BMW R 1250 RS / Not Your Typical Review

[@RF-dg4ib]

I love this. The descriptive prose. The voice. The bleakness of the flat landscape. The mountains in the distance, offering hope. The music, eerie, ethereal, in tune with the solitude of a road with (almost) no traffic, on a beautiful smooth surface (tarmac) developed from the wok of a Scottish engineer (John McAdam) in the 1800s, without which the ride would not be possible. The bike, the r1250rs, beautiful.

[@boolacalaca]

Thank you for the wonderfully thoughtful comment. I enjoy making these videos purely as a creative exploration but it is also gratifying, when it happens, to have the effort received in such an elevated way that communicates a shared connection to the material -- where someone truly "gets it." When any art is shared as a durable mix of relatable content and rising emotions held in common, one might say we enjoy another form of "macadamisation" at the intersection of our individual journeys.

[@RF-dg4ib]

@@boolacalaca Yes, I get it. Shades of Robert Pirsig (but much shorter and accessible...)

[@graylunsford]

Beautifully filmed! I love the wind noise and the open vistas. The possibility of mountain roads in the distance enhanced my anticipation. Thanks

[@boolacalaca]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your wonderful comment.

[@be_early2024]

Nice roads you have over there for the ride, great music. The meandering horizons with that sky and low angle sun,-Dreamy…

[@boolacalaca]

There's something magical about the light at sunrise and sunset. I get up before the dawn, bundle up, and zoom through the wind chill to enjoy that light and avoid the usual mid-day traffic. It's great on these roads as long as I avoid heading East. Turning into that direct rising sun is brutal, at times impossible to see anything, so I pick routes going North, West, South until it gets later. Your comment nicely sums up my intention with the video. Great feedback, thanks!

[@grezallen]

Great piece of art - not a review as such - but something I can relate to - as a R1200RS owner - Thankyou !

[@boolacalaca]

Lots of reviews give the stats. I wanted to convey the feeling of the RS -- as a fellow RS owner, you know what I mean. Thanks so much for your great comment!

[@drewyager4020]

I have a 2020 and just got the update for sport display. Love it. The RS is a rock star that performs

[@brettkoski]

Most videos get me excited about researching and buying a bike, how it sounds, feels, handles. How much power it has or how much better it is than its predecessor or the competition. This video though, it's different... now all I want to do is walk out into the garage, hop on the R1250RS and go for a ride! Doesn't matter what you ride, just get out there and have fun and live in the moment. Thanks for sharing, great video/presentation!

[@boolacalaca]

You absolutely nailed the meaning and feeling of the video - it's terrific to get such great feedback and know my "non-typical review" connected in the way intended. Thanks so much for your comment! Spring is here - enjoy your rides!

[@makarlock]

An incredibly refreshing take on a standard motorcycle-KZbin review. Thanks for making this!

[@boolacalaca]

Thanks so much for the great comment -- so glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!

[@billy4rocks]

That was excellent, and very refreshing.

[@boolacalaca]

What great feedback! Thanks so much. Cheers!

[@RHAD-sy3oi]

Wow - thanks so much! Beautiful... peacefull...relaxing. Thank you for sharing a wonderful, therapeutic, graceful ride without pointless chatter or obnoxious music - just wind, motor, and God's creation flowing by. Very memorable.

[@boolacalaca]

It's fantastic hearing you share in the overall spirit of the video. I'm happy if it added a bit of peace and beauty and relaxation to your day. I took up motorcycles again after a 25 year hiatus both as an alternative to trauma therapy and believe it or not, as another method of spiritual practice. Indeed, flying through God's creation, enjoying His presence in living nature, is one of the best salves for the soul. Thanks, and all the best to you!

[@martyn_g]

Any BMW boxer is one of those bikes which so many people will stick the boot in, but most of those haven’t actually ridden one, and if they actually did, they’d buy it. I have a GSA - best bike I’ve ever ridden. I test rode it, and bought it🤘🏾😋

[@danreich4320]

I’ve had one. Terribly unreliable. I’ll never get another BMW. Once you’ve been burned by BMW, you never go back. You’ll see.

[@boolacalaca]

Well said, sums it up for me. I was skeptical until I rode it, then I was sold. Don't know where these people are getting these rumors about bad reliability. I group ride with guys with decades of long-distance touring on BMWs -- one guy has an 800,000 mile certificate from BMW on his 2004 r1200rs. He's about to take it on a 1100 mile ride in a couple of weeks through Death Valley. He's not worried about reliability. Neither is the leader of the monthly meet-up group I attend -- he's got many Iron Butts under his belt on big BMWs with no issues. The GSA is a sweet bike. Happy riding! Spring is coming! 😎

[@oldbiff8194]

Best color for the RS! Beautiful video!

