In many ways, I am a complete and utter child. Friends, family, and (especially) ex-girlfriends can attest to this. One of the reasons for this is my obsession with things like supercars. Like lots of people I love the speed, the noises they make, and the way they look (for the most part). But by far, I love how they can connect people in an instant. Now you’re saying “that’s not a very childish reason”, see how mature I can be? During one of those mature moments, while riding the 2016 BMW R1200RT back to BMW’s Canadian headquarters, reflecting on the past week, it dawned on me: I love this bike because it is actually a supercar. Here are 5 reasons why this bike is actually a supercar, and in some cases, better than one.
- The attention it gets.
For many people, this is one of the only reasons they buy a supercar. Most men seem predisposed to the idea that a Lamborghini = flocks of women lusting after them, wherever they may be. In reality, much of the general public seems annoyed by the flashiness and ostentation of supercars. Much to the dismay of many owners, supercars attract more men than women, and even then, reactions are a mixed bag. It seems people are either enthralled by the performance and styling of such a machine, or just think you’re a prick for driving one. They might even assume the car was purchased as “compensation”. This is where the R1200RT is better than a supercar: It attracts everyone in a very positive way. Don’t believe me? Drive the RT four kilometers through Toronto’s downtown core while blasting Drake’s “One Dance” on the loud speakers, then get back to me.
- The sounds.
Without a doubt the sound of a supercar is some of the biggest appeal, and the R1200RT has sounds in spades. The horizontally opposed, twin-cylinder boxer engine throws out a raspy grunt at each turn of the throttle, and winding it up high in the RPM band provides some serious satisfaction. The sounds this bike spits out bring just as much joy to my ears as any supercar ever would.
- The speed.
You’d think that in this department the R1200RT would fit in as well as a chicken in a slaughterhouse. Now, if you imagined that said chicken was armed with hand grenades and a mini-gun, you’d be on the right track. The R1200RT is shockingly fast, and when it has a skilled rider in the saddle, it can eat supercars like Trump drinks bottles of tanning oil – by the dozen. The R1200RT is capable of reaching 100 km/h from a standstill in three seconds flat. That’s faster than a Ferrari Enzo, McLaren F1, Pagani Huayra, Porsche Carrera GT, and quite a few others which I won’t embarrass here.
- The creature comforts.
If I didn’t kill enough of your heroes above, brace yourself. The R1200RT easily provides significantly more of these comforts and practicality than most supercars would if they had a second trunk. Heated grips, heated seats (yes, plural – your passenger will also be warm), keyless start, an electronically adjustable windshield, and 110+ litres of (remotely) locking pannier and top case storage make the R1200RT arguably more comfortable and practical than a 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus (reviewed here) with the top down…or up. The RT doesn’t melt in the rain.
- Riding one turns you into a bit of an ass.
So this one may be a touch subjective, but the R1200RT did give me a bit of a supercar complex. Its sheer awesomeness made me care very little about the way I looked, as whatever buffoonery I exuded would easily be cancelled out by the bike’s aforementioned awesomeness – as per Newton’s third law of buffoonery. This meant that despite wearing bright pink socks, shorts, and a coffee-stained tank top, I felt like a badass riding this bike – when I stepped off of it, I looked like a true ass. Thanks BMW. (Full disclosure: I was one long before buying a BMW. Source: ex-girlfriend).
The short of it is this: the 2016 BMW R1200RT is just as good as, if not better than, a supercar in every way that really counts. Especially when it comes to the price. At $21,250 Canadian this bike is really a budget supercar, and I damn well love it.
