2009 K1300GT Review..

[mmonroe]

Interesting read:

https://www.ridermagazine.com/output.cfm?id=2129797

 

[DailyCommuter]

My Friend Carl from work Just bought one of these. He had a K1200RS before this. He loves it so far. 400 miles on it or so. He want to come with me and my other 2 bud's on our 1k in a day ride. I told him he could come if he brought an extra final drive with him..

 

[beemerdons]

Jawohl, The Perpetual Never Ending Power of Wonderful and Delicious Bayerische Motoren Werke Kool-Aid. Es geht mir gut!

As soon as a new 2010 BMW K1300GT hits the showroom of BMW Motorcycles Scottsdale, BeemerDonS is going to buy one.

I want to wait until second year of production and monitor https://www.bmwmoa.org/forum to see if any incidents occurred with the new and improved final drive unit; the one that now has eleven new and different part numbers than the old ones.

Sadly, may have to sell off mir schones Ingrid; my 2005 R1150RT. This'll be a shock to my system since I've ridden for 40 plus years and over 500,000 miles on BMW R Twins. It will be my very first K bike and I'll have to stop my teasing K bikers!

I've already picked out the name for my new Beemer: Gisele. I just love the ride reports and specifications on "mir Gisele."

 

[lnewlf]

As in Bunchen?-now that would be a ride! [did I leave out the umlaut?]

 

[SkooterG]

I've already picked out the name for my new Beemer: Gisele. I just love the ride reports and specifications on "mir Gisele."

You should name all your bikes 'pigskin'. Because when you ride a motorcycle, you look like a monkey humping a football!

Other than that, you're nuts. Did you read that review? The reviewer said the RT is a more comfortable tourer. Did you actually look at the rear-set pegs on that thing? How can you tell me that YOU are going to find that comfortable for even a mile, much less a hundred?

And at at $22,000+ for a fully loaded model? Youse got to be freakin kidding me. You can get two brand new 08 FJRs for that, or 4 decent used ones. Now I know the K13GT is pretty nifty with a lot of bells and whistles, but I just don't see any value in it whatsoever.

Oh, and don't you remember MCN's short 'preview' article in the last month's edition. They were not terribly impressed with it either.

Don, put the kool-aid down!

 

[mmonroe]

I've already picked out the name for my new Beemer: Gisele. I just love the ride reports and specifications on "mir Gisele."

You should name all your bikes 'pigskin'. Because when you ride a motorcycle, you look like a monkey humping a football!

Other than that, you're nuts. Did you read that review? The reviewer said the RT is a more comfortable tourer. Did you actually look at the rear-set pegs on that thing? How can you tell me that YOU are going to find that comfortable for even a mile, much less a hundred?

And at at $20,000+ for a fully loaded model? Youse got to be freakin kidding me.

Compared to an FJR, C14 or a ST, the $20,000 price tag seems high. However, feature wise, it compares more closely to a Goldwing and actually has some nicer features than the Wing. Honda sells the heck out of Goldwings and those folks dont even seem to think twice about the insane price on them.

That being said, getting all of the great features of a Goldwing in a performance package, light weight, high power, etc - doesnt seem so unreasonable.

 

[SkooterG]

That being said, getting all of the great features of a Goldwing in a performance package, light weight, high power, etc - doesnt seem so unreasonable.

Ahhhhhh, but it's missing the Wing's most important feature - comfort!!! Why do you think folks buy wings? Comfort! So, I'll reiterate, have you looked at the rear-set pegs on that thing? And let's not even go down the 'two-up' road. Did you read the article about the RT being more comfortable? That's why BMW sells a K1200LT - to compete with the wing.

And another thing you get with the Wing for all those clams? Honda reliability and low maintenance costs.

No thank you. No kool-aid here. As neat as the specs are, I don't see a KGT ever adorning my garage.

But a R1200GS will someday. I just hope I get a 'positive' BMW experience when that day comes.

 

[DELETE-PLEASE]

Compared to an FJR, C14 or a ST, the $20,000 price tag seems high. However, feature wise, it compares more closely to a Goldwing and actually has some nicer features than the Wing. Honda sells the heck out of Goldwings and those folks dont even seem to think twice about the insane price on them.
That being said, getting all of the great features of a Goldwing in a performance package, light weight, high power, etc - doesnt seem so unreasonable.

The features +light weight and sport touring style is the main reason my brain keeps going back towards BMW whenever I contemplate what my next bike is going to be. The reliability issues that seem to be all over the net are what keeps my body away from BMW dealers. Lovin' the FJR so far, but I sure do wish they had a set of features like one can find on a fully, or even 'partially' loaded BMW bike.
Alexi

 

[mmonroe]

That being said, getting all of the great features of a Goldwing in a performance package, light weight, high power, etc - doesnt seem so unreasonable.

