not made for two-up riding comfortably.
Most of the long rides will be solo but my wife will ride along if I find a bike that's comfortable for her too. I'll keep the KLR for commuting and the little bit of actual off-road riding that I do.

 

[OfficerImpersonator]

I bought my 2002 RT-P 36 hours ago. I paid $9K for a bike with 23XXX miles and was never used as a police motor. There are plenty of 2002-2004 RTs for sale on the Seattle Craigslist site for $7-8K. I'm sure the same is true for most areas of the country.

The RT has plenty of power, excellent ergonomics, traditional BMW fit and finish, and will last for decades. It's damn fun to ride, too. I've only commuted on mine so far, but I'm taking her for a long ride this weekend.

If you want to remain loyal to BMW, you'll always regret not having a BMW if you get another brand. Stick with what you know, what you like, and what you'll ultimately not end up second-guessing - which sounds like BMW in your case!

 

[knary]

I bought my 2002 RT-P 36 hours ago. I paid $9K for a bike with 23XXX miles and was never used as a police motor. There are plenty of 2002-2004 RTs for sale on the Seattle Craigslist site for $7-8K. I'm sure the same is true for most areas of the country.

The RT has plenty of power, excellent ergonomics, traditional BMW fit and finish, and will last for decades. It's damn fun to ride, too. I've only commuted on mine so far, but I'm taking her for a long ride this weekend.

If you want to remain loyal to BMW, you'll always regret not having a BMW if you get another brand. Stick with what you know, what you like, and what you'll ultimately not end up second-guessing - which sounds like BMW in your case!

"Plenty of power" is a wonderfully fuzzy thing. Just when you think a K75 has plenty of power, you get an oilhead. And then that has plenty of power. And then you test ride a -fill in blank- and you start thinking about how a little more power would be very helpful. You can even start rationalizing how the extra power will make riding your bike safer - you could pass quicker, escape a tough situation quicker, etc. The fun of rocketing down an empty road is just the icing on the cake. Hell, there was a time when a 750 was a BIG machine with almost scary power.

 

[OfficerImpersonator]

"Plenty of power" is a wonderfully fuzzy thing. Just when you think a K75 has plenty of power, you get an oilhead. And then that has plenty of power. And then you test ride a -fill in blank- and you start thinking about how a little more power would be very helpful. You can even start rationalizing how the extra power will make riding your bike safer - you could pass quicker, escape a tough situation quicker, etc. The fun of rocketing down an empty road is just the icing on the cake. Hell, there was a time when a 750 was a BIG machine with almost scary power.

That K75S was plenty big - and plenty tall in the saddle - when I rode her home that first evening of our relationship. It's all relative, of course.

I think my K75 "feels" more powerful because it's much louder than most, and without a fairing covering everything, you seem much more connected to the motor. For whatever reason, I felt like I was riding an engine on the K75. The seat was hard, the muffler loud, the steering "quick" (a.k.a. "twitchy"), I felt every bump, seam and crack on the road, and as I became a more accomplished rider, I felt comfortable opening the throttle up on more and more occasions.

I feel like I'm riding a complete package on the RT-P. Yes, the bike has an engine - but it also has a suspension, brakes and ergonomics I never dreamed possible while on the 16 year old K75.

I'm still learning the feel of the RT, so I haven't opened the throttle up wide or attempted to set any speed records (or win any "performance awards" from the local constabulary), but those are all only a matter of time. Once I'm comfortable on the RT, I'll likely wonder how I ever got by with that pathetically underpowered K75!

 

[knary]

That K75S was plenty big - and plenty tall in the saddle - when I rode her home that first evening of our relationship. It's all relative, of course.

I think my K75 "feels" more powerful because it's much louder than most, and without a fairing covering everything, you seem much more connected to the motor. For whatever reason, I felt like I was riding an engine on the K75. The seat was hard, the muffler loud, the steering "quick" (a.k.a. "twitchy"), I felt every bump, seam and crack on the road, and as I became a more accomplished rider, I felt comfortable opening the throttle up on more and more occasions.

I feel like I'm riding a complete package on the RT-P. Yes, the bike has an engine - but it also has a suspension, brakes and ergonomics I never dreamed possible while on the 16 year old K75.

