BMW K 1200 RS reviews

Kinda fun on the twisties but it ain't no touring bike. Commmuter or weekend warrior just fine, but don't try to go for a long highway trip. Show less

My 2009 R1200RT was love at first sight. I had owned three different Japanese made bikes that were all very good machines, but none larger than a 500CC. I racked up a total of 100,000 miles on the three, but not one of those miles were as much fun as the first few I put on the R1200RT. I tried the bike out with only 1 mile showing on the odometer. I rode about four blocks and came back. The salesman, asked my wife if there was something wrong because I was back so soon. When he saw me flip up the face shield with an ear to ear grin, he told me to go RIDE that thing! I was already sold, but did as he said. Needless to say, it followed me home that night, or my wife followed in the car as I drove this beautiful machine home. I have covered over 9000 miles from mid-October to Mid-July. Other than two flat tires and a faulty heated hand grip, this bike has been an absolute joy to own. My Tundra sits and wonders when I will come back and use it. I do ride solo to work, but most of the time, I drive with my wife behind me as a passenger. It doesn't matter what we throw at it as far as road conditions, this motorcycle can handle it. We live on the coastal plain, so it is flat as can be, but also visit the Texas Hill Country frequently, with twisting curves and sizable elevation changes. The bike never complains and is only becoming more fun to drive as it breaks in. The engine and transmission are just now becoming free enough to smooth out and really offer its full capability. The brakes are very powerful and will stop even a heavily loaded bike quickly and easily. Now if I can just get my wife to remember to grab hold of the grips instead of just fall into my back in a quick stop... I orginally wanted a Gold Wing, but the weight and the complexity of the engine was more than I wanted to deal with. I made a great choice for me. The handling, the power, and the luxury of the ride make it a joy to ride all day. I have covered a bit over 350 miles in a single day, and covered just over 1500 miles in a one week trip. All I need is a week free and I am ready to go again. The sooner the better!!! Show less

I just started riding, test rode and fell in love with the 2009 RT. Going from a Yamaha V-star to this bike was an amazing change. The RT is so comfortable, I put 527 miles on it in one weekend. I could have easily hoped back on it and done another 500. I got caught in the rain and the adjustable windshield came in real handy, it is nice to slide it out of the way when the weather cleared. At 20mph or 80mph the bike feels steady. I got blasted by some powerful crosswinds (from a semi) and the RT did not budge. Show less

I finally got my new K1200 GT. It is a used 2007 with less than 2900 miles and was significantly less than the original new' sale price. After riding motorcycles for over 30 years and currently riding a BMW R1100 RT for a State Police Department, I can give some experienced opinions about the K1200 GT. Best bike ever? Who can really make that claim? Best bike I've ever ridden? Without question, yes. Over the last 3 decades having owned and ridden more than 20 varied models from a long favorite 1974 Honda CB 750 Four I crossed the country on after college, through various sport bikes, FJs, Gold Wings, Harleys (both for work and play), this bike is the answer to what I wanted. Being close to 50 years old now and still a professional rider as a highway patrol, and survivor of a few unfortunate impacts with cars and roads, this bike has the attributes I wanted. Looks, which are of course subjective, speed which is undeniable, handling beyond what anyone short of a professional racer on a closed track could fully utilize and most importantly for me... long distance comfort while still feeling the essence of being on a high performance motorcycle. I cannot name flaws worth mentioning when talking about this bike. Perfect? For me, yes. It is remarkably stable at speeds reserved for closed courses (130+). It has precise rock steady handling, ideal wind protection and is adjustable as desired. It also has amenities like no other. I can't imagine who could ride this bike and then choose another to buy... except for the price, which like I said, I got at a significant discount. If you can afford it, buy it now... otherwise save up for it. If you don't you are settling for something short of it. Sometimes that's OK; I've had to do that for years and enjoyed most every bike I've had before. Now I'm spoiled, ruined for anything else. Ride safe, enjoy what you have, live within your means. Show less

