Sport-touring motorcycles originate from sport bikes. They have been changed a little to suit the demands of touring. So you get a more upright seating position, a more comfortable seat itself for both rider and pillion, and sacrifices are made so that the pillion and luggage can go for a long ride comfortably. There is also a new breed of sport-tourer today, one that looks like an adventure bike, but with street bike wheels. Still, if you prefer a sport tourer that reminds you of a sport bike, they are in short supply today.
Of those that remain, you can choose from a value-for-money product that uses features and tech judiciously, all the way to premium brands with no-holds-barred features. It is one of these latter ones that makes a great case for itself as the sport-touring motorcycle that is fast, comfortable, and surprisingly practical, especially as it is one of the few motorcycles on sale today that offers an automatic gearbox as an option.
The BMW R 1300 RT Automatic Is The Sport-Touring Motorcycle That Is Fast, Comfortable, And Surprisingly Practical
The R 1300 RT is a recent launch by BMW. It was added along with the R 1300 R naked bike and R 1300 RS sport tourer. The RT version offers better long-distance capability with its added hard luggage. It shares its driveline with the R 1300 GS, so there is no question that it is fast. It is reliable and has a shaft drive. And being a premium BMW made specially for touring, it will be comfortable as well.
BMW R 1300 RT Price: $22,645
This is a full-size, premium BMW tourer. It isn’t going to be cheap, but the base price is quite reasonable. However, if you want to add the automatic gearbox (and an option worth nearly $1,000), you will need to add one of the packs first. That brings the price to nearly $30,000. That is in line with the most premium tourers from Europe, America, and even Japan.
BMW’s Most Powerful Boxer Engine Ever
The R 1300 RT, as the name suggests, has the same engine and gearbox as the big GS adventure bike. BMW has given it an identical power and torque output of 145 horsepower and 110 pound-feet. This 1,300 cc boxer twin has a DOHC setup with variable valve timing on the intake valves. This has made an already torquey engine even better, which gives the RT surprising performance. Of course, it has a six-axis IMU and a by-wire throttle, so you have access to all the electronics possible, up to and including radar-guided adaptive cruise control.
BMW R 1300 RT Transmission And Final Drive
The base R 1300 RT has a six-speed manual gearbox, but you can spec it with an automated manual that will do all the shifting for you. It costs a pretty penny. But if you want to run it as a daily bike or expect to ride through more than a few cities on your rides, then it is worth the investment.
BMW’s Unique Chassis Features Are Present
BMW has turned away from the R 1250 RT’s trellis frame to a new type of chassis. The R 1300 RT has a two-part frame with the main section made of steel, and it uses the engine as a stressed member. The rear frame is bolted on. BMW’s Evo Telelever front (double wishbone) and Evo Paralever rear (single-sided swingarm and monoshock) are present. This is an electronic suspension, with 5.8 inches of travel at the front and 6.2 inches at the rear.
The brakes consist of twin 310 mm discs in the front with radial 4-piston calipers, and a 285 mm rear with a two-piston floating caliper. These brakes are integrated, and cornering ABS is included. This is a big ol’ bike, with a near-88-inch length, 59-inch wheelbase, and a 620-pound curb weight. The seat height stands at 32 inches, although you can choose from a variety of seats that offer heights ranging from 30.7 inches to 33.8 inches. The fuel tank is quite large at 6.3 gallons.
All The Features You’ll Ever Need
The R 1300 RT is a premium BMW and a touring bike. So the sky is the limit for features. It starts with the 10.25-inch TFT screen. Other standard features include keyless ignition, electronic suspension, tire pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control, heated grips, and a charging tray for your smartphone.
The optional features list is equally long, with an upgraded audio system, adaptive headlamp, front collision warning, lane change warning, and the automatic gearbox. The dynamic chassis adaptation can make it a comfy tourer or a sporty one, depending on what mode you select. Of course, there is a range of paint, luggage, and accessories on sale as well.
10 Sport Tourers That Nail The Sweet Spot Between Speed And Comfort
All these sport tourers mix go-fast fun with long-haul comfort.
BMW R 1300 RT Competition
The R 1300 RT sits in a rapidly shrinking genre of motorcycle if you ignore the crossover type of motorcycles that manufacturers call sport tourers today. The Suzuki GSX-S1000GT ($14,399) and Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX ($13,999) sit at the budget end of the spectrum. These are old-school sport tourers based on sport bikes with inline four-cylinder engines. However, they aren’t premium products per se.
Another sporty tourer that is powered by a twin-cylinder engine is the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT ($20,499). Unlike the others, this is based on a naked bike, but has the same approach to touring. That is, take a mentally fast motorcycle and tone it down so it is long-legged and comfortable enough for an all-day ride without losing too much of the excitement. If you’re looking for the performance and features of the BMW but are on a budget, the KTM should do you nicely.
BMW has priced the R 1300 RT well; it sits somewhere between the tourers mentioned above and the super-premium models. However, when you add the automatic gearbox that makes it oh so practical, it catapults it into competition with the BMW K 1600 GT ($26,885) and the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX. Both of these are a little sportier than the R 1300 RT and offer unique experiences on two wheels.
The soulful howl of the K 1600 GT’s inline six cylinder engine is enough to stir the blood of anyone passionate about engines, while the Ninja H2 SX is powered by what still remains the only production motorcycle forced induction engine today, and it is much lighter than the BMW. As a result, performance reaches warp speed immediately. It is backed up with great features, including launch control, so it definitely is the one to get if you want bragging rights.
BMW R 1300 RT AT Vs Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX
|
Model |
BMW R 1300 RT AT |
Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE |
|
Price |
$29,850 |
$29,999 |
|
Engine Type |
Longitudinal boxer twin |
Supercharged I4 |
|
Displacement |
1,300 cc |
998 cc |
|
Power |
145 HP @ 7,750 RPM |
207.0 HP @ 10,000 RPM |
|
Torque |
110 LB-FT @ 6,500 RPM |
101.0 LB-FT @ 8,500 RPM |
|
Curb Weight |
620 LBs (wet) |
591 LBs (wet) |
Source: BMW USA