I'm still learning the feel of the RT, so I haven't opened the throttle up wide or attempted to set any speed records (or win any "performance awards" from the local constabulary), but those are all only a matter of time. Once I'm comfortable on the RT, I'll likely wonder how I ever got by with that pathetically underpowered K75!

The K75 is pretty big all things considered. It's not that much lighter than my GS - a bike often referred to as a "pig".

I've told the story before:
When I sold my K75s more than four years ago, I insisted the buyer take it for a test ride first. He came back with an astonished look on his face and exclaimed, "It's got locomotive like power!!!" I stifled my laughter and asked what his current bike was. "An R50/2". Talk about relative.

 

[OfficerImpersonator]

The K75 is pretty big all things considered. It's not that much lighter than my GS - a bike often referred to as a "pig".

I've told the story before:
When I sold my K75s more than four years ago, I insisted the buyer take it for a test ride first. He came back with an astonished look on his face and exclaimed, "It's got locomotive like power!!!" I stifled my laughter and asked what his current bike was. "An R50/2". Talk about relative.

I don't have the numbers off the top of my head, but I recall seeing that a K75S is less than a hundred pounds lighter than a RT. The RT's weight seems lower, and thus more manageable, so I'd say it's about a draw between how "heavy" the two bikes feel.

 

[knary]

I don't have the numbers off the top of my head, but I recall seeing that a K75S is less than a hundred pounds lighter than a RT. The RT's weight seems lower, and thus more manageable, so I'd say it's about a draw between how "heavy" the two bikes feel.

That's my memory of test riding a 1150RT when I owned my K. The RT was a little easier to handle when fully upright, but if you went much off center, you felt the greater weight over the K.

And then you twist the throttle and the bike seems a good bit lighter.

I'm always amazed when people recommend the K to beginning riders, especially women. They're fairly cumbersome bikes at parking lot speed - the speed where you're most likely to drop your bike.

 

[GSFORNOW]

I appreciate the great replies both here and on the BMW Luxury Touring Forums. I went into this with a loyalty to BMW even though I've had a hard time finding the bike that I want and I don't like to have to travel for service. I think I'll probably avoid the Triumph and keep waiting to find the right Beemer.
Atrovarious on BMW LT Forums suggested a GT but it looks like it's got a more leaned-over aggressive seating position and my lower back doesn't like that position. I might have to do some travelling to some dealers to sit on one though just to try one out.
Thanks

You might want to pose this question on something other than a BMW forum. Maybe try ADVrider road warriors. Or to balance out a little a Triumph forum. BMW forums(or any brand specific forum) tend to have posters who are pretty loyal to their brand, the replys here have been good but you might want to hunt around a bit more. While I have only ridden a couple of Triumphs I like what I see - fit and finish seem very good and the owners I have talked to seem to have had good experiences with their bikes. For me I would like to have the option of a closer dealer than what you have available for the BMW in your area.

 

[henzilla]

I'm looking for a comfortable bike with good power for some long two-up rides. I thought I wanted a LT until I sat on one and it felt awfully bulky. I didn't ride it, just did a sit-test at a local Honda dealer that had a used one.
I found a 1100RT at a local Harley dealer and it sold before I got back from the bank with financing.
I found the Triumph and I like the looks except that I'm not crazy about it's color.
I have had a couple of GS bikes and I currently have a Kawasaki KLR650 enduro for short trips and around town. I've gone on a few 300-miles rides with it but it's not real comfortable and definitely not made for two-up riding comfortably.
Most of the long rides will be solo but my wife will ride along if I find a bike that's comfortable for her too. I'll keep the KLR for commuting and the little bit of actual off-road riding that I do.

I cannot believe someone hasn't messed with you...GET A ROPE! EVEN after mentioning you went to the local Harley shop!

Seriously just messin' with ya and good luck in your decision

 

[epd1102]

I actually went to the Harley shop to look at a Buell. I heard that Buell had introduced a new enduro to be like a BMW GS. I found out that our local Harley shop quit selling Buells and then I saw the BMW. It was everything that I was looking for in a road bike but I didn't make it to the bank until after work...and that was too late.

 

[mika]

For a Triumph forum check out Triumphrat.net

http://www.triumphrat.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=index

 

[Mr. Frank]

This thread raises an important issue for those who wish to tour -- the paucity of BMW dealers in many parts of the country. Having recently broken down in far western Texas, I have a whole new perspective on "adventure touring." Does Triumph have a dealer in Amarillo or Lubbock?