[@boolacalaca]

Yes, yes, yes! BMW's "Austin Yellow Metallic Matte" is fantastic on the RS and was only available when you added the sports package to the bike. Photos don't capture the full range of the color, which changes, glows, becomes more golden or more green depending on the light conditions which of course are always changing when you're moving -- plus a non-typical color like this is more noticeable moving through traffic which is always a good thing. Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Cheers!

[@kevingallen1678]

A road without traffic? That is a dream in the UK.

[@boolacalaca]

There's little traffic early in the morning here or if I get out of town into the countryside at any time. It doesn't take long, once out of town, for traffic to thin out, even disappear. A lot of my videos are just like that, roads where I rarely see another vehicle. But I also think it would be fun to tour around in the UK, see the countryside, stop in places along the way. I hope some day to get a chance to do that! Cheers, mate!

[@Prosecute-fauci]

It’s a common thing in the western half of the USA

[@petergaffney9989]

I have a 2020 RS Ex, can’t find a better comparison yet!!, love to ride on your roads!! They look awesome.

[@boolacalaca]

Thanks for your comment -- and spot on, nothing better than a great bike on an awesome road. The world has so many cool places to ride. So many miles possible, so little time, haha. Cheers!

[@stevecarr323]

Love your prose! A+ How did you do your audio? It is fantastic! Subscribed.

[@boolacalaca]

Thanks for the compliment! It's always rewarding when I hear a video connects as intended. I record most of my audio at my desktop computer using a headphone/mic headset combo. I mix music and sound-fx with my voice track using my video editing software. Thanks again for the comment, and the sub! I hope you equally enjoy some of my other vids. Cheers!

[@dandonahue2787]

Well, that was different but refreshing, thanks for the video!

[@boolacalaca]

It's nice hearing your reaction -- thanks for the comment!

[@p-dub7422]

Great video! What year is your bike and how long have you had it? And why did you select this bike? I have a 2023 RS 1250 and it is one of the best bikes bar none.

[@boolacalaca]

Glad you liked the video. I have a 2021 R1250RS with all the options -- got it New Year's Eve -- a nice way to party! I wanted a sports tourer but not the 19" wheels of the GS and not the full-blown RT, wanted to retain the sport feel but can also tour with it. I also wanted the power and torque of the 1250 engine -- I outgrew my Triumph Tiger Sport 660 after returning to riding a couple years ago after a 25 year hiatus. What sold me on the RS was taking it for a test ride. I dig that low-down boxer engine with the shift-cam tech, low center of gravity, great low speed handling despite the 540 lb. weight. Great agility yet it's planted solid like a tank. The fit and finish is BMW caliber. Like you, I think it's one of the best bikes to get, even if it doesn't get much publicity. Thanks for the comment. Happy trails on your RS!

[@darryllarkin619]

Hello, just watched your video. Delightful. Where were you riding? Did you remove the navigation cradle? If you did, was this difficult? What is mounted on the screen? What sort of camera did you use? I have the same coloured bike. Ì have had BMs since 1970, all boxers. I live in Australia. Thank you for an outstanding video.

[@boolacalaca]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. I was riding in central Arizona in the U.S., one of my morning rides north of where I live. I didn't remove the navigation cradle, the first owner of the bike did. The other mount you see is for a TomTom GPS, which I have now removed since TomTom is no longer selling GPS units in the States. My camera is a GoPro Hero 11 Black on a helmet chin mount. I too like the Austin Yellow Metallic Matte color. Thanks again for the wonderful comment. Wishing you all the best in "The Lucky Country." Cheers, mate!

[@darryllarkin619]

Give me a shout out, if you come this way. Thank you for taking the time to reply to all my quedtions. Ciao​@boolacalaca

[@drewyager4020]

Excellent. Adjust that shift light and all will be right

[@RF-dg4ib]

A separate question if I may (I have a particular reason for asking) - what is the round device in front of the screen? Is it a blind spot detector?

[@boolacalaca]

It's a custom mount for a TomTom GPS unit, powered off of the bike -- but right now I don't have the GPS unit. I could take the mount off but leaving it on gives me the option of adding the GPS later on sometime.

[@RF-dg4ib]

Thanks. I wondered..One Eyed Motoyolo: I have a reason for finding it a bit tricky to know what is coming up behind me (though I do try).

[@boolacalaca]

@@RF-dg4ib Yes, blind spots are tricky. You can always get a new R1300GS which is available with a radar-based safety system, haha -- but in case you don't want a whole new bike, there are other third-party systems you can add to your bike, like the blind spot ThirdEYE system put out by INNOVV. That system sees behind 164 feet with 150-degree angle. Of course, no matter what system one has, I would always use the mirrors and turn the head to verify.

[@jaimegodoy3246]

hola, tiene video del soporte del gps o celular

[@boolacalaca]

Hola, no, no tengo un video de soporte gps o celular pero es una buena idea para un video.

[@jaimegodoy3246]

tienes alguna foto ..

