BMW R1200RS (2015 - 2018) Review

The brakes are very good. It’s the first bike I’ve had with ABS on the front which does not cut in too early when braking hard. Still does it on the back.

Lots of low down torque and easily fast enough. The power delivery makes It feels as if I have more confidence to open the throttle earlier than some of my previous bikes. This can make it good fun and probably safer.

Probably the best quality bike I’ve owned everything has a feeling of solidity. Having said that it could do with being a bit lighter although this is not noticeable when riding

It’s a BMW!

Michelin Pilot Road 6 are top notch in all condition I would not put anything else on it. Most of the accessories are on a par with the rest of the bike and work very well with two exceptions, bloody electronic key thing, this works as intended but I simply do not see the point. It dropped out of my pocket one drizzly evening, by the time I noticed the idiot light telling me something was wrong I was miles away. I retraced my steps I’m the gathering darkness, going three times around every roundabout as I had noticed my right pocket was open. I had almost got back to my starting point when I saw something in the middle of the road in a left handed and promptly ran over it. You go where you look right? I retrieved the key and it still works but would prefer a normal Key. The other thing is the quick shifter which only a mechanical sadist would use for down changes.

Fitting Brembo pads to the front sharpens up the braking. Original pads are Brembo, but have less initial biting power.

It's around the right level for the road. It's a boxer, an still has some character to it.

I had a few RS's, and the reliability has been fine. No issues with quality. One of the models I had did need to have the exhaust servo replaced under warranty.

It needs servicing every 6000 miles. I am a high mileage rider, and normally need between 3 and 4 services a year. The less intrusive services are around £250, with the big ones, around £400.

It depends on the model, but equipment levels are high. Base models have less kit, but the SE has most items fitted.

There’s something special about a BMW: the BMW suspension has that magic that makes a heavy bike feel much lighter than it is. But the RS IS a light bike at 520 lbs, at least light for a bike that’s touring-capable. The OEM brakes were grabby and I switched them out for ERC in the front and Galfers in the rear, now they’re as good as any I’ve ever had on a bike. The big difference with the RS (and the R) from the GS is the suspension is lower and they have forks rather than the telelever, which I prefer, as I don’t take passengers. The seat is not very good (for me), and I popped for a Russel Day Long for long and travel days, the stock works fine for short days.

I love this engine, I was a diehard Airhead and K bike fanatic, passed on the oil head engines altogether. The Wethead engine is a joy, with lots of power and low end torque. The sound is pretty good with just the stock cans, but I did switch out to an Akrapovic slip-on and enjoy the popping off-throttle. One of the best all time engines. I didn’t find enough of a difference with the 1250 engine to trade up, besides, there’s not a more beautiful color scheme than the Lupin Blue/White color scheme!

At 30,000 miles, the fork sliders failed and had to be replaced. I also replaced the rear shock and the ride is much more firm in a great way. Other than that, feels solid as a rock and has never left me stranded. Still, at six years the forks fell apart?

If you can do the minor services and change your own tires, it’s as cheap as anything. If you have to use a dealer, it’s on the spendy side, but it has to be said that BMW dealerships offer superior service compared to almost any other brands in my experience.

You get a nice sporty feel with the standard seating: the ‘bars are a little forward and grips are not too close together, the ‘pegs are just towards sporty. I converted to handlebars with a taller screen for touring. I recommend the OEM panniers, they’re not that big, but have a thoughtful shelf on the bottom that holds the liner bags in place while fetching things. I installed a rack above the dash to hold my phone, otherwise I’d move the ill-placed GPS unit there.

All the settings you will ever need

Runs great when on motorway. Need to select correct gear when in built up area I found 3 gear is the best for 30mph.

No issues

Do most of the services myself very easy to work on.

Got everything you would ever need cruise is great

OEM brakes were a little grabby, but replacing with EBC and Galfer pads made a huge difference. Now the feel is light and progressive, with all the power one could want. The ESA is great, the bike always seems ready to do what you need it to do. Love the ‘normal’ suspension and the light weight, great for touring AND fun. And the ride makes you feel like a million bucks.

