K12GT and K12GT2

[hcmiller52]

While I know a typical response to my comments here will include "to each his own," I am posting to discuss my opinion about the new K1200GT, in contrast to the "old" K1200GT/RS.

After owning an R1100RT and an R1150GS Adv., I bought a gorgeous '98 K12RS a few months ago from Max BMW (NY). I fell in love with the ride, the power and the handling immediately. The bike's character is a sharp contrast to the R bikes'. Nothing wrong with the Rs, mind you, I still adore my R1150GS and use it for most of my riding, in fact, but the K bike offers something different, perhaps more visceral. The RT left me a bit cold, however, because it was a bit too "fuddy-duddy" or old-mannish for my tastes and seemed a bit too close to the GoldWing end of the spectrum, rather than the sportbike side. The old KRS/GT is clearly closer to the sportbike side. Really makes me smile.

Liked my KRS so much, I swapped it two weeks ago, for a super deal I couldn't refuse, for a like-new '04 KGT with 3,600 miles on the clock and 14 months of warrantee to go. Aside from the very slightly cramped ergos for my 6'4" frame, the bike is simply awesome. Up until this fall, I had steered completely away from the KRS/GT because of all the negative comments I read in the online forums about the bikes' ponderous slow-speed and non-flickable high-speed handling and afterthought styling (GT-specific). After all is said and done, the wait didn't hurt me and I now own what is to me a nearly perfect long-distance tourer.

Last night, I went into Max's for some FastWay footpegs for my GS and, for the umpteenth time, jumped on a new GT. Looked around the bike again and was even more convinced of my earliest reactions: "fuddy-duddy." "This is an RT with a 4-cylinder engine," I said to Max. "They listened to what you wanted (not me personally, of course)," came back Max. This bike sits the rider bolt-upright - like a GoldWing - behind a GoldWing-large windscreen, with legs positioned by feet placed on GoldWing-cramped footpegs. The light, flickable handling of the new GT sacrifices the "rides-on-a-rail" handling of the old.

My lament: now that the old KRS/GT have been replaced with the new models, there is no direct replacement on the K side for either bike. Bolting bags on the new KRS or KRR does not turn them into the equivalent of an old GT (wish it did but the ergos are too tight for all day comfort for many of us older guys - and I ride a modest 500-800 miles per day).

What do others think?

 

[Rasbutan]

I have yet to sit on the new K12R(S)port that was released this year. I wonder if it will have the same feel as the old one. I agree about sitting too upright on the new GT.

Guess we'll have to ride what we've got for a few more years and see what BMW comes up with next!

 

[john1691]

By the time you use up your KGT, you'll be old enough to want an LT! Have fun on the ride you now have, worry about the "new one" when you need to.

john1691
2000 K1200RS

 

[hcmiller52]

By the time you use up your KGT, you'll be old enough to want an LT! Have fun on the ride you now have, worry about the "new one" when you need to.

john1691
2000 K1200RS

You know what, John...you're right! And I'm going to love this bike to pieces. Here's a (poor) picture of it:

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1826/2196/0/225285/unnamed-image-1-766955.jpg

 

[cjack]

By the time you use up your KGT, you'll be old enough to want an LT! Have fun on the ride you now have, worry about the "new one" when you need to.

john1691
2000 K1200RS

I had a K12RS for about 6 years and liked it very much. I bought the new K12S and after a month or so, I didn't like the RS any more. I tried to continue to ride the K12RS, but would turn around and put it back in the garage and take the K12S instead. I love it.
By the way, what happens when folks get old...do their arms get shorter or what?

 

[senseidhg]

As a owner of a 2004 KGT (Red) I too love this bike. I also very much like the new K1200S, but I have a hard time moving away from some of the creature comforts of the KGT for long touring.

I am looking for a 2004 R1100S for the single up sport riding.

Enjoy the KGT ride.

John1691, where are you located in Central PA? I live in Lebanon, PA.

senseidhg
K1200GT (Red)

 

[sheridesabeemer]

I really wish BMW had named the "new" GT something else. It's so not the same bike. I don't like to refer to mine as the "old" one.
Heck my K75 is old my GT is new. It's an '03, that is still new in my book. Especialy with the new faster windshield.

