Is the "touring package" really worth 2k+ R1200RT

[liv2ride]

sickticket,

I presume by "touring package" you are actually referring to the "premium package". If that is the case I will tell you that I did not think it was worth it...for me. I highly recommend option 435 which is the premium equipment. I did not pursue the option ZAC "Audio and Communications" for the following reasons: 1) I heard the bluetooth capability is problematic. 2) This package includes satellite radio capability of which there is no service where I live. 3) I prefer to stream audio from my cell phone via iheart, pandora, etc and figured I would get the best audio quality via a bluetooth headset setup in my helmet.

I hope this helps. I have owned many bikes throughout my life and this bike is without question the best I have ever thrown my leg over. The best thing about it...it's mine!

Aloha.

Scot

[Jason]

I have a 2011 with the radio and use it fairly regularly - but I also tend to drive for hours at a time. I usually start off quiet then turn it on after a while.

Oddly, the only time I listen to music anymore is when I'm on the bike.

Regarding sound, if you're going under about 45MPH you'll hear it fine. I put on a taller windscreen and can now hear it easily up to about 90MPH.

I'm 6'3 and a lot of my height is in my torso so if you're less tall than that, you will probably have an even better time of it.

I don't have the GPS; I use WAZE when I'm within cell range and TomTom on my iPhone when I'm out.

Waze is fantastic - tells you about traffic, police, etc on your route. Really love it.

[MPMARTY]

I wouldn't give up my "glove box" for a radio if it was free and certainly wouldn't buy one.

[Atomicman52]

XM Stereo Bluetoothed from a Zumo 665 to JM Corp. Elite BT headset monted in a Shoei RF-1100 and use of 31 NRR earplugs asa amazingly great sound, regardless of speed.

Love having the XM and Mp3's, Verbal Diretions and Phone all avialble in my helmet!

Music when riding: I never leave home without it.


Not the least bit distracting and the fidelity is excellent!

[racer7]

Whether one considers something distracting is a matter of opinion I suppose.

But there is also the simple fact that accident rates are worst for inexperienced and returning riders - that means less than 5 years of real riding experience. Defensive driving skills on a bike need to be a lot better than in a cage if you expect long term accident free experience.
Stock BMW bikes come with enough widgies and things for new owners to learn to use without having to look down at the bars already. The more stuff you add, the more potential distractions exist, especially for newbie or returning riders. Not so much of n issue for folks who've used bike for transporation for much of their life.

Anyone living around other people is familiar with the increased number of accidents caused by distracted drivers in cages and I sure wouldn't want to try to make the case the playing with widgies on a bike is as safe or safer than in a cage. Not so many of do most of our riding on relatively deserted roads..

[Trojan]

XM Stereo Bluetoothed from a Zumo 665 to JM Corp. Elite BT headset monted in a Shoei RF-1100 and use of 31 NRR earplugs asa amazingly great sound, regardless of speed.

Love having the XM and Mp3's, Verbal Diretions and Phone all avialble in my helmet!

Music when riding: I never leave home without it.


Not the least bit distracting and the fidelity is excellent!

What he said, except I run the 665 through an Autocom, use 33 nrr earplugs, and pipe it into a Neotec. XM and Mp3 through the Zumo (download iTunes songs to the Zumo after making them compatible), leaves the radio box empty for your gummy bears or Kimber 1911, and the phone bluetooths through the Zumo. Life is good. Distracting? Don't screw around with the controls in traffic.

[the_snake1201]

All of the low seat/suspension RT's that were in stock at my dealer had the radio option, so I had no choice if I wanted to indulge in my impulsive urge to buy. I only listen to the radio on the slab, and can hear it clearly at speeds up to the mid 70's with an aftermarket shield. On back roads, I prefer no music. You will certainly need the manual to navigate the controls at first, but you'll quickly get used to them, and should be able to operate it with minimal distraction in no time.

[scalese01@verizon.net]

Thank you all and for Racer7, you have voiced my exact concerns. I have already told my wife that she gets no rides until I have months of daily commutes. Luckily the times that I will be commuting are 2:00 pm and 1:00 am. The cages are rare except for Friday night but the unknown is always around the corner - deer.

The touring package is out but I am already looking into added lights to see the deer and I am wondering if the P3 type of LED's are legal in Penna. Anyone know and are they worth the cost?

[187132]

When I bought my new 2012 RT I didn't want one with the audio package due to the extra cost. They had 2 bikes on the showroom floor. They were basically identical in everything except one had the radio and one didn't. When I decided to buy the one without the radio was sold. I didn't want to wait for the new 2013's to arrive so I bought the one with everything. Now I'm glad that I have it. On really long rides it nice to have the tunes and not deal with ear buds. Also nice that my BMW Nav sounds is through the speakers too.

[ClassicVW]

Resale is proportional to whatever the MSRP is. Yes, you'll get more on resale, but you'll pay 2K more to buy it! Pay 2K less, get 2K less on resale. I don't see the problem that the dealer is talking you into.

When I was looking at the RTs, the only choice was premium package or no premium package, you could not pick and choose individual options, and the stock numbers were quite heavily favored toward the loaded bikes. So if you really want one that's non-premium package and you find one, buy it ASAP.

