[passnthru]

Hello. I'm an old Harley Head from way back and just
recently started taking notice of the BMWs. Have never been on one or
ever seen one up close and personal. Might be a BMW in my
future,WHEN I GET MY EDUCATION, and looking to this forum for much of my
learning. As of now, and what little I know, I am most interested in the R1200RT.
I Presently ride a 2011 Ultra Limited. Now, for my first Question... What is the
going price for a new 2012 R1200RT. The msrp is 17335.00, What's the going
price for this bike, cash money, no trade in, Less tax and License? Thanks in
advance and appreciate ANY info and yes, I plan on renting one before I pull
any triggers.........................passnthru.

 

[oldspice]

Depends on what you want on the bike. $17,335 is bone stock, no extras at all. And, to be honest, I've not seen a bone stock RT anywhere - in person or online. Most of the ones I've seen are running about $21K and that's with cruise, heated seats, ESA, and the radio package. If you want to add ASC and TPS, that's, of course, extra.

 

[AntRT]

What oldspice said.

I wanted a no frills RT for the 17K pricetag because a manly man like myself harumphs at all that fancy pants electric shit.

Well.....after a 2 hour test ride I wanted to take an RT home NOW and wasn't about to wait 2-3 months while they order a no frills version so I took home a fully loaded RT sans radio which I really didn't want for $21,500 out the door. Couldn't be happier either

 

[SPXDR]

Depending on the dealer, you should be able to get $500-$1500 off of MSRP for the bike that you choose. That range leaves the dealership plenty of profit and gets you a fair deal.

 

[beech]

BMW dealers give test rides no problem. Go do it. Most of the accessories are good ones. Radio maybe not my thing. The rest have good things going such as the electronic suspension, instrument computer etc.. You have read the discussions here I'm sure. Go ride one and see how nice they are. Things happen when you get to 5000 RPM. They cruise real nice at 4300 turns and 80 MPH. You'll never look back, I have owned 5 Harleys in days gone by and love beemers.

 

[ka5ysy]

If you decide to try a test ride.... bring your checkbook. Test rides are very expensive. Trust me on this.

Congratulations on seeing the light :bmw:

What you will instantly discover:

1. Way better brakes.
2. No shaking to speak of.
3. No roasted nuts.
4. You can actually make turns and not scrape stuff.
5. Unbelievable wind management at speeds above 5 mph.
6. It is possible to go over 120 miles without worrying about where a gas station is located.
7. Performance out of the box: No Stage-1, Stage-2, Stage-3 BS to have a bike that works.
8. 400 mile runs for lunch or whatever become routine.
9. When you arrive someplace after the 400 mile run, you do not feel like you were beaten.
10. No chrome to polish.
11. The bike actually runs well in the rain, cold, or whatever else you care to ride in.
12. Your Harley buddies will think you have lost your mind and give you a lot of crap about not buying a "real" motorcycle.

 

[slipknot]

BMW has their own way of doing things and it might take a few hundred miles to appreciate the machine. I recommend renting one for a couple of days if that option is available. If not perhaps a dealer will allow an all day test ride on a used model and follow up on the model you want if it has significant upgrades over the used one.

As for the BMW community, maybe things have changed but when I frequented BMW motorcycle rallies I could totally relax knowing nothing would be missing when I returned from wandering around looking at bikes. I once left an expensive camera on the bike seat and thought nothing of it. When working at a BMW dealership one co-worker stated "we can turn our backs on our customers". He nailed it.

And outlaw mentality is not welcome. You will meet some snobs but overall the BMW crowd is not the "in your face" or "beat this" comedy that is too prevalent in the HD community. We value function over show, logic over irrationality and behavior that would get the approval of parents of young children. The loudest noise at a BMW rally is laughter. Or maybe the rattle of prescription bottles in the morning.

 

[05Train]

I just came off of a 2010 FLHTK. Here's my thoughts.

Ever ridden a Softail? The RT (and any BMW Boxer) has that same buzz. I like it, others may not. It runs much, much cooler. The warmest weather I've ridden it in so far is the lower 80s, and I felt no engine heat at all. It's much better in any and all dynamic ways. It goes, stops, and turns far better than your Limited ever will, including low-speed parking lot stuff. The ride is also far better. Road imperfections that used to make you brace yourself are handled by the suspension. The saddlebags are the same volume as the Limited's, the 49 liter top case is about 1/2 a cubic foot smaller than your Tour Pak. The wind and weather protection are unreal. I could go about 230 miles on a tank on my Limited, around 270 miles on my RT. It's far easier to work on. There are more screws involved in removing the fairing than there are on the Batwing, but the RT's tupperware is easier to deal with.

The downsides...

It sounds like a lawn tractor, and nothing you do is going to change that. It'll never look as cool as a Harley. Unless you start fabricating stuff, there's no way to personalize it as much as a Harley.

The only thing I haven't done on the RT is a 15 hour day. That'll truly be the test.

