Four bikes one "winner"

[AZKomet]

My Nov 07 M/C mag came today. They tested the ST 1300, the FJR, the RT and new GTR 1400.......drum roll please!!!!!

 

The ST 1300 came in fourth citing weight and no updates since 03. They did give it great ride ratings though.

 

The RT came in 3rd....they boasted on its fairing, bags and comfort but gave it low marks for HP and the fact one had to keep it wound up to stay in sight of the others...all in all the review was positive. (I just came off a 1000 mile trip with no complaints....)

 

The FJR came in 2nd with the mag saying it had a good feel and performance. The heat issue was gone and it was a great machine.

 

The GTR 1400 came in 1st as it had been refined. (Really??? Where is the heated grips, nav system and cruise???) Anyway the mag loved it saying it was a tremendous machine with little faults. The options lacking may come in another production year??

 

There was little negativity on any of the machines really. They did slam the RT for its higher price when the others will out perform it for about $ 4200 less. Maybe, but I have heated grips and cruise!!!!

 

It is hard to fault in modern machine nowadays. All are quality built and reliable. Guess it all depends on likes and the $$$$ in your pocket huh???

 

Big question??? Where was the GT?????

[ZoomX7]

I wish these reviews included a look at the maintenance involved with various machines.

From what I've read, the C14 valve check/adjustment is supposed to be nightmare.

[MotorinLA]

See thread in 'Hexheads':

 

"12RT places 3rd of 4 in Motorcyclist November 07 issue."

 

for further discussion on this topic.

[AZKomet]

Otay!

[John Bentall]

My Nov 07 M/C mag came today. They tested the ST 1300, the FJR, the RT and new GTR 1400.......drum roll please!!!!!

 

The ST 1300 came in fourth citing weight and no updates since 03. They did give it great ride ratings though.

 

The RT came in 3rd....they boasted on its fairing, bags and comfort but gave it low marks for HP and the fact one had to keep it wound up to stay in sight of the others...all in all the review was positive. (I just came off a 1000 mile trip with no complaints....)

 

The FJR came in 2nd with the mag saying it had a good feel and performance. The heat issue was gone and it was a great machine.

 

The GTR 1400 came in 1st as it had been refined. (Really??? Where is the heated grips, nav system and cruise???) Anyway the mag loved it saying it was a tremendous machine with little faults. The options lacking may come in another production year??

 

There was little negativity on any of the machines really. They did slam the RT for its higher price when the others will out perform it for about $ 4200 less. Maybe, but I have heated grips and cruise!!!!

 

It is hard to fault in modern machine nowadays. All are quality built and reliable. Guess it all depends on likes and the $$$$ in your pocket huh???

 

Big question??? Where was the GT?????

 

Where was the GT? - waaaay out in front according to a recent comparison test in German magazine.

This same magazine rated the GT way out in front of the RT in a formal comparison test, mainly because of the motor. In an informal test over the extreme twisties of the French Alps, they rated the RT in front of the GT, mainly because in this scenario the testers thought handling was more important than power.

[tom collins]

bmw boxer twins have not had equal power to their oriental competitors since the goldwing got a fairing. the boxer twin has always appealed to a rider that has different values than sheer power. values such as low center of gravity, ease of handling in twisties, lighter weight, don't care for the 4 cyl whine and tingle. i did not read this review, but i would bet it is similar to just about every other review in the last 25 years that puts a boxer twin up against some faired oriental rival. so, this latest is nothing to feel insulted about.

 

tom collins

[velomoto]

That was my first question... The RT was designed to excel in areas outside of raw HP and acceleration so if this is the top criteria for the test then there's no way the RT will be tops. My take on the MC mag's is that it is a rare occurrence for any of 'em to run a comparison test and NOT place the newest model on top!

[upflying]

Are the four bikes really equals? IMO, the Kawondayam bikes lean more towards "sport" than "touring". So the Asian bikes go faster for less money. There is a lot more to riding than just going fast. Can you tour on them at the expense of comfort? Maybe the BMW should have been compared to real touring bikes.

[AZKomet]

My thoughts as well. If you read the last sentence in the GTR review it mentions that it will "get there quicker than others." I am a speed freak but there has to be comfort in it as well. The RT does fine in all categories....how fast is fast anyway???

[Whip]

Are the four bikes really equals? IMO, the Kawondayam bikes lean more towards "sport" than "touring". So the Asian bikes go faster for less money. There is a lot more to riding than just going fast. Can you tour on them at the expense of comfort? Maybe the BMW should have been compared to real touring bikes.

 

Comfort is very subjective. The FJR is much more comfortable for me than the RT. Mrs Whip feels the same way. The strange thing is, the KTM Adv. is more comfortable than the FJR for both of us. I haven't started the FJR since I got home from Alaska.

 

To quote Brother Lime(Limecreek), "for the way we like to ride, we have the wrong bikes". He was referring to the RT and the FJR. 700lb monsters are not the ideal bikes for flyin around Torrey and the Hill Country.

 

FZ1(Yam), ST3(Duc), (ST)Tri, even the Busa would be better......These Mags are only made to entertain us, nothing more.

 

Not much of a rant but I feel better.

 

[outpost22]

I read the same test. If they had put a 1098 Duc in there, they would have picked it as the winner because it was "faster". All they seem to care about is who can do 150 mph and what bike can keep up with it. Looking at the cut-aways, I can't imagine the nightmare of doing a valve adjusment on the inline fours compared to a relatively simple boxer valve adjustment. Maybe their intervals are much higher to check them, but who wants to remove the motor to work on it? The biggest knock-down on the RT was the price. That IS something I can agree with.

And whoever said that the NEW model always wins the shoot-out is right.

[Mr_Pheer]

I dont care if some magazine said my bike is 4th place. Its mine and I love it.. and I dont even read that magazine. So F those guys

[Bonkorama]

In the 1980's, i used to work at several cycle mags here in southern california, in the art department.

 

After those bike have completed testing, did you know that they are sold often times to the riders (not one-offs, but production machines) for as little as 1 dollar?

 

Makes one wonder how that effects the reviews.

 

I'm not saying that the writers / testers arent making legitemate reviews, I'm just saying that the world we live in is an interesting and complex place full of people who get stuff for free (almost free, as there is some legal thing they have to negotiate).

 

One day i might even tell you about the exec at a mag who has about a dozen exotic cars, and didnt pay more than $100 for any one of them.

 

Automotive magazines are no different.

 

It woudnt be the first time soneone said something nice about someone else to get them to follow them home now would it?

 

 

man you just gotta love life....

[velomoto]

...These Mags are only made to entertain us, nothing more.

They're also there to help the manufacturers sell stuff. And if by chance they tend to be biased toward the latest/greatest produce, and if by chance winning the "shootout" causes buyers to flock over to the new bike, it'll just put that much more pressure on the other makers to improve their product to win the next year's ratings. Bottom line these mag's are good for the industry and it's good for the consumer... that is unless one is trying to save some money!

[kinchy]

Read it as well. I'm sure most of us have buds with STs and FJRs. Probably switched bikes at some point and got a feel for the Asian metal. As much as I dread the Beemer service drill and restricted dealer network these scooters have cache value. When I ride my pals ST I'm amazed with the smooth power delivery and the minimal maintenance schedule. It's functional, reliable and yes, fast. That being said, it's perfect for riders that prioritize those attributes. I'll admit it, I'm willing to absorb the aggravation and additional cost associated with owning something a little special. On the other hand, I wouldn't be that upset with an FJR in the garage for when the spirit moved me.