R1200RT Wethead vs. R1100RT - weight distribution

Is a new R1200RT Wethead less top-heavy than an R1100RT? I sat on a new one in a showroom today and that seemed to be the case. On the other hand, I don't think the showroom bike had much gas in it. Does a full tank change things much? It certainly does on my 1100, which is quite a handful for this old guy when fully fueled. Your thoughts?

I don't know about the 1100 but the Wethead is certainly a lot less top heavy then a Hexhead/Camhead as you sit lower in the bike.

It's still a big bike. A big bike will never be like a 600, no matter what you do.

Sadly because both carry their gasoline high and have large capacity fuel tanks when you get a full load on the R1200RT, like the R1100RT, it is noticeable at parking lot speeds and pushing it around the garage. Once at road speeds above 15 MPH the top heaviness of a full tank disappears. However, because of the lighter handing on the R1200RT, it seems that the effect is not as pronounced VS the R1100RT

Having come from a R1100RT, the wet head RT definitely is less top heavy overall for a bunch of reasons. The 1100 is slooow handing VS the 1200. The Telelver has revised geometry giving a lighter more responsive feel. Combine that with an apparent design goal to centralize mass resulting in a much more flickable ride but at the same time stability remains excellent. I also think you sit lower into the frame on the 1200 because there is no air box under the seat making for a more integrated feel with bike VS 1100.

This old guy finds the new 1200RT to be more manageable overall to my 1100RT.

Just one more comment Dave

Can I recommend the R1200RS to you.

I took an RS home as a loan bike while mine was having a service.

Despite having the same engine and essentially the same frame, that bike felt soo much lighter then my RT.

So unless you want to do long haul distances, it might be a lot more suitable.

I remember that when I rode it, my thought was straight away that should the RT become too heavy and cumbersome for me due to age, this will be the pick of the bunch.

RS probably would not work for me as my geezerly body might not like a more aggressive riding posture.

The dealer did not have a demo bike ready because he sold it recently. A 70 year old guy came in one day on a R1150RT and said he was ready to give it up because he was having too much trouble holding it up. He took a ride on the 1200, found it much more manageable, and more or less traded on the spot.

I too had an R1150RT before I got my 2014 R1200RT. My bikes are kept in a shop with a very slight hill up into it. The WH is much easier to move around then the OH. I try to avoid starting bikes without a distance to ride so I push it in and out of the shop. It must be the center of gravity because it feels much lighter, which as you know isn't true as the bikes weight about the same.

Jay

I believe the CofG of the Oilhead is higher than the Wethead. And it certainly feels it when maneuvering them.

Not that I care, but pretty easy to figure out rather than seat of the pants.

COG

I moved from an 11RT to the wethead and can say that it is noticeably less stressful moving the new RT around the garage. Less worry about dropping it - especially when walking it backwards when standing beside the bike.

And I don't notice a huge difference with the tank full of gas versus empty.

Hmm, I think the COG on my bike tends to migrate up after each holiday...riding gear seem to shrink too!

Thanks for the advice. I'm just going to have to find a dealer with one gassed up and ready to go. If it isn't noticeably easier to handle than my 1100, it's a no-deal for me.

If not, have you looked at the 800's?

A lot "lighter".

The 800GS is about 110lbs lighter than a 1200RT, but it is also 40HP and about 40FT/lbs torque less too....at least according to BMW site. You will also have about 100 miles less range per tank.

The 800's "feel" about 250 pounds lighter when moving around compared to...

That's his issue, IMO, not range.

But, when I was selling the early &00-800's, they were getting 60-70+mpg, so, 4 gallons went a long way.

They will also get out of their own way...at least enough for

most situations.

Best wishes.

Hi Dave,

last week I stopped by the local dealer here and they had the R1200R wet head on the floor. It seems to have the more upright riding position and if the stock bar bend isn't exactly right for you, they are a tubular design that might be able to be replaced with ones with a little more rise, lmited by the wires and hoses. I was taken with how compact the bike is and was thinking if you find the RT too much to manage, the standard R might be just the ticket.

Go old school BOF (Before OEM Fairings) and get a bar/fork mounted fairing and maybe it is voilà

Plenty of old school experience here (solid mount 4 speed Sportster with windshield and bags before my RT) so maybe I'll consider that sort of thing.

Parabellum Scout, for the R 1200 R.

Multiple screen heights to complement the fairing.

Looks great, works great.

Is a new R1200RT Wethead less top-heavy than an R1100RT? I sat on a new one in a showroom today and that seemed to be the case. On the other hand, I don't think the showroom bike had much gas in it. Does a full tank change things much? It certainly does on my 1100, which is quite a handful for this old guy when fully fueled. Your thoughts?

farmer:

The 1100RT is really a pretty top-heavy bike. That and the 1150 are really challenging. My '05 1200RT is less top-heavy. I think the cam heads and wet-heads are even less top-heavy. I've only ridden one wet-head, but it seemed easier to deal with....and faster!