Loved it until the 1250 came out, now I know it could be a scooch better in the midrange. Still, I wouldn’t give up my lupin blue/cream paint job!

I wish I could say they’re bulletproof, but at 30,000 miles, had to replace the rear shock and right after the fork sliders broke, and it was a tough part to source so the bike was in the shop for a few weeks. I really feel like BMWs as a whole, and not just their engines, should last longer.

Most of the work of a minor service (Level 1) can be done at home, but best to leave the valve checks to a shop, mostly for the resale value when it’s time to sell.

BMW knows how to make a bike that lasts. As standard I’m sure it’s fine, but here in the States one rarely comes upon a less than fully decked out model. The heated grips are great, the luggage functional and tough. Needs a taller windscreen (Wunderlich) and bar risers or a handlebar conversion for long days. Prefer Pirelli Angel GTs on this bike.

Auto suspension and ride modes combined with a great riding position make it super easy to scratch, hustle or cruise

Great character, plenty of power and load of torque

As the SE model it has everything

Has the electronic suspension and modes which can be adjusted in the go so handles all surfaces very well and can be switched when wanting to be more enthusiastic

Enough power but loads of torque which means no need to dance on the gears the whole time. But you can if you feel like it.

As expected superb build and quality

Expensive but great service

SE model some has everything

No ESA on my bike means less problems? I bought the bike for travelling on my own all over Europe but when my Moto Guzzi Norge was under repair wife and I took the RS to Slovakia in July and absolutely loved the smal size and low weight and the comfort is close to the big Moto Guzzi Norge for both of us.

Too early to say after three months and 4000 miles. Looks premium!

Centerstand, heated grips and panniers from Shad. BMW topbox. What more do I need?

Loads of down end grunt. Very smooth. Plenty fast enough.

No issues

Do it myself not really hard to do.

Cruse is nice on motorway. Quick shifter would recommend. Sat nav bmw just works as it should loads of info.

Great on spirited rides, needs a bit of input. Brakes are esa are brilliant.

Pulls like a train

The only thing I can fault is there's quite a bit of corrosion on the engine.

Varies depending on service required

Cruise control is a great asset as I have a dodgy wrist

Power delivery superb without need to rev it out. Intake noise can be wearing sometimes.

Supplying dealer servicing seems expensive but worth it for peace of mind.

Almost too much equipment but the cruise control is excellent, as are heated grips and ability to change the suspension settings to suit loading. As mentioned the original screen is not good and the seat cover has made a world of difference. Also Wunderlich hand protectors now fitted keep the gloves a bit drier in downpours.

Clunky gearbox, but changed to 10w50 full synthetic oil and gear changes much smoother

Cruise control, heated grips, boxed exhaust sound especially when aftermarket pipe fitted

I had a BMW K1300 s before which I loved but my wife was suffering riding pillion so went for the RS. Long distance touring is no problem on this bike, first time out we rode for 2 hours no stop and when the wife got off she said that was fine. I have ridden this bike with my mate on his ZX10r and was very surprised how i kept up with him the R1200 RS rides and handles way better than you would think it could

engine seemed a little held back so I improved performance with a decat pipe

Quality seem very good i have done 12,000 miles winter & summer with no sign of corrosion yet and no problem's so far

I do my own servicing

This bike came with every extra available and all of them are useful

This is a great real world bike with engine and chassis designed for use on the road.

Really strong engine from low down.

There's a bit of corrosion on different parts of the engine, but I used it all year round for the first couple of years of ownership.

Varies depending on service required

Cruise control (I have a dodgy wrist) Metzeler Roadtec 01 are brilliant

This is a great all round bike. Very assured when commuting to work and filtering through traffic. Has good torque and flexibility for a burn round the lanes. Very comfortable for me and the wife when two up. Manage a good two to three hour stint before stopping to fuel up or have a break.

Great torque. Fuel efficiency and turn of speed.

