Drawn to the Dark Side

[mxi933]

"K1200LT and that ilk are born again playing at biking rides for middle aged execs dreaming that they are easy riders
Pushing 50 and giving into a 2 wheeled Parker Knoll with motor drive"

Maybe a bit of a chip on the shoulder there Leasouth. Are you saying that because I want to do a few miles in comfort that Im a born again biker??

Had my first bike at 14 and had one ever since.
Last trip was a 8000 mile round trip across Turkey and back.
Ok so the GS is good but come on it has its faults. I figure if the LT is capable of taking two in comfort over the same mileage then its worthy of consideration.

Oh and why would I want a car? I enjoy biking - I dont enjoy numb arses, bad backs, sore wrists and aching knees!!!

 

[Leasouth]

mxi933, why bother putting the question in the first place if you're set on your choice of boulevard cruiser.
I've never found a perfect bike yet, they all have foibles and plus and minus points. The K is not a go anywhere bike if that opportunity arises when touring.
If you want the K just buy it, don't bother twisting others posts when they offer an oppinion on what you asked in the first place
Personal choice should come first!

 

[mxi933]

Thanks Leasouth for your truly enlightening insite into the psychi of the big tourer rider. I bet the national biking press are falling over themselves trying to get you to join their review teams.

I was looking for well thought out and considered comments relating to the pros and cons of each bike, maybe from people who might have owned both bikes.

Thanks anyway - your comments have been noted

 

[Twotter]

Elenvensies. Did I say that the 1200 was a better bike than the K1200LT?
It's what you do with the bike and where you go on it!

K1300s was my choice, but it will not take me where I want to go. Biking in Europe, most roads and cities are pretty similar. If you want to live and really ride out you need something that has more of an all round capablity.

Bollix to Charley Boorman, you are my new biking hero

Here's a suggestion for Christmas for you

 

[Leasouth]

Will somebody please put me off buying one!!

May be I miss read that
Why pose the question in the way you did if you wanted a review on the K ?

"Will somebody please put me off buying one" Well you're gonna look like some poncy born again exec riding an "ugly pimp bike" even if your not(thank's bose)
You posted the question mxi from your response you must have been born a so why go for the K.
What the hell do you expect from a K, rattle your guts out performance scratching bike or hidden mud plugging credentials for crossing desserts or climbing rutted mountain tracks.
It's a big quick cruiser, if you want to turn up at Sofitels with er indoors its the bike for you

 

[Leasouth]

Thanks TWOTTER
I've never had a gay following before, but if it gives you comfort that's fine, just keep your distance with yer nancy boy parfum

 

[Twotter]

Thanks TWOTTER
I've never had a gay following before, but if it gives you comfort that's fine, just keep your distance with yer nancy boy parfum

With your obvious people skills you don't surprise me

Anyway Ewan isn't gay...your Mum told me, after she cooked me breakfast

 

[mxi933]

With your obvious people skills you don't surprise me

Anyway Ewan isn't gay...your Mum told me, after she cooked me breakfast

Oh the cheating cow!

 

[elevensies]

leasouth

sorry this has ended up in a slagging match, but you did say that people who want a k1200 must be born again riders, i do find that a tad short sighted, as if you look at the big milage hitters throughout europe and further, they are on this type of bike.
im the first to point the finger at these executive office pen pushers who jump on the latest fad, as they think its uber cool in the office cool stakes, few yrs ago it was the hardly davidson, today its the 1200gs.
a touring biker will go into the bmw shop and come away with a LT, or a RT


mxi933
if you ever intend to ''offroad'' the 1200LT is not your bike, if its road munching comfort with ease then its your bike, its THE bike, if however you just want a tourer, and it has to be a BMW then the 1150 RT is quite possibly the best bike you can find.


similar values to goldwing vs pan

harry

 

[mxi933]

Thanks Harry - thats the kind of reply I was looking for.
I've got my name down for a Pan Americas tour in 2010. 17k miles from Terra del fuego up to Alaska and then across to New York. I know the GS could cope but I reckon the LT could cope even better - I just worry about the odd dirt road through Chile and down through Canada. I think I'm gonna go with the GS.

