2019–2020 · Tourer · Buyer's Guide
The Boxer That Does Everything
The R 1250 RT is built around the 1,254 cc ShiftCam boxer, a 136 hp flat-twin that pairs 105 lb-ft of low-rpm torque with a top-end pull most big tourers never find. Underneath sits a Telelever front and Paralever rear, a layout that gives this 615 lb (279 kg) machine genuinely light, precise steering — it changes direction with far less effort than its size promises. Add the deepest electronics package in the class, topped by a perfect-scoring integrated cockpit, and you get a full-dress tourer that behaves like a much smaller bike once the road starts to turn.
That blend ages well because it leans on fundamentals: shaft final drive, a torquey engine that never works hard, and a chassis that stays planted. It is squarely the bike for the rider who covers real distance — coast-to-coast runs, mountain passes, fully loaded two-up trips, where composure matters more than theatrics. The honest caveats are ownership ones. Early-production front brake calipers were subject to a safety recall, and the TFT and navigation software can be temperamental — neither a dealbreaker, but check that the recall work was done and be ready for the occasional screen reboot.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 136 hp (100 kW) @ 7,750 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 105 lb-ft (143 Nm) @ 6,250 rpm |
| Displacement | 1254 cc |
| Engine | Flat-twin (boxer) |
| Bore × stroke | 102.5 × 76 mm |
| Compression | 12.5:1 |
| Cooling | Air/liquid-cooled |
| Fuel system | Fuel injection |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Frame | Steel backbone |
| Fork | Telelever |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Rear brake | 276 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70 ZR17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55 ZR17 |
| Wheelbase | 62.4 in (1585 mm) |
| Seat height | 32.5 in (825 mm) |
| Wet weight | 615 lb (279 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 6.6 gal (25 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Lighting
Safety
Thumb the starter and the boxer gives that familiar sideways shrug before settling into a low, even thrum you feel more than hear. Roll away and it smooths out fast; at a steady highway cruise the bike is calm enough that your hands stay loose for hours. The riding position is upright and roomy, the seat broad and supportive, bars falling right where your arms want them with you riding solo or loaded two-up. Raise the electric screen and the air goes quiet around your helmet, drop it and you let the breeze back in. Heated grips, a low center of gravity that hides the mass once you are moving, and weather kept off your chest all add up to a machine you can ride from breakfast to sundown and climb off without aching. The texture here is calm, not frantic.
Over the years I've read the YouTube comments, followed the forum threads, talked with owners in the paddock, and worked through the emails and messages riders send me directly. On the R 1250 RT the pattern is steady: deep, consistent praise for how it travels, set against a short and familiar list of gripes that rarely changes.
Riders consistently single out the ShiftCam boxer for its broad, flexible torque — easy low-end grunt, a strong top-end rush, and a real growl to go with it. Just as often they credit the comfort and weather protection: the electric windshield, the generous fairing, heated grips and seats, and ergonomics that keep rider and passenger fresh over long days in poor weather. And many note how light and precise it steers for its size, cornering with more confidence than the bulk suggests.
The complaints are narrower and well-worn. A common one is bulk at walking pace, where the mass and wide fairing make tight spaces and U-turns more effort. Some owners find the standard suspension firm over broken pavement unless they drop into the softer modes. And a recurring frustration is the electronics, with the screen and multimedia setup drawing reports of freezes, dropped connections, and stray warning messages.
Front Brake Caliper Leak Recall
The front brake calipers may leak brake fluid when parked, posing a safety risk. BMW issued a recall (NHTSA 20V-470) for models produced up to February 2020, requiring inspection and potential replacement of the calipers.
TFT Display and Multimedia Software Issues
Many owners have experienced intermittent problems with the TFT/Nav system, including screen freezes, random warning messages, and Bluetooth connectivity failures. BMW has released software updates, but not all issues are fully resolved.
Where this BMW R 1250 RT pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the R 1250 RT is actually built for.
This is exactly your bike. It eats long days, shrugs off weather and crosswinds, packs for two with room to spare, and stays composed loaded down on Beartooth or Going-to-the-Sun.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
You want corners and comfort in one machine, and the RT delivers both. It carves a 300-mile day on Highway 1 or the Blue Ridge without beating you up, then handles lighter than it looks when the road tightens.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
Straight talk: this is a 615 lb tourer, not a backroad scalpel. It steers lighter than it looks and rewards smooth technique, but for repeat runs at the Dragon you'll want something far slimmer.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
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 1250 RT. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
