Demo Day #2 - 2007 BMW Demo Rides

[Davitt_Potter]

So I showed up at the BMW dealer in Sturgis at 7:05, and the K1200GT was already signed out for the 8am ride. Yeah, it's *that* popular. So I signed up for the R1200RT, and asked the gentleman riding the K-GT if he'd be willing to switch at the halfway point. "Sure!" he said. As Eric Cartman says, "Sweeeeeet."

 

So up the highway we went. The new R12RT is VERY nice. Very! Hmm. Same great weather protection I liked from my old one, lighter, more powerful, still feels nice and light! I like it!

 

At the halfway point, I jump on the K GT. After adjusting the suspension for 1-up/luggage, Sport, and away we went. Our ride leaders were all motor officers with various PDs, and were VERY cool. The demo loop we rode had about a 10-mile section that was very very lightly trafficked. Says the leader, "wait 10 seconds between riders, have some fun, don't ride beyond your ability. The speed through town is 40, then open it up a bit. See you at the next stop sign."

 

Yeah, that's very fun.

 

So, I'm the third bike in line. And I probably waited like ... 20 seconds.

 

So I pull out with the K GT, roll through town, and at the "Speed Zone Ends" sign ... Oh, dear Lord, this motorcycle is GREAT!

 

I LOVE the new K GT. That motor, the brakes, the riding position (for me), the motor, the handling, the motor. Wooohoooo! MAN, this thing is fun. MAN, this thing is fast. It's about supersonic sport touring, and never once hides that fact. She's very serious, dressed in her best clothes, and excels at her role.

 

The KGT just feels planted at speed. It does seem more resistant to change in direction than the RT, however. Where the RT has an almost 'flickable' feel, the GT requires deliberate input. Once your line is chosen, however - you're locked in for as long as you'd like. Corner transition is very predictable and smooth. Brakes are nice and progressive, and will slow you down in a GIANT hurry!

 

Complaints: The windshield. At 6'2", I was experiencing some buffeting off the top of my helmet in the full down position. Not bad, but just not the same clean flow of air from the RT or even the K1200S (!). Full up didn't seem to really do much except "dirty up" the airflow. The RT will create that little pocket of nirvana while you motor down the road.

 

As I rode the GT, I found myself literally giggling to myself as I'd rocket down a straight, zing the corner, and then rocket down the next one. Oh, dammit, there's the ride leaders. Time to slow back down....

 

On the freeway, suspension set back to Comfort, and the K GT rode more smoothly than my Harley Ultra.

 

And then there's complaint #2: At 80mph (remember, South Dakota's legal Interstate speed limit is 75!), and between 4700-5000rpm, there's a distinct high-frequency vibration that makes it way through the seat into your nether regions. While this might be fun at different times, for me it was annoying and distracting. The vibes also came through the bars a touch, but the seat vibe bugged me. This bike had 3800 miles on it, so I don't think it was a break-in issue. But, as part of a demo fleet, it's hard to say what kind of abuse it's had.

 

SO! Back to BMW.

 

Bike #3 of the day: the R1200GS. I've never ridden a GS before, but my friend & BMW salesman kept telling me "If I could only own one motorcycle, it would be a GS."

 

Sure, sure. OK, I'll ride a 1200cc enduro. Hey, I'm here, right? Jump on, suspension's pretty squishy, but I can flat foot it (this was a standard GS, not a GS-A).

 

And we're off. Get on the on-ramp, hammer the throttle - hey! This ain't a dirtbike! 80mph. HEY! How in the hell does that little tiny screen give such great wind protection?! Why didn't I ride this before?!??!

 

I kept the GS for this whole demo loop. The guy in front of me was on the K GT, and he couldn't get away from me. It's a damn naked sportbike, I tell you! I love this thing! This can't be legal to have this much fun on a motorcycle! Torquey motor, great suspension, and sits up nice and high. I went zinging past a LOUD Road King on the way back, and felt like I was in an 18-wheeler.

 

Wow. I kept telling the guys I was with, "You gotta ride that GS. It's So fun!"

 

Next up: K1200R.

 

Little flyscreen over the gauges, seems pretty docile up the Interstate. Lots of wind, but duh, I expected that. What I didn't expect was when I opened the throttle in anger at 4500rpm, and that wonderful exhaust note let fly, and decides to punt the speedometer needle across the triple-digit mark. Oh, wow. What a great little motorcycle. This thing was a blast. The KGT motor, but tuned hotter, maybe? It just FELT faster than the KGT, but that more than likely had to do with the lack of fairing. Handling vs. KGT - lighter, more responsive; no drama, just "boom, you're going very fast!"

 

Last round! Started off the K GT again, and then switched at the halfway to the R1200RT.

 

Man, I'm so torn between those two bikes. The R1200RT is such a nice motorcycle. The weather protection is better, but something about the seat-peg relationship irritates my bad knee. The K GT, while more 'folded up', doesn't bother it.

 

As of yesterday, I had decided the K GT was my next motorcycle. Today, after sleep and thought... I just don't know. The R12RT is a better motorcycle, I'm going to decide. It feels better through corner transitions, has more user-friendly power without the "whoah, baby!" factor. The K GT has a superior motor, there's no two ways about it. The R12RT has plenty of power and oomph for the real world. The K GT has that in 2nd gear. It's so powerful, that I felt I was wasting it's time on the freeway, and the speed limit signs are a mockery of it's potential. But GOD, I love it. I am seriously in love with that thing. I told the BMW reps that the K GT was the worst bike I've ever ridden. "Why!?!" they asked. "Because everything else is now just a comparison."

 

The bike I had the most fun on all day long? The GS. I will be looking for a used R1100GS on eBay starting today.

 

The BMW Demo program is great, the guys are all great, and they LOVE motorcycles. BMW is their preference, but they're RIDERS first, and will BS with bikes about you all day (as our little group did).

 

Thanks for reading! Comments, thoughts?

[blkvelvt]

Thr RT is a GS with weather protection.

[JR356]

Hi,

 

Just be aware that there is a fair bit of ride feel difference between the 11xx GS and the 1200 GS.So make sure you get to ride that 11xx GS before you buy.

 

JR356

[Bob Palin]

The bike I had the most fun on all day long? The GS. I will be looking for a used R1100GS on eBay starting today.

Totally different bike, the 1200GS is a leap forward from the 1100(?) and 1150, weight feels much lower and of course it has the 1200 power.

[GregB]

Yes- a friend said that his R1100GS was a great bike for the person that got it for $4000 but his '07 R1200GS is a completely different bike.

[Davitt_Potter]

Thanks all for the info on the 1100 vs 1200 GS. I'll find one to test ride.

[Bill_Walker]

I rode my buddy, Tom's, K1200GT for about 50 miles on our recent trip. My thoughts were mostly the same as yours, although I found the steering lighter than my RT (but we didn't encounter any tight stuff during my ride).

 

In the end, my conclusion was that it makes everything so incredibly effortless that it's almost boring! I think I'd also have an ergonomic problem with it. Tom has the pegs lowered 2", and I still found my legs were uncomfortably tight.

 

I haven't ridden any R-GS.