MattyJ Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Hi everyone, I just joined the forum and I'm finding a lot of great information! Thank you all. So I used to ride dirt bikes as a kid in Vermont, and I really loved it. Now that I'm an adult, I wanted to get back into riding. I wanted to do it right so I read a few books "Proficient Motorcycling" and "More Proficient Motorcycling" then I took the basic riders course and got my "M" on my license... So far so good. Then it came time for the bike purchase... I so love the look of the R12RT and thought how much fun it would be... But all I read said I should start small, log miles then graduate to a bigger bike. It was very difficult for me... I settled on a used Honda CBR 500 R, it's as close to a sport touring bike and beginner bike as I could stand. I got a really good price on it, and I've been riding it now for a month here in Texas. I've put 500 miles on it and it's a lot more fun than I thought it would have been. I ride in off hours with little traffic on mildly twisty roads, I work on my counter stearing, leaning, front and rear breaking, smooth shifting, etc... I'm becoming a much better rider in the little time I've been on the bike. I'm also getting a bit itchy for bike with a little more wind protection, more comfort and a few creature comforts (like music?). I also want to take the bike on weekend trips, I don't feel I could do this on my current bike. So here's my question to you folks, who have so many more hours and years under your belt. Is the R12RT a reasonable bike to graduate to in 6 to 9 more months (if I can hold out that long?). And I was thinking I would purchase new when the time comes, I don't know the wisdom of purchasing a new bike as my second bike, so any thoughts here would be appreciated. Is there a minimum amount of miles/hours you recommend to put on a beginners bike before moving up? Is the weight/power that much of a difference? I'm also looking for support to not go and buy a new bike before its right... So far riding has been a blast, and I love it. Many thanks, Matt Link to comment
mneblett Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 On whether to buy new, I wouldn't -- to much fear of damage and other concerns. My suggestion would be to buy a used R12RT, like a 2007-2008. Gives you a chance to see whether you like an RT-style bike for a lot less money, and you can sell it without a huge depreciation loss. You can always move to a new RT (a substantially different bike, BTW) if/when you become comfortable with the weight and handling of a hexhead R12RT. EDIT: I suggest an R12RT instead of an R1100RT/R1150RT because the R12RT is more like a new R12RTW than an R11xxRT is, and the R11xxRT is heavier. Not disparaging the R11xxRT, I have one ('04). I just believe you'd be better off with a newer (less maintenance/repair worries)/lighter R12RT. And you may find you like the older R12RT and stick with it -- there's an older and a newer RT in my garage because my wife found she liked the older R12RT ('12) better than the RTW ('15). Link to comment
Taylor 1983 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Matt: Buy the new and enjoy! Link to comment
dirtrider Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Hi everyone, I just joined the forum and I'm finding a lot of great information! Thank you all. So I used to ride dirt bikes as a kid in Vermont, and I really loved it. Now that I'm an adult, I wanted to get back into riding. I wanted to do it right so I read a few books "Proficient Motorcycling" and "More Proficient Motorcycling" then I took the basic riders course and got my "M" on my license... So far so good. Then it came time for the bike purchase... I so love the look of the R12RT and thought how much fun it would be... But all I read said I should start small, log miles then graduate to a bigger bike. It was very difficult for me... I settled on a used Honda CBR 500 R, it's as close to a sport touring bike and beginner bike as I could stand. I got a really good price on it, and I've been riding it now for a month here in Texas. I've put 500 miles on it and it's a lot more fun than I thought it would have been. I ride in off hours with little traffic on mildly twisty roads, I work on my counter stearing, leaning, front and rear breaking, smooth shifting, etc... I'm becoming a much better rider in the little time I've been on the bike. I'm also getting a bit itchy for bike with a little more wind protection, more comfort and a few creature comforts (like music?). I also want to take the bike on weekend trips, I don't feel I could do this on my current bike. So here's my question to you folks, who have so many more hours and years under your belt. Is the R12RT a reasonable bike to graduate to in 6 to 9 more months (if I can hold out that long?). And I was thinking I would purchase new when the time comes, I don't know the wisdom of purchasing a new bike as my second bike, so any thoughts here would be appreciated. Is there a minimum amount of miles/hours you recommend to put on a beginners bike before moving up? Is the weight/power that much of a difference? I'm also looking for support to not go and buy a new bike before its right... So far riding has been a blast, and I love it. Morning Matt It depends on you, your size, & your riding expertise. I know some riders that were better riders at 2 weeks experience than others that have been riding for years & years. The bigger & stronger you are as a rule the quicker you will adjust to a new heavier bike. Not that smaller riders can't handle the 1200RT (WC) but barely reaching the ground, or weak legs, make transitioning to a bigger/heavier bike more of a challenge. By the sound of your post above it sounds like you are quickly outgrowing your present CBR 500R so maybe a 1200RT (WC) is in your near future. Best suggestion I can give you is to visit your local BMW motorcycle dealer & sit on a 1200RT (WC), if it feels OK to you then take a test ride on one. Unlike a lot of motorcycle dealers most BMW dealers have demo bikes for potential customers to ride around & see what fits them. Link to comment
tallman Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 After some more seat time, you might look around for a rental. There are sites you can ride an RT. Link to comment
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