BMW R100RT from 1989 and R1250 from 2020 go head to head.
There had been proper touring the bikes before the BMW – but a German factory did something bit different with the RT; it created a bike that appealed directly to riders with touring aspirations… a bike made specifically for them.
BMW R1250RT and BMW R100RT
BMW’s a big name in the touring game. It has been for many years. Right from the off it’s been creating bikes that are capable of covering big miles while offering riders comfort, reliability and weather protection. That’s why, to track the constant evolution of the German factory’s mile-munching RTs, we rode the 2020 R1250RT back to back with its much older, much less sophisticated, but also much cheaper brother, the R100RT.
Both of the bikes you see here are designed for long-distance riding, though the R100 largely started it and the R1250 is the culmination of 40 years of evolution. Both share the boxer engine configuration, though the R1250 has more than twice the power. It also has, depending on which figures you read, 50kg (110lb) more weight – and it feels more. Besides that, it has more gadgets than a spaceship, whereas the R100 is, in this company, sparse; though back in the 1970s it was the bike for professionals and those covering miles. And it had a clock.
“How can the equivalent bike be so large?” asks Matt, my classic bike converted colleague.
We are both looking at the brand new, £19,000 BMW R1250RT alongside its much older predecessor, a 1989 BMW R100RT. Though the R100 is one of the last, its design harks back to 1978 and further; so effectively they are 40 years apart.
“I’m not sure; the new one has lots and lots of gadgets, more power; in fact more everything,” I smile.
But does it matter? Are enthusiasts of old bikes missing out 40 years of serious evolution – or are modern bike riders just gadget junkies looking for their next hi-tech fix? To find out we decided to ride to all three countries of mainland United
Kingdom – but then the world went mad and closed. So we did the next best thing: we circumnavigated Norfolk instead.
Those of you who have visited Norfolk may know there are no motorways. This is deliberate, to prevent ‘incomers’. But we did venture out to Cambridgeshire to give the bikes a stretch. The coast road that circumnavigates the east, north and part of the west boundaries of Norfolk is one ancient route. No one designed it and no one planned the amount, the size or the weight of traffic using it now. But due to the fact the coastline is so popular with tourists because of its old-world charm, they can’t change it. Oh, and also this year you cannot really go abroad… So a bike seems the ideal choice. Nipping past traffic, no issue when it gets a little narrow, none of it is quick enough to tire you, the sounds and smells of this rural idyll are directly ingested. There is no better way to see the countryside than by bike.
Both old and new excel at this part of our journey. The R100 is comfy at any speed – apart from the tear in the seat that is making my bum wet – and the sound is quiet, conservative, yet different enough from all other vehicles that folk turn round to see. First and second gears are perfect for traffic, people crossing, hills and slow riding balance, as are the brakes. It is a most natural large bike to ride.
The R1250 is just as good at slow speed. I’ve always been impressed by how BMW boxers hide their girth, but the RT is the master. It is larger though, and that weight is still present. So while easy, you find yourself a little more tense than on the older machine; it also feels taller (it is) and I found it less natural to get my feet down comfortably and confidently.
One massive benefit though is the electrically operated screen – pop it down when negotiating towns and you have the same vision as a sportsbike – it’s so reassuring compared with the old bike. The screen is adjustable on the R100, but you need two hands and it cannot be done on the go – I may have tried…
Past Cromer heading east and the road becomes slightly quieter, with the villages less busy. It gives you a chance to see how these big ’ol barges handle B roads. The young pup is 20mm longer than the old master, with fatter tyres and electronically adjustable suspension. It defies all known forces, behaving like an Eighties sportsbike, but with comfort and manners. The R100 still handles well, but with older-style wheel and tyre sizes, older suspension plus no electronics firming the damping up or softening the ride, it’s not as supple, nor as accurate. But then it doesn’t cause any issues, once you get used to the engine braking of the Boxer and the way it likes to go in off
the throttle and bring the throttle on gently once in the corner. Both handle well – especially the R100 considering its age (although it is on modern tyres), but you can still tell it is from a previous generation. Either will hold their head high, though the new R1250 holds it up with shiny earrings and a posh hat.
We cover quite a few miles now without stopping, using mainly A roads at 50+mph. The weather’s good today, which always makes things nicer, but as I knew the roads I thought about which bike I would bagsy beforehand. I chose the modern bike, as I spend very little time ‘cossetted’ on a bike these days; and I’m not disappointed.
This R1250 is an absolute weapon. The ‘Shiftcam’ engine has variable cam timing and 135bhp. Open the throttle where safe and you enter warp drive – overtakes are so ridiculously easy, and safe.
Allied to the excellent handling and the RT is an armchair fitted in a jet fighter; almost. You see, all this speed, all these electronic aids (engine modes, ABS, traction control, electronic handbrake, cruise control) and excellent handling do bring a problem – one of conceit. It kids you into going faster, to pushing the handling.
But no matter how clever it is, and it is clever, you are still on a near300kg motorbike, to which the laws of physics are still applicable. And every so often, you will overcook or underestimate that corner or situation, and you will have to get out of it. The brakes are phenomenal, utterly so, as is the ABS. But they can only do so much – your contact patch is the same size as any other bike. A quick mention must be made of the automatic handbrake. Squeeze the front brake while stopped and it holds the brake on until you raise the revs and feel the clutch bite. Nice touch, especially two-up, but totally unnecessary if you can ride. It’s called clutch control and if you don’t have it, you sure as hell shouldn’t be on this bike.