Never misses a beat. Starts first time. The only issue is the metal quality, as my bike of 4 years old has rust all over it. I know this is caused by riding in all weathers and not thoroughly washing the bike after use, but after a long days work and an hours commuting back home you're not always is the frame of mind to do this. I would have hoped the bike would have been built for the weather conditions and uses of the UK.

Using the main BMW dealership will not be cheap but they do a great job and assist in many ways. The mpg on the bike is great and has a good tank range.

Great to have heated grips. The abs has been a life saver and there is hardly any dipping of the forks when braking hard. It is nice to have a sports tourer that is shaft driven so no lubing of chains.

Stability control and ABS are awesome. 4 1/2 hours to London and I only stopped once

Once first service is done the power is fantastic

Back frame gets rusty, even though I only have 4500 miles on the clock

I have a full service contract for 5 years

Michelin are fantastic, still on original set.

This is a really easy to ride bike with no surprises, I would buy another if they fixed just a few niggles. Seats are comfy for us two. Pillion pegs suit the wife It’s comfy, 180 to 200 miles before fuel is needed and we need coffee. Motorway or twisty roads this bike works great for us.

This is my first Bmw, the boxer engine seems to be able to deliver in virtually any gear, I am enjoying the twin.

30,000 miles of trouble free riding.. Centre stand rusted quickly so gets sprayed occasionally. It’s a pain to clean. The fasteners don’t look as good a finish as the previous bike:Honda

Recent 6000ml service with rear brake pads and brake fluid change £300.

Please start fitting mudguards ‘bike manufacturers’ Favourite feature would be the engines torque and engine braking. For tyres I’m using Metzelers at present: German made only as the Chinese manufactured tyres feel slippery. I’ve changed the Sat nav position as its way to low. Ive also fitted hand guards for winter riding. Wifey gets soaked when it rains, mainly on her back and inside of calves, mudguards are rubbish. The Back box when fitted acts as a mudguard Luggage is far to wide and could have been so much better. The scaffolding that’s holds the luggage shows the lack of care in design, it is after all sold as a sport tourer.

Very good seat and seating position. Suspension settings are easily adjustable. Engine is very smooth. Easy motorway cruising with the cruise control. Copes with smaller roads well.

Plenty of torque and power. Shaft drive is very smooth. Brakes are good. Front brakes seem to loose some hydraulic pressure between services.

Lot of corrosion on pillion grab and rear frame despite scrupulous cleaning. Had to repaint. Front brake seals leaked and were replaced.

Service costs are reasonable as engine is so accessible.

Sat-nav and luggage are overly expensive. All electronic aids are useful and work very well.

Seat is best OE I’ve ever used I can ride all day

Tremendous power / torque .. 3rd 4th gear amazing .. safe speed overtakes

Superb

My pals said expensive but it’s not

Seat height / comfort

Brakes are excellent. Good touring bike that you can ride for hours.

The engine is amazing. I have owned many twins, but nothing comes close to the smoothness of this engine. Excellent power delivery and love the clutchless shifter. Too heavy.

Very well built. Like a tank.

After owning a couple of Ducati’s, this is very cheap. And good, professional service.

Gear shifter is excellent. BMW sat nav very over priced.

It is a little slow steering but that gives good stability on long journeys. Brakes are really good.

Brilliant engine with a terrific amount of grunt for my style of riding. Intake noise can be a bit annoying sometimes at low revs.

No corrosion after 25000 miles but I do clean it carefully. No breakdowns. No part failures.

I get it serviced at the selling dealer so am comfortable with the expense.

The original screen was all style but an MPS replacement with adjustable lip has been excellent for my height with no buffeting and good rain protection. Cool Covers seat cover is brilliant. Hand guards fitted. Tyres Michelin Pilot Road 5 are so confidence inspiring.

Comfort is great. Sitting position if perfect for me. Can sit all day no trouble at all. Settings on suspension are so easy to adjust too Brakes are 1stclass. I did have cause to test them in Snowdonia when a vectra pulled out in front of me at 😱💩🤬 range! I did not believe I could stop - but I did. Great brakes and abs.

