Here it is for those who’s been waiting for it.
The new 2025 RT1300
1 reading
Chayside
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Losing you to what brand?
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224 Posts
Not one of those videos comes from BMW Motorrad. Check their website and you’ll see there’s been nothing released on the “NEW RT”yet. Nothing but pure B.S.
Steve
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971 Posts
The same was said about the Triumph Trophy SE at the time. Spy pictures and technical information was proved correct at the actual launch. Time will tell.
One thing I’m wondering about the new models is regarding the replacement driveshaft at 36k miles. It’s presently being done free of charge for the life of the bike. If it’s still a requirement on new models does it now feature as a service item? This will be a major cost item when the time comes and is one reason I’d be reluctant to upgrade.
Hello Sundancer, This is not a major expense, even if BMW will not pay for it. As I recall, the shaft is about $400. And an hour labor from a dealer. A lot of folks can install it themselves.
The big issue to me is having it fail while riding which could cause an unplanned get-off.
Also it's the GS models that are more inclined to fail due to water penetration from stream crossings and these bikes are subject to much more abuse than the RT. Also, the shaft has a greater angle from transmission to final drive which in itself will cause quicker wear.
I have owned driveshaft driven BMW motorcycles since 1983 and about 400,000 miles and never had a driveshaft problem. I own an RT and am not worried about it. I don't think you should be either. My 2¢.
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88 Posts
My 07 RT had a u-joint/driveshaft failure 11/12/14. It cost me $2283.16 at Sandia BMW in Albq, NM. I can't recall the last time Sandia screwed me but it was - the last time.
That's total thievery.
The pre-water cooled models have the same high price on their shafts as before. It's only the water cooled models up to '23 inclusive (IIRC) have the "cheap" shaft drives.
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88 Posts
Correct. I'm not bother much over the cost of the parts, I am bothered by the labor cost. It was worth repairing to me, considering that's the bike I finished the Iron Butt Rally on in 2011.
Sandia raised labor costs just prior to that service - in 2014. Labor for the u-joint and drive shaft was $514.90. I had the rear tire replaced at the same time and they charged $57 for labor to mount and balance the tire - which was already off the bike. I have no idea what their labor costs are these days, but I'm not paying it.
Gave the bike to my boy and we still get out and about together as he can make time.
Sandia raised labor costs just prior to that service - in 2014. Labor for the u-joint and drive shaft was $514.90. I had the rear tire replaced at the same time and they charged $57 for labor to mount and balance the tire - which was already off the bike. I have no idea what their labor costs are these days, but I'm not paying it.
Gave the bike to my boy and we still get out and about together as he can make time.
These are the same spy shots that have been circulated.
We have no idea what it will look like until released.
As we all know, they conceal the final design as much as possible.
Also, we dont know the options and packages yet.
So I will reserve doom and gloom until the official launch.
With regards to what the 1300RT should be, there are dozens of different views.
Many think they know exactly how BMW should make it.
Super-light and lower HP., Not a chance. People always want more power, or at least similar.
Maybe that group should get the F line of bike. or a Yamaha.
Not sure why people complain about the weight. This is a sport TOURER, not a sport bike.
It doesnt weigh much more than a GS if you put the cases on the GS and equip it similarly.
I dont even notice the weight on the RT like I do on the GS.
It's still hundreds of pounds less than Harleys and full tourers.
Tech is good and the advances are usually welcome, like adaptive cruise control, LED lights, electronic suspension and traction control.
I am of the opinion that the RT is the soul of the BMW motorcycle company. Just a belief. But the majority of European customers are touring motorcyclists. And BMW is obsessed with handling. I think this model is very important to them and they are putting a lot of thought into it.
Im also glad the 1300GS was released earlier. There will be a lot of beta testers for the new engine and other components. Hopefully BMW can fix any early issues.
Many think they know exactly how BMW should make it.
Super-light and lower HP., Not a chance. People always want more power, or at least similar.
Maybe that group should get the F line of bike. or a Yamaha.
Not sure why people complain about the weight. This is a sport TOURER, not a sport bike.
It doesnt weigh much more than a GS if you put the cases on the GS and equip it similarly.
I dont even notice the weight on the RT like I do on the GS.
It's still hundreds of pounds less than Harleys and full tourers.
Tech is good and the advances are usually welcome, like adaptive cruise control, LED lights, electronic suspension and traction control.
I am of the opinion that the RT is the soul of the BMW motorcycle company. Just a belief. But the majority of European customers are touring motorcyclists. And BMW is obsessed with handling. I think this model is very important to them and they are putting a lot of thought into it.
Im also glad the 1300GS was released earlier. There will be a lot of beta testers for the new engine and other components. Hopefully BMW can fix any early issues.
Not sure about you, but "many BMW riders" seem to be in their ... ah ... later years. They don't want to give up riding, some (on this forum) have jumped down from the fabulously equipped LT's to the lighter, sporty RT's (or GS's), and some are considering their age and mortality, and thinking a few hundred pounds lighter than an RT, might be wiser for their riding future. That may explain some of the references you cite regarding comments about the new(er) RT's weight.
