R 1250 RT and GS for Tall rider

[Stuffa]

Hello new to forum and BMW. I am coming from a Harley and I’m 6’2”, I’ve had 3 discs replaced in my neck and have chronic back issues. I’m looking for a a bike that is a bit kinder on my back with a reasonably upright riding position. I’ve taken the RT and GS for a test ride but it is a little hard to get a good feel for the bikes on a short ride. I liked the ride on the RT and it felt smoother than the GS. The only thing is I did feel a bit cramped. The GS felt a bit jerky with the quick shifter and I had a lot of wind noise with the screen in highest position. Most of my riding will be on sealed roads. 
I would like some feedback on both bikes from taller riders who own these bikes and any mods to make long rides comfortable. 

This is a big investment for me so any help/advice would be appreciated 

cheers

chris

 

[TEWKS]

Hi Chris, welcome to the forum!  Did you look at the GSA also? In my opinion it splits the difference between the GS and RT.  
 

 

[LBump]

RT: You'll feel more 'cramped'. Though, there are remedies.  Lower foot peg position and higher seat position if necessary. 

Advantages of the RT vs GS is wind/weather protection, electric windscreen, and some say, aesthetics.

 

GS: You'll feel more 'upright', less wind protection, less of concern about plastic.

Wider handle bar feel.  Lighter in overall weight. More of a do all Swiss Army Knifes of motorcycles. Also, easier to tip into corners (because the front end feels lighter), though the RT is totally capable.

Both a very good bike. However given you're 6'2" I'd go for the GS, Standard height.

 

 

[longjohn]

Some dealers will allow extended test rides on used bikes 

 

A bar riser on a gsa can help taller folks, especially when standing up on the foot pegs, and this bike offers good lower body wind protection.  Vented pants on a warm day bring some cooling to the groin area while standing. 
 

yes the rt will be a bit more cramped but unless you have some lower body orthopedic problem it shouldn’t be a game changer. 
 

The shift lever height will prolly need to be adjusted but 30sec with an 8mm+10mm will fix that. 
 

the quick shifter takes a bit of getting used to but that is the case with both bikes. 

[Cap]

15 hours ago, Stuffa said:

...I would like some feedback on both bikes from taller riders...

Welcome to the forum.

 

I have two wethead RT's and have previously owned a GS.  I am 6'5".  I tend to ride on longer trips in the mountain west, usually covering 350-500 miles per day.  I make mods to my RT's that adjust the ergonomics such that I can still be more-or-less comfortable at the end of a long day. 

 

First things first: the RT has adjustable seat height, and I move it to the highest position. Then I lower the footpegs using Suburban Machinery adapters.  This will require you to also adjust the shifter and the rear brake lever.  The shifter turnbuckle has enough adjustment -- you can give it about 6-7 turns.  Any more than that, and you will not be able to downshift.  So, don't buy an aftermarket turnbuckle with more adjustment.  The rear brake is non-trivial to adjust, so I buy a new lever from Ilium Works.  When you lower the pegs, the kickstand becomes difficult to deploy, and I get a kickstand foot enlarger from Illium that has a tang on the rear, and makes it easier to deploy.

 

Ilium also sells bar-backs which move the handlebars mostly up and a small amount back.  I have them installed, but I make some mods to the clutch and brake reservoirs to allow them to rotate back just a bit more.  The handle grips are too small for my hands, and I add something to make them have a larger diameter.  I have tried various methods, including foam "Grip Puppies".  Boxflyer found another solution: using about 32 O-rings on each grip so the O-rings are stacked side-by-side across the gripping surface.  I have that on one of my RT's and it works well.  Tall riders might find that it is hard to use the RT rear view mirrors.  A remedy to is install the bar-mounted mirrors from a GS, or some other aftermarket mirrors.  If you go down this road, you should be aware that the BMW mirror thread pitch is non-standard.  You can buy adapters.  I use "mirror extenders" to raise the height of my add-on mirrors, and do the thread-pitch adaptation in the risers.