Engine is superb. Transmission has gearshift pro assist so is really fun too

Corrosion appearing on frame and main stand. I have already repainted the stand once, it needs doing again. Noticed light pitting on frame too. Mechanically no issues at all

Servicing by main dealers is not cheap. But is good. Coopers sunderland. £150-200 approx 52 mpg- seems doesn’t matter how it’s ridden or what weight is on it. Insurance isn’t bad either. Tyres front obviously lasts twice as long as rear, change rear at least once a year.

Keyless ride ESA Abs Cruise control Adj screen Adj seat height Power modes 3different dash screen choices Htd grips Main stand Luggage carrier Sat nav mount All above standard on sport SE model

It is equipped with ESA, with 3 modes, rain, road and dynamic. For British roads I find Road, ideal. My previous bike was a 2011 R1200R, but the handling was a little vague. This model with the LC engine and upside down forks is so much better. The brakes are much sharper than on my previous bike.

It gets a bit rough at higher revs, but hopefully this will improve as the mileage increases. In saying that, I rarely need more than 5,000 revs, even two up.

The 5th BMW I have owned and the best, so far! No problems yet. It seems well put together and if I'm careful can get an indicated 62 mpg.

I bought it from a main dealer in Dorchester. They usually manage to do a service and MOT for less than £250. Let's hope they can on this one.

Fairly good on this spec. The newer 1250 with similar spec would have cost about £6k more. I have added a hugger, engine plate and radiator guard.

Ride quality is brilliant - long distance two up no problem at all. While touring from Newcastle, into Central Europe (as far as Hungary and Croatia, Bosnia etc,) we would mainly do couple o hundred miles a day, but occasionally over 500, and I would say we feel fine - better than we did on the Lt 1200 ! I now run on Dunlop Sportmax 111 tyres and these are awesome even, or especially, in the wet. The brakes are fantastic. The whole riding experience is confidence inspiring.

Great feel, immediate throttle response, great sound. Massive amount of torque, hardly need to change up or down unless you’re in a hurry. Uses hardly any oil. Easily over 200 mile tank range - consistently returning 52mpg fully loaded and motoring hard.

After more than 3 years 15000 miles. NO PROBLEMS to report. Only slight corrosion on main stand, which I have rubbed down and repainted. And a bit on the brake line fittings.

15000 mile main dealer service, included MOT, fitting rear tyre £20.00 very reasonable I think (I supplied). Also £80.00 for rear pads. £379.93 all told. Not cheap. But very good service From Cooper Sunderland.

Usual. Keyless ignition. ESA ABS CENTRE STAND 3 mode settings ASC cruise control Heated grips Sat nav Quick shift

decent tyres are a must, Michelin pr4 at the minute, avoid the Metzelers, nasty in the wet

could always do with a bit more, but nice and torquey

it has stopped once for a faulty throttle connection

55mpg and 200 + miles to the tank, not sure how MCN get such low figures?

There's apparently a VVT version of this engine out soon and estimated to make 144hp, which should put it in the range of FJRs and the like... this one is a bit puffy up top but it's a twin.

No issues at all, after my Versys experience and 12 months of misery, this has been a total hoot 10k up and nothing to report!

My bikes all get all year round use and no mercy... most are fine and this has been great. 5k of miles for under 300 pounds of work, even the Michelin Pilot tyres lasted the full 10k... although they were goosed!

Loaded and the Nav system is fantastic.

Dynamic suspension is fantastic, easy to set for current conditions. Brakes have a little too much initial lever travel than I like, stopping power is phenomenal however. Switching to an S1000RR master cylinder to get the initial feel that I like.

I fairly certain this engine slows the rotation of the earth when I leave a stop light. Lots of grunt. Very easy power wheelies when you turn the nannies off.

After two years and 12k miles the bike has not had a single reliability issue. As an Aircraft Mechanic I am amazed by the fit and finish of this motorcycle.

