Tuesday morning and I have an 8 o’clock appointment in Denver for Greta’s first checkup.
Packing up for camping much of the day at the dealer' date=' I realize once again how good the bags are on this bike. They operate much as the RT‘s but easier and more smoothly. My laptop in its padded case just slides right in, lying flat on the bottom. It would fit in the RT, but I’d have to prop it at an angle and was always afraid of getting it bent if I put too much other stuff in there. Again, the GT is very much like the RT but at the next level.
I thought I’d be able to check out the fancy headlight, but it was already too light. I’ll have to wait until October – I don’t like riding in the evening. Here we are, ready to go at 5:20
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The GT starts like a car – just push the button and it runs. No playing with the throttle, waiting for it to settle down. It did stumble once as I started off immediately after starting it. Perhaps it needs to warm just a tad when it’s been sitting overnight in the mid-thirties, about long enough to adjust my helmet. With the RT, I had to be suited up ready to go when I started it because it would stall if I let go of the throttle. The GT just hums away.
I love riding in the early morning, when it’s peaceful. It was 35° with a cloudless sky, almost no wind. The wind protection on the GT must be better than on the RT, because I had to switch off the electric vest now and then despite the mid-thirties temperature. I took the two-lane south – I’d be on the interstate soon enough. The sun peeked over the horizon just as I got to the road summit.
Soon after starting up again, I saw an antelope on the side of the road, contemplating crossing. I slowed but it decided to go back away from the road. They tend to be smarter than deer, but what isn’t?
I had thought the menu with the selection wheel would be a problem to learn and operate, but I had no trouble learning it (once I re-read the manual), and it’s easy to work. It can still be a little distracting, but there’s nothing on there that can’t wait until a safe time to operate it.
As I dropped down into Colorado the temperature rose into the 40s and then quickly into the 50s. I got on I-25 at Fort Collins and joined the rush into Denver. The GT barely noticed the deep rain grooves in the concrete highway.
This bike can run with the big dogs or the little dogs or anything else. It is unflappable and inspires confidence. It makes a great freeway warrior. I found the traffic thrilling until we all stopped. Then it was touch and go until I hit the HOV lanes. Working the clutch a lot in the stop-and-go, I noticed again what a soft but solid touch it has. The clutch and gearbox are buttery smooth but secure, with no clunk and no slight lurch. Downshifting into first is the same as downshifting into any other gear. This is a very refined bike.
I live in a small town and am not used to the big-city morning rush. The HOV lanes were nice, especially seeing all the heavy traffic I was passing. But they end too soon and I was once again in stop-and-go. I would have made it to the dealer by 8 but stopped for gas. I know that you can’t go by just one tank, but the GT got 45 mpg – some of it break-in thrashing, some of it cruising at a steady 80, and some of it stop and go rush hour traffic. Not bad.
From the picture at sunrise until the gas stop, I hadn’t gotten off the bike in over two hours. My butt was a little sore. The seat is harder than the RT’s and the side edges are very firm, which I’m not sure that I like. But I usually don’t ride any farther without getting off the bike for one reason or another anyway.
Talking to a man at the dealer about the bike, he said the RT is competent but the GT is exciting. That captures it pretty well. I loved my RT because it did everything well. The GT is exciting and, by the way, does everything well, too.
I got a GS 650 as a loaner and rode into Lodo for lunch. The 650 is a nice bike, but I wouldn’t want to ride it coast to coast. Riding it pointed out to me how smooth and sophisticated the GT is. I took my time riding around, because they were putting on what they call a 3M clear bra to protect the paint of the GT. It was a good lunch and the 650 is fun, but when I got back the installer had shown up two hours late. Fortunately the customer lounge couch is comfy for a nap.
I was back in the Denver traffic at 5pm. The freeway was stop-and-crawl into town. It was 90°, and both the bike and I heated up more than when we run quickly. My toes got plenty toasty – a potential problem if you live where traffic is slow and it is often hot. Everything was fine again, though, as soon as I could get my speed back up.
I stopped in Loveland for supper and to let the traffic abate. Then it was another 100 miles home, stopping in Cheyenne to put on a couple of layers as I climbed in elevation and the day cooled. I got home after 8:30, just as the sun sank below the horizon. I still didn’t get to see the fancy headlight work, but I was ready to stop.
This is one terrific bike. Before this, all my BMWs have been boxers – air-heads and oil-heads.
WARNING: If you have a boxer and really love it, DO NOT RIDE A K1600. You may never go back.
- Kate
I say that, though, because if I recall from your video, you would leave it in second or third when you had to slow down, and use the clutch to bring engine speed up. Not good. Down shift for that.
