Frankly I wasn't picky, and hadn't ridden the R1200RT yet, but had sampled the 12GS and 12R enough to know the motor.
If it had been sunny, this is what I'd have chosen:
Rode into downtown Eugene, OR for errands. The bike was fine for city riding once I'd become accustomed to the tiller effect of the RT's cast handlebars. The bike is light (for a full Tupperware machine) and easy to maneouver, feels very similar to the R1150R in spite of the appearance of greater mass due to the plastic.
After finishing some honey-do work, I headed for the hills and a small logging town in the Cascade Mountains about an hour outside of town. The road has a few twisty sections that help reveal bike handling prowess, and light enough traffic on a weekend to assess higher speed stability and wind protection. Drizzle & sun the whole way, very comfortable ride, and familiar drone of the Boxer motor. Grabbed a quick lunch and admired to RT from afar:
On the way back to Eugene, the weather got nasty - 30mph gusts, hail, drenching downpour. This is where the comforts of the RT were really evident: with the adjustable windscreen in full-up position, my torso and helmet were spared the worst of the weather. If I'd been riding a Roadster or my Rockster, then the soaking would have been serious; as it was, only the areas of my jeans that were in contact with the RT tank got wet. I was glad to have grabbed a Gore-Tex Aerostich Darien for the day, though.
Back at the dealership, I snapped pics of my favorite R1200RT gizmos:
I don't know if the RT's heated seat is an add-on accessory, but that thing was sweet! Guess I now know that I'm becoming one of those cranky old Beemer luxury riders. You gotta love crotch comfort. Really, I'd get one of these bun warmers if I was commuting on the bike, perfect complement to heated grips and an electric vest. Bliss. Age brings wisdom and weakness, so I'll be wise and admit that I liked powering up the posterior poacher.
Played with the ESA suspension tweaker, and decided that the choice between Normal (soft), "Comfort" (ultra plush, like choosing Charmin for your butt wipe), and "Sport" (still soft, but made me feel more like a man) didn't really matter on the R1200RT. It was all good, and the bike handled the curves in the rain with aplomb. I've seen a YouTube clip of some nutty Euro guy riding the 12RT at a trackday... and now I believe it really can be done.
Cruise control was simple and effective. Droning down the Interstate slab would be the perfect time to dial in that secret speed that's a bit over the posted limit but not enough to get you busted. The electronic speed control is much easier to use than my Bob's Wrist-Rest thing on the Rockster, and I'm a believer in some type of throttle helper during long road trips. Nice gizmo implementation, BMW.
Oh, the windscreen adjuster thing is there on the LHS too. Normally I'm a ride naked guy with no windscreen on the Rockster, 'cause I hate turbulence-induced headaches, but the RT's electro-screen was perfect for me: in low position, my torso was protected and my helmet rode smooth, undisturbed air. In the fully-extended high position, the RT's windscreen pushed the turbulent boundary layer above my Shoei, leaving me in a quiet eye-of-the-storm that was a bit eerie. For reference, I'm 6ft, with "tall in the saddle" torso and shorter 30" inseam.
Gotta mention the ergo-protective shaping if the body - great weather protection for legs, but still looking cool:
So, verdict: if I was a moto-commuter in anyplace outside of SoCal, then I'd buy an R1200RT. Mandatory comfort. And not at all the porker bike you might expect when pondering all of the expensive bodywork. For R850/1100/1150 riders, the RT's similar mass makes one feel right at home, in the comfort of your favorite easy chair.
Thank to Tom for letting me fill the RT's monster fuel tank:
And to the Service guys for dialing in Mrs. Sweatmark's Roadster to purring perfection:
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