Came across this video on YouTube where the new engine is compared with the old on the GS model. Gives an idea how they might compare between the R1250RS vs the R1200RS.

Not pleased to hear the bit about the brakes though, and I hope the new RS does not pull the same nonsense.

Wednesday and yesterday (Friday) I had a chance to visit two BMW dealers and see the 1250 and 1200 GS bikes sitting side by side. One of the dealers had both the regular and HP versions so could look at both of them. The white HP version is an eye catcher. White frame, white hand guards, etc but gold rims. The rims looked out of place on the bike. But sitting side by side on the floor there is little difference when looking at the outside physical features of the bike. Not certain most would even notice any difference. Today I'm heading over to the 3rd dealer to check out the new RT which they just put on the floor late yesterday.

One of the dealers here has a couple and I intend to go there shortly for a ride and to have a look. Of course it is not the same as seeing / testing the new RS but I am also interested in hearing the engine clatter, if there is any.

Maybe I will take a GS out for a test ride but this dealer likes to have someone accompany you on the ride and go on a fixed route. In other words next to useless as a test ride, but I understand where they are coming from.

(11-24-2018, 06:32 AM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: Not pleased to hear the bit about the brakes though, and I hope the new RS does not pull the same nonsense.

Pictures show the RS and R still have Brembo brakes.

Kansas City has a GS1250 available for test rides but I'm not planning on a test ride since they are in the city, plus it's a 350 mile trip.
I'll probably wait until spring and test ride a GS or RS at the Iowa City shop. I can easily get out on county roads there for a good test ride.
Both shops let us go out alone.

(11-24-2018, 09:22 AM)Lee Wrote: Pictures show the RS and R still have Brembo brakes.

I certainly hope that is indeed the case and those are what arrives in the showrooms.

So I went to the dealership and saw their two GSs. They look like the current GSs except for the engine, new instrument cluster and front calipers. Rear brakes are still Brembo. The salesman figures that the Brembo fronts were not fitted in favour of the BMW-branded Hayes brakes because of the off-road focus of the GS not needing Brembos and as a means to keep cost down. He may be right, I suppose.

I did not take the bike for a test ride but I did have him start it up so that I could hear the engine. No clatter at initial cold startup. We let it settle and I revved it a little (it was in the showroom so I did not want to rev too much) and it sounded nice and smooth, which i would expect. Didn't even pay too much attention to the display.

He did tell me his impression of the power and said that it felt significantly different. He's a salesman (and a kid at that) and you have to take it all with a spoon of salt.

The most important news that he said was that they expect the RS in mid December. They have already started pushing the 1200s in anticipation of the 1250s taking off a bit once they start coming in more often. They already sold one. I told him I'd be looking to test ride the RS once it comes in.

(11-24-2018, 02:22 PM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: No clatter at initial cold startup.

Is it quieter at idle like one tester mentioned?

(11-24-2018, 09:22 AM)Lee Wrote:

(11-24-2018, 06:32 AM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: Not pleased to hear the bit about the brakes though, and I hope the new RS does not pull the same nonsense.

Pictures show the RS and R still have Brembo brakes.

At a local dealer on Saturday they mentioned all the wear parts in the front brake calipers were Brembo parts and only the casting was different. Just repeating what I was told. I thought the front calipers on both GS bikes and the RT looked cheap compared to the rear Brembo caliper.

(11-25-2018, 09:07 AM)Lee Wrote: Is it quieter at idle like one tester mentioned?

While we only had it on for about 90 seconds, it is not noisier. If anything it is quieter, but the proper test would be to have the 1200 next to the 1250 and idling. All I can say for sure is that it is smoother, and that is right off startup on a bike with only 6.5 miles on the clock.

(11-25-2018, 02:50 PM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: While we only had it on for about 90 seconds, it is not noisier. If anything it is quieter, but the proper test would be to have the 1200 next to the 1250 and idling. All I can say for sure is that it is smoother, and that is right off startup on a bike with only 6.5 miles on the clock.

I think all the R1200 Wetheads have too much mechanical clatter at idle and low speeds.
I'm hoping the R1250 is quieter.
At least I don't hear a lot of the R1200 racket when I wear ear plugs
I also don't hear the R1200 noise at highway speeds.

(11-25-2018, 06:19 PM)Lee Wrote: I think all the R1200 Wetheads have too much mechanical clatter at idle and low speeds.
I'm hoping the R1250 is quieter.
At least I don't hear a lot of the R1200 racket when I wear ear plugs
I also don't hear the R1200 noise at highway speeds.

The clatter is a phenomenon only heard close up ... at some distance and when not idling, the engine sound is characteristic and sweet to my ears. When riding without earplugs at slower engine speeds it is also something I cannot say I care for. With my earplugs all is good.

(11-25-2018, 08:09 PM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: The clatter is a phenomenon only heard close up ...

I always try to stay close to the bike when riding

(11-24-2018, 07:49 AM)darrell Wrote: Wednesday and yesterday (Friday) I had a chance to visit two BMW dealers and see the 1250 and 1200 GS bikes sitting side by side. One of the dealers had both the regular and HP versions so could look at both of them. The white HP version is an eye catcher. White frame, white hand guards, etc but gold rims. The rims looked out of place on the bike. But sitting side by side on the floor there is little difference when looking at the outside physical features of the bike. Not certain most would even notice any difference. Today I'm heading over to the 3rd dealer to check out the new RT which they just put on the floor late yesterday.

