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I rode a BMW R1300RT for my tour in Canada and have gathered some thoughts about it.
I rented the BMW R1300RT from Cycle BC in Vancouver. The bike was almost new but was missing a few features. No radar module so no adaptive cruise control or emergency braking or blind spot detection. I have used these features previously on a R1300GS and they are very good so it was disappointing that Cycle BC had supplied the bike missing key new features found in the 1300 series. It also was missing seat heating.
I can still talk about the other aspects of the 1300RT and compare it to the 1250RT.
This post may come across slightly negative although that is not my opinion of the bike as you will see if you read on but I am bound to comment on what was not exactly to my liking and less about all the things that ‘just worked’ on a modern bike like this.
Looks are subjective but personally I think the 1250RT is more handsome looking. The final model 1250RT in particular but even the pre ’22 halo headlight 1250RT I think looked nicer. I imagine BMW will refine the look of the 1300RT in future model updates.
Looking at the face of the 1300 the daylight running lights are not very noticeable when on and nor is the tiny single headlight. I know studies have shown that headlights on motorcycles do little to improve our visibility to other road users however my personal non scientific opinion remains that some bikes stand out more due to their lighting. The older 1250RT’s with halo bulbs or the new Gold Wing with its array of multiple bulbs are two examples.
Night time riding was limited to about 10 minutes. I’m old so my eyesight is not so good. With just the single bulb on low beam I found it difficult. Oh high beam however there was a good spread of light.
A change to the body work I like is some shielding from the heat that comes off the cylinder heads has been added and it worked.
The 1300 engine in this model RT seemed quieter than the 1300GS I rented in Australia which was an early version of the engine and was very loud mechanically. This aligns with what I had read that BMW has made the engine a little quieter. It’s a fine engine with more than ample power for it’s role.
The gearbox like every boxer twin I’ve ridden is clunky. The quick shifter is ok downshifting but upshifts in lower gears without the clutch are not recommended. The gear ratios are tallish. 6th gear certainly. Too tall for 100kph Australian highways but would be perfect for European 120-140kph highways.
I’m a fan of shaft drive and I never gave a moments thought or noticed the RT’s shaft drive – which is the best compliment I can give.
The 1300RT handles well. BMW are very good at making their large touring bikes turn corners like smaller bikes. You can ride this bike quite spiritedly on curvy roads and it will bring a smile to your face – as it did for me a few times. This is a strong point for the R1300RT which I would definitely choose for Europe. But in Australia where the speed limit on every curvy road has been slashed to 60kph and we have heavy policing and stiff penalties I’m not sure I’d ever get to explore that side of the RT.
The R1300RT only really shows it’s weight when reversing in car park and it’s there I occasionally thought a reverse gear would have been handy. But I like big tourers and if I owned one I’d soon learn to better position the bike when parking.
Brakes were fine, plenty of power in BMW’s linked braking and I never needed to apply much pressure to the brake lever, something that I think was a weak point on my Yamaha FJR1300 which had a poorly implemented linked braking that required the rear foot brake to also be applied before all the front brake pistons would be activated.
The switchgear and dash are mostly excellent. I still find the BMW menus complicated but if I owned one that would change. I found it distracting to have to look away from the road and cycle through the menu items every time I wanted to switch between controlling the grip heaters and adjusting the windscreen via the single rocker switch. A 2nd rocker switch dedicated to the screen (like the older RT models had) would be better.
I tried to use the BMW navigation, I had the app on my phone and was registered user but could not get it connected. Perhaps that option was also deleted by Cycle BC when ordering the bike. Car play/Android auto is the best system now days I think.
The trip computer/fuel gauge was not always accurate. At one point I found myself quite low on fuel after trusting the computer then having the estimated range/fuel left disappear almost like the tank had sprung a leak. Bit similar to the Triumph Tiger 900 I rented in WA. Probably a software update might improve this.
The screen like every BMW electric windscreen I have used has considerable turbulence. BMW persist with lifting their screens at the rear rather than rolling the screen up and down like other manufacturers. This means BMW screens can never be fully lowered to flow lots of air to the riders chest. As you raise (lift the rear) of the BMW screens the rider gets ever increasing wind blast at their head until the screen is fully raised (lifted at rear). I had to remove my helmet peak visor something I have never had to do even on bikes with zero wind protection.
Fully raised the R1300RT provides a bubble of calm air but you are then looking through the screen. Other manufacturers achieve a calm rider zone by rolling their screens up with the rider still having a clear view over the top edge of the screen to the road ahead.
In rain however the R1300RT screen design works very well and blocks most water from reaching the upper body as long as you are moving at highway speed. At pace of up to 150kph the screen is rock solid fully raised and the bike has no weaving.
There was no USB power point but again I do not know if Cycle BC deleted that option like they did with other accessories.
The seat is less cushioned than the 1250RT but I have always had the tall seat fitted to previous RT’s I rented and I think Cycle BC has again cut corners and only purchased this bike with one standard lower height seat.
The RT would be all day comfortable with the correct seat for your height same as previous RT’s have been. I found I needed a break more regularly than I usually would but I put this down to the heat I was often riding in and not the ergonomics.
To conclude despite not being a boxer twin fan the BMW R1300RT is a fine machine and it seems now to be without a direct competitor?
Yamaha are still selling their FJR1300. It’s perhaps the most comparable as everything else is a crossover or more sports than tourer but the FJR1300 has not had a major update for ages and is discontinued. We never got the second model of the Honda NT1100 in Australia. Current Suzuki and Honda “GT” models are too sporty or crossovers, not proper tourers. The next closest might be BMW’s K1600.
Well personally I am not ready to buy another bike. If I continue to do my fly/rent rides then I would rather put my money towards enjoying new places and new roads. But I might return to riding Australia and then I would have a very big decision to make on what bike I would choose to do that on.
