Wow oh Wow! Rode a K1200GT today! Did I say Wow?

[Lanny]

I looked at all the sport tourers I could including the BMW's and chose the ST because it was the best fit for me. The price was not the deciding factor for me. We have a great BMW dealer here in Greenville, but the ST was what made me say WOW Oh WOW!

 

[Chris Parker]

Whoa. Back to the issue at hand for a second:

I was just reading the brochure PDF from the BMW website on the K1200GT, and in the small print on page 14-15 under Fuel it says:

I've never seen anything over 92 offered during my travels. Where do you find 95 octane?? Do I have to drive to Germany to fuel up? Is this converted to Euros? Are octanes measured differently overseas? Who's RON?

EASt...

As I remember asking my dealer this same exact question, they said that premium fuel is measured differently here in the U.S. (they use a different formula to get that Premium designation)... they said premium 91-92 grade is fine, and you can run the regular stuff in the bike with no harm to it, it has a knock sensor that runs the bike on lower power... lose some HP, just like in some luxury cars.

You will be fine at any gas station in the U.S. filling up with premium.

 

[Tor]

Sherob,
The GS is a Swiss Army knife in the motorcycling world. It is not perfect, but what is? People go on trails, gravel, dirt, mud, asphalt, you name it. I rode several and was just amazed at it's handling on the tarmac. Will hang with most sport bikes.

No its not. The GS..........is a touring bike with no fairing,,,,,none, and no windshield, none,,,,,,,

99% of the GS owners use the GS as a touring bike,,,,,,,as naked as it is......why anyone would pay close to 20 grand for a bike that is too damn heavy to take off the road, has no fairing or windshield for decent wx protection and vwvwvwvwvwvibrates the teeth out of your gums,,,,,is beyond me...

opcorn

 

[TPadden]

99% of the GS owners use the GS as a touring bike,,,,,,,as naked as it is.

99% of all statistics are made up :!

As dirty as most GS's are I have to raise the :bsflag:

Suggest you check out: http://advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3

 

[Kempo-STer]

No its not. The GS..........is a touring bike with no fairing,,,,,none, and no windshield, none,,,,,,,

99% of the GS owners use the GS as a touring bike,,,,,,,as naked as it is......why anyone would pay close to 20 grand for a bike that is too damn heavy to take off the road, has no fairing or windshield for decent wx protection and vwvwvwvwvwvibrates the teeth out of your gums,,,,,is beyond me...

opcorn

Agree with Rob.
Its not how it is used (moot point..let's say 99% of people use a Swiss army knife as a can opener does not mean its a can opener), it's what is was built for. (Long Way Around comes to mind..varied terrian, mud, tar etc)

 

[Tor]

Agree with Rob.
Its not how it is used (moot point..let's say 99% of people use a Swiss army knife as a can opener does not mean its a can opener), it's what is was built for. (Long Way Around comes to mind..varied terrian, mud, tar etc)

Well then BMW needs to change the description of the GS, and put it in the naked standard category, or maybe in the touring category. What I am getting at is people just don't buy a swiss army knife just because its cool. They buy it because you CAN....use it for several different things, as opposed to the GS, which you'd better keep on tarmac.......

 

[TPadden]

Well then BMW needs to change the description of the GS, and put it in the naked standard category, or maybe in the touring category........

AGAIN Tor, I suggest you attend a BMW rally, any one, and just walk around and look at the bikes - you'll see plenty of clean touring and naked bikes; if you find a clean GS I'll buy you dinner and beer .

GS owners tour, set up camp, then get even dirtier !

Most rally's have a dedicated GS ride set up - I also suggest you don't try one on your ST .

 

[EASt]

Yes; 95 RON (Europe) is 91 (PON) here - super unleaded.

http://www.btinternet.com/~madmole/Reference/RONMONPON.html

I was hoping it would be an excuse to stop wanting the K1200GT. This doesn't help. :

 

[TPadden]

Its not how it is used (moot point..let's say 99% of people use a Swiss army knife as a can opener does not mean its a can opener), it's what is was built for. (Long Way Around comes to mind..varied terrian, mud, tar etc)

Kempo,

I'd never make the offer to buy you dinner and beer if you find a clean GS at a Rally. You'd be sneaking out at night with a bucket and rag .....and my credit cards do have limits.:

 

[Tor]

AGAIN Tor, I suggest you attend a BMW rally, any one, and just walk around and look at the bikes - you'll see plenty of clean touring and naked bikes; if you find a clean GS I'll buy you dinner and beer .

GS owners tour, set up camp, then get even dirtier !

Most rally's have a dedicated GS ride set up - I also suggest you don't try one on your ST .

You must be a regular at ADVrider :crackup


I've been called a troll more than once in the GEE A$$ forum over there. But hey, they wanted my oppinion, and when I posted my oppinion they called me a troll and said I had hurt their feelings.

 

[Chris Parker]

has no fairing or windshield for decent wx protection and vwvwvwvwvwvibrates the teeth out of your gums,,,,,is beyond me...

Tor, you know I have this tit for tat relationship with you and am sure in person we would get along just marvelously (and I am serious here)... but...

Have you ever ridden a New Hexhead R1200GS? Because what you have described above does not, in any way describe a GS (decent, effective windscreen, that is adjustable, lower wind deflectors, hand guards, counter balanced twin... listen, we are not talking Sportster here.) Compared to a ST, yes, it is vibey... but that is like comparing a Lexus LS430 to a 2009 Dodge Challenger, one is glass smooth, the other has a bit of a throb to it...

Oh, and I agree that the GS is heavy in the dirt compared to a much smaller dual sport, but the point is if the road ends, you are going farther on the GS than either my RT or your ST, it just gives you the option that you wouldn't necessarily have in an awesome street bike.