Ahhhhhh, but it's missing the Wing's most important feature - comfort!!! Why do you think folks buy wings? Comfort!

Well, heated grips, heated seat (both front and rear), cruise control, electronic adjustable suspension, etc - all add up to a lot of comfort on a bike for me. Frankly, the Wings massive size, weight and compared handling are uncomfortable as far as I am concerned. The way I see it, the K1300GT has a large dose of comfort even beyond what a Wing has to offer me.

I am not running out to sell my FJR to get one, however, my point is that the price is in line with a Goldwing and folks dont seem to have any issues spending big bucks on those overweight and slow barges. There also doesnt seem to be a "Kool Aid" factor with Goldwings and folks dont seem to apply the "Rich Boy" factor with Gold Wings, however, Gold Wings are quite expensive and most of the ones I see have $1000's of dollars of farkles on them.

Why a $20,000 BMW gets the Kool Aid Rich Boy factor and a simliarly priced Goldwing with $1000's of farkles doesnt, is beyond me. After all, both Japan and Germany were on the same side during WWII.

 

[beemerdons]

Skoot, mein Schatzie; singen mit mir: Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles! Uber alles in der Welt, Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze Bruderlich zusammenhalt, Von der Mass bis an die Memel, Von der Etsch bis an den Belt, Deutchland, Deutschland uber alles. Jawohl Arnie, I'll look like a monkey fornicating a football riding my new K1300GT: Machts nichts!

Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue, Deutscher Wein un deutscher Sang, Sollen in der Welt behalten Ihren alten schonen Klang, Uns zu edler Tat begeistern Unser ganzes Leben lang. Und mehr: Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Fur das deutsche Vaterland! Danach lasst uns alle streben Bruderlich mit Herz un Hand! Sind des Gluckes Unterpfand. Ach du lieber, es gut!

Wingnut: I am not getting rid of Miss Lucy Liu, my beautiful 2003 FJR; and if you will stop stealing my (cheap) beer from my refrigerator and eating all of my food, I may be able to swing this deal with Scottsdale BMW this Fall without selling Ingrid!!!

 

[FJR-Voltron]

For that amount of money, I'd buy a 08 FJR and a new Concours.

 

[WBill]

Gosh:

Comparing a K1300 to a 'Wing is like comparing apples to...I don't know what. Moving to a 'Wing is a whole 'nother trip.

__________

The K 1300 really rings my chimes in the abstract, but...

For me, and I'll say it again, the BMW thing is not about the (fine) bike, itself, but about the support industry. When I was riding my last Beemer, out in the hinterlands, where things got serious, I used to peruse the Yellow Pages every night in whatever motel I was "camping," imagining how I would proceed if I had a failure. My searchers were not comforting. Try it.

Reality set in, and the results were not happy.

Nowadays, I still peruse the phone book, looking for Yamaha commercial support. I feel much more assured.

Maybe you people on the Left Coast can find support, but out here, in The Heartland, there is very little reliable support for BMW's. I wish it were otherwise, but, OTOH, I am content with my Feej. I have to add that I don't care a whit about the marque. I just want to tour with minimum hassle regarding the machine. I got enough to worry about. Just get me on the ride and don't mess with me!

'Nuff said. WBill

 

[Deacon51]

I test road one, and if it was under $15 grand I would buy it in a heart beat.

...but at $22k, I think I'll pass.

 

[DaJuice]

I considered the K12GT when I was looking for a bike, after thinking it over there were only a few options the GT had that the FJR didn't, and I could put every extra I wanted on and still be $6000 less than the GT off the showroom floor. By the time I would have geared the GT up I figure I'd be saving about $8,000. I've road the GT, RT and LT, they are nice machines, but the $ is not justified IMHO.

 

[atxrider]

Gosh:
Comparing a K1300 to a 'Wing is like comparing apples to...I don't know what. Moving to a 'Wing is a whole 'nother trip.

Agreed. Very different bikes.

Frankly, the Wings massive size, weight and compared handling are uncomfortable as far as I am concerned.

To each his own...but if you think a wing cannot handle, you might get unpleasantly surprised.

Regards,

Davy

 

[g8rdude]

I am setting up a demo ride at a local BMW to ride a an 08 1200GT. They let you demo bikes that are pre-owned. I have no intention of buying the bike, but since I've never been on an ST bike I figured I check it out. My heart is set on an FJR.

I was near the BMW shop this past weekend and figured I'd stop by to see what was going down. I saw the bike i am going to demo, a week from this saturday. Next to it was an 09 1200RT, brand new. As soon as I sat on it I thought WOW!!! More comfortable than a recliner. But with a 20k price tag.

The FJR doesnt give me that wow feeling, but for 12k less for a used FJR, I can deal with it. FJR, once set up correctly to the way I'd like to sit will work just fine.