It’s a BMW... regular service is a little pricey. BMW is exceptionally proud of their oil and the price reflects that. It is very easy to service this bike yourself and save some coin.

From the GPS to the heated grips, dynamic suspension, quick shifter pro, power outlet..this thing is loaded with stuff

Suspension is superb, easily adjustable at the flick of a switch. Brembos are flawless on the bike.

Boxer engine works superbly in this chassis, power is just right for the bike. Forthcoming VVT version with more HP will only be a bonus.

BMW quality is top drawer, RS1200RS is a fine example. No reliability issues to date.

BMW are amongst the highest service labour rates in the bike world, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Pound for pound, bike itself is excellent value for what you are actually getting.

Is there a better equipped bike out there for the money?

Handles like a diesel - pure grunt torque —- go elsewhere is you are looking for stupid BHP values, pure torque smooth and steady across whole rev range

Extras like keyless, spot, engine bars etc extra

Superb all round. Brakes outstanding

Pulls great throughout range. Quick shift very smooth at high revs.

It's only 6 weeks old with 1200 miles on - so time will tell .......... My old LT was reliable until 6 yrs and 25,000 miles - then turned into a money pit for repairs.

Only service to date was 600 mile running in service at £80.00

ESA ABS CRUISE CONTROL. Ride mode. Should really come with sat nav unit. Fitted Givi Blade 47 top box, fits two Full Face helmets. The bm box is ridiculously small and expensive.

Smooth and secure, brakes powerful and progressive.

Torque loads.

Premium piece of kit

Quality.

Good all rounder, not quite as comfortable as the K1600GT on M-ways, I needed an aftermarket screen, which made a huge difference. Fantastic on Alpine like roads. I use it for 1-up touring, with the overall bike size and available luggage space 2 would be a squeeze. Hard to beat R1200RT or K1600GT for 2-up.

Great power, quick shifter makes for even quicker corner entry/exits and over-takes.

No problems so far. Runs well in hot climates had it up to 42C in cities and no issues. Can't say the same for my K1600GT.

Annual servicing cost (euros) reasonable, plus tyre wear not bad ~7000km/set.

Went for everything except the Alarm, immobiliser fitted as standard. Also allows extra room under pillion seat. Fitted HID lights, along with the driving/fog lights excellent visibility on the road, plus, on the rare occasions good visibility at night. Recommend Givi or similar top box, BMW top box way too small and expensive.

Ride quality is great. The RS is more suitable to motorways/good road surfaces etc. The suspension is a tad firm for back roads, having changed from the GS. The missus much prefers the new bike.

Again, the engine is supposed to be same as the GS, but I find that the new engine is far smoother. The slipper clutch is brilliant

No problems with Quality and reliability.

The GS was giving 60 MPG overall. The RS is returning 57 MPG. Very good consumption

More than enough equipment on the R1200RS SE

Had my first BMW in 1980, (R100CS), loved that one and love this one. Traded in a GS and love the lower COG, makes cornering a more enjoyable experience, for me. Brembos are superb and really progressive.

My last boxer was the air/oil cooled GS, the LC has just so much more usable power.

Only had it 3 months, so don't expect it to fall apart just yet. Quality: Outstanding.

£190 for initial service, (600 miles). Met expectations

I have the SE, so can't think of anything i would like to add to it.

love the power delivery real world for the road not the race track

its a bmw boxer so should be first class

electronic suspension with pro mode is a must

The electronics on the suspension are excellent and the brakes, well they are Brembos!

Soooooo much torque, it will pull in any gear.

Only had it two weeks, just had first service done, the quality is good, but it's a BMW. I certainly don't envisage any reliability issues.

600 mile service done, not too painful.

Being the SE Sport model, it has all the bells and whistles.

Came off a GSA onto this and it it sooooo much more comfortable, brakes at least as good

Wow.....

It's a BMW so you'll pay high for the servicing but then again, you paid high for the bike and you didn't buy it because it was cheap!

This model comes with all the toys so all good