 

[gregfeeler]

While I know a typical response to my comments here will include "to each his own," I am posting to discuss my opinion about the new K1200GT, in contrast to the "old" K1200GT/RS.

After owning an R1100RT and an R1150GS Adv., I bought a gorgeous '98 K12RS a few months ago from Max BMW (NY). I fell in love with the ride, the power and the handling immediately. The bike's character is a sharp contrast to the R bikes'. Nothing wrong with the Rs, mind you, I still adore my R1150GS and use it for most of my riding, in fact, but the K bike offers something different, perhaps more visceral. The RT left me a bit cold, however, because it was a bit too "fuddy-duddy" or old-mannish for my tastes and seemed a bit too close to the GoldWing end of the spectrum, rather than the sportbike side. The old KRS/GT is clearly closer to the sportbike side. Really makes me smile.

Liked my KRS so much, I swapped it two weeks ago, for a super deal I couldn't refuse, for a like-new '04 KGT with 3,600 miles on the clock and 14 months of warrantee to go. Aside from the very slightly cramped ergos for my 6'4" frame, the bike is simply awesome. Up until this fall, I had steered completely away from the KRS/GT because of all the negative comments I read in the online forums about the bikes' ponderous slow-speed and non-flickable high-speed handling and afterthought styling (GT-specific). After all is said and done, the wait didn't hurt me and I now own what is to me a nearly perfect long-distance tourer.

Last night, I went into Max's for some FastWay footpegs for my GS and, for the umpteenth time, jumped on a new GT. Looked around the bike again and was even more convinced of my earliest reactions: "fuddy-duddy." "This is an RT with a 4-cylinder engine," I said to Max. "They listened to what you wanted (not me personally, of course)," came back Max. This bike sits the rider bolt-upright - like a GoldWing - behind a GoldWing-large windscreen, with legs positioned by feet placed on GoldWing-cramped footpegs. The light, flickable handling of the new GT sacrifices the "rides-on-a-rail" handling of the old.

My lament: now that the old KRS/GT have been replaced with the new models, there is no direct replacement on the K side for either bike. Bolting bags on the new KRS or KRR does not turn them into the equivalent of an old GT (wish it did but the ergos are too tight for all day comfort for many of us older guys - and I ride a modest 500-800 miles per day).

What do others think?

You have done a great job of describing my feelings about both my '03 K1200RS and the new Flying Wedge K12S and K12GT. The S is too much sport bike for serious touring use (bags & non-adjustable windshield), and the GT is really a tarted-up RT, and not for me. The closest thing BMW makes to the traditional RS bike is on the R side with the R1200ST.

 

[osbornk]

By the way, what happens when folks get old...do their arms get shorter or what?

Carpal tunnel happens.

 

[cjack]

You have done a great job of describing my feelings about both my '03 K1200RS and the new Flying Wedge K12S and K12GT. The S is too much sport bike for serious touring use (bags & non-adjustable windshield), and the GT is really a tarted-up RT, and not for me. The closest thing BMW makes to the traditional RS bike is on the R side with the R1200ST.

Viki and I get along pretty well. We use the BMW "canoe" bags for all our clothes, laptop, etc. and put the tent and sleeping bags and thermorests in the saddle bags. Two K12S bikes. If I were alone and camping, I could manage. My joke is that on the K12RS, when I first got it, the right bag was for your clothes and the left bag is for your AMEX card.

 

[john1691]

You know what, John...you're right! And I'm going to love this bike to pieces. Here's a (poor) picture of it:

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1826/2196/0/225285/unnamed-image-1-766955.jpg

Great color, and loaded with luggage, you should be all set. Too bad the guy taking the photo got his shadow all over the bike!!

I haven't ridden the new bikes yet, I don't want to end up wanting something I don't need and really can't afford, plus, my goal is to break 100K on the KRS, and I only have 16K so far, so I have a long way to go before I get a GT!

john1691
2000 K1200RS

 

[john1691]

Carpal tunnel happens.

