Sport tourers were all the rage in the 2000s – especially in Europe. Just about every manufacturer had one, with some leaning more toward the sport side of the equation and others leaning more toward the tourer end. In some cases, manufacturers had multiple takes on the theme, finely splitting hairs in the sport/tourer equation. So, when BMW unveiled the R 1200 ST in 2005, it already had the K 1200 GT, K 1200 RS, and R 1200 RT. Seemingly, the kids at Bayerische Motoren Werke felt that the sport-touring world was big enough to welcome yet another contender. They were wrong. The R 1200 ST was in production for just two years.
“The R 1200 ST isn’t a bad bike, but it simply doesn’t do enough to justify its price,” observed the UK’s Visordown at the time. “The problem is that the sports tourer class is so competitive simply bodging a bike together isn’t good enough.”
Broadly speaking, the R 1200 ST was simply an R 1200 RT with less fairing and a slightly different riding position. Driven by an air-/oil-cooled 1170cc boxer twin, the ST claimed 110 horsepower at 7,500 rpm, and 85 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. Like the RT it was stable and composed. Like the RT it was a bike of good quality and build. However, by branding it with the ST moniker, BMW inherently put it up against far more engaging and better-handling machines, like the Triumph Sprint ST and the iconic Honda VFR 800. The general consensus was that it was good but not good enough – especially since its asking price was so much higher than those others.
Editor’s Note: It was also…hideous.
Time changes one’s perception, of course, and helps to eliminate direct comparisons. Now, it is just a slightly sporty, slightly old-school BMW (I find it weird describing a bike from 2005 as “old-school” but that was 20 years ago). And, from the photos, it’s a slightly old-school BMW that’s in surprisingly good condition.
With 37,078 miles on the clock, bidding on this vehicle is currently at $1,000, with the reserve not having been met. You can find it for sale in Fort Worth, Texas (Cowtown!), here on eBay.