 

I use a tall windscreen by Werks called the Quiet Ride.  I sent my saddle to Russell Cycle Products for reworking into their "Day Long" saddle. 

 

With all these mods, I think the RT is comfortable for long-distance riding.  The seat was the most important change for me.  I found that the stock seat was good for about 150 miles before agony sets in.  I tried a Sargent seat, and it was better, good for about 300 miles.  But the Russell is much better, and is no longer my limiting factor.  The second most important mod for me is lowering the pegs, which implies also moving the foot controls and the kickstand lever.  The windscreen makes a big difference by reducing fatigue towards the end of a long day.

 

I had a GS with most of the same mods.  It was a great bike for shorter rides, but the of lack wind protection eventually takes a toll on longer days.  So, for my riding style, I prefer the RT. 

 

Cap

Edited December 15, 2021 by Cap
added link to Boxflyer farkle video...

[MikeB60]

I would recommend test riding a K1600 GTL as well.  Heavy, but defiantly more room that a RT.  The GTL has a upright seating position and handles the curves surprisingly well.       

[Patallaire]

I am 6'4" and have an RT.  I think it depends on where your height is, long legs or long torso. I have had no problems with mine, changed teh saddle, use top position on seat, have ridden 10-12 hr days only stopping for gas. Have ridden both, the GS is a different bike for long distances and the K1600 would be a very different bike in the twisties, but would suck off road!!   You can't go wrong with any of them, I think you should think about the kind, length and saddle time you anticipate. 

[Ponch]

I am 6'5, 34" inseam. ACDF C2-6 and L&F L4-5 and I ride a older RT. I had to put peg lowering kit, bar risers and larger windscreen to make it work for me.  The RT has better wind protection than a GS and probably a GSA too. If I did a lot of trips, I'd change the seat out. 

[Calugo]

The GS/GSA will have a taller suspension than the RT and the RT is more touring friendly than the GS but lots of folks, me included, use their GS a touring bike even though it's marketed as a adventure bike. You can add highway pegs to either bike which will give you more leg room so that's an option. The RT will be much quieter than the GS, the GS is a noisy bike with lots of road noise from the tires and air passing through the front fairing. Being a tall rider you should also include the K16GTL as a possibility since it is a bit longer and better suited for tall riders compared to the RT. The quick shifter can be a bit finicky until you get used to it especially going from 1st to 2nd gear.   

[9Mary7]

On 12/15/2021 at 10:16 AM, MikeB60 said:

defiantly

" I don't think that word means what you think that word means" 

[Cap]

2 hours ago, 9Mary7 said:

" I don't think that word means what you think that word means" 

Inconceivable!

[MikeB60]

14 hours ago, 9Mary7 said:

" I don't think that word means what you think that word means" 

High skool dropout! 

[9Mary7]

11 hours ago, MikeB60 said:

dropout

I figured it was spellcheck........ That's what fangs me on a regular basis.

[Stuffa]

24 minutes ago, 9Mary7 said:

I figured it was spellcheck........ That's what fangs me on a regular basis.

Yes it was spell check but I should proof read my posts

[Don Miller]

Happy New Year Chris. I have a 2018 R1200RT and a 2021 R1250GSA. When riding either one I think to myself "this would be the bike I'd keep if I could have just one". In other words, it would be a very tough call. Hopefully the seat on the RT you test rode was in the "high" position, as this would help to alleviate the cramped feeling. Too, adding bar back/bar risers would put you in a more upright position than the stock RT bar position. I have the Ilium Works risers on mine. As for wind noise on the GS, a taller windshield (Puig Touring and ZTechnik are both good choices) will alleviate this issue. The other option would be to add a windscreen deflector to the top of the stock windshield. Puig makes a nice deflector, so too Wunderlich. As for the GS feeling a bit jerky with the quick shifter, I have this feature on my GSA and shifting up or down is equally smooth (holding the throttle fully closed when downshifting; steady open when upshifting. Either bike is best of breed and with only slight modification either can be fine tuned as mentioned to suit your taste.

DM        

[Stuffa]

Thanks for your response Don, I appreciate your help

cheers

chris