And belly gets bigger!

john1691
2000 K1200RS

 

[john1691]

John1691, where are you located in Central PA? I live in Lebanon, PA.

senseidhg
K1200GT (Red)[/QUOTE]

Elizabethtown (Rheems) I run up around you once in a while, Gretna, Corwall, then north and west and head back 22/322. Less cars on the road the farther north, as opposed to most of Lancaster Co., where everyone who used to live in Jersey seems to live here among the "Amish", emphasis on long A sound. I'd love a R1100S in the garage someday as well. Trying to convince my 16 year old son that should be his next bike, well, maybe his third, let me have it for a while first......

john1691
2000 K1200RS

 

[ian408]

Well as a former RT owner and new K12GT owner, I think the comments
are on the mark. I think it's more than the RT in the touring sense as it's
nice and flickable--not that the RT wasn't fun to ride, it was. But this is
so much more enjoyable.

Oh, and a large Arai will fit in either side case. You can't say that about the
older RT's

Something the dealer asked was why didn't I wasn't going the RT route
again. I said the R1200RT wasn't that much of an improvement. It's a great
bike but the GT is so much better.

 

[kbasa]

You have done a great job of describing my feelings about both my '03 K1200RS and the new Flying Wedge K12S and K12GT. The S is too much sport bike for serious touring use (bags & non-adjustable windshield), and the GT is really a tarted-up RT, and not for me. The closest thing BMW makes to the traditional RS bike is on the R side with the R1200ST.

The K12R Sport seemed a lot like our R11RS when I sat on it, at least in terms of protection level, fairing size and that sort of thing. I'm not sure what kind of bags they're selling with it, but Hepco & Becker make some 30 and 40 liter bags that will bolt up pretty nicely.

I think it'll make a pretty decent SPORT touring bike.

The new K12GT is a hoot to ride, but is probably more sport TOURING.

 

[gregfeeler]

The K12R Sport seemed a lot like our R11RS when I sat on it, at least in terms of protection level, fairing size and that sort of thing. I'm not sure what kind of bags they're selling with it, but Hepco & Becker make some 30 and 40 liter bags that will bolt up pretty nicely.

I think it'll make a pretty decent SPORT touring bike.

The new K12GT is a hoot to ride, but is probably more sport TOURING.

AND, the K12R Sport looks pretty good with that faring in the photos I've seen. With some decent bags...

 

[gcutter]

The K12R Sport seemed a lot like our R11RS when I sat on it, at least in terms of protection level, fairing size and that sort of thing. I'm not sure what kind of bags they're selling with it, but Hepco & Becker make some 30 and 40 liter bags that will bolt up pretty nicely.

I think it'll make a pretty decent SPORT touring bike.

The new K12GT is a hoot to ride, but is probably more sport TOURING.

I don't know Dave, when I can do 60 in first and the front wheel is off the ground, I think it's pretty much SPORT TOURING...a balanced act.
Cheers, Greg

 

[mkrouse]

My lament: now that the old KRS/GT have been replaced with the new models, there is no direct replacement on the K side for either bike. Bolting bags on the new KRS or KRR does not turn them into the equivalent of an old GT (wish it did but the ergos are too tight for all day comfort for many of us older guys - and I ride a modest 500-800 miles per day).What do others think?

I have 15K on my 2002 K1200RS, purchased used in March of 2006. I love it.

This past summer I took the 2006 K1200GT for a demo ride at AMA Vintage Days in Ohio. They had a very nice, long route set up, led by a bikerchick on an RT setting a nice quick pace over rural roads.

I was prepared to laid out $$ for the GT this year, but the new engine although great in the R and S versions, did not feel correct in the GT. Powerful but not relaxed. The fueling at low speeds [1st gear] was horrendous. Shifting was harsh and clutch engagement was abrupt.

The BMW folks stopped at the midway point and did their usual ABS demo. A K12000LT rider came up and asked to switch with the GT on the way back to Mid Ohio. I'd had enough of the GT and jumped at the chance.

Ah...the LT has the good old familiar engine, perfect for sport touring. Easy power. The gearbox was smooth and the fueling perfect. Now I've never ridden the LT model before and I was very impressed. Maybe not my kind of riding position [too upright] but the engine, gearbox, suspension and handling were top notch. An elephant at rest and ballarina in motion.

The 06 GT was so very disappointing and expensive.