BMW R 1200 RT (K52) Buyer's Guide

The Machine's Character

The K52 RT is built around a 1170 cc air/liquid-cooled boxer making 125 hp at 7,750 rpm and 92 lb-ft at 6,500 rpm, sent through a six-speed gearbox and a shaft. Telelever front end, a 58.5-inch wheelbase, 604 lb wet: this is a full tourer, not a fast bike wearing a fairing. ABS, traction control and ride modes are standard. The wide fairing and electrically adjustable screen do the weather work, and the integrated cases mean luggage was designed in rather than bolted on afterward. Electronic suspension sits on the options list.

On the road it works by subtraction. Wind, noise and fatigue get taken out of the day, and what's left is a machine that will run a 400-mile stage before you start negotiating with yourself. It suits the rider who books the whole week off, often two-up, often loaded past the pillion pegs. The honest caveat is what it asks of you over time. Rear pads go quickly, driveshaft spline service is on a 12,000-mile cycle with replacement recommended by 36,000 miles, and painted edges corrode. The 2014 bikes were recalled for a rear shock piston rod that could break.

Hard Numbers

Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.

Show full specs & equipment Hide specs & equipment

Key specifications
Power	125 hp (92 kW) @ 7,750 rpm
Torque	92 lb-ft (125 Nm) @ 6,500 rpm
Displacement	1170 cc
Engine	Flat-twin (boxer)Motorcycles With Boxer Engines →
Cooling	Air/liquid-cooled
Gearbox	6-speed
Final drive	ShaftMotorcycles With Shaft Drive →
Fork	Telelever
Front brake	320 mm
Front tire	120/70-17
Rear tire	180/55-17
Wheelbase	58.5 in (1485 mm)
Seat height	31.7 in (805 mm)
Wet weight	604 lb (274 kg)Touring Bikes Under 700 Pounds Wet →
Fuel capacity	6.6 gal (25 L)
Fuel economy	41 mpg (US)

Equipment check

Chassis

Electronic Suspension Optional
Manually Adjustable Rear Suspension Standard
Cruise Control Motorcycles With Cruise Control → Optional

Comfort

Heated Grips Motorcycles With Heated Grips → Standard
Electrically Adjustable Windscreen Standard
Luggage System Standard

Connectivity

Smartphone Connectivity Optional
Navigation Motorcycles With GPS Navigation → Optional
Keyless System Optional
Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPMS) Optional

Safety

ABS Standard
Traction Control Standard
Ride Modes Standard

Known issues

Dynamic ESA rear shock absorber failure (2014 recall)

suspension rare Recall

NHTSA campaign 14V320000: on 2014 R 1200 RT units built 27 Nov 2013 to 5 May 2014 the piston rod inside the Dynamic ESA rear shock absorber can break without warning, causing loss of stability. BMW dealers replaced the Dynamic ESA shock free of charge from July 2014; owners were told not to ride until the fix was done. Only bikes ordered with the optional Dynamic ESA are affected.
Camshaft issues on 2018 models

engine rare

Some 2018 RTs experienced camshaft failures, which were repaired under warranty but not officially recalled.
Short rear brake pad life

brakes occasional

Owners report that rear brake pads wear out quickly, sometimes in under 6,000 miles.
Corrosion on painted surfaces and swingarm

bodywork occasional

Paint rubbing off side panels and corrosion on sharp edges of painted surfaces, particularly on the swingarm.

The Numbers Compared

Compare the technical specifications of the BMW R 1200 RT with other bikes in its class.

Head-to-head: BMW R 1200 RT vs. its rivals

Power

125 hp This bike 132 hp Triumph Trophy 102 hp Moto Guzzi Norge GT 1200 8V 126 hp Honda ST 1100 Pan-European 122 hp Indian Challenger

Torque

92 lb-ft This bike 89 lb-ft Triumph Trophy 77 lb-ft Moto Guzzi Norge GT 1200 8V 92 lb-ft Honda ST 1100 Pan-European 128 lb-ft Indian Challenger

Displacement

1170 cc This bike 1215 cc Triumph Trophy 1151 cc Moto Guzzi Norge GT 1200 8V 1261 cc Honda ST 1100 Pan-European 1768 cc Indian Challenger

Wet weight

604 lb This bike 664 lb Triumph Trophy 642 lb Moto Guzzi Norge GT 1200 8V 633 lb Honda ST 1100 Pan-European 796 lb Indian Challenger

Seat height

31.7 in This bike 31.5 in Triumph Trophy 31.9 in Moto Guzzi Norge GT 1200 8V 31.7 in Honda ST 1100 Pan-European 26.5 in Indian Challenger

What's new versus the previous generation

If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.

Previous generation · 2005–2013

BMW R 1200 RT (K26)

The Long Road's Best Companion

Compare to the previous model →

Alternatives to the BMW R 1200 RT

If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.

Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this BMW R 1200 RT. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.