It was a nice day so I took a ride over to a BMW dealer to go for a few test rides.
 
First up was the wethead R1200RT.  I’d read several reviews calling this the ultimate touring bike so was looking forward to taking one for a spin.  With the mirrors it’s as wide as a house (worthless for splitting/filtering,) was kind of buzzy at high RPMs and way too torquey.  I honestly wasn’t too impressed.  I’m of the impression that 1200 CCs might be too big for an opposed twin.
 
Next up was the S1000XR, a liter race bike with big wide touring bars and a little winscreen.  At 500 pounds with 160 HP it GOES and was a hoot to ride. It was a little buzzy in the upper RPMs but not too bad. If I got one of these I’d probably put some shorter bars on it and end up in jail with a revoked license within a couple of days.
 
I always swore I’d never buy a big 1600 CC bike but the last bike I took out was a K1600GT just to see what it was like. Despite its 700 pound weight it felt quite nimble and its inline six is frickin’ smooth as butter.  Power roll-on was smooth, definitive and downright fun. I’m in love. The 16GT just upped my K-pox a notch.

Now I'm going to have to sell off a few of my classic K bikes to make room for one of these in my garage.

duck wrote: Despite its 700 pound weight it felt quite nimble and its inline six is frickin’ smooth as butter.  Power roll-on was smooth, definitive and downright fun.

That's the same impression I had when I rode a 1998 Honda Valkyrie. I appreciated the foot controls not being placed forward like so many cruisers. The 30–35mpg limits the range between fill-ups, but the chrome parts I could black out. If I could justify having two motos, that would be the other for certain.

Okay looking for some honest advice here Duck - test ride some new ones or steer well clear of them?  I've thought about trying something newer like the S1000XR like you did but that might just be the same kind of trouble that you outlined.  I have no trouble breaking the speed limit on a regular basis on my old K (whose performance pales in comparison to the XR).  I'm sure I will get busted eventually and I've even thought of trying to sell the excess of speed as being an attempt to "get the vibrations to stop"...I'm not hopeful but I might try it nonetheless.

You make it sound like having a lot of torque is a bad thing?

I am on my second K1600.

They are damn nice bikes.

Never ridden a K1600, but did a stint as a pillion on one during some bike swapping on a Scotland tour (I never ride pillion, ever)
What a great way to travel, like an armchair with wings, never been as relaxed on a bike. One of the best touring afternoons of my life. Just needs a cup holder on top of one of the panniers though...

And a roof, a roof would be good, and a spare wheel in case, and some carpet to deaden the sound.
Think I'll buy one.
RT

Started with a K100RT, because went holiday, and my FZR1000exup streetfighter wouldn't be the first choice (need fuel every 100km), K-bikes keep flippin' here.
Now have this K1100RS for years, had a chance to grab me a R1200RT, different machine, but what a ride!
So had 2 bikes.
Then a R1100RS, my bro bought, tried to steal my heart. And she did, bought the little bugger from him.
So 3 bikes, totally different, but loved the ride on each of them.
The R1100RS is now to the eternal highways, crashed it at high speed, still not over the loss
R1200 needs a new clutch, K1100 is my commuter, still in love with the old girl.
Party for her, she's 25 this year, and I will hit 50.
We're both in good condition, she stays, I stay

prince wrote:I am on my second K1600.

They are damn nice bikes.

What happened to the first one?

duck wrote:

prince wrote:I am on my second K1600.

They are damn nice bikes.

What happened to the first one?

Got a great trade in offer for it on my 2018.

The 2018 having reverse sealed the deal. The Nav VI is readable in bright sun. Love the shift assist and the keyless ignition.

Didn't like the lack of power compared to the early bike but a Bren tune fixed that.

Damn! The K1600GT is an incredibly FUN bike to ride.
 
I’d only put about 70 mellow miles on it while I’ve been waiting for some parts to arrive and I have the time to do a bunch of mods to it but I got tired of seeing it sitting on my garage and temptation got the best of me so I took it for an 1,100+ mile ride down the Oregon coast and back.
 
After my demo ride I bought it mostly for the awesome amount of smooth power it delivers but after putting a few miles on it on various types of roads over the last few days I’m really impressed at how well it handles for being a 700 pound beast.
 
Even when I have it in RAIN mode it gets up to triple digits in a heartbeat and feels incredibly well planted. In DYNAMIC/SPORT mode it gets even better.
 
