K1600GT Service questions

ponch1 said:

Understood, but someone looking at touring bikes in general would include them all. Would you say the GW was cheaper to own from a maintenance perspective? The ergos are goofy for me, but works for people in the right range. The GT reminds me of my RT, the GTL is more like a GW in ergos. YMMV. I'll stick with the RT for a little while longer.

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The GW is cheaper in the long run. IMHO the GW is the best touring bike on the market.
Because I don't spend all my time touring I wanted something that was fun around home.
If it wasn't for the K1600 I'd still be on a GW.
I agree the ergos between the two are vary similar.
I'm to old and fat for the ergos of anything sportier.
If the other baggers had the performance and reliability of Honda or BMW I would have looked at them.
My friends have the other baggers and they don't compare.

People keep comparing the K1600 and Goldwing and rightfully so....
But in reality they are very different bikes and will attract a different customer base.

I come from 4 Goldwings in a row....they are pretty much the best thing going for the long haul touring.
Suspension, handling, performance, electronics, and fun factor go hands down to the K1600 IMHO.

I found myself getting bored with the Goldwing and needed to bring back some fun factor to motorcycling.....the K1600 was just the ticket. I feel the excitement I had when I got my first street bike some 35-years ago.
It's just a blast to ride and can do the long hauls if desired!

The Goldwing is cheaper to work on and somewhat easier......though it's much more of a PIA to take apart.
I can and will do all maintenance on the K1600 myself except for the valves.....I'll leave them to the dealer.

The K1600 is what motorcycling is all about IMHO.

btw - the Goldwing is years past an overhaul and running on a 15-year old design.....and shows it.