BMW R1250RT
The R1250RT added ShiftCam variable valve timing to the full-dress boxer tourer favored by police fleets worldwide.
Made to order: your copy is researched, fact-checked, and typeset to our standard, then delivered within about two weeks. We'll email you the moment it's ready.
About the BMW R1250RT (2019-2024)
The R1250RT is BMW's full-dress sport-tourer: a big boxer twin (two cylinders lying flat, one each side) under a fairing, with an electric screen, hard luggage and shaft drive. It arrived for 2019 with the 1,254 cc ShiftCam engine, which switches between two intake cam profiles for both low-rpm torque and top-end power. A 2021 facelift brought a new nose, a 10.25 inch dash, cornering ABS and optional radar cruise control.
The appeal is effortless distance. The torque spread low down is what you feel, the Telelever front end keeps the nose from diving under hard braking, and the 25 litre tank gives genuine range.
Specifications at a glance
| Years | 2019 to 2024 (replaced by the R1300RT) |
| Engine | 1,254 cc ShiftCam boxer twin |
| Output | 136 hp (100 kW) at 7,750 rpm |
| Torque | 143 Nm (105 lb-ft) at 6,250 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed, shaft final drive |
| Weight | 279 kg (615 lb) ready to ride |
| Fuel capacity | 25 litres (6.6 US gal) |
| Seat height | 805 or 825 mm (31.7 or 32.5 in) |
Known issues to check before you buy
- Front brake calipers (2019-2020 recall). BMW recalled these bikes for front calipers that could weep fluid while parked, lowering the reservoir. Dealers fitted improved calipers, so check the fluid level and confirm the work on the record.
- Swingarm pivot pin (2020 recall). The pin joining the final drive to the swingarm could be damaged, loosening that joint and upsetting stability. Confirm the campaign was done on a 2020 bike.
- Driveshaft splines. BMW does not list spline greasing in the schedule, and they leave the factory dry. Owners pull the final drive every couple of years and pack the splines with Molub-Alloy paste; dry splines wear the shaft and can destroy the final drive.
- Exhaust flap valve. The servo-operated valve in the exhaust is a known failure point. Cycle the ignition and listen for its self-test.
- ShiftCam rattle under load. Owners report a rattle around 4,000 to 4,200 rpm from as early as 7,000 miles, which some dealers link to the variable valve gear. Ride it at that rpm in a high gear, not just at idle.
- Dash and corrosion. Owner reports point to the screen and multimedia glitching, and to more corrosion on fasteners than the price suggests. Work through every dash function and look behind the panniers.
Owning one
Service is the whole story: oil roughly every 6,000 miles, a valve clearance check at 12,000 miles (20,000 km), and an owner who has actually greased the splines. This volume documents the BMW R1250RT (2019-2024) specifically: verified specifications, the documented weak points and how to inspect each, the service data, and the parts and owner community that keep them running.
Inside this volume
Known issues & a buyer's guide
The documented weak points for this exact model, how to inspect each, and what a proper fix costs.
Full specifications
Every published figure, engine and frame detail, and running change, with the conflicts flagged, not guessed.
Systems & maintenance
Engine, fueling, electrical, and chassis, plus service intervals and torque and fluid data.
Parts & community
Where the parts are, what cross-references, and the clubs and forums that keep the model alive.
Make it your bike.
We fold in your year, your engine and options, your rebuilds and modifications, your VIN, and your own motorcycle's photo on the cover. The book stops describing the bike that left the factory and starts describing the one in your garage.