Born again biker indeed!!

 

[AdamA]

Born again, or just plain old. Same shit different wrapper.

 

[UKseagull]

First of all I'm no stranger to the GS. I've had four!! The last one took me to the Iran border and back.

But WHY am I looking at the K1200LT?? Is it because Im getting older - pushing 50!
Is it because I want a change?
Will somebody please put me off buying one!!

Ta

I've had one for the last 3 years and I love it, so does my good lady who often rides pillion. A fantastic touring bike! What sort of riding do you mostly do?

 

[karlp]

I have had one.

Very big and very comfortable on long trips.

Not easy to filter
Not easy to hold up.
It has rubber side protectors because you will drop it and those are to prevent damage.
You will not pick it up on your own.
In traffic queues it is a handful

Just my opinion but I would go K1300GT.

karl

 

[mxi933]

I've had one for the last 3 years and I love it, so does my good lady who often rides pillion. A fantastic touring bike! What sort of riding do you mostly do?

I've done one off-road trip and to be honest I was glad when it finished. too much water and mud for me. I've always loved the riding position of the GS - as I said I've had four - they are superb for commuting. I used one every day for 2 years commuting from Huddersfield to Leeds and back. I had an Airhawk pad over a sargent seat that allowed me to do 600 miles in a day.

I think I know where this is going

 

[UKseagull]

If it's just for commuting then it's overkill, although I do also use mine to commute because the wife takes the car. If you're planning on taking long rides then it'll be great.

 

[its all poo]

Ive had both at the same time GS and K. For me the K did what it was designed for miles on open highway. (when it works it has the Bike Might Work syndrome) I have only had to fit a HID everything else works as it should. The GS I found I had to change many things that did not work for me from the crate. The Lts can be picked up quite cheap and there is a very good website with everything you need to know such as all the problems you can get !!! Ive done many dirt roads all over the Balkans and Albania. If you slide them down the road the crash wings work very well indeed with alot less damage than a similart slide on a GS. At 60 mph I have seen 62mpg it has a sound system so no need to fit ipods ect it has a great screen a great seat and cruise control. They are not light but picking one up is not a big problem. They are the same as GS in that some owners cover 1000s of trouble free miles and some owners have many problems ! I recently priced all the work I have done on mine in a German BMW shop and it would have been around £12,000 !! I have a 1200km ride tmrw from Serbia to Germany and much prefer to do this on the LT than a GS. one problem is that there is no Radio 4 out here !!!!! Oh and a 40,000km service in Hun land is €1000 !!!!

 

[Leasouth]

"I've got my name down for a Pan Americas tour in 2010. 17k miles from Terra del fuego up to Alaska and then across to New York"

Well in fairness I just thought I'd attach some photo's of Tierra Del Fuego roads. Road to Ushuaia included.
Not sure what mxi933 expects from South American roads, but many are not quite up to M25 surfacing standards
Even a simple google or bing search for Motor Cycle Tours in South America or Pan American tours comes up with people on GS's and trail bikes in most cases.
Many of the 'must see' places are just not for cruiser road bikes

My original post read
" K1200LT and that ilk are born again playing at biking rides for middle aged execs dreaming that they are easy riders "
I thought some would have been bright enough to see the tongue in cheek humourous side to that, obviously not
Just can't see how a Pan Americas tour could be contemplated on a K when the bulk of evidence and experience shows people on many miles of rough roads on trail bikes

 

[mxi933]

Thanks folks for all your comments.
Think I'll stick to what I know and get another GS.

Now - who's gonna sell me one?

 

[Leasouth]

No problem mate

And it was an easy choice really, you know it makes sense

 

[mxi933]

No problem mate

And it was an easy choice really, you know it makes sense

Trust me on this - you didnt help!!!