It's no less annoying when BMW riders make blanket generalizations about other brands than it is when Harley riders do it, and there's no shortage of either. Figure out what you like and ride it.

I would suggest taking as long and as many test rides as you can. It's a really great bike, and I find it rare that I miss my Limited.

 

[hopz]

I'll skip the details unless you want them...

I rode Harleys for nearly 20 years...

FXR, Sportster (total restoration for show at Daytona), Tour Glide Ultra Classic, Road King, Road King, Road Glide...

My wife really enjoyed the bikes- all of them... I got the R1200RT and she went for her first ride with me. She never rode on the Road Glide again... always picked the RT.

MY H-D buddys wanted to know why I changed... I told them..."Doubled my horsepower and lost 300 pounds..."

Just sayn.

 

[Firenailer]

I guess I was lucky, I had strayed from the fold after a shoulder injury caused me too much pain to keep riding my K1200GT. One day I took a ride up to my local dealer (about 60 miles). Arriving cold, windbeaten and vibed out on my 2011 SuperGlide, I went inside to find they had changed hands, were really enthusiastic about BMW's and riding in general, and happened to have a pretty stripped 2012 RT on the floor.

I took a test ride, put down my deposit and rode out on a new RT equipped with Computer display, traction control, Low Suspension, tank bag, extra acc port for $17,250. (They had a program going that rebated Police, Fire and MIlitary 4 or $500 that helped). I think all the other stuff - heated grips, ABS, cruise etc is standard equip.

I didn't want a radio so I'm happy to have the extra box for maps, glasses, manuals etc.

I kept the Harley for awhile thinking it would still be a nice day rider. And never rode it again until I delivered it to the guy who purchased it. These Beemers don't have that same sound and soul, and might even sound like cement mixers at times, but I'll never go back! Go to a dealer, take some test rides, but remember to bring your checkbook, those test rides tend to get expensive! :histerica

 

[GRB60]

Be prepared to feel the need to ride more than you ever did before. That's the only thing wrong with the BMW, especially if time is a limited commodity to you.

 

[SPXDR]

I didn't want a radio so I'm happy to have the extra box for maps, glasses, manuals etc.

What extra box do you have on a 2012 no radio equipped RT? As far as I was aware, the radio box on the left hand pedestal is filled with a plug, and all RTs have the glove compartment on the upper right hand side, below the tach.

 

[Monty2007]

Like some of the other forum members said high $19K - $21K depending on options. A basic non-option RT is a pretty rare thing in my area. Also some dealers are not so keen on discounting the bike either, but many will discount add on accessories such as a nav system or lighting, gear and even the 600 mile break in service.

The recommnedation to take test rides or even rent one for a day or two is a good one if you can. I love the RT but it is not everyone's cup of tea. I was leaning towards a ST1300 before I spent some time on one and then the RT. The ST was good, I just liked the RT better.

Chris

 

[storman113]

One other thing you can do a BWM that you can't on a Harley, wear a HiViz jacket. :histerica

 

[05Train]

One other thing you can do a BWM that you can't on a Harley, wear a HiViz jacket. :histerica

I do.

 

[ndrhsr]

My 2 cents. I've been on 4 different H-D's for the past 12 yrs. bought an inexpensive 2000 R 1100 Rt for a trial bike. about 6 weeks later moved up to a '06 R1200 RT. have ridden the Road King once since the BMW's came to the stable. still dealing with #12 on ka5ysy 's list. Hopz has been a great help with questions I've had since he lives in the same state as I.

___________________
'06 R1200RT
'00 R1100 RT
'05 Road King
'01 Road King
'93 Fat Boy
99' 1200 Sportster

 

[Firenailer]

What extra box do you have on a 2012 no radio equipped RT? As far as I was aware, the radio box on the left hand pedestal is filled with a plug, and all RTs have the glove compartment on the upper right hand side, below the tach.

BMW R1200RT radio compartment insert glove box insert

If you watch the tupperware removal film from Max's website, you can see that it's just the electronic radio control panel on the left. The radio itself is mounted inside of that compartment on the right. Its a very deep compartment without the radio.

You can look for the above part from Max on E-Bay which installs in the lockable radio compartment on the right side, under the tach. The insert reduces the depth, making it easier to retrieve items and sells for around 45 dollars.

 

[05Train]

And outlaw mentality is not welcome.

Yet ironically, The Outlaws are playing at the MOA Rally.

 

[JayJay]

Yet ironically, The Outlaws are playing at the MOA Rally.

Alas, not the Outlaws of Willie, Waylon, Tompall and Jessi. RIP, Waylon.

JayJay

 

[Risky]

First of all... Welcome :bmw:

First quoit:12. Your Harley buddies will think you have lost your mind and give you a lot of crap about not buying a "real" motorcycle.

Second Quoit: MY H-D buddys wanted to know why I changed... I told them..."Doubled my horsepower and lost 300 pounds..."

These guys could not say it any better!

My 2009 was my first of many to come.....