BMW R1150RT

Spot the bee-em symbol on a touring twin and you're pretty well assured its gonna be good. One thing the factory knows is medium-weight touring bikes, and I'll include the GS series in that.

Exactly how I got the paws on the latest is an exercise in coincidence. Happened to be sitting in the AMCN kraal (a mercifully rare event), picked up the speaking trumpet, said "yes" to some slightly garbled plot involving more test rides than I could possibly ride at once, and there we were...bombing stage left with the RT. To Apsley, on the Vic/SA border, for that town's first revival meeting since 1965.

Not a bad run for a bike like this. Some freeway, mostly secondary roads, plus some play tarmac, solo in one direction and two-up back home.

Wot now, Bimm?
One of the mysteries of playing with bikes like this is that you wonder why people fiddle with what was already a good thing. The R1100RT has been a serial AMCN award-winner, proving that the words "touring" and "handling" aren't mutually exclusive. Healthy performance, with a decent measure of sporting ability thrown in.

Quick rewind here: the R1100RT popped up on the landscape in 1995, using a flexible-version of the marque's premium oil-cooled twin, matched to decent brakes (with ABS) and an assortment of comforts such as stereo, heated handgrips, adjust-by-wire screen, variable rider seat height...expensive, but a hell of a package.

Its natural competitor was the cheaper Honda ST1100 ABS model, missing some of the creature comforts but carrying a nicer engine. It was also roomier and less nimble.

This year we cop a few updates on the Bimm. Most notable is the powerplant, running a claimed 95-horse version of the 1130cc big-bore version of marque's twin-cylinder engine, matched to a six-speed box.

Overall bodywork shape looks similar to previous models, but the major change is the move to a new headlamp matched to twin foglamps, giving the front view something resembling a smile. It looks a lot better.

Braking is the big news. We get the third gen ABS with stopping power assisted by an electric booster system (along with bigger swept areas for the discs), plus linked brakes. In cahoots with the electronic 'brains' for the ABS, the end result is that the hand and foot levers do the same things on this model.

Wired for sound
Much as I like flinging touring bikes about the countryside, the whole idea of sitting on a saddle and just drumming along fills me with dread. I hate it with a passion and will do almost anything to avoid it.

This time it couldn't be avoided. I was leaving a day and many hours late, so we had to clock up the miles. Somewhere along the way BMW has claimed to rework the rider seat and I can vouch for that. This is the first time in a long while that I've got on a bike and done over 300km at a stretch. Comfortable? Yup. I was standing up on the pegs to relieve the bum by that stage...but we went on to the next town to stretch the mileage to 350-ish kay before the first fuel stop. And with something in reserve.

Even with the screen extended to max height, a 190cm rider will have trouble hearing the sound system as the wind noise over-rides it. Shorter riders will be much happier, as I found crouching a little changed things for the better. The speakers (front only) have a fair bit of power, though I'd wire the RT for direct-to-ear-noise. I'm told there are aftermarket kits out there which enable this.

You have the option of running cassette tapes, and the Dick Smith mob can provide a cassette insert that hooks up to Sony discman or the like for minimal cost so you can plug in your favourite CDs.

Handlebar buttons for volume and station selection make the noise box user-friendly.

The low-beam headlight spread works well at night, and the fog lamps are useful for filling in some of the roadside gaps. However the high beam could use more power and it would be nice to see one of the foglamps devoted to that job, as 120-130 kmh is working the lighting pretty hard.

Those brakes
We're now on to the third-gen ABS (anti-blockier system or anti-lock brakes), and BMW has the most experience in this motorcycling area. It's a nice safety net when things turn pear-shaped.

It's worth mentioning that the ABS is not something you'd want to use as part of your every day riding. If you slam the levers hard enough to make it kick in, the pitching from the front (as the brakes repeatedly nudge locking point and ease off) makes for a rough if somewhat entertaining ride. They really are there for emergencies only. Don't even think about trying it out when heeled over hard in mid-corner.