Another option to consider is an R1200GS with a low suspension. Less weight than an RT. I have mine set up with cast wheels as a solo tourer.

Well, I rented a big M8 HD for a day, brought it home to see if I could live with it. Bottom line: I can't deal with an 850-ish pound bike for mundane things like parking in my limited garage space and whatnot. Not to mention other things like ergos, etc. So it's either hold onto my 11RT or pop for a wethead.

The Wethead RT feels MUCH lighter and easier to maneuver than your 1100 RT does!

Partly because it IS lighter, but it also has a lower seat height and is much more narrow. Being narrow makes a big difference in getting your legs down and feet flat on the ground.

I just traded my 1150 on a '15 1200. I was blown away by how much easier the new bike is to ride. Even with a full tank, it doesn't feel anywhere near as top-heavy and tippy as the old one. And the wet clutch makes it much easier as well.

My main problem with spending big $$$ for a new BMW is the sparse dealer support. I'm mid-way between dealers in Barrington, IL and Iowa City, IA - about 125 miles in each direction. Heck, there is only one dealer in the whole state of Indiana. On the other hand, I have looked at lots of bikes and really haven't found anything that looks better to me than the RT's - old or new.

My main problem with spending big $$$ for a new BMW is the sparse dealer support. I'm mid-way between dealers in Barrington, IL and Iowa City, IA - about 125 miles in each direction. Heck, there is only one dealer in the whole state of Indiana. On the other hand, I have looked at lots of bikes and really haven't found anything that looks better to me than the RT's - old or new.

I live 65 miles to the closest dealer, 100 to another. If you can do your own maintenance and don't mind paying for a GS911 I don't see the dealer. Sure you'll have times with a new bike but I've always been able to work it out.

The bad or scary small dealer network to me is a brake down on the road. But then again I've been lucky and haven't needed a dealers help. Been riding BMW since 2001 with a big smile and I love my 14R1200RT.

Jay

I live about 5 minutes from the dealer that I bought the bike from but I only go there for a cup of coffee because this RT is flawless 😁

My main problem with spending big $$$ for a new BMW is the sparse dealer support. I'm mid-way between dealers in Barrington, IL and Iowa City, IA - about 125 miles in each direction. Heck, there is only one dealer in the whole state of Indiana. On the other hand, I have looked at lots of bikes and really haven't found anything that looks better to me than the RT's - old or new.

Totally get it on the concern of distance to dealers if the assigned weight on the dealer distance is because you will use them for all regular service. If you will do the routine stuff yourself then dealer distance should be a minor consideration. Even the RTs with a reputation of issues in the last 20 years in total were a fraction of the number of units sold, so the chance you must be near a dealer because of a breakdown is pretty small.

You've been ruminating on the +/- of many choices for a while now and still have the RT as a top pick. It suggests to me you might feel like you are going to settled for one of other choices. IMOHO choosing a motorcyce that doesn't thrill you when riding it means the benefit of the closer dealer may only be the convience of a short drive to trade it in. Maybe change the sorting formula to assign a greater weight to the riding experience will help get you to a final choice.

I'll be waiting with interest on what you finally decide...even if it is status quo. Good luck

I bought a wethead today. It's black (blue in some light), and has pretty much all the toys. It's much easier to handle than the 1100, and that's with the standard height seat. Not to mention smoother, more powerful, and praise the Lord, has Japanese style turn signal controls, which took me about 5 seconds to relearn. The seat could be better, but it's not horrible. All in all, it's a worthy successor to the 1100, which served me well (and was better looking IMHO).

I bought a wethead today.

WhooHoo! Congrats, Dave!

Hi Dave,

 

last week I stopped by the local dealer here and they had the R1200R wet head on the floor. It seems to have the more upright riding position and if the stock bar bend isn't exactly right for you, they are a tubular design that might be able to be replaced with ones with a little more rise, lmited by the wires and hoses. I was taken with how compact the bike is and was thinking if you find the RT too much to manage, the standard R might be just the ticket.

 

Go old school BOF (Before OEM Fairings) and get a bar/fork mounted fairing and maybe it is voilà

I got an R in part because I was looking for a lighter bike. It is also simpler to work on. I don't miss the fairing or windshield, and all of my riding is long distance.

I bought a wethead today. It's black (blue in some light), and has pretty much all the toys. It's much easier to handle than the 1100, and that's with the standard height seat. Not to mention smoother, more powerful, and praise the Lord, has Japanese style turn signal controls, which took me about 5 seconds to relearn. The seat could be better, but it's not horrible. All in all, it's a worthy successor to the 1100, which served me well (and was better looking IMHO).