[apexal]

I could not find an RT without the touring package. It seems that all the BMWs at the local dealers have a standard selection of options (touring package, TPM, ESA, etc) so there's no choice. Myself I've never used the radio on my RT. Maybe it really is an east coast thing so if I ever take it out west I'll be all set!

[z3406]

I've been riding for about 40 years and this past summer my aging body required me to move from my Aprilia Futura to something more accomidating to my aging body. I bought a new 2012 R1200RT from a dealer over 300 miles from home. The deal was exceptionally good I basically got the premium package for free and also got the BWM GPS for free due to the special promotion BMW was having that month. The 300 mile ride home with the radio playing thru the bike's speakers was interesting, Wind noise pretty well drowning out the speakers while at speed but did help break up the monotony of long highway stretches. The BMW grip controller for the radio was a great help, able to retune the radio while riding and not requiring too much of my attention. Once home I purchased a pair of Sena SMH10 Bluetooth headsets. I have my cell phone paired to the headsest along with the BMW radio by the Bluetooth. About a month later I took the bike on a ride from Kentucky to Homestead FL to see the AMA race weekend, about 1100 miles each way. I didn't want to deal with tuning the radio all the time so I put my MP3 audios on a thumb drive and connected that to the USB plug in the glove box. The BWM radio will play the music thru the Sena headset along with the GPS instructions. This was mostly an Interstate drive so the music in the headsets really helped break up the monotony. When I got to Fl I rode with a friend who coincidentally also had a Sena and it was new to me to be able to ride and carry on a conversation with someone by the headsets and even answer incoming phone calls. By the time I got home i had listened to over 300 of the songs on my thumb drive and found that the effortless background audio a great help. The BMW radio also has built in XM satellite radio which would allow long distance riding without constant radio tuning. Another nice feature of the premium package is the BMW onboard computer mostly for range information. The premium package also has the ESAII suspension, no tool suspension adjustment is a good thing, after 6 days in the saddle I can tell you that switching from normal to comfort mode does make a difference.The premium package grip and seat heaters also got a tryout on the ride really really helpful in maintaining comfort, Temps on the trip ranged from the 40's to the 90's. When I bought the bike I told the dealer that I didn't want to pay any extra for fluff items like the radio or ESAII, now I wouldn't buy a bike of this type without them. One final thing if the bike did not have cruise control I would not have even attempted the ride to Fl

[Norms 427]

This is what showed on my 2012 build sheet, and for me it was worth the $$.

Touring Package $2195
Chrome Exhaust
ESA II
Heated Seat
Heated Grips
Cruise Control
Computer
2 Acc Sockets


However, I definitely didn't want this package:

Audio and Communications $1,295
Bluetooth
Radio
SiriusXM

Just my personal preferences.

[sedanman]

I got the touring package and the satellite radio package, no regrets. My bike will have no resale value, it's not for sale. lol

[racer7]

Re that comment about lights.
To get a combo of max light to avoid deer and to add stuff for conspicuity, there are a lot things you can do- but I'd start by researching threads on light choice and install, then asking here or at advrider for comparison and detail info so you can get questions answered by folks who have used a lot of different types/

I admit to both doing a bunch of night riding and to being a light junkie- I learned light installs and selection from guys who supplied the rally circuit in the 1960s, 70s.

Here's what I think is a minimal "covers all bases" set with some comments
1) HID low beam conversion- 4300K bulbs. Adds more distance to low. This is not a great idea on some bikes but works OK with the RT reflector.
2) Pair of 10W LED mounted either on forks or below oil cooler with 15-20 degree beam.
In many locations can be left always on for the triangle conspicuity effect and adds fill and width to low beam ouput
3) Pair of halogen driving lights (euro beam width, not pencil) on mounts (like the BMR or homemade or whatever) up near the mirrors and tie their switching and relay circuit to the bikes existing high beam switch. This simplifies ergos o fuse and dimming so you'll use them more. (Out west where I didn't have oncoming traffic I'd use HIDs instead for this but that needs an extra switch and the ergos of use get worse if you have to dim a bunch).
4) On the rear to supplement the factory tailight, 1 or both of either Skene P3 and the BMW Accessory Taillight (as used on many cop bikes in the US and Canada)

Obviously there are many other ways to go, also. I lived a lot of my life in deer country and put my first lights on a bike around 1970- by adding one on top of the headlight of my Kawasaki specifically to help spot deer- so I understand what you're trying to do and why. Most of those PA deer are pretty small bodied (we used to joke about going dog hunting in PA after we filled our tags in NY) but there sure are a lot of them. The closest several near misses I've had have been in PA- those woods right up to the road edge give them plenty of hiding spots close to traffic. Nowhere near as bad where I live in NC even though its mostly rural riding and we kill our share here.

Re the legal issue- never heard of anyone on a bike getting hassled simply for extra lights if done right and not misused. I remember some very weird inspection laws from my days in PA in the early 70s (eg no "metallic brake linings") but don't have current info. Check with the guys at your local BMW shop and club and don't be deterred- you can always put quick disconnects in the power leads and disconnect only for inspection if needed. Safety is the most important thing- you can't avoid what you can't see.

You do need to know and understand ALL of the risks of night riding (there are more than a few who deliberately avoid it). The best text on safety issues specific to motorcycling is David Hough's "Proficient Motorcycling". He's added a second volume and third, also, but the first will get you started. Highly recommended. Whether or not they've ever read the text, the guys with a lot of safe time on bikes know and understand this info.