[@teresalucas2161]

Excelso video,motero poeta.Gracias

[@boolacalaca]

¡Qué maravilloso comentario! Tanto el motociclismo como la poesía son emocionales, incluso románticos: ambos se conectan con nuestras pasiones. ¡Gracias!

[@HannesStander-ng4cc]

I own one for last 3 years. Used for spirited cruising and fast canyon rides. Sort of get you not saying " much" , but saying basically NOTHING ........ No, not asking for lots of technical specs, but give at least a reasonable idea of comfort, power, brakes, etc, compared to similar machines 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@boolacalaca]

I know exactly what you mean and I'm sorry you miss the point. KZbin has lots of RS videos doing precisely what you ask, you can watch them all day and they all say basically the same thing -- dry stats, facts, and personal opinions that people easily dismiss. I've watched them and while they try to inform me over and over again about the same things, they don't inspire me, they don't convey the remarkable feeling of riding the RS. This video is blatantly "not typical" precisely because the goal is to give the viewer a feeling and not just the same list of stats and facts they get in hundreds of other videos. It's meant to be a break from the dry norm and go more for the feeling of the ride. If you want more stats and facts, try a couple of my other videos -- (goodbye) Triumph Tiger Sport 660 / (hello) BMW R1250RS (kzbin.info/www/bejne/rouUiIt_eMZ2irs) -- or Unequaled Moments - BMW R1250RS (kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIubeoOobJ6nb5I). Or better yet, since you've already owned a RS for the last three years, thereby obviously know about its comfort, power, brakes, etc., it would be great if you made your own video sharing the stats and facts you already know about the RS. I'll be looking forward to seeing it -- and hopefully it won't duplicate the same stats and facts about the RS one can get in a hundred other videos on KZbin.

[@19max84]

So stelle ich mir mein Leben mit der RS vor, einfach die Strasse entlang fahren und in eine andere Welt einzutauchen!

[@boolacalaca]

Vielen Dank für den Kommentar. Ja, die RS ist ein tolles Motorrad und eine tolle Möglichkeit, das Leben auf zwei Rädern zu genießen. Ich hoffe, Ihre Vorstellung wird wahr. Prost!

[@greenrush4313]

1:51 my dog little roger got hit and killed by a car. Horrible day.

[@4940markhutchins]

Chino Valley!

[@boolacalaca]

Let me guess -- you're a whiz at geography, or you lived here, or you read the street signs in the video and figured it out. Great! Now we both know 😂

[@greenrush4313]

get a Pan America please@@boolacalaca

[@4940markhutchins]

PHS class of '72

[@boolacalaca]

@@greenrush4313 The Pan America is a nice bike, but it's classified as an Adventure bike due to specs like its 19" front wheel, which is well-suited for going off-road. I don't want to go off-road, I prefer a Sport-Touring bike, and a 17" front wheel better suits me for regular roads and challenging twisties. Have fun on your Pan America -- there's lots of BDR's (Backcountry Discovery Routes) for long off-road tours that look like fun.

[@boolacalaca]

@@4940markhutchins Hooray for the blue and gold -- go Badgers!

[@MihaiCiumala]

🤡🤡🤡💘💘💘

[@danreich4320]

Terrible reliability. Junk at a premium price. The older 1250 R bikes struggled with reliable performance, even with regular proper maintenance. Then to add insult to injury, the bikes were expensive to work on, making the constant repairs a significant money pit. Additionally, BMW is one of the brands known for not being DIY-friendly, so making the repairs yourself isn’t an easy feat either.

[@boolacalaca]

I ride with a friend whose 2004 r1200rs has a 800,000 mile certificate from BMW after 20 years of touring on the same bike; he's had no problems. The meet-up group I visit with monthly have many BMW riders with decades of experience on them, including the leader of the group who's done many Iron Butts with excellent reliability. Granted, one can find bikes with problems from every manufacturer, especially if one dredges up tales about the "older bikes years ago." One also hears horror stories about the constant during ride fixes that Harley's require too. Everybody has a story. As far as DIY, I have no interest in DIY, prefer to have a certified mechanic do it once, do it right. Thanks for the feedback, it's always interesting to hear another take on things.

[@goldie6579]

40,000 miles on mine without any problems

[@boolacalaca]

@@goldie6579 Yes, that's typical of what I hear at the monthly meet-up group of riders -- in fact, when one guy was asked how many miles he has on his bike, he said 6,000 and the others reacted with, "Geez, you haven't even broken it in yet, you've got a new bike!"

[@giovanniricci2869]

Just 20.000 km on my 2023 1250 RS and no issues at all. Cheers ✌️

[@danreich4320]

@@giovanniricci2869 don’t worry. It’s coming. It will happen when you least expect it. Probably in a rainstorm at 11:30 at night. It got to the point where I was fearful of going more than a couple of hundred miles from my house.