Just called the local dealer and the new RT will not be here until the end of this week. Did you get to see the new RT and if so any initial impressions?

(11-26-2018, 08:54 AM)Lee Wrote:

(11-25-2018, 08:09 PM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: The clatter is a phenomenon only heard close up ...

I always try to stay close to the bike when riding

Good advice

(11-25-2018, 09:18 AM)darrell Wrote:

(11-24-2018, 09:22 AM)Lee Wrote:

(11-24-2018, 06:32 AM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: Not pleased to hear the bit about the brakes though, and I hope the new RS does not pull the same nonsense.

Pictures show the RS and R still have Brembo brakes.

At a local dealer on Saturday they mentioned all the wear parts in the front brake calipers were Brembo parts and only the casting was different. Just repeating what I was told. I thought the front calipers on both GS bikes and the RT looked cheap compared to the rear Brembo caliper.

The GS 1200 v. GS1250 video indicates there is almost a 10 foot difference in the stopping performance between the two bikes with the 1200 coming up with the shorter stopping distance. When dynoing both bikes they did mention the 1200 had 3,00 miles on it while the 1250 only had 750 miles on it. Maybe the 1200's brakes were more thoroughly bedded in than the 1250's or maybe their one and only braking test was not a good test example. Either way it appears the 1250 will be quicker to speed than the 1200 and as such I would at least want comparable braking. Below testing seems to indicate the performance between years should be comparable.
The competition was not what I would call sport touring bikes except for the FJR1300 which was the fastest and quickest of all the bikes tested but was in 7th place in braking.

2019 Michigan Police Motorcycle Test BMW R1250RTP 1st place 130.7 feet from 60 mph. A GS850P was in second place with 134 feet from 60.
2018 Michigan Police Motorcycle Test BMW R1200RT 1st place 130.4 feet from 60 mph.

(11-26-2018, 11:16 AM)Olgry1 Wrote:

(11-24-2018, 07:49 AM)darrell Wrote: Wednesday and yesterday (Friday) I had a chance to visit two BMW dealers and see the 1250 and 1200 GS bikes sitting side by side. One of the dealers had both the regular and HP versions so could look at both of them. The white HP version is an eye catcher. White frame, white hand guards, etc but gold rims. The rims looked out of place on the bike. But sitting side by side on the floor there is little difference when looking at the outside physical features of the bike. Not certain most would even notice any difference. Today I'm heading over to the 3rd dealer to check out the new RT which they just put on the floor late yesterday.

Just called the local dealer and the new RT will not be here until the end of this week. Did you get to see the new RT and if so any initial impressions?

I did spend some time looking at the new 1250 RT sitting right beside the now old 1200RT. If you were not familiar with the change it might be hard to tell any difference. No TFT on the new RT, larger header pipes that drop more straight down before going back, a funky looking front belly pan of sorts, BMW front calipers which I was told had Brembo internal components, short windshield on the one I saw. Otherwise I could not recognize any other external changes to bike.

(11-26-2018, 08:54 AM)Lee Wrote:

(11-25-2018, 08:09 PM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: The clatter is a phenomenon only heard close up ...

I always try to stay close to the bike when riding

Engine clatter - I for some reason do not hear the clatter or else do hear something but just recognize it is as the boxer engine doing what it does. Just checked and of my total miles, 525,000 miles have been on boxer engine bikes.

(11-26-2018, 12:31 PM)darrell Wrote:

(11-26-2018, 11:16 AM)Olgry1 Wrote:

(11-24-2018, 07:49 AM)darrell Wrote: Wednesday and yesterday (Friday) I had a chance to visit two BMW dealers and see the 1250 and 1200 GS bikes sitting side by side. One of the dealers had both the regular and HP versions so could look at both of them. The white HP version is an eye catcher. White frame, white hand guards, etc but gold rims. The rims looked out of place on the bike. But sitting side by side on the floor there is little difference when looking at the outside physical features of the bike. Not certain most would even notice any difference. Today I'm heading over to the 3rd dealer to check out the new RT which they just put on the floor late yesterday.

Just called the local dealer and the new RT will not be here until the end of this week. Did you get to see the new RT and if so any initial impressions?

I did spend some time looking at the new 1250 RT sitting right beside the now old 1200RT. If you were not familiar with the change it might be hard to tell any difference. No TFT on the new RT, larger header pipes that drop more straight down before going back, a funky looking front belly pan of sorts, BMW front calipers which I was told had Brembo internal components, short windshield on the one I saw. Otherwise I could not recognize any other external changes to bike.

Thanks. The pictures I saw of the belly pan did not look very attractive at all.

(11-26-2018, 01:55 PM)Olgry1 Wrote: The pictures I saw of the belly pan did not look very attractive at all.

Same here. I do not like the looks of the little black spoilers on the RT, RS or R.
The larger item on the White R1200R which may be a true belly pan that extends under the sump is a little better.

(11-26-2018, 12:31 PM)darrell Wrote: a funky looking front belly pan of sorts,

Out of curiosity is that thing one piece or two pieces?