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BMW's Too top heavy for older riders?

Lone Rider semi rigid [ hypalon ]. The racks for my GS 1200 weigh 3.5#' per. The LR bags weight 13# each. Bringing the total weight of racks and panniers to 33#'s.

BMW Vario cases. One is 13#'s, the other 14.5#'s and with their attachments weigh about 29-30 #'s.

Thing is, I can fit 40#'s of gear into each of the LR bags and the Varios are rated for 22#'s each.. On my trip to Ak. last summer I couldn't get more than 17#'s into each Vario. So, 34#'s of kit vs 80#'s of kit for both bags.
 
Paul_F said:
I am 72 years young, now down to 5'6", weighing 150 pounds, with a short inseam and I am quite comfortable on my R1100RT (even though a set of crash bars might be in the bike's future).

Having said that, a friend, the same age as me, but 6'2" and weighing in at 225 or so, found his R1100RT to be too heavy when he was 67. That's when he moved to smaller bikes.

If you are thinking that the bike has become too heavy and the thought to downsize has happened, then, in my opinion, it is time to downsize.
Click to expand...

Good to hear I am 61-1/2 lol and just now bought my first BMW, a 2015 RT, I love the hell out of it. Spent the last 40 years riding Harleys so the BMW was an adjustment, I have a high seat in the high setting and can flat foot it but after my Softail and Sportster, I still have both, I was very concerned about the height so I am very encouraged to hear of your 72 years young still doin it on an RT. I am fine with the height just wouldn't want to get past the tipping point which feel like it would be easy to do. Thus far loving the bike, loving it. What a machine.
 
I'm 65 years old & still ride my K1200LT's they are about 855 lbs. unloaded. This past July I rode to Texas loaded with tools to work at a friends home that had a stroke. Total weight full of fuel with me on the bike was around 1250 lbs. the ride was just over 1100 miles & little over 18 hours. The last three hours was in the dark on two lane roads & every time I had to come to a stop the extra weight was a handful for me. I realized I'm finally at the age where on a long trip I need to pull a trailer & keep the bike lighter.
 
usablue said:
Good to hear I am 61-1/2 lol and just now bought my first BMW, a 2015 RT, I love the hell out of it. Spent the last 40 years riding Harleys so the BMW was an adjustment, I have a high seat in the high setting and can flat foot it but after my Softail and Sportster, I still have both, I was very concerned about the height so I am very encouraged to hear of your 72 years young still doin it on an RT. I am fine with the height just wouldn't want to get past the tipping point which feel like it would be easy to do. Thus far loving the bike, loving it. What a machine.
Click to expand...

I think you might be confusing seat height with total weight and CG. Sure, the RT isn't built in the Barcalounger style, but that doesn't mean the CG of the bike unladen bike is higher. True, the CG of the bike and rider will likely be higher. The Sportster is likely heavier than RT (not knowing the specific year and model) and the softail is another ~150-lbs above that.

IMHO, does one feel more comfortable balancing the MC while seated in a low position or a higher one with less knee bend. For me, a straighter leg provides more support. But, that all depends on the height of the rider.
 
Years ago, I had the F800GSA for road and dirt. Was way too heavy for technical dirt so I went to 2 bikes, a real dirt bike that came in around 300 Lbs. and a road bike which is the R1200RS. Recently I've been thinking about trading the RS for an RT for the additional wind/weather protection. After riding the RT I'm a bit torn because it does feel a lot heaver than the RS. I think 520 versus 604. Those extra 84 Lbs. seem to be mostly high up on the bike. I'd like to put the seat in the high position, but will likely keep in the low position until I get used to the extra weight. Maybe as one of the other posts indicated, I should start lifting weights.
 
saddleman said:
I'm 65 years old & still ride my K1200LT's they are about 855 lbs. unloaded. This past July I rode to Texas loaded with tools to work at a friends home that had a stroke. Total weight full of fuel with me on the bike was around 1250 lbs. the ride was just over 1100 miles & little over 18 hours. The last three hours was in the dark on two lane roads & every time I had to come to a stop the extra weight was a handful for me. I realized I'm finally at the age where on a long trip I need to pull a trailer & keep the bike lighter.
Click to expand...

My reply about my R1100RT was about riding the bike without a trailer. However, on extended trips, I do take a one wheel trailer, which really does take the load off the bike. :thumb
 
Too Heavy

jconway607 said:
Just wondering if anyone else has had the same thoughts. I'm past sixty and lately have begun thinking it's time to downsize. Twice as of late my R1100RT, which I really like, has started to tip and been a real back straining exercise to get it upright. It's 500+ pounds that just wants to very quickly fall over.The newer BMWs, past the airheads, seem to be designed to be top heavy. Mine certainly is, especially with a full tank of gas. Just a few degrees past vertical, and they just want to go right on down. All it takes is a mishap with the kickstand, some loose gravel under foot, too sharp a slow turn, and you've got a real problem with this big thing laying on the ground, probably with several very expensive plastic parts broken. Much as I like my bike, I think I am ready to shift to a much smaller, easier to maneuver (and possible pick up) machine. I don't know how you ever get those fully loaded GS models off the dirt by yourself. I don't recall my 1976 R60 having this problem. Is it just BMW that likes to put all the weight high up, or are they all like that now?
Click to expand...

