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R1300RT Rumors
When people find this blog through web searches, the absolute number one search that brings traffic here is a search for the notional BMW R1300RT. Now, this may be because I’m nearly the only-English-language web site to pull a story from the French Motosports web site MotoRevu about BMW releasing a bike of that very name in 2010. If so, it’s only natural that I get so much traffic from that search, because I have about the only content that matches it…in English, anyway.
The thing is, as near as I can tell, there is no hard information about a new generation of BMW boxer engines for 2010. And, to the extent there is, the most likely move is to a 1250cc boxer, not a 1300cc one. Oberdan Bezzi, the Italian motorcycle designer says that BMW’s next move is for the R1250GS, with and RT version coming a bit later. And BMW’s changes since the 1990s to the R-bikes have been 50cc bumps in displacement. That makes a 1250 more likely than a 1300 for the next-gen R-bikes.
But, of course, that’s just a rumor, too.
The bottom line is that, as of September 2009, there’s no firm indication of a change to the R1200-series bikes coming in 2010. And if there is one, BMW will announce it in the next 60 days or so. But, right now, all the rumors about a new R-bike are just that…rumors.
On Saturday 5th September I was discussing purchasing a second-hand R1200RT at my local BMW dealer – the guy I was speaking to happened to be the owner of the dealership. Â I suggested that the R12RT second-hand values may drop a little when the R1300RT comes out, and so it may be worth a waiting little.
He said something along the lines of “Yeah, sure that’s very possible – but then again BMWs are becoming more and more popular with new types of riders. Â When all the promotion and marketing for the R13RT hits the press people may check it out, decide its too expensive and look for a second-hand R12RT. This is exactly what had happened with the K1300S bikes, as soon as they were out people bought all our K12S’s, bumping up their values”
Not exactly a firm confirmation, but he was comfortable with my assumption of a new R13RT for 2010.