A true modern (ish) classic

For more than 20 years BMW’s boxer RT family has been the go-to motorcycle for those who know and want things done right. There’s a reason for that.

I’ve got a fair few anecdotes about my trials and tribulations with BMW’s R1150RT but you may laugh at this one most…

I was once trapped between an 1150RT and my Fiat Coupe Turbo, while Swing Out Sister’s 1986 hit tune Breakout was playing at full volume. It was 2003 and BMW only specified a compact cassette player in this tourer, so I had resorted to digging out my varied selection of Eighties pop, whacked it on full-volume (earplugs and wind-noise means it’s the only way you can hear it) and I then proceeded to paddle backwards on my pock-marked drive.

Many a slip twixt drive and road and verily I lost my footing on the broken concrete and was slapped mercilessly against my own (now dented) car. I was unable to move for 20 or so minutes before the embarrassment of my predicament gave me the strength of 10 men and I was able to throw the bike off me. Just as the first side of the album ended.

Despite this encounter, the boxer twin tourer is one of my favourite bikes ever. Back then, I would do around 250 miles a day on the Beemer and eventually put 13,000 miles on in less than a year. I’d chosen the bike as I’d been on the 2001 launch of the RT and been impressed with it.

I tell you this because knowing my past with the BMW, you'll understand why it's so lovely to get the old memories flooding back on this ride on this second-hand 34,000-miler from 2002. It’s like hitting the road with an old friend: I’ve set my seat height to where I used to like it (yeah, it’s adjustable) done the same with the screen (it’s electric) and even put the heated grips on as it was a little chilly when we took the pictures for this article. This BMW is really one of the few all-weather bikes I’ve ridden. Along with that screen the wraparound bodywork really does keep the worst of the rain off you and you’ve even got little pads for your knees. David Robb – the designer of the 1150RT – really worked hard on giving the rider full protection and I’m thankful of that in this drizzly weather. Those large mirror/ indicator fairings not only direct warm air onto your hands but they also protect you from the elements, while providing probably the best rearward vision I’ve ever enjoyed on a motorcycle. The fog-lights (yes, fog-lights) are also well needed in these conditions and they really give you plenty of extra light at night. It’s not just the extras, it’s the basic package here that I really like. First of all twist that throttle and you’re rewarded by that obligatory lurch of

the chassis as the crankshaft spins, but also a lovely rorty sound from the engine. The motor is as I remember it – strong from low-down – but when you head to three figure speeds, it begins to run out of puff.

The 1150RT came with 45cc more and about 5bhp up to around 95bhp and it also added a long overdrive sixth gear – perfect for the motorway and this helps bless the RT with sensational fuel economy. I used to average around 48mpg on my mainly motorway commute and often got around 250 miles or more to a tank. While some may have criticised the BMW for a lack of top-end compared to (say) a Honda ST1100 Pan European, I didn’t care and preferred the BM as the better overall package. The gearbox linkage also goes straight into the gearbox (and it’s adjustable) and feels as good as my brand-new bike did more than 14 years ago.

But as good as the bike feels, these Beemers do have a dark side… Quite often they do seem to suffer quite a bit from age (or mileage) unless they are religiously attended to and this one is just the same. There is rust on the collector box and (although the end can itself doesn’t seem too bad) there’s a couple of rusty bolts and the forks and Telelever stanchions are a little pitted. At least the blue bodywork is very clean.

I’ve always been a big fan of the Telelever and Paralever systems (front and rear.) In the dry the front Telelever gives less dive than conventional forks, although sometimes in the wet I found the feedback could be a little vague, but today it feels fine. As to the rear suspension it felt good and firm – not too saggy for a bike with 30k on the clocks – and I’ve never heard of any Paralever/shaft drive failures myself, so that’s good.

Brakes are still excellent on this machine and they are amazing when properly fettled. The EVO braking system comes with ABS as standard and is servo-assisted. So, the servos only work when the ignition is on – I’ve heard of bikes being dropped because of this when paddling around so be careful. I recall the rear brake being incredibly sharp on brand new bikes so it was good to see that over time these aren’t quite as sharp as I remember. If there was an Achilles heel with the RT as a tourer, it was the panniers – they never really held that much. This has a top-box and it really is a must if you want to tour and the RT just begs you to do this. I unashamedly admit that I’ve always been a big fan of the boxer tourer in the BMW range and this test has confirmed that.

I know many people think the best home for these engines is in the lofty GS and (as much as I love those too) this would be my choice for doing the miles, unless seriously bumpy roads were coming into play.

As I seriously contemplate my expanding classic garage I can just see a spot for a mile-munching bike which is 15 years or so old – and for me the BMW R1150RT hits that spot perfectly.

“As good as the bike feels, these Beemers do have a dark side… Quite often they do seem to suffer quite a bit from age (or mileage) unless they are religiously attended to...”