 

[Bones]

...the ST was what made me say WOW Oh WOW!

That would be the best reason to buy any bike.

As far as BMW designing solutions to questions nobody asked, that's perhaps too universal a claim. BMW offered solutions to questions I didn't ask the last time I was in the market for a bike and I kept my checkbook in my pocket after the test ride.

FWIW, that was a test ride the sales guy insisted I take. I found a silver RT arrived at a dealership in upstate NY and went to buy it. After riding with my BMW buddies so many times, I wanted an RT. I drove about 120 miles to the dealer with my wife and daugher, and had my gear with me so I could ride it home. I'd had a good year with the business and was prepared to pay cash. The sales guy told me to ride it first. They have a nice loop mapped out, probably 20 miles. I disliked the motor right away...it was coarse, buzzy, and created annoying torque steer on acceleration, especially off the line. The front end felt weird...out there but disconnected. And there were those turn signal switches, all three of them.

I wanted that bike to make me go WOW oh WOW but it didn't turn out that way. I was truly disappointed and I thanked the sales guy for helping me avoid an expensive mistake. Yes, RT's have changed since 2002 and ST's haven't, but I'd still take the ST's V4 over a boxer. Different animals. The GT's configuration is more to my liking than the RT, but BMW's new designs don't do much for me. For me. YMMV.

As for BMW turn-signal controls, that's a topic I never tire of discussing around a campfire. The new single switch control should add to the discussion. I'll probably just sit and listen. I'd love to have been in attendance when a BMW designer first suggested a conventional one-switch setup for the new K-bikes.

I like threads like this. The world would be boring if we all had to share one opinion.

 

[TPadden]

You must be a regular at ADVrider :crackup....when I posted my oppinion they called me a troll and said I had hurt their feelings.

Nope - never posted there, and have only even read one or two threads. I have attended 5-10 BMW rally's a year for the last 20 years. To make the math easy that's at least 100 rallys.

They may think you're a troll there but I think you're probably overstating your effect; I doubt anyone there really cares.

Tom

 

[EASt]

The world would be boring if we all had to share one opinion.

... and more violent if we had to share one piece of pie.

 

[Tor]

Tor, you know I have this tit for tat relationship with you and am sure in person we would get along just marvelously (and I am serious here)... but...

Have you ever ridden a New Hexhead R1200GS? Because what you have described above does not, in any way describe a GS (decent, effective windscreen, that is adjustable, lower wind deflectors, hand guards, counter balanced twin... listen, we are not talking Sportster here.) Compared to a ST, yes, it is vibey... but that is like comparing a Lexus LS430 to a 2009 Dodge Challenger, one is glass smooth, the other has a bit of a throb to it...

Oh, and I agree that the GS is heavy in the dirt compared to a much smaller dual sport, but the point is if the road ends, you are going farther on the GS than either my RT or your ST, it just gives you the option that you wouldn't necessarily have in an awesome street bike.

Friend, pal, comrade,,,,Chris,,,,you should know me by know,,,,,I am here,,,again,,,,solely to pull that scrawny leg of yours,,,,,and I managed to rattle it...again,,,,,,,hope you're doing ok over there in the corner of our state,,,,,,,damn would I love to discuss the Gee a$$ over a good campfire with you.......and I have to break it to you,,,,,,,I have never ridden a GS, never even sat on one. So, its all made up,,,,,,,it just aint true,,,,,the GS is a nice touring bike,,,,,,,ugly, yes, no lines, yes.

Love you too, Chris :a13:

 

[Tor]

Nope - never posted there, and have only even read one or two threads. I have attended 5-10 BMW rally's a year for the last 20 years. To make the math easy that's at least 100 rallys.

They may think you're a troll there but I think you're probably overstating your effect; I doubt anyone there really cares.

Tom

No they don't care,,,,,at all,,,,,,

But back to the thread..........

I am sure BMW bikes are good bikes. Never owned one, and probably never will. But I just don't understand why they are so expensive, when,,,what you get, is no better than what you could get buying a different brand, for a cheaper price. Why are the maintenance costs so high? Why are the parts so expensive? So it has to be another reason other than reliability / cost of ownership that drive people to buy a 20K bike that besides being overpriced to start with, is outragiously expensive to maintain, and have knows issues that are prone to leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere.

What is it on an RT that I am missing on my ST that is worth 5000 grand for you? I mean c'mon guys,,,,,it just don't makes sense.....to,,,,,,me,,,

 

[TPadden]

No they don't care,,,,,at all,,,,,,it just don't makes sense.....to,,,,,,me,,,

Tor,

...... and probably never will.

Without getting into the pros and cons of Prop. 8; I sure am glad you're not my wife :!

Tom

 

[Tor]

Without getting into the pros and cons of Prop. 8; I sure am glad you're not my wife :!

Tom

I got a logical mind,,,,,,,sorry...

 

[TPadden]

I got a logical mind,,,,,,,sorry...

Spock,

So does my wife - but she let me have have 4 Sport Touring, 2 Naked, 1 Cruiser, a Tourer, and an Antique .......... because she understands passion and it makes sense to her .

Kirk

 

[Tor]

Spock,

So does my wife - but she let me have have 4 Sport Touring, 2 Naked, 1 Cruiser, a Tourer, and an Antique .......... because she understands passion and it makes sense to her .

Kirk

,,,,,,,,,well mine won't............she riding an ST 1300 too, so there's just no way I can get away with another bike, umm an additional bike,,,except dualsports bikes, which we really need (yeah,,,havta get two, you know) and it aint gonna be BMW's ,,,,,,,yes I understand passion, just not +$5000 passion with no return.......