2020 BMW R 1250 RS Review | MC Commute
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- čas přidán 26. 05. 2020
- Eager to fire on all cylinders, BMW is making the most out of its new and improved 1,254cc boxer twin by unveiling another road-focused specification in the 2020 R 1250 RS ($19,840 as tested with destination charge). Positioned as a light-duty naked sport-touring rig, the RS is designed for riders looking to experience the charm of BMW’s unique boxer configuration in a lighter and more compact package versus its more distance-touring-focused R 1250 RT.
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As usual the star of the show is the horizontally opposed boxer engine. BMW’s been crafting these engines out of its German factory for more than 97 years. And it shows with the engine delivering an astounding level of performance and smooth-running character in a fun package. The last time we dynoed this engine in the R 1250 GS it pumped out nearly 117 hp (7,500 rpm) and upwards of 92 pound-feet of torque (6,240 revs) at the rear tire.
The engine is mated to a slick-shifting six-speed transmission through an easy-pull hydraulic clutch and electronic quickshifter (Gear Shift Assist Pro). This enables fast, clutchless up- and downshifts and is part of the optional $3,150 Select Package. This also adds Dynamic Traction Control, electronic suspension, Ride Modes Pro, cruise control, heated grips, and keyless ignition.
Styling-wise the package adds a chrome exhaust pipe, centerstand, and saddlebag mounts. Our test rig also had the $500 Style Package, which tacks on a tank cover and engine spoiler. Speaking of style, we like the RS’s nose, which appears like a cross between an S 1000 RR superbike and F 900 XR adventure-sport rig. We appreciate its bold LED headlamps and huge 6.5-inch color TFT, which is touchscreen-sensitive away from being perfect.
Handling-wise, we appreciate the RS’s regal ride-especially at freeway speeds. The saddle is tall and well supported and the front fairing does a great job of shielding the rider from elements, however the two-position manual adjustable windscreen could be taller. The ergonomics package feels oriented toward taller riders as there is a bit of a stretch between the clip-ons and seat.
When the road gets twisty the 536-pound RS gets with the program. While it offers easy steering, you can feel its weight through turns. While comfy in a straight line, the action of the suspension is a tad fast so it’s important to be especially smooth at the controls in an effort to mitigate instability during fast-paced riding maneuvers. Electronic suspension automatically adjusts compression and rebound damping based on vehicle load, but we couldn’t feel a difference between the Road and Dynamic modes. Triple disc ABS-enabled brakes shed speed effectively, and we like the high level of sensitivity from the brake lever or pedal.
Put this water-cooled boxer engine in a lawn mower and we’d still be big fans of it. And while the RS machine is comfortable on the highway, it feels a tad porky on curvy stretches of road and its suspension is a tad springy for our liking. The lack of standard hard luggage is another knock which limits its usefulness. Still, for riders seeking yet another fun and übercharismatic R 1250 flavor, the RS could be a worthwhile option in the garage.
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Good job but we need a better initial walk around before you start please.
agreed
I was about to say the same.
I’d also like to see how it looks with a rider on it. I wanna see how upright the rider is sitting.
Very much so.
If this guy ever combs his hair I'm unsubscribing.
😂🤣
Never going to happen, breath easy
Is it physically possible to get a Combe through it?
Cool! More/different MC Commutes will be much appreciated. I've loved the format since the early days. This style of review just seems more relevant to my needs.
Check out the 2020 BMW R 1250 RS MC Commute on Motorcyclist: www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/2020-bmw-r-1250-rs-mc-commute-review/
Nothing against the other guy, but I have enjoyed your MC Commutes the most of anyone who has ever done them. You're the best
You are cool, Adam. And you crack me up. Thanks for the invite. And thanks for the ride and review. Wild hair! Tires chirping at the stoppies! MC Commute!
At 11:38, my understanding is the TFT allows you to set traction control, and engine mapping separately for your dynamic pro setting (3 levels of each, which correspond to rain, road and dynamic). So a better name for it would be “custom”. The factory default settings for everything in dynamic pro are the same as dynamic so if you haven’t customised anything the modes are the same.
Thanks Adam, I think you are one of the very best motorcycle reviewers. Always covering the stuff I want to learn about on the bikes. I saw you finally got around to praising the brakes on that bike, which I noticed early your were making good use of... You make me really want to split lanes, but I live in Texas :( Keep up the good work!!
Congratz on the house! Looking forward to the new route!
It's been years since I've traveled the LA freeway/highway system, but it's good to see that drivers still consider speed-limits to be a _mere suggestion_ . Cheers!
