BMW R 1300 RT Review
"The best sport-tourer available, if running costs don't terrify you."
Key Specs
Used Buyer Review
The R 1300 RT is BMW's latest tourer, and buying one used means someone else absorbed that brutal first-year depreciation hit. Good for you. These bikes are genuinely impressive — the 1300cc boxer punches hard, the semi-active suspension transforms the ride quality, and the wind protection is properly exceptional. Check service history obsessively; these aren't cheap to maintain and the electronics package is complex. The radar-assisted adaptive cruise is brilliant but ensure it's calibrated correctly — a few early units threw spurious warnings. Inspect the fairing mounting points carefully, especially on bikes that have been dropped or had panniers loaded asymmetrically. The heated grips and seat work flawlessly, but verify both heated modes function. Tire wear is honest — expect 8,000-10,000 miles from the rear. Find one with the optional connectivity module and dynamic ESA already fitted because retrofitting is genuinely painful on your wallet. Pre-2025 examples occasionally had software gremlins that dealer updates resolved.
Pros
Cons
Budget-conscious riders fearing dealer dependency
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