VOLUME 63 ISSUE 35 SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 P117
RT's is several steps forward.
There's nary a drop in drive or an
unsettling of the chassis when
you shift gears—it's so smooth
it's, well, almost automatic—and
when matched to that low flat-
twin drone from the exhaust, the
RT becomes the perfect touring
partner with a touch of sporti-
ness in its character.
As
we exit the 33, Harvey
and I cruise into New Cuyama
for a bottle of water and an ice
been taken care of for you, the
RT shifts cogs well but not as
smoothly as you'd imagine. On
a freeway, Drive is the mode of
choice, but for real riding, the
traditional Manual is the go, and
the smoothness of the shifts
must be experienced to be ap-
preciated.
I
noted at the beginning of
last year that the Kawasaki
Versys 1100 had an exception-
ally smooth gearshift, but the
touring
steed. But it's hard not
to be impressed with the ease
at which BMW laps up the miles,
cruising at 85 mph and feeling
like it's barely at a canter before
slicing up the 33's switchback
corners with the kind of enthusi-
asm of a bike half its size.
However,
it's easy to be
dazzled by the RT's semi-auto
gearbox, and not for the reason
you think. Sticking it in Drive
mode, where all the shifting has