Good Day;

I am 69 and find that my K1600GTL(700+ lbs) is not too heavy to handle. I do not find this bike top heavy. Have about 1 year in the saddle on the K, having moved from a 86 Yamaha venture Royale that was more "top heavy" if you can call it that, weighing a few pounds more. I find the BMW has a lower center of gravity than the Yamaha. In my riding I always anticipate where I will be stopped and how to best position the bike. The yamaha was laid down gently in a couple of off highway picnic areas when in lumpy dirt/grass areas. At the first of the bike riding season I always spend some parking lot time doing tight turns, slow turning, stop starting, just reacquainting myself with the bike's handling characteristics in those situations. Putting a foot down and finding gravel or sand is always a concern but is best handled by coming to a complete stop very slowly. You can slow down quickly but the last few feet should be a slow smooth transition to the complete stop. My two cents. Don't give up on the bike your love because of age. Years ago I ran across an 82 year old woman and her brother that both rode full dress HD touring bikes, and she had to be a colossal 90 lbs soaking wet.

Regards

Neil
 
Just turned 70 and sold my R1150R

It was a sad day when I turned over the keys to my R1150R to a lucky buyer. I recently turned 70 and felt the bike a little top heavy and never wanted to experience an out of control event. But it was a great day when I brought home a C650GT scooter. Yes, it is a heavy bike but the weight is distributed much lower and I feel I have regained a measure of confidence. I have put on about 1200 miles, but no single ride greater than 150. I do believe it could be a fun touring bike. In the far back reaches of this old brain is the incipient idea that in a few years I will again downsize, probably to the G310GS. I do remember fondly my first BMW, a F650GS, and I don't recall that feeling top heavy. On the side, I do wish the BMW:ON would give some print exposure to the scooter market, the largest share of two wheel vehicles in the world.
 
corbtown said:
It was a sad day when I turned over the keys to my R1150R to a lucky buyer. I recently turned 70 and felt the bike a little top heavy and never wanted to experience an out of control event. But it was a great day when I brought home a C650GT scooter. Yes, it is a heavy bike but the weight is distributed much lower and I feel I have regained a measure of confidence. I have put on about 1200 miles, but no single ride greater than 150. I do believe it could be a fun touring bike. In the far back reaches of this old brain is the incipient idea that in a few years I will again downsize, probably to the G310GS. I do remember fondly my first BMW, a F650GS, and I don't recall that feeling top heavy. On the side, I do wish the BMW:ON would give some print exposure to the scooter market, the largest share of two wheel vehicles in the world.
Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly that scooters don't get the respect or attention that they deserve. As an actually practical substitute for a car, they are unmatched. But I guess most people are not using their motorcycle for that purpose.

Many people have commented on the best way to get a heavy bike back up after it falls, which is useful information. It seems that larger sport touring machines like the RTs, or ST1300s, tend to be top heavy, perhaps by necessity. My concern is that once they go past a very few degrees from vertical, it is just about impossible to stop them going down. You can injure yourself trying to stop the fall but it's usually hopeless. Then, most often not only have you possibly hurt yourself, but the bike probably has been damaged. Picking it back up is then secondary. I'm not a fan of cruisers, but I can see one reason that 99% of the bikes I see on the road are that style. Casual riders, which a lot of BMW riders appear not to be, want a bike they can flat foot at stops, and that doesn't feel unstable. Of course, scooters fit that bill even better than a 900 pound Goldwing.
 
jconway607 said:
I agree wholeheartedly that scooters don't get the respect or attention that they deserve. As an actually practical substitute for a car, they are unmatched. But I guess most people are not using their motorcycle for that purpose.

Many people have commented on the best way to get a heavy bike back up after it falls, which is useful information. It seems that larger sport touring machines like the RTs, or ST1300s, tend to be top heavy, perhaps by necessity. My concern is that once they go past a very few degrees from vertical, it is just about impossible to stop them going down. You can injure yourself trying to stop the fall but it's usually hopeless. Then, most often not only have you possibly hurt yourself, but the bike probably has been damaged. Picking it back up is then secondary. I'm not a fan of cruisers, but I can see one reason that 99% of the bikes I see on the road are that style. Casual riders, which a lot of BMW riders appear not to be, want a bike they can flat foot at stops, and that doesn't feel unstable. Of course, scooters fit that bill even better than a 900 pound Goldwing.
Click to expand...

I know a guy w/ a Burgman Executive 650 and loves it, coming off of RTs. The thing is the picture of practicality for around town errands and can be taken on the interstate and cruise at 80mph.
 
Scooter bashing?
For much of the planet, whether you are on vacation and renting a scooter or live there.......scooters are a predominate means of transportation.


Especially for their ease of use, they fit everybody, cheap to run......and if you have rented one lots of fun to get around/explore on.

OM
 
Omega Man said:
Scooter bashing?
For much of the planet, whether you are on vacation and renting a scooter or live there.......scooters are a predominate means of transportation.

Especially for their ease of use, they fit everybody, cheap to run......and if you have rented one lots of fun to get around/explore on.

OM
Click to expand...

Easy to park, great on gas, don't weigh much. Yawn. The Rodney Dangerfield of two-wheeled transportation. :D
 
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