R 1200 RT

2008 BMW R 1200 RT Technical Analysis & Specification Breakdown

At the heart of the 2008 BMW R 1200 RT touring motorcycle, BMW relies on a 1170 cc (71.4 cu in) oil & air-cooled two cylinder boxer, two-stroke powerplant. In factory specification, peak output is rated at 108.6 HP (79.3 kW) at 7,500 rpm while maximum torque reaches 115 Nm (84.8 lb-ft) at 6,000 rpm, transferring power to the rear wheel through a 6-speed gearbox and shaft drive (cardan) final drive. With a specific output of 92.8 HP per liter and a 1,500 rpm working window between peak torque (6,000 rpm) and peak power (7,500 rpm), the engine character is indicating a tractable, stress-free state of tune focused on everyday usability and broad torque delivery.

On the scales, the R 1200 RT measures 204 kg (450 lbs) wet (curb), translating to a power-to-weight ratio of 0.53 HP/kg (1.88 kg per horsepower). Rider ergonomics and chassis geometry center around a 820 mm (32.3 in) seat height — resulting in a taller command-style riding posture suited to medium-to-tall inseams, combined with a 1,485 mm (58.5 in) wheelbase engineered for balanced agility and highway composure. The 16-liter (4.2 US gal) fuel tank paired with a rated consumption of 3.6 L/100 km provides an estimated theoretical range of roughly 444 km (276 miles) between fill-ups.

Within MotoLibrary's BMW archive, this model family spans 13 indexed model years from 2006 to 2019, allowing buyers to track year-over-year changes in emissions tuning, weight and equipment.