To begin with, I'm not trying to say that my 24 year old /7 was near the bike that the newer RT is, but there are things I like about both and wanted to share my feelings. I've always done my own service work and feel like I get a better running bike than most people do at a dealer. Not bragging, it's just that a mechanic can't afford to spend the time it takes to really get a boxer running at it's best. It's a time consuming job. Therefore the RT I was riding didn't run quite as well as the one I owned. It surged a little (not bad, but noticable), and my /7 never had this problem. It also had a little hesitation at times when you twisted the throttle. Also not a problem on the /7. These problems could both be taken care of if someone had the time to spend getting everything just right. If you do your own service, it's easier to get it right on the airheads. My /7 has a Luftmiester fairing and I'd have to say the weather protection is about equal. The fuel milage is about the same on both bikes and it depends on riding style. I think the smoother engine of the /7 can be atributed to the difference in the combustion chamber size. You have 50 more CCs in each cylinder of the R1100 firing opposite each other. I'd have to say the overall comfort level for the rider is about the same. This has a lot to do with how a bike fits a person. I'm tall (6'5") and the /7 fits me pretty good. The RT could stand to have the pegs lowered or the rest of the bike raised just a little to fit me. The seat is adjustable on the RT, but it still doesn't fit my body real well. My friend has ridden all day trips on the back of the /7 and she rode most of the 400 miles on the back of the RT with me. She said the /7 is much more comfortable riding on the back than the RT. The rear seat is much smaller on the RT than the rear of the /7 seat.
The RT is faster, has superior brakes, suspension, and the luggage didn't leak in the hours and hours I spent riding in the rain. You can see the gauges better at night, it has a fuel gauge and an adjustable windshield. This bike is fast, it holds the road good rain or shine and it will stop on a dime, the only way to tell the difference between 80 mph and 110 mph is to look at the speedo. It doesn't matter how fast you ride it, it handles great. In my opinion the draw backs are; It's a little buzzy in the grips at highway speeds, it's a little top heavy, maintenance is a little expensive and it eats tires. According to www.venturebmws.com the average yearly maintenance cost is $871.33. This is based on riding about 12,000 miles and only buying one set of tires. Depending on the tires you buy and your riding style, you could easily use up two sets of tires in 12,000 miles. If you ride more than this, it could add up fast.
The /7 is lighter, still pretty fast, smooth riding up to about 90 mph, lower center of gravity, easy to work on, parts are cheaper, and you'd be supprised how well the skinny tires hold the road. BTW, the tires last much longer. About 6,000 miles was all I ever got from a set of tires on the RT. I had 9,000 miles on the tires on my /7 with quite a bit to go. You couldn't hardly tell the front tire was worn at all. The draw backs to the /7 are; not real stable when you get near 100 mph, brakes are good, but not as good as the RT, if you can't work on it yourself it can be hard to find a mechanic, and the charging system is too weak to run extra lights, heated grips, heated clothes, etc. I enjoy my /7 because it is so easy to work on. To me, that's part of the fun.
When I joined the trailer trash the airhead just didn't have the power or brakes that I wanted for it. I know a lot of people pull trailers with them, but I wanted a little more. I pulled the trailer with a K1100LT for a while, but then went back to a R1100RT. The K1100 has more power, but the R1100 does a fine job also. At this point I'm back on an oil head and I've got it running fine and with a Sargent seat it fits better than the old RT did. In my opinion, it doesn't matter which BMW you ride. Every one I've been on has been great. It's all a matter of preference and what fits you. You try on pants, shirts, and shoes for the correct fit. You should do the same with a motorcycle.