For now I’ll just enjoy it with the stock fuel mapping and suspension but when
I get “bored” with it in the next year or so I’ll upgrade it with the Bren Tune fuel mapping and Wilburs suspension.

Wow Duck!  Congratulations on your new ride - time to up-date you 'Current Stable'.  

I think at the point where you start getting into the  tuna boat class of motorcycles you'd be better off buying a convertible

Congratulations on the buying the big K.

I already have a convertible, an 89 RX-7 that I bought new and is still in great shape. It's nowhere near as fast or as fun as the K1600GT.

And even though the "tuna boat" weighs 70 more pounds than a K1100LT it takes about the same amount of effort to push around the garage and goes up on the center stand a tad easier.

It happens not scary

I haven't bought a new bike in a fair while...late 2004 to be exact, an R1150R plain jane. I like my oldies, and the '09 K13, but working at a shop I see the bikes come and go daily. I'm lucky and grateful to be able to ride a lot of the new Ducati, BMW & Zero electrics once they're PDI'd (Pre-Delivery Inspection) or as customer bikes needing a test ride after service. I can be on a G310GS, a Duc Streetfighter or a K1600GTL within an hour. I'm never jaded. They're all sweet machines. I've had the month of December off but back late October a Triple Black S1000XR was uncrated and was assembled by one of the techs. I took the PDI ride and put 4 slow miles on the odo and filled it with premium. I admit to looking back at it when parked and walking slowly past it on my way to the parts department or to fill my tea mug up on a busy day. I rang Wayne, the long-time salesman, a coupla weeks ago and asked him if it was still sitting there. "Hasn't moved", he stated. We have four of them in stock, various colours. So, I waltzed in today - still have a week off - and I ordered up matching black panniers, radiator and oil cooler guard, engine protection bobbins, TFT screen cover, & minor etc. The bike was left at the shop since there's a foot of crusty snow on the ground with more coming tonight, temps near -10(C) at night and barely cracking sub-freezing daytime highs. I have to wait for the number plate to come in from the state, so I can wait.

It's no K16, but it'll get me to the grocery store.  

(Tries to think of a sarcastic comment involving too much money to spare and fails miserably)

Good on ya I can see many miles with bugs in your teeth. By the way I am insanely jealous if you had not already figured that out.

Ah, the benefit of being a boomer (1960), having good credit, zero debt (tho' that just changed), a ticket-free licence, & being a dealer employee: there's heaps of year end programmes, ultra low interest rates thru BMW financial, accessories come at dealer cost, a hefty down payment made from selling off another bike in a private sale, & the dealer's willingness to add one more sale to the year's excellent tally two days before New Year's Eve. I could resist but I did not. I reckon I got it for >US$4K large less than manufacturer's sticker price. The 3 year/36K mile warranty is a sweetener. Insurance is only $488 per year for full comp/collision with fire/theft cover for all four of my registered motorbikes. But those are only numbers & stats. The bike is a joy to ride, lithe, nimble, rev eager, two finger Brembo stops, is 100+ lbs less than the K1300GT fully fuelled, slightly more HP, slightly less torque, but spins to a similar rev number (11) like the 13's 10,5 redline. The 2020-on models have nearly eliminated the prior XR (2015 - '19) handlebar/mirror vibes which plagued this model, & passenger accommodation for long-legged wimmen is exemplary. Plus it's dead sexy in a stealth fighter way (subjective yes, but it's mine). If in a year or two the shine wears off I've got the option to trade it in on something different. Perhaps an R1300GS to ride back to Alaska on in '23.
Thanks for reading. 


Added bonus is that the young, skilled techs do the required maintenance interval after hours in the workshop for cash/grog, & we maintain a paperwork record of the work performed & oem parts used in case of need for future warranty work.

Well TWB, do yer level best not to get busted for speeding!  That's one beautiful Beemer and might just introduce a bit of jealousy in among the rest of the stable.    ENJOY!

Woodie wrote:Well TWB, do yer level best not to get busted for speeding!  That's one beautiful Beemer and might just introduce a bit of jealousy in among the rest of the stable.    ENJOY!

