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Full Test on the BMW K1200LT,
It was a very embarrassing situation, I had to drag her from the shop kicking and screaming, I honestly don’t know if they’ll let us back in there again. I’m not about to tell you my wife’s age, but, suffice to say she has been a legal adult for a long time now and I’ve never seen her act like that before. I tried to clearly explain to her that the BMG K1200LT was on test loan for the weekend only and we had to return it, but, she hasn’t spoken to me now for a week (is that a bad thing?).
I’m going to break my normal rule of not comparing bikes, because, I own the predecessor K1100 LT and I think it’s warranted. I’ve seen a lot of model updates over the decades and there is usually a natural progression of a bikes evolution but the new BMW flagship is a quantum leap over the last model. The test bike was equipped with electric windshield, electric cruise control, Global Positioning System, 6 stacker CD 8 speaker stereo with remote for pillion, fully integrated luggage, heated hand grips & seats, 3 mode trip computer, 2 height riders seat, BMW integral ABS, and still more features I can’t remember.
This bike has the same superb power assisted ‘linked’ ABS braking system as the R1150RT, however, I would prefer to have the brakes separate front and back such as on the K1200RS model. The brakes did take a bit of getting used to, they having a tendency to bite hard when applied with the same force I use on my own Beemer. The power delivery from the 72kW flat in line 4 cylinder engine is awesome, with enough go to keep you smug with superiority. The 5 speed gearbox is very smooth and doesn’t ‘klunk’ during down shifts like the old model. The headlights are superb, with the high beam like a search light. The electric windshield is wide and an excellent barrier to unwanted air blast.
Sundays ride took in around 275klms of the Hunter Valley’s most picturesque countryside and the bike was an absolute pleasure to ride. The distance covered in fact was the equivalent to about 5 CDs worth of our favourite music and the system only gave a hiccup at the worst of the worst of bumps which was about 3 times for the entire day. The 6 stacker CD is better than the one I have in the house and all the controls for it and everything else are just too easy to use. You should never get a speeding ticket if you use the electronic cruise control wisely. The new luggage system is well thought out and copious in its storage ability. Out on the road (2 up) the big K handles beautifully, but I found that the centre stand contacted the tar if I leaned it over too far (not as far as I thought it could go). I wound up the suspension pre-load but it didn’t make a huge difference, (we weigh about 200kg together). I inspected the offending ‘anchor’ and I dare say it would be possible to get it up a bit higher and this would allow a better lean angle. Adjusting the suspension is as simple as a twist of a well positioned knob under the seat (which can also set at different heights (770 & 800)).
With a dry weight of 345kg it’s a bit of a porker, but the majority of the mass is close to the ground so it doesn’t feel as heavy as you might think. It is heavy when you want to push it backwards so there is a starter switch operated reverse gear similar to the one used on Honda’s GoldWing. The 24 litre fuel tank matched with the excellent economy of the bike should give the rider around 480 klms to the tank full. I filled the tank to the first click of the pump with the bike on the side stand and according to the trip computer I was going to get 460klms and I was pleasantly surprised that we seemed to be getting the sort of economy it displayed.
You certainly aren’t going to give a rats bum about winter riding, with heated hand grips and seat cushions although it also means you won’t need to manually warm your partners behind as you lecherously did in the past. The switches for the heated seat needs to be more clearly marked, as it was difficult to tell which one of the 3 positions was off. The riders sitting position is different to the K1100LT in that your feet are more forward.
In comparison to the K1100LT the K1200LT has a better range of usable power, smoother gearbox, better suspension more plush (without wallowing), better stereo, better seats, better fuel economy and better fairing, but, the 1200 can’t be leaned over as far. One of the things I was disappointed with was the side stand, which would creep off if you were on a downward slope, and it didn’t need to be a steep slope either. Never before has the LT (Luxury Tourer) badge really meant what it read, finally a true competitor for the Wing and at a much better price than the big lounge room on 2 wheels. At the end of the day, my K1100LT would be parked nose first into the garage, due to the slight incline at the threshold of same but, seeing as the 1200 has a reverse gear option I decided it would be better to back it in….oh and how easy it was.
There have been a couple of complaints in the time since the K1200LT was first launched the first being tyre wear and the second being the mirrors which can pop off. I spoke with Arthur Charlton who has owned a 1200 for 28,000klms and his advice is to try alternative tyre choices and wire the mirrors so they’ll not drop off the bike completely. 10,000klms on the Metzlers can be extended to 18,000 on Dunlops and Bridgestone Battlax’s also improved my K1100LT by 5,000klms. Arthur now has Bridgestones due to the Dunlop’s being unavailable and has around 5,000 klms on them so far, so I’ll keep you informed. My K1100LT also has mirrors that ‘pop’ off if struck, but that is to save very expensive repairs to the fairing so I don’t see a problem. Brisan’s use a cable tie on the demo bike just in case some one bumps the mirrors off in the showroom, it’s not rocket science.
The 1995 K1100LT was $23,500 new so when you consider $31,900 for the new K1200LT, the price isn’t as expensive as first thought. My favourite pillion has asked for a mortgage extension and wants to sell the car and the K1100 to buy one so I’m going to humour her for a while seeing as she is actually talking to me at last.
May your lid never skid. www.users.hunterlink.net.au/~mbbidp.