SHOOTING THE COAST II / ISSUE 3 2019 / 59Type AIR-/LIQUID-COOLED, FOUR-STROKE FLAT TWIN W/BMW SHIFTCAMDisplacement 1,254CC
Bore X Stroke 102.5 X 76.0 MM
Compression Ratio 12.5:1
Valvetrain DOHC, 4 VALVES/CYLINDERInduction ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION W/ RIDE-BY-WIRE
Final Drive 6-SPEED/SHAFT DRIVEFront
SuspensionBMW 37MM TELELEVER FORK,
CENTRAL SPRING STRUT; 4.7-IN.
Rear
SuspensionBMW PARALEVER, WAD STRUT
W/ ADJUSTABLE PRELOAD AND
REBOUND; 5.4-IN.
Front Tire METZELER ROADTEC Z8 INTERACT 120/70-17Rear Tire METZELER ROADTEC Z8 INTERACT 180/55-17
Rake / Trail 25.9°/4.6 IN
Wheelbase 58.5 IN.
Seat Height 32.3 IN.
Fuel Capacity 6.6 GAL.
Dry Weight 600 LB.Horsepower 128.1 HP @ 7,500 RPM
Torque 95.7 LB.-FT. @ 6,200 RPM
Fuel Consumption 43.4 MPG AVG.
Quarter Mile 11.13 SEC. @ 120.5 MPH
0-30 1.32 SEC.
0-60 2.96 SEC.
0-100 6.8 SEC.
Top-Gear Roll on 40-60 2.94 SEC.
Top-Gear Roll on 60-80 3.08 SEC.
Braking 30-0 30.38 FT.
Braking 60-0 121.14 FT.
Price $26,794 (AS TESTED)CHASSIS
ENGINE
2019
BMW
R 1250 RTCW MEASURED
PERFORMANCE
BMW R1250 RT- Max Power: 128.1hp @ 7500rpm •Max Torque: 95.7 lb.-ft. @ 6200rpm
RPMx1000HORSE POWER TORQUE FT-LBS
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30(^202 3) 4 5 6 7 8 9
I should mention that Barb also likes to travel with quite
a bit of gold bullion in her saddlebag, along with a 5-gallon
bottle of Costco creme rinse, so we were well loaded.
Mark hefted her luggage when we left the hotel, raised
one eyebrow, turned to me and said, “Slate shingles?”
I just shrugged. I don’t really know what’s in there, but
it’s dense enough to bend light.
Despite that load and the bike’s 642-pound curb
weight—as measured on the CW scale—the BMW imme-
diately gains composure when you start rolling and lift
speed is achieved. Wheels up, the RT transforms itself
into a proper fighter jet. The suspension—which can be
set to self-adjustment for load—smooths out road undula-
tions beautifully and handles curves like a sportbike. And,
of course, that 1,254cc engine, with its two-stage cam-
and-rocker arrangement, makes big power (128 hp on
our dyno) and torque (nearly 96 pound-feet) coming off
corners. And everywhere else. Need to pass a motorhome
and six timid cars in a short passing zone? Just do it, right
now. It’s one of the great motors.
Which is good, because Jeff led us on some wonder-
fully curvy roads though the forests and hills of central
California after we left Santa Barbara. We took the lovely
two-lane of Highway 154 up along Lake Cachuma and had
coffee in Los Olivos—made famous in the movie “Side-
ways”—then hooked through the Zaca and Alisos canyons
back to the busier Highway 101. At Paso Robles we sud-
denly veered northwest onto the narrow and curving pave-
ment of State Road G4, across Fort Hunter Liggett—usual-
ly open to civilian traffic—and over the coastal mountains
on Nacimiento-Fergusson Road to the Coast Highway.
Now, I thought I’d been on every back road in Califor-
nia about six times, thanks to many years of magazine
photo shoots, but I’d entirely missed Nacimiento Road,
whose miles of tight turns, sheer drop-offs and steep
coastal vistas have to be seen to be believed. Mark and
Jeff were amazed I’d never been there, while Barb was
amazed I didn’t kill us by plunging off a cliff. And I was
amazed by what a handful the RT was in highly cambered
uphill 10-mph hairpin turns. I want to come back as
soon as possible with something very light and agile, like
Mark’s Yamaha WR250R dual-sport bike. Pure bliss.
After the workout of Nacimiento, the sweeping curves of
Coast Highway through Big Sur seemed almost effortless
and gave us a chance to soak in the beauty of this world-fa-
mous stretch of road, which in the misty afternoon light
looked like a mystical landscape painting from either the
Ming Dynasty or our favorite Chinese restaurant. Traffic was
moderate, seemingly composed of about 50 percent rental
Mustang convertibles. Lots of white-haired retired couples,
young honeymooners and visitors from Asia and Europe
parked at a scenic overlook where we stopped to rest.
I was about to take a shortcut path to the restroom,
when Jeff pointed out a small sign that said, “POISON
OAK,” and I froze in my tracks. In California, this sign has