Ta, Woodie. A mate suggested it might just be a mid-life crisis, but he hasn't known me long. I was mid-life raging fifteen or twenty years ago. As I grow older, I seem to be able to practice a more judicious form of right wristing the loud handle, at least in proximity to the local constabulary. There are plenty of roads locally where we know they're not patrolling, and speed cameras aren't really a thing round these here wild west parts. The last bonafide velocity award was in my car in early 2017 trying to make time to meet up with a colleague to swap drugs motorcycle parts in a parking lot in the pouring rain. The state trooper got me for 77 mph in a 70 zone and I took what's known as a deferment, which essentially means you pay your fine, it doesn't go on record, but if you get stopped within a calendar year it hits your record with the corresponding potential increase in insurance, etc. No points are allocated or taken on your licence here in this state, at least. 

Casting my mind back to my second to the last visit to OZ in 2018, I managed two within two weeks. One for 110 kph on the Pacific Motorway at the Goldcoast where the zone drops to 100 kph and the plain white Mercedes camera van sits just out of eye shot in the verge. The other one was a 120 kph overtake in a 100 zone on the Cunningham highway, east of Warwick QLD, heading toward the Great Dividing Range. I slotted in behind a slow-moving B-double (large truck) and slingshot whipped round him in the nick of time as an unmarked Commodore was cruising towards us with mobile radar. Both of them got me a three-point deduction each but they're gone by now. I haven't been 'home' since November of 2018 so no worries. Both of them were on my red '87 K100RS, so it matters little what one's riding. A moped or e-scooter will get you nabbed in the wrong place.

I haven't had a ticket of any kind for 10 years now, fitting a cruise control to the bike was the most economical thing I have done in years.
Previous to that I was sailing close to the wind for years.

I just find it utterly challenging to go the posted speed limit given that the K100 makes travelling at speed so effortless.  I can only imagine how much harder it would be to resist while perched on top of the S1000XR!  

Last summer I was leaving a job site which happened to be close to a big S bend.  A couple of years ago I would avoid it like the plague as it was 90% tar snakes.  It had been resurfaced and is now prime for some peg scraping.  I got on to the highway, got the K up to speed - well beyond the nasty vibration zone - and enjoyed a sweeping right hand into a sweeping left.  At the apex of the lefthander I noticed the cruiser parked off to the side of the road facing me.  No chance of scrubbing off any speed and instead of the lights coming on an arm came out of the window and motioned me to slow down.  My hooligan days are well behind me now but I still enjoy letting the bike stretch her legs a little.  I was quite relieved to come away with just a small caution.  

I picture folks imagining that because one is riding a fast and smooth bike that it's silver spurs to the sides, giving it some cane, twisted wrist, balls to the wall, at all times. There was an advert on the tele when I was a lad in Tassie (late '60s, early '70s) that showed a Mercedes-Benz driver on a banked circuit fully flying. The narrator suggested that the driver didn't always have to use the abundant power of his new Merc, but that he appreciated it was there in case of 'need.' 

Truth be told I am often just travelling at the same speed as the vehicles round me, and these daze it seems people are whipping along at extra-legal speeds regardless of road conditions, traffic level & etc., even in school zones, which if flashing, are 20mph. Tho' I set my cruise to 20 and patiently roll through those zones. The four-lane surface street a block away from house is posted 35mph. People accelerate away from the lights a quarter mile back and by the time they reach my block are often at 55mph or greater, this being a fully residential neighbourhood. 

It seems lately that speed signs are mostly ignored, and there are less and less visible police patrolling anymore. The 'interstate' highway 3 miles away from home is posted 70 mph outside of town, then drops to 60mph then 50mph as it snakes through Tacoma, and is in perpetual roadworks signed and conditions, and yet vehicles jam through at 70mph-plus. I maintain awareness whether in my car or on a bike. I know where the state coppers usually sit, I set my cruise (if available) to just above the limit or to within reason of the velocity of other traffic and keep head and eyes up. Mainly I'm concerned about getting shunted out of my lane or pranging into an unobservant Telsa or Prius driver. Remember when we used to blame Volvo drivers with the baby on board sign in the back window!?

Last night's rain has nearly melted the accumulated snow and ice of the past week. It'll be near 10C regularly again very soon. Then it'll be time for practicing stoppies and wheelies, lane-splitting in dense city traffic, helmetless, gloveless, whilst wearing thongs on me feet (flip flops) and a billowing wife beater (singlet).

Two Wheels Better wrote: Then it'll be time for practicing stoppies and wheelies, lane-splitting in dense city traffic, helmetless, gloveless, whilst wearing thongs on me feet (flip flops) and a billowing wife beater (singlet).

