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Long before we were allowed to ride the first machines ourselves, the announcement from Munich was the new generation RT would have “easier” handling. Obviously stronger and therefore faster thanks to the new water-cooled boxer engine. Not necessarily better, though. It was clear to even BMW engineers that it would be difficult to outdo an already sophisticated motorcycle. With the previous version, the air/oil-cooled boxer RT had already reached the peak of 35 years of model evolution. It was the best there ever was. The DOHC boxer engine performs and sounds amazing, is economical and reliable, even without the giant radiator, water pump or fan. The transmission shifts flawlessly, the brakes are outstanding and the chassis delivers supremely. Quality and design harmonize consistently. Sure, the new one seems easier to handle. You sit more in it rather than on it, but the RT never has been unwieldy. The performance of the new boxer is more easily transmitted from the cylinders, although this newly offered additional power does not seem to be crucial. The issues of design and quality of the new RT are open for discussion. As a true RT fan, however, I won’t give up the stoically straight run, the compact boxer engine, the classic round instruments and the clean shifting transmission of my air/oil-cooled RT.—Andreas Illg, RT rider and Carbon fiber helmet fan since 1979.
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