The "speed limit" is the suggested minimum speed for real riders and drivers.
Not sure what the actual speed limit was where he was riding but in Australia the freeway max is 110kph which i can do in 1st gear so it sucks.
@@stevo8430 Freeway speed limits in Southern California are between 55 and 70 mph (88-112 kph). Not sure which route he was on, so can't say for sure. Actual speeds 75-90 mph.
Im disabled because of several reasons and one of those reasons is my back. I hurt it at work 20 years ago but kept working because I couldn't afford health insurance. Over those years, my back has gotten much worse. I love, love, LOVE riding motorcycles and was terrified that id never be able to ride again. I tried the obvious and tried to ride bike that are ergonomic like this bmw. Its a big no go and i thought that if the more upright seating position didn't work that id be out of luck. Out of sheer stubbornness, i rode my friends cbr600rr. It turns out that the more aggressive seating position is perfect because i can keep my back bent which relieves the pressure on my nerves. Who knew? Now, im able to ride my 2012 zx6r with very minimal pain. The pain meds help too. For the record, ive been on my meds for over 6 years so they dont make me intoxicated just functional. Thought I'd share my (odd) story and situation. If at first you don't succeed, keep sucking until you do suck seed (or, try try again).
😷🏍💨👍
Congratulations man!
Just loved the sound of this baby. Specially at idle and take off. It's just so unique and awesome! After listening to awesome four-pots singing all my life I never thought there would be something else that could also sound awesome 👌👌. Would have been great if you would have shown us some more of how she sounds when revved hard. Cheers!
I love your reviews. You're very clear and deliberate with your delivery.. And -very important - I always know I'll see you "give it the beans"
Falcon Time I don't understand the reference, has it to do with mexicans?
I love these commute videos, good job!
I think this review is pretty accurate. I just got mine and love it. It has a very compliant ride. My s1000R was like riding on a brick. The bike really feels more than 15lbs heavier than the 1200RS. All said, I view this as a great all around bike.
I liked the way you quick shifted! Also that boxer sound, mmm!
Awesome video, congratulations on the new house!
Adam: No one else makes a Boxer Twin!
Ural: Держи мою водку, товарищ.
Ural does
You need to make a t shirt with the slogan "Give her the beans" that somehow features a motorcycle and your haircut.
I can see that! A Moto with the frizz and beans shooting out the exhaust! 😉
Congratulations on the house!! That's incredible the work that must've taken!
For sure! Especially in CA
@@leobuckey Really, gotta be doing real good buy any property out there.
They seem like great bikes, but by the time you add the options you want, the sticker shock is quite significant.
Congrats on the new house! Man, that is a longer commute.
And ofcourse, in true BMW fashion, hardly any turn signaling.
I bought a 2020 bmw r1250rt last week and have started having the urge to tailgate the car in front of me, change lanes without signaling and stopping at every starbucks i pass.
In Germany you must use turn signals. It’s Americans who don’t use them. Bitte schön; you’re welcome. 👌🏼
I think he usually uses them, if I remember correctly.
@@supertroopercj5 hahaha hey I go to my local Café, NOT Starbucks 🤣 but all the rest is true
KLRJUNE You can find bad drivers all over the world. From a driving competence perspective, northern european drivers are the best. Motorcyclists in particular.
Great reviews everytime enjoy your new home 👌
Very honest review on this RS. Thanks for this sharing.
Anyone else notice that the RPM redline slowly went up as the bike warmed up? That's pretty cool
BMW started adjusting the redline based on engine temp on their M series cars back in the late 90s or early 2000s. Helps prevent wear and damage from over revving a cold engine. They might not have been the first to do this, but they're the first I'd heard of.
Mine does that
My previous BMW and current BMW both do that. I don't know when they started but I always thought it was a good idea. I still don't even take it up close to the redline until water and oil temp have settled in.
I remember the last inline 6 powered BMW M3 had feature.
Just like the BMW M cars during the early 2000's. Which is more cool because of the analog tach.
I was not a fan off BMW bike but now am wont one for a every day ride great video sweet bike 👌
Thanks Adam, good review!
The RT is a better long distance touring bike, but it is heavier and bulkier. The RS is more nimble and slightly faster. It also does an excellent job of long distance touring. They each have their niches and if one had to have one bike, the RS would be a great choice.
Are you touring with one now?
I have a 2016 R1200RS which I used to tour long distance on. Perfect bike for that purpose. I also go motocamping on my RS.
