Has anyone out there rode either a BMW RT 1200 or an FJR 1300 that could give me some idea of which one they liked and for what reasons.
I looked at both before I took my C14 home. I liked the BMW a lot. If the cost was the same between the BMW and the C14 then I'd probably have a bimmer in my garage. However, the BMW is considerably more expensive ($10k) and that puts it into a different class, in my opinion. When I considered what the BMW had over the C14, I didn't feel that it was worth the price differential. On top of the high initial cost, I figured the BMW would cost considerably more in maintenance. Added in with my pre-existing relationship with the local Kawa/Honda dealer, it was a no brainer for me that the C14 was a considerably better value.
The FJR was a bike that I wanted to like a lot. Price was more in the C14 territory. The gauges looked nice, and are more modern than the C14 instrumentation. Yamaha has an excellent reputation. But honestly, I felt the design was simply inferior in nearly every other way. The saddle bags were considerably smaller than the C14. My connie will swallow up my 2XL helmet, with ease. The FJR bags could not. The bike itself felt "smaller", which I felt was a disadvantage on a sport touring mount. The C14 felt "big" to me on the test ride, but I was surprised how quickly I got used to it. Having taken longer trips on the highway, I fully appreciate the larger size, now. The foot pegs felt really close to the saddle (even in the "high" position). Even on the C14 I've installed the lowering kit. (I only wish I didn't drag pegs on tight turns) The lack of a 6th gear was also a disappointment. I know the bike doesn't "need" it, but I don't "need" most of the things I have -- I still like to have it.
TL;DR:
The BMW is a better bike, in terms of fit and finish and features. But the cost is ridiculous, considering how close you can get with other bikes, for $10k less.
The FJR is probably a decent bike, but it lacks passion and the designers seemed more concerned about marking check boxes instead of really understanding how the user will ride the machine.
The C14 is by no means perfect. In almost every category you can find a bike that bests it. There are faster bikes. There are more comfortable bikes. There are bikes with better cargo capacity and options. There are bikes with more creature comforts. There are better handling bikes. But if you want the best combination of those traits, for under $15k brand new (or well under $10k for a barely-broken-in used model) then I think the C14 is the best bet. It was for me.