TopGear | Test-ride: BMW R1250 RT

Star Traveller
Keyless ignition, multi-function radio with hi-fi speakers, central locking, and enough luggage space for a short weekend getaway. No, we’re not talking about a premium German car, but a motorcycle instead.

Welcome then to the world of touring bikes. The machine featured here is arguably one of the best yet in this class, and it’s called the BMW R1250 RT. Having spent a considerable amount of time in its hot seat not long ago, we’re certain that this is all the bike that one would ever need, really.

Launched earlier this year, the RT was the first from BMW’s heavily upgraded R1250 range to debut locally. Sure, the darling of this range is the GS adventure tourer that arrived later, but we’ve said this before: BMW’s boxer-powered R-series does boast a few other gems besides the GS.

The RT, trades its GS sibling’s off-road-biased looks and equipment for a sleeker and more aerodynamic fairing design matched with a myriad of road- and comfort-focused ancillaries. As far as touring bikes go, the RT is arguably one of the better-looking ones in this segment if you asked us.

What’s certain is that the RT feels equally as good as it looks to sit in and ride off with. The standard 825mm seat height was indeed welcoming for this sub-six-foot tall writer, but worry not as BMW does have options as low as 760mm or as tall as 850mm available to suit a variety of rider types.

Life behind the tank is pleasant to say the least, and that’s despite not having a neat fully digital instrument display as seen in the GS. Nevertheless, the analogue speedo and rev counter aren’t bad to look at, as is the central digital screen in between them, which has all the necessary readouts – gear position and fuel level included.

Thumb the start button on the right of the handlebars and perhaps this bike’s biggest gem shines, by which we mean the brand new 1,254cc ShiftCam liquid-cooled boxer-twin motor. In our hands, it has proven to be quite a masterclass of an engine, and not just because of its stellar soundtrack.

Replacing BMW’s previous 1,170cc boxer twin unit, the new ShiftCam mill sports a brand new variable camshaft suite that delivers optimum torque and power in both low and high engine speeds. Compared to its predecessor, there’s now more low-end grunt plus improved high-end power to bask in.

The result speaks for itself as getting this rather hefty tourer’s claimed 279kg kerb weight off the line only required a slight twist. Get it going at higher speeds and the mill feels as if it has more to give in the top-end. Also, the transition between low- to high-power cam profiles was seamless and nearly unnoticeable too.

As for the transmission, it’s not the smoothest out there, but the slight clunkiness to go through all six cogs present is a small niggle to live with. What is smooth though is the delivery of the shaft-drive setup – yet another signature hallmark trait of any modern BMW boxer.

There are several ride modes to choose from, but we’ll be brief and conclude that this tourer feels best when set in Dynamic mode. Here, the powertrain mapping, as well as the adaptive dampers present, work in sync to give the best the R1250 RT has to offer.

Aptly, high-speed cruising is one of the R1250 RT’s main forte, which is further aided by the presence of a nifty cruise control function. What eases this task further is the electric-powered adjustable windscreen which, when at its highest setting, will deflect plenty of wind to keep both rider and pillion comfortable.

What many will find surprising are the high levels of agility the R1250 RT’s chassis boasts. Not just fast in the straights, this tourer will eagerly carve corners too, and we have things like the aforementioned adaptive dampers, plus a well thought out suspension hardware choice and setup to thank for this.

One only needs to remember not too lean too much or you’d risk scuffing the side-boxes. These, which are standard equipment and easily removable by the way, add to the R1250 RT’s practicality as each is spacious enough to accommodate plenty of luggage, or even a full-sized full-face helmet.

Back to the agility bit and, in the right hands, the R1250 RT can be a hoot a carve corners with. We did just that whilst riding two-up through some of the back roads running across Negeri Sembilan over apublic holiday weekend, and the R1250 RT’s sure-footed handling here inspired plenty of confidence to say the least.

Adding to this too are several other notable features, namely things like dynamic traction control (DTC), dynamic brake control (DBC), hill-start assist (HSC) and automatic stability control (ASC). Combined, it all makes for one bike that’s not only very capable, but one that’s arguably the safest in class too.

In a span of four days riding the R1250 RT, we effortlessly traversed hundreds of kilometres and countless riding hours enabled by three full fill-ups. Our only gripe with the R1250 RT besides the slightly clunky transmission lie in its steep asking price of RM134,500 excluding insurance and on-road costs.

No doubt, the R1250 RT is far from a bargain, but it’s plain to see that for what it delivers in terms of performance and all-round capabilities, this is one tourer that’s hard to beat. Surely this is one machine that truly embodies the BMW Motorrad motto of ‘Make Life A Ride’. And it easily lets anyone fulfil that dream.