Description About 2012 BMW R1200RT
A brilliant touring bike as long as you like it in grey. The RT gets a new fairing, new clocks and an all new 110bhp twin-cam engine which gives it just enough grunt to make it entertaining and sit at high-speed over long distances. It is ultimately comfortable and in all weathers too as the SE version gets a heated seat, heated grips and an optional radio if the road gets too straight and boring.
Price: £12,550.

Engine
The new twin-cam engine is derived from the BMW HP2 Sport and new in the RT for 2012. The motor gives the same 110bhp total output as the old bike but it accelerates faster, the fuel injection is crisper and the bike has more instant grunt when going for those 70mph-plus overtakes. It’s never exciting but it does the job intended perfectly.

Ride and Handling
This bike will lean over way further than you expected it to and let you carve through back roads defying a bike of this size. This is no sports bike, a GS makes it feel light, but you’ll be amazed how smooth it will arc its way on some truly demanding roads that would have a GTR or FJR running wide and looking for run-off beyond cliff faces.

Spec up the SE version and there’s enough options to make a BMW car driver proud. The new 2010 bike comes with an option for an Ipod or MP3 connection system which sits in the right-hand fairing pocket. It uses a neat wheel on the left thumb to operate and is very simple to use. You can also get a heated seat, heated grips, tyre pressure sensors and adjust the seat height and gear lever. And let’s not forget the ESA II electronically adjustable suspension which lets the bike waft along with a pillion or firm up spring and damping at the touch of a button. It also gets an electronically adjustable screen as standard that will keep the wind off all but the tallest riders. And if that’s not enough then you also get traction control!

Quality and Reliability
Build quality is often hard to rate on a motorcycle but with the BMW R1200RT it’s easy. The paint quality is deep and well lacquered even if you can only choose from four different shades of grey, and the fit of all those panels is millimetre perfect and there’s never any vibration from the panels.

Value
At £11,775 the base model bike is great value as it comes well equipped with everything you need to cross-continents. But as most people spec up the SE version with almost every box ticked and this has consistently been the UK’s best-selling touring bike then we’d have to say it’s great value for such a huge hunk of metal.