Bimm says the RT's brakes are significantly more powerful than its predecessor's and there's no argument with that. But I have an issue with the feel of the current items, which are both electrically boosted and linked in a way that's new to this marque. Firstly the idea of having the same result, regardless of whether you press the foot or hand lever (both engage all three discs), means you are faced with an all-or-nothing approach to braking which doesn't sit comfortably with former motorcycling practice. It sounds and feels like car thinking to me (just mash the middle pedal when all else fails), while the factory's own partially-linked system, as fitted to the R1150R, makes more sense.

On the RT, forget trailing a rear brake in any circumstances, including a simple u-turn, or manouvering at a servo, or into a suburban driveway. However there are people who applaud the idea of the system on the basis that it makes a crash stop in a straight line very quick and safe - almost regardless of what you do. It does. However I would argue the partially-linked system on the R (the handlever grabs all the discs, while the footlever engages the rear only) is a better alternative that appeals to a wider riding audience.

Touch either lever on the RT and you get a lot of braking - particularly at the front - very fast. Too fast if you're new to the bike and trying to be gentle with a pillion, though experience with the machine reduces that drama. Even with experience, it's a little too sudden in its initial response.

Cynics suggest the boosting system (which makes some interesting Terminator-style noises) is just another thing to go wrong and add weight. Well the weight factor theory doesn't quite wash as the current model is lighter than the RT1100RT. It does reduce lever effort (though there are other ways of achieving this) and it will be interesting to see how it develops over time.

Playing co-rider
Two-up mile-eating is where the RT is truly impressive. With Ms A playing co-rider, we got a chance to bound around the countryside on some backroads to sunny Melb. Suddenly the road would switch from two-lane to a narrow single strip of tar. Just a black ribbon heading off into the boondocks.

You could leave the bike in top and let it soak up some pretty ordinary surfaces at the imperial ton. No problem. Except when it came to bumpy corners, when the centrestand would occasionally ground out far too early. If it were mine I'd ditch it - it hangs low to clear the exhaust collector and the RT could live without it.

There's a fair bit of room in the saddle (the rider's section is adjustable for height), making two-up long distances easier to live with. The pilot scores heated handgrips and the luggage works. BMW has the best-sorted mount/dismount pannier system at the moment, all of which works on the ignition key.

One note on the panniers: they will swallow an AGV full-face helmet but won't cop the larger of Shoei's two shell sizes.

The windscreen has a very wide range of adjustment and for once I had nothing to whinge about when it came to coverage, which is head-to-toe thanks in partnership with the bulky fairing. There can be a little wind noise around the helmet, but no substantial buffeting for anyone up to the aforementioned 190cm mark.

Touring heresy
Despite the engine capacity, the RT is a bit soft in the low-end power stakes. It's not a grunter. However the powerplant has a super-wide mid-range spread running well past the imperial ton and starting somewhere near 80 kay in top.

Which is a roundabout way of saying it flies. The gearchange is on the slow side...oh dear, what a pity, never mind. Combine a healthy and flexible powerplant with surprisingly sharp steering, plenty of grip and suspension which (centrestand aside) happily swallows narky roads with ease and you have a very quick package.

You can also commit touring heresy by ditching the passenger for a while and having some fun in the twisties. I realise that's hardly the intention of this model, but the RT is surprisingly nimble and has a healthy level of grip - so it's certainly possible.

Looking back over this lot, there seem to be a few moans and groans but overall it's an impressive package. You could probably get used to the brakes over time and any of the other glitches can be solved in one way or another. The big issues of comfort and overall performance on a long trip have been addressed.

At $23,225 it offers a level of equipment that means it doesn't really have any direct competitors. If your main criteria is how it leaves you feeling after a decent trip, solo or two-up, you have to say it's a damn good package.

Subsequent notes: Our test bike tended to 'hunt' or surge a little on low throttle settings - we're talking a speed variation of a couple of kmh, most typically on the freeway at around 110. We didn't comment on this at the time as it wasn't bad enough to qualify as an issue in our opinion. However a subsequent ride confirmed the glitch is there, and we've since heard from owners who are unhappy with it. Whether it bothers you may depend on your riding territory and style. For example if you do a lot of freeway work in the 110-120 area it may get on your nerves. It didn't bother me, but apparently it does others.

Story: Guy Allen