CLASSIC TOURING

‘HOW CAN THE EQUIVALENT BIKE BE SO large?” I ask Ross, my modern-bike-loving colleague. We are both looking at the brand new, £19,000 BMW R1250RT and alongside, its direct predecessor, a 1989 BMW R100RT. Though the R100 is one of the last, its design harks back to 1978 and further; so effectively they are 40 years apart. “I’m not sure; the new one has lots and lots of gadgets, more power; in fact more everything,” smiles Ross.

There have been touring bikes before – look at the Brough Superior with its effortless speed, or the Ascot Pullin with its enclosed bodywork. And look at how many millions of miles folk have managed on Enfields around the world. But BMW made the RT range to appeal to touring riders with a bike made specifically for them.

Both those you see here are designed for long-distance riding; though the R100 largely started it and the R1250 is the culmination of 40 years of evolution. Both share the boxer engine configuration, though the R1250 has more than twice the power. It also has, depending on which figures you read, 50kg (110lb) more weight – and it feels more. Besides that, it has more gadgets than a spaceship, whereas the R100 is, in this company, sparce; though