2009 BMW R1200RT: the first six months
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship
In October 2019 I entered a new era in my motorcycling career by becoming the owner of a 2009 BMW R1200RT. It was purchased from an extremely capable local motorcycle mechanic and was in immaculate condition. Six months later I am still becoming familiar my new ride, but have enjoyed the journey so far. The BMW has more power, better features, and is far more comfortable on the highway than anything else I have ever encountered.
After a fifteen year hiatus, a 1992 Honda Nighthawk was my gateway drug back into the two wheeled world. It was everything that a returning rider needed. It was smooth, reliable, and fun without being overwhelming. However, the Nighthawk’s time with our family was limited because my wife never enjoyed the passenger accommodations. Once she sat on the big German twin, the Honda soon found itself on the trading block.
While I fantasize about someday being able to put the R1200RT’s transcontinental touring capabilities to the test, the reality is most of my riding is much closer to home. My commute includes a fifty mile freeway round trip and cruise control alone was worth the price of admission. When time permits I go for local rides along the beautiful back roads of southeast Missouri’s Crowley Ridge. Being able to occasionally do all of that two-up is a requirement for us.
Although we are still learning the ins and outs of this beautiful machine, the first encounter has been very gratifying. Here are some highlights from six months of Beemer ownership.
The built-in luggage
The spacious luggage on the R1200RT allows me to carry everything I need for work. A rain suit lives in the left saddle bag. Office clothes and shoes ride on the right. The top case holds my laptop and provides a perfect place to lock up my helmet whenever I get off the bike. On previous motorcycles I either had to carry my helmet with me or strap it around the handlebars and trust in the goodness of humanity.
The biggest challenge with the luggage at first was having to carry a pile of my work clothes to the bike every morning. Inevitably I would forget something and have to run back inside. Digging things out when I got to work was also extremely frustrating after everything had shifted during the ride. Buying BMW saddle bag liners has eliminated this problem and made the packing and unpacking process much easier. All I have to do is open the pannier, pull out the liner, and carry it into the house.
The impressive size of the top case was demonstrated shortly after I purchased the motorcycle. During worship flyers advertising the local Catholic Church‘s annual Thanksgiving dinner were placed on the windshields of every vehicle in our congregation, including the BMW. Because Lily was home sick that Sunday I decided that I would get our meals to go. When I rode up to the take-out line the youth group members happily put two boxes of sides and a shopping bag full of turkey and stuffing in the top case.
Everything stayed put and I was able to make it home with hot food and no spillage, despite half an hour of riding at freeway speeds. Such a feat would have been utterly impossible using the soft luggage I had on the Nighthawk.
Exceptional long distance machine
My duties as pastor cause me to spend a lot of time on the road. Although our small community hospital does a good job with day to day procedures, most members of our congregation travel at least an hour to larger regional hospitals for surgery and more intensive treatments. As a result, most visitation requires at least two hours of travel, besides the time that I actually get to spend with the person.
In addition to hospital visitation, we have regional clergy gatherings on a monthly basis. Locally, besides commuting, I have the privilege of visiting members in their homes and workplaces. All of this means that I put a lot of miles on a vehicle every year. Traditionally I have used all this windshield time as an opportunity for prayer, to catch up on my latest podcasts, and listen to countless books on tape.
Being able to do even some of these miles on a motorcycle has transformed my weekly routine. Riders will often talk about “wind therapy.” They are absolutely correct. There is something truly powerful about beginning and ending one’s day at 70 miles per hour. Riding forces me to stay focused on the moment at hand. It is a form of meditation unlike any other.
The extra effort required makes using the BMW to go on hospital visits feel like a miniature pilgrimage. On the way I am able to lift up the person in prayer. The process of taking off my helmet and riding gear outside the building forces me to slow down and calms my nerves. The ride back home allows me to either loudly celebrate a recovery or mourn a setback in the privacy of my own helmet.
Whenever I am not able to get out on the bike for several days I can feel my stress and anxiety build. Quite simply, my time on two wheels has become a holy space. Not having access to that emotional release valve has made the enforced isolation of quarantine extra challenging.
Cold weather comfort
Buying a motorcycle in late fall either means hanging up the keys shortly after purchase or choosing to become a cold weather rider. Because I was hoping to become a two wheeled commuter, I decided that I might as well jump in with both feet. Having given away my old riding gear a decade ago, I purchased a new electric vest and winter weight gloves. My rain suit was layered on top of old hunting overalls and the standard issue Air Force sleep shirt was repurposed into surprisingly good riding gear.
Southern Missouri is warm enough that it is possible to ride year round when properly equipped. As long as there was not snow and ice on the ground, I was able to get out on the road. Even though I looked like Randy from the movie A Christmas Story every time I got on the bike, I found that the BMW’s heated seat and grips made winter riding somewhat pleasant. As an additional perk, motorcycles are unusual enough at that time of year that anyone on two wheels is definitely noticed and given an extra wide birth by other drivers.
Besides the extra clothing and electric vest, the most important winter riding accessory I purchased was a pair of Oxford hand guards. Essentially, these are motorcycle oven mitts designed keep the wind off and allow the use of lighter weight gloves. There was a slight learning curve as I had to first feed my hand into the mitts before grabbing the handlebar. The guards did not prevent access to any of the controls, but did force me to identify their location by touch.
Final thoughts
One of the things that makes the world of motorcycles so much fun is that there are so many different styles of bikes and riders. Nearly everyone can find something that speaks to them. Cruisers are great for low key weekend rides. Sport bikes take speed demons faster than anything else on the road. Dual sports get riders off on many of the dirt roads and trails of Missouri’s many national forests.
Personally, I have always had a bent toward sport touring. All of my previous motorcycles were equipped with soft luggage and used for long distance rides at highway speeds. As much fun as my old Ninja and Nighthawk were, the BMW R1200RT is actually built for this purpose. It was ready to go right out of the box.
This is not to say that there have not been adjustments along the way. The weight and center of gravity are certainly different. There are more electronics than on any other bike I have ever owned. It took months before I was able to figure out how to change the clock for daylight savings time. Because my used motorcycle did not come with an owner’s manual I have been slowly learning my way around with the help of online forums and some experimentation.
Although I am now used to BMW’s separate turn signals, I still prefer the single button on the left side used by Japanese manufacturers. It seems other riders felt the same way as newer models of the RT have switched to this more universal form of control.
With these small caveats aside, during our first half-year of BMW ownership I have learned that this bike is the the perfect machine for the kind of riding I actually do. It has been a wonderful start to what I hope to be a long and beautiful friendship.
