K1200GT Review

[bramfrank]

https://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page...eID=3408&Page=1

Lovely . . . but the price!!

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

It's weird...I just think the K1200GT is really ugly. Following the line of the fairing as it seems to be thrown together with straight lines around the front wheel instead of smooth curves makes it look amateurish. Were they purposefully trying to make it look like stealth technology? They succeeded in making it look as though they were too lazy to put any substantial effort, just crimped some plastic and bolted it together. All in all I think this is the worst design effort to come from BMW since the 1977 320i.

 

[Mike-H]

It's weird...I just think the K1200GT is really ugly. Following the line of the fairing as it seems to be thrown together with straight lines around the front wheel instead of smooth curves makes it look amateurish. We the purposefully trying to make it look like stealth technology? They succeeded in making it look as though they were too lazy to put any substantial effort, just crimped some plastic and bolted it together. All in all I think this is the worst design effort to come from BMW since the 1977 320i.

Orangevale.....you know what they say.....one mans dream is another mans nightmare ....personally....I'm with you....I think it blows.... :sicksmiley02: :sicksmiley: uke: ....but thats just my opinion....

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no doubt. Some people look at a 1950's Alfa Romeo and just see an old car.

 

[madmike2]

I'd be a little more worried about "my foot got wedged between the sidecover and the brake. This might be a problem for anyone with boots larger than my size 9's". That and the only place he was comfotable was hanging his right foot of the peg and grinding on his boot sliders. Ooookaayy! :dribble: Did you liek his warning about coasting up to an overlook and turning off the key....whoops, the power brakes are now off and you only have about 10% brake power (Not a particularly good riding technique, anyhow.). What does one do if there is a sudden ignition power loss while riding on the highway? Though the bike is not for me it should certainly sell well in North America. And it fills a niche long lacking in the BMW line-up (An RT w/ a K motor.).

The Price: $18K plus for the base model???

I loooove my FJR! :wub:

 

[Splatterdaddy]

Just showed my new 06 FJR A to my buddy w/a K1150. He wasn't familiar with this Yamaha beauty. His opinion is that Yamaha copied and improved upon the BMW K. His lamentation was the BMW only does 85 H.P.

 

[MSLPILOT]

His opinion is that Yamaha copied and improved upon the BMW K.

Those Beemer fellas just can't accept the fact that another bike exists that's superior to theirs. As for the new K12GT - I agree the bike has some very "interesting" lines. I can't quite put my finger on what bugs me about it, but I can tell you it'd be a cold day in hell before I dropped 18 large (before farkle-izations) on that sucker.

 

[easyman05]

Guys,

I do not want to talk you into buying the new KGT - this is useless.

Just do your best to test-ride this bike)) That smile will not leave your faces!

 

[BrunDog]

The bike is better looking in person than in photos, I guarantee.

But it does seem much bigger, aka Goldwinginsh, than the FJR. Also, I agree, $18k? The BMW attitude from their cars, where you hae to beg them to buy it, is apparantly carrying over. Just can't justify it next to the FJR at $6k less.

-BD

 

[JohnnySokkoFlyingFjr]

His opinion is that Yamaha copied and improved upon the BMW K.

Those Beemer fellas just can't accept the fact that another bike exists that's superior to theirs. As for the new K12GT - I agree the bike has some very "interesting" lines. I can't quite put my finger on what bugs me about it, but I can tell you it'd be a cold day in hell before I dropped 18 large (before farkle-izations) on that sucker.

Hey...I resent that remark I sold my K bike to buy my '05fjr, and I've never looked back....except to see k-bikes in my fjr mirrors!

 

[easyman05]

Hey...I resent that remark I sold my K bike to buy my '05fjr, and I've never looked back....except to see k-bikes in my fjr mirrors!

:clapping: nice joke!

 

[nusman68]

-I always roll my eyes about those comparisons...like when Cycle World does their annual 'awards'; they always love the BMW and rave about it, praising all its bells & whistles...BMW always sends them a model with every possible option...then they 'mention' the FJR in passing, giving it some faint praise...but fail to emphasize the difference in price...like how the Beemer breaks 20K at the bottom line fully decked out. The FJR, by comparison, is the best value going (yeah, you could say I'm biased).

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

I found the article relatively fair in perspective, overall. What was also very interesting to me, was the option to read/post commentary at the end of page 3. When I read the comments, various posters were sharing reports of catastrophic failures of the shaft drive system on the S model, which has been on the market longer. If true, that would be a major worry on the GT, which shares the same design....

I love the features and power; but it is also listed as heavier than even my '06 FJRA model, so I wonder about real-world performance. Also mentioned was higher RPM's needed for the power delivery, which I don't generally like.

I hate the styling, personally. But I'll take one if there is a raffle somewhere...