Congratulations. The Waterhead is an amazing bike, I am sure you'll love it more as you ride it.

I think in the end you'll find the seat to be terrible, I went with a Sargent on the 1200 and had a Day Long on my 1100. For the life of me I can't understand why BMW refuses to include a comfy seat as a mandatory design element. That oversight keeps the third party seat guys in business I suppose.

I fully agree with you sentiment about your 1100RT, the tuperware on the 1100 is better looking IMO as well. But, I can assure you that you will not miss the bodacious lines of the 1100 while riding the new one!

I think in the end you'll find the seat to be terrible, I went with a Sargent on the 1200 and had a Day Long on my 1100. For the life of me I can't understand why BMW refuses to include a comfy seat as a mandatory design element. That oversight keeps the third party seat guys in business I suppose.

I think because seats are too subjective. They don't want to add $300-$400 (??) to the cost of a bike, and half the buyers think the seat sucks anyway. I find Sargent comfy. Lots of folks hate them.

I think because seats are too subjective. They don't want to add $300-$400 (??) to the cost of a bike, and half the buyers think the seat sucks anyway. I find Sargent comfy. Lots of folks hate them.

That, and they want a seat that feels comfy to everybody for five minutes in the showroom, or maybe on a 20-minute test ride. So they make them too soft for longer-term comfort. For me, the stocker on my '15 is good for an hour or so. The worst for me was the seat on my buddy's K1200GT. That thing felt like there was a 2x4 on edge running down the middle of it.

Everyone has different saddle preferences but I've had an oilhead, two hexheads and now a wethead and the worst problem for me with the stock saddle on all of them was that they were too springy -- I'd hit a small bump and the seat would launch my butt up into the air. Yet they were so hard on long hauls I'd get numb-bum. I seem to remember my old R80RT saddle wasn't so bad. Best thing about my BMS saddle is I don't notice it at all no matter how long I ride.

I think because seats are too subjective. They don't want to add $300-$400 (??) to the cost of a bike, and half the buyers think the seat sucks anyway. I find Sargent comfy. Lots of folks hate them.

 

That, and they want a seat that feels comfy to everybody for five minutes in the showroom, or maybe on a 20-minute test ride. So they make them too soft for longer-term comfort. For me, the stocker on my '15 is good for an hour or so. The worst for me was the seat on my buddy's K1200GT. That thing felt like there was a 2x4 on edge running down the middle of it.

Hmm, all that said still leaves me with bewilderment for BMW not offering a comfy seat. Ok I accept that there will be differing tastes/needs for a comfy seat and at one time BMW even offered a comfort seat option, and it appears BMW abandoned this value add to the customer experience through their dealers. If what you both say is true, then why did they flirt with it and walk away. Now offering just a low seat is a shame and misses another' revenue stream. Currently this value all goes to third party vendors and they could even contract this out to existing third parties under a branding & fulfillment program to not have to mess with the details of improving the overall customer experience.

Anyhow, Old Farmer, I hope you update us with your experience as you get some miles racked up +/- vs the 1100. BMW marketing may be indifferent to your opinion, but I am very interested.

Hmm, all that said still leaves me with bewilderment for BMW not offering a comfy seat. Ok I accept that there will be differing tastes/needs for a comfy seat and at one time BMW even offered a comfort seat option, and it appears BMW abandoned this value add to the customer experience through their dealers. If what you both say is true, then why did they flirt with it and walk away. Now offering just a low seat is a shame and misses another' revenue stream. Currently this value all goes to third party vendors and they could even contract this out to existing third parties under a branding & fulfillment program to not have to mess with the details of improving the overall customer experience.

But if they did that, they'd have to admit that many find their stock seats uncomfortable! BMW has never been very good at admitting faults.

I suspect they feel that the market is crowded with third-party vendors, and it's not worth the trouble to compete with them. They certainly wouldn't compete with the full-custom saddle makers like RDL and BMS. They might compete with the off-the-shelf aftermarket vendors like Sargent and Corbin. (I wonder who does aftermarket saddles in Europe and Asia?) My guess is that, because human butts differ so much, there are no economies of scale that would make them more competitive in the space than the aftermarket vendors. And there'd be the bad press of "trying to squash small businesses."

I just finished a long trip that included 7 days with nearly 12 hours in the saddle on my 2015 R12R. There were a lot of shorter days, but on trip out and on the return, I would start at 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning and ride until dark. The stock seat never bothered me, but by the end of the day, I would have to stretch out my legs regularly.

Longest ride so far on the stock seat was the 120 miles to ride home from the dealer. I'll see how it holds up for a day ride before I consider other options.