Meanwhile, as Matt's contemplating the meaning of life and ABS, I'm rolling into, and out of roundabouts, bends and junctions with gusto on the old R100, feeling very happy indeed. I'm tall, which helps on most bikes, but makes me feel (and look) especially at home on these two. Matt was fully expecting to take a serious disliking to the adequate-yet-lacking brakes when compared with the new bike; the lack of heated seat replaced by said split seat which ends in a damp rear; merely five gears, so no high speed/low revs cruising; no cruise control; no stereo; no electronic screen; and no snazzy dashboard to distract you. But at the petrol station, I pull up beside Matt with a smile plastered from ear to ear.
“Bloody hell, that’s not a 40-yearold design – it feels so modern,” I say. “It isn’t a classic; it must have felt so modern back when it was new. It has softer suspension than a modern bike, but then the engine braking means that I hardly use the brakes, and you end up riding differently to a new bike, where you’re always tempted to ride harder, hit the brakes and turn in. This morning I looked at the skinny tyres and thought they’d feel awful, but it goes where you want and feels like there’s just as much grip as the new bike. In fact it’s all so – civilised. I am so surprised an old bike can feel this good.”
BMW got the R100 family spot on. It suffered from a very high price as a result of the Deutschmark being so strong, and from falling sales in the
US, but they did many things so well. They had a range – with the naked R100/7, the sportsbike with the R100RS and the tourer with the R100RT. They brought high quality, and when there was a problem they generally fixed it quickly. They used designers to design the bike, not engineers – this was a huge step. They used aerodynamics to make a fairing that helped high-speed handling.
The panniers were designed with the bike. They even had branded clothing. Big business ideas had found motorcycling.
Both bikes look around the same size, both width and length. In fact, because the R1250 wears its front fairing so low, it almost looks smaller. The bars also look closer to the rider on the 1250, yet both are really comfortable, where you could drain a tank (20 litres on the 1250, 22/24 litres on the R100), fill up and carry straight on again, without any numb bum issues.
Mind you, the new machine will cruise well into naughty speed territory without the merest hint of vibes, though the enormous, TV-style dashboard gives you no excuse.
The R1250RT is a wonderous place for a pillion. There are huge grab rails, a heated seat, and the screen can be adjusted to suit. That perch is wide, comfortable and great for looking around at your surroundings. But by the time you have a weekend’s clothes, a full tank, pillion and rider, you have got a lot of weight aboard, making slow speed balance and manoeuvring a perilous affair.
The R100RT doesn’t need a speedo – you can tell what you’re doing. You can feel it; you can hear it. It feels most comfortable at 70-80mph and I don’t use the last thousand revs or so – it just doesn’t feel like it needs it, or indeed likes it.
That may be a trait of the later monoshock bikes from when the model was reintroduced in 1987.
They adopted the R80 monoshock frame, wheels, brakes and other parts including seat unit and also had to use the smaller 32mm Bing carbs, instead of the earlier 40mm units. The compression ratio was also lowered on the monoshock bikes to help get through the emissions requirements. This resulted in peak power diving from 70bhp to 60bhp; but beneath the headlines were an increase in midrange, and many would say a delivery more suited to touring.
Whichever model you choose, keeping the carbs in balance and tappet clearances checked is key to a well-mannered engine, to good economy and performance. The later bikes are better behaved and have much better suspension and brakes, while the older bikes have the edge on looks and more power. Later ones tend to be cheaper too, which is why I have one…
Motorway 'testing' showed the smoothness of the new engine and the ability to fine-tune the screen, but otherwise there was nothing much to shout about. It's a motorway. It's boring. Even an exciting bike isn't exciting covering miles like this. Admittedly the R100 is a bit comfier at a lower speed than the R1250, but both are happy up to and above the limit. Both are easily capable of quick acceleration for slip roads and both can pop in an overtake on the A roads. The new bike is much quicker, but we failed to find a situation where that came in handy, other than smile-inducing…
Conclusion
As we head for home, enjoying the sun lowering in the famous wide Norfolk skies, it was time to try and sum up these two very similar, but very different motorcycles – and weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each.
The modern, electronically controlled spaceship that is the R1250RT is a wonderful way to cross large distances and is a worthy representative of the new world. But despite its technological trickery and sophisticated ShiftCam motor, it failed to get one up on the old bike for most of the day. There's no denying that it's the better bike – it does everything better. It’s smoother, faster, better equipped, comfier and far, far more technologically advanced. But you'd expect it to be, wouldn't you? It's a brand new BMW. But does all that stuff really matter? Maybe not...
The R100RT surprised me. It actually doesn't feel like a classic bike at all – because it’s too damn good. It must have been a revelation at the time. Okay, so you need to keep the carbs balanced, the suspension could be better damped, six gears would lower the cruising revs; but then if you’re touring, why are you wanting to cruise fast – isn’t the whole point to look around?
This was never intended to be a head-to-head test. What would be the point in that? They're both good bikes, in their own different ways, and they each appeal to a very different group of bikers. The new one is arguably the easiest, comfiest and fastest way to cross continents on two wheels (with BMW’s reassuringly excellent build quality giving you the confidence that it's not going to break down by the side of the autobahn), but the old bike isn't as far behind as you'd think. I'd happily cover big miles at the helm of the R100RT
(with some spanners in the panniers, of course), and with over ten grand left over, you'd still have plenty of cash in the bank for your next big tour. That should give you something to seriously think about... I know it did me.