Besides being heavier and bulkier, the biggest difference is telelever front suspension on RT (and GS), this one has usd forks which I prefer. It has more feedback from the front wheel.
Hey Adam you will like vista, out your back door are great rides in the mountains. so funny what some people talked about the bmw in general.
The rt is the best bike for sport touring and has incredible protection against the cold and rain.
Nice video you did on the 1250rs
Thank for review,real pro driver
MC Commute needs a short start-up and exhaust clip at the beginning, hear how the latest and greatest sounds 👌
Great video!!!! Love the bike
You’re always so cool to give Berlin a shoutout. 👌🏼 But I think you slightly missed the target. We’re in SoCal a riding Mecca, and this bike is for someone who does all 3: commute/tour/sport. Too bad Irv Seaver (?) didn’t attach a set of bags to demo. Much better than wearing a darn backpack and plenty of clearance. On the other side with just a top case, it’s still very narrow for safer splitting/filtering the 405 and PCH. The new Boxer Twin ist ausgezeichnet! 👌🏼🇩🇪
It’s interesting, I’m on my third beemer and always had Munich in my head rather than Berlin! As soon as he said it I had to look it up and I was like ‘huh, now I know!”
When you comb your hair with a balloon...
Cosmo Kramer Jr. or going 120mph on a naked with no helmet on is what I think haha
Being bald it makes me glad I don't have the opportunity to make such a bad decision 😎😎😎😎😄😄😄🍺🍺🍺
Very cool looking bike. Seems the bike handling also very good. I think I would buy this for commute
1:26 with that styling and colour a spartan helmet comes to mind, it looks great
Congrats! And dude I have to give it to you, you're a very skilled rider. Stay safe!
It does bother me that BMW makes these bags extra. Otherwise, it's a bike I've been definitely looking at for years. thanks for the ride!
YEEESS!!! He let the checks go through before starting the bike 😂
You have this OCD too, eh? People who rush through this deserve the 20 year old Kawasaki's that they own.
Sorry, what does this mean? (new rider here)
Congratulations on the house :)
I bet I would love this bike. I got to demo ride the K1600 GTL in the rain at the Cycle World progressive motorcycle show in Long Beach, a few years ago. I fricken loved it.
Thanks for good video.
Thanks for the informative video. Your insight is similar to mine when I test rode that bike. I am really considering one.
Not sure if it is just me but it is tough to watch without getting nauseous. Of course I expect your head will move the camera around while riding but the worst part is when you're off of the bike and commenting at the beginning and end of the video.
Of course if the camera was on his chest you’d get a view of the instruments only.........no perfect solution I guess
congrats on the house. If you see a 60th anniversary r1 on the 5, throw me a wave!
Agreed. It should come with at least side bags standard.
Of course this is a very beautiful motorcycle
What is the forward lean angle like on this bike compared to the r1250r and the r1250rt? As far as it being "big". It isn't really, at 87 inches long. Big bikes start at 90 inches and go up from there --- at least around here.
I understand why everyone scoffs at the nature of paying more for the “character” of a BMW or Ducati, but you actually hit on the real difference in the review which is the low end power and torque that a twin offers vs inline/parallel motors. Sure there’s also the styling and packaging which is way different and more expensive than most of the Japanese bikes. But, really, it’s all about the motors, at least to me.
Congrats on the new house.
WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!! YES!!
Just about to switch from a Ducati Supersport S, 2019..... HOPE I enjoy the BMW experience! Also hoping it gets out oy the corners as quick! Really loved the Ducati,,,, !
even the R1100RS from 1993 with the paralever rear (and telelever) still looks stunning.
Max torque was 70.07 ft/lbs (95.0 Nm) @ 5500 RPM
accept for the headlight.
It's ridiculous 😉✌, that an US-Guy makes the best report for an R1250RS.
Good job 👍
I got this same exact bike for 16840.00 in Austin Yellow . I cant wait till warm weather !
Vista ca, damn man you're going to have a 55 mile commute to Irvine one way daily.
I gotta say waist up stretch is where I'm wanting improvemt. Also love the lane filtering, not a lot of Harleys and such can do that, when i ride: usually alone and lane filter ppl look at me like I'm nuts. LOL 😆
Do you prefer the R1250R to this bike?
got a 2020 RS and I can tell a big difference between road and dynamic mode settings, I also have a ninja 1000 the only thing those two bikes have in common are handle bars and removeable hard cases
Do you like Ninja1000 more or BMW ??
Does anyone know at what RPM the shiftcam kicks in, yo?