My guess is that BMW's primary riding audience in Europe is significantly younger than the average BMW rider in the USA. The young one's are looking for fast and sleek and "modern", and don't much care what that requires technically. I don't know for certain, my reference to BMW owner's average age largely anecdotal. I agree with you that if BMW is your favorite cookie, and the weight LT or RTs are becoming a bit much for you, dropping down into the F series bikes might be in order. As far as BMW is concerned, their bikes are made to fit "marketing slots". I wouldn't expect them to change the RT's basic market slot, however they decide redesign the next one. If they make their RT's light and snappy, maybe like an electric Moped, they could lose their primary audience/market overnight. (Of course, apparently that's not stopping them from moving to a reported, "all EV" bike line in the near future. Maybe they're just like the American car makers who were bamboozled into making electric "muscle cars" and trucks, which are contradictions in terms and purpose, which from sales figures, apparently have NO market at all. But, of course, I digressed a bit ... 😁).
As far as I'm concerned, (a) I'm not riding enough to justify owning ANY bike, to my better half, (b) I "feel" that I should be on a GS, because the majority of my years of riding have been off-road (but that may be a close thing, maybe street and dirt are split evenly), but my body says "Idiot, you ain't 20 years old anymore!", and (c) Over my 20 years of owning BMW motorcycles, BMW has almost deliberately made policy changes that put me off their product. A half dozen years ago, BMW's were the only motorcycle I though about owning (even though all my dirt bikes had been Japanese). That attitude has changed almost completely. It's not so much that they discontinued sales of BMW specific tools and their maintenance DVD's, which ticks me off to no end, but the German's at BMW are flat out arrogant about the value of their product, and express an utter disregard for their customers. It's as if, they consider their customer base as suckers, who will accept any crap that they choose to put on the plate. I'm sure that I have a distinct minority opinion, but hey, I'm an old and crotchety guy, and I don't really give a f**k anymore for decorum or dissembling.
So, my next bike will probably be both lighter, and "OTB", as in "other than a BMW". They can build their next RT into a 3000 lb battleship, for all I care. (I mean, they're gonna do it anyways, regardless of what their owners feedback is. Oh, wait a minute, maybe I'm wrong. They did eventually respond to owners complaints about the drive shaft issues. It only took them 20 years to do so, while owners picked up the tag for their engineering and manufacturing mistakes.).
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81 Posts
As to weight, all I need do is run the K1600B for a day and then climb onto the '17 RT to appreciate what heft vs 'light' is. The RT is clearly the 'correct' bike for my age (71) but the 'B' is just a blast to ride, so I keep it (until I can't I guess.)
It's all relative. So in my world, 625 lbs fully fueled is a light weight 'touring' motorcycle. It doesn't need to get any heavier though...
It's all relative. So in my world, 625 lbs fully fueled is a light weight 'touring' motorcycle. It doesn't need to get any heavier though...
It's always ridden much lighter than it is, i.e. BMW truly put the "sport" into the bike. However, when it's NOT moving, well, balance is important when moving 700 lbs, cause ya ain't gonna "brute force" this baby. 😁
Hi all! I personally own a 2015 and it's not a sport tourer. It's an old man's bike. It is really not good for higher speeds. I'm talking about speeds that will get you busted. I am in the Las Vegas area. I can see 5 miles down the road. I used to ride 85 to over 100 mph but with my 2015 RT I find myself riding about 15 mph slower. The bike doesn't feel like it was made for the speeds that I ride. It's a real let down. I'm pretty sure that most of you are much slower so don't notice it and/ or you don't have anything to compare it to...but I do.
I want BMW to produce another 4 cylinder K sport tourer. They dropped the ball back a few years ago. My 1996 K1100 LT was a much better bike for higher speeds. Granted it had a 2 thousand dollar rear Ohlins shock and Hyper springs in front but this was a 1996 vintage motorcycle. BMW, again, needs to get back to a 4 cyclinder water cooled inline motorcycle with an aerodymically designed fairing that will cruise at triple digits and have good carrying capicity. I am disappointed with my boxer so far. Thanks for reading this semi rant.
1) I'm an old man. Are you trying to make some kinda point?
2) It's not the bike. It's the rider. Maybe someone else needs to be riding your RT, to get the most out of it.
3) My son rode my old 2005 RT nearly as fast in the corners as he rode his Ducati (though the Ducati pulled away quite smartly). My son was a competitive rider.
4) True, most BMW RT riders don't need to ride 160 MPH, nor even 130MPH, either, (though there are some notable exceptions).
Ride what you like. But ~~ DON'T~~ be ticked that a BMW "Sport Tourer" motorcycle, frequently labeled the best in it's class, ain't a Ducati cafe racer.
~~ edited to add the negative "DON'T" (see, I AM getting old)
Hi Scott, Well for starters I'm an old man too, 72. That being said, I enjoy riding fast, and I don't mean canyon carving. Just the exhilaration of moving through space.
Anyway I talked to a bmw rider today and he suggested that I call Ted Porter's Beemer Shop to see if perhaps some better suspension would be beneficial in helping out with high speed stability.
I think that it is still worth keeping but I may also look for a K1200 GT to keep it company.
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1,631 Posts
Strongly disagree, my 2015 is rock solid at the speeds you mention. Sure the bike is heavy however at triple digit speeds the bike feels as if i'm traveling at easily 20 mph less. If you ride with a stock wind screen in dirty air the bike is somewhat busy at speed.
Good to hear from you. When the weather cools down, I'll take it out for a ride on a triple digit road and reevaluate.
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