I have the wonder of a K1200RS with the GT options all installed. It was equipped for the comfort and performance of the New Zealand Police and is only one of two in this little gem of a country. The bike has 157 horses (normal is 147) and with the extra side fairings, electric screen, heated grips and such, it is a total dream to ride. When you throttle up to pass a car, it almost climbs over the thing before you get a chance to pull out and pass. And, (I'm 57) when the young dudes rip past you on their crotch rockets, it's a breeze just twisting the grip and flying past them to put them in their place. The torque is super and she pulls away with full grunt from about 2000 rpm. I had the same torque on my 1300, but this bike beats the 1300 hands down. The 1300 really does feel like riding an old man's machine now, and she hardly ever gets out on the road, poor thing. But when the BMW key is turned on she just sits their and purrs until I take her out. You've got to take a real ride. Get the K1200RS with the GT options and lift your sport touring to the limit. Show less

I sold my 1997 K 1100 LT to buy this bike and I couldn't be happier. My dealer has always serviced my bikes and without a doubt these guys have always been top shelf. As far as the bike and performance, I feel like I died and went to heaven. It corners like a dream, it has more juice than I will ever need and the acceleration just makes me remember the old muscle cars I had when I was a teen. It is just darn fun to ride and it meets the inbetween requirement when I feel like riding a sport bike and when I want to have a passenger and tour a bit. I can't say enough good things about this bike Show less

This is my first BMW and I have absolutely been impressed with the engineering and thought put into this bike. Having owned an older luxury tourer for 4 years, I can only say there is no comparison. The K1200LT is smooth as silk, has tons of power and is well thought out for being ridden for hours at a time. I am never going to own another bike. This is the pinnacle as far as I'm concerned. Also, my wife loves riding again after being tired after an hour or two on the old bike. Now she feels great even after 3-4 hours in the seat. Show less

I have ridden motorcycles for over 47 years and this K1200LT is the best motorcycle I have straddled. I also have a Harley Davidson Road King which I ride around to be one of the guys but when it comes time to put a cycle on the road for a trip it is time to pack the bags on the LT. The braking system is the best I have ever experienced and the engine power comes on smooth and will wind up as long as you have the guts to hold it open. The power is not rough but is smooth like an expensive touring car line, the BMW or Jaguar. The power is enough to allow you to wave bye-bye to any other touring motorcycle with the mere 1200 cc motor. Gas mileage which is everyone's concern is remarkable also with 60 MPH averages allowing you to have a 56 MPG I received last week on our Tellico breakfast ride. In 2001 I rode my K1200LT to Washington State and a 70 MPH I was averaging 53 MPG on my computer. The Metsler tires are the best motorcycle tires on the market and with the ABS brakes you need their strength and reliability. All the ergonomics of switches and controls have been well engineered and the telelever and paralever suspensions are flawless. This is a warning to anyone looking at a LT, if you ride it you will buy it. Show less

I have been riding for 40 years. I am not a hard core rider, but love to ride (about 5-8000 per year). There is no one bike that fulfills all things for all people, however of all bikes, the K-GT comes closer than any bike I have known. The handling, power, comfort, safety, looks, and reliability are all fantastic. It is just a plain pleasure to ride. Show less

I bought the BMW R1200 GSA brand new on the 1st of March, 2008 after a lot of soul searching. I'd recently owned a Honda VFR 800 (pre-V-Tech) which is often reported to be the best bike ever made. It isn't - the R1200 GS Adventure is! It took me a few hundred miles to settle into the GSA - make no mistake - it's a very tall bike and it carries a lot of weight high up when fully loaded with luggage and a full tank. This weight soon disappears once you get moving but it can take you by surprise when you have to stop again. I initially removed all luggage, set the ESA on single rider comfort and made a point of never filling the tank above halfway (there's still more range than most other bikes on a full tank anyway) and this did the trick. Having covered a few miles I'm much more confident now. I'm delighted with the way the bike goes and handles. It's simply a pleasure to ride and although it may not be as fast as the VFR, I believe that I can travel faster on the GSA than I ever could on the VFR. I say this because the BMW just seems to handle anything I can throw at it and never seems ruffled. The high riding position gives a fantastic view of the road ahead while the screen does a great job of keeping the wind blast off. I recently rode 350 miles in one go and it was fabulously comfortable. The boxer engine is super-torquey and delivers a good punch from any revs. There is a bit of vibration at higher revs but it certainly isn't intrusive. I've even done a bit of gentle off-road riding on the dual purpose tires. My only negative is that it's a big, heavy bike to move around at very low speeds or around the garage but if you can live with that I don't think there's anything else in its league. Show less