That’s a nice lookin bike
Too bad it's not coming to Brazil. That's my idea of "bike for life". Totally delicious!
I'm pretty sure the difference between dynamic and dynamic pro is that dynamic pro lets you customize the sub-settings whereas dynamic is preset adjustments from road mode. That's the way it is on my s1000r at least.
The King Buzzo of motorcycling.
Great video. I was wondering if you could comment on the speed compared to a Japanese liter bike.
Love this video, you come in very hot!! Give your brakes a work out! Love it! Thanks.
The engine sounds good.. at least from what I am heating so far.. I would imagine it would be more bassy in person..
I just took an RS for a 30 min spin today for demo day by me. I used to own a gsa, and I’ve test rode an s1000rr, r18, k1600, 1250rt. Have to say the new RS was hands down my favorite to ride. Awesome power. It’s fast and really does make all its power down low. Felt faster than the s1000rr because of this but too end of course is where the s1000rr does its work. The dash is amazing with all its features and visibility. Love seeing a picture of the bike in one menu with all the specs of how the bikes running. Love the mechanical sound of the motor when you gas it (cam shift tech). I’m 6’2 190 and only gripe is I would like my legs to have less of a bend. Thicker/taller seat would be perfect. Windshield needs to be way bigger. Engine breaking in second gear is aggressive but higher gears not so much. Im still thinking about how I can get one in my garage
The BMW M2B15 was released in 1920 with a flat twin that was opposed within the frame, the 1923 R32 is when the engine was opposed perpendicular to the frame. So wouldn't that make it a 100 years of the "boxer" style engine? Also congrats on the home.
Holy crap Adam! You have that thing leaned WAY over in some of the offramp turns.
We get it, you don't like proximity keys. How many times have you lost a proximity key?
Adam, im actually so glad this is some random park, and not your house. stalkers are real.
congratulations on the new property. should we expect MCGarage from Adam's house?
Love from Nepal 🍻🍻✌
Hi, thank you for the review, did you feel any vibration in the handle bar ?
I would love to know what this bike feels like two up touring. Can completely change the dynamic. Looking for a goldilocks that’s big enough for couple touring but small enough to be enjoyable commuting.
After decades of racing and riding sport bikes on the street, I finally decided to act my age (68 at the time) and get a sensible bike. Traded my S1000RR for the R1250RS and have had no regrets. Wifey weighs 100 pounds and two-up riding is a breeze. I believe that the electronic suspension does some auto compensation for the passenger. She used to stoically endure riding on the back of all sorts of torture racks (S1000RR, GSXR-750, CBR900). She loves trips on the R1250RS.
Off course there is a difference between suspension and driving modes... and is noticeable
wow ... even the rev limiter moves with the oil/water temperature
Vista, you're not going to commute 5 days a week from down there are you?
Barbers are still closed in CA? Too much break dive! If you are used to GS, it is very uncomfortable as bars are way lower than a touring bike position.
Thanks for you wonderful review. Please review Kawasaki Z H2.
Adam, two part question. What is that GPS system and will you be commuting from Vista to the Irvine office?
You explained the GPS should have watched the video first
when you're giving it the beans
I live in Vista too so maybe I’ll see you around!!
Hasta la Vista!
Beautiful ride and description . Liked your skills. I would not do wheelies on mine. Not adventurous like you . Hats off to you. All the best
So, how about this bike as a commuter? 53 miles each way a lot of highway.
Is this supposed to compete with naked sport bikes or street adventure style bikes?
Telelever was the best front suspension I have enjoyed on a bike.
Actually you can config Dynamic pro mode to allow the rear wheel to lock while breaking 🤫
Your hair is more wild than a Turbo 'Busa!
Congratulations on your house purchase mate!
LOL, DUDE, every time I see your crazy hair you remind me of Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld. 🤣👌🏻
i want this bikewith xr performance and engine
Best motorcycle available for sporty sport touring.
This is such a nice motorcycle. I saw one of these when I went to the gym this morning and it is not as big of a bike as you might think and it sounds great. I do however, think that this bike should adopt the inline four from the S1000RR to suit its more sporting intentions.
Why is no-one talking about his trim? What's with the grey short back and sides and the sideshowbob top?
Was it good? Sorted and good?
It's not a naked ST. It's basically analogous to my Ninja1000ABS. Both are faired ST bikes.
How does this BMW compare with the Ninja 1000?
Probably sportier, not as comfy, and faster
Givin' er the beans! heh heh heh - I love it :)
how many takes on the intro adam? :)