?????

Did you get a 250 Ninja?

Couple weeks ago an old man came to me with his mint GL1200 Goldwing, 75000km, and no additional crap on it like some do.
Had a problem with his suspension, better to say the compressor, blowing fuses.
Been there, done that, awefull job, it's located in the front IN the fairing, hard to get there, and even hard to place back.
As the bugger got stuck by not using it, I took it out, overhauled it, and placed back.
Had to test and ride, and felt the same but better as my 2 previous ones I had.
Called the guy to pick it up, mede him very happy.
When he got home, he thanked me again on the phone, told me that was maybe one of his last rides.
At Jan 1, he called me, and said he will do 1 more ride, yhen it's over for him. Bike needs a good home.
As he knew I like the bike, he figured out my home is a good one.
Told him my wallet isn't that big at the moment, but he waved that away, told me a price that made me spit my coffee (not as in expensive, but as in a steel).
2 things hold me back at the moment, need to make space for such a mastodont, and have to find some coins.......
Maybe soon I have a Goldwing next to my K's

You are in a very enviable position!  Your good work has been recognized -- congratulations.  Let us know how you get on with the Honda. 

Since the snow has melted but the rain has pelted, I haven't been able to take the bike home from work. It sits just inside the showroom and I can see it from my desk. Every once in a while, I look at the accessories catalogue and peruse, ponder, & dream. It is Winter, thus slow, and I do get mildly bored.

So far I have added: my old Navigator V GPS which fits right into the Nav VI slot, M (for Motorsport) front axle bobbins, an M billet aluminium oil filler cap to replace the dreadful squishy plastic thing, black factory panniers keyed to the fob/key, OEM engine protection slider for the left hand side (the right side doesn't fit unless I want to trim the engine spoiler since it is meant for S1000R & RR), OEM radiator & oil cooler guards, and am sourcing a dark tinted (Puig?) touring windscreen & sidestand foot enlarger, later model LED front turn signal units because for some reason (DOT?) the US spec models use the years old 'arrow head' incandescent, amber bulb, white lens style front blinkers with the newest style full LED rears in red, & M chain adjustment slider set with a kewl pin tool for subtle chain adjustments - no need to fiddle with a 13 & 10mm combo. Most of it is in black. 

Does that now make it a quadruple black, perhaps a quintuple black?

Or perhaps.............

While we're on a roll (rock 'n'?)

I might have to start calling her Betty...or Bettina.

You've opened a can of worms-black worms!

Wow!
A whole new topic section under “Off Topic” labelled “Music For Your Motorcycle”.
Purchase a new bike and you will receive several recommendations for music that embody the colour and mood of the bike.
Some of us probably partied to some of this music in our youth when it was first released a few years ago.

Might wanna respray in vantablack  

I was looking over the bike yesterday at day's end and noticed that after all that black was applied by BMW Motorrad 's design team to panels and brackets and such, the fuel cap and surround were done in silver. Meantime, the Motorsport white version next to it has a black cap and surround. No price is available on the part number as yet for the black version...if my vanity should succumb to such a change.

Got it home & introduced to the mob 

Two Wheels Better wrote:Ta, Woodie. A mate suggested it might just be a mid-life crisis…

Someone said the same to me a few weeks back when I bought my Hayabusa outfit. 
I was very pleased as that means I’m going to live to 140 and have one of the nicest sidecars I’ve ever seen .

In all seriousness though the H actually feels a lot safer in modern road/driver conditions in the UK. I love my K outfit but its comfortable highway speed is 50 - 70 mph which makes me one of the slowest things on the road. The first ride on the Busa I came into a situation of someone else’s making and just got out of the way at 80+ without really trying.

PS. I have many other excuses for buying nice bikes when I’m able , and just enjoying what I have when I’m not. The low spots come when I’m bikeless, don’t like that much.

Two Wheels Better wrote:Got it home & introduced to the mob 

Oh sure, it's the brand new one that gets the only dry spot on the driveway and Big Block is not allowed to share.  Be careful TWB or 'the mob' really could become THE MOB!

Woodie wrote:

Two Wheels Better wrote:Got it home & introduced to the mob 

Oh sure, it's the brand new one that gets the only dry spot on the driveway and Big Block is not allowed to share.  Be careful TWB or 'the mob' really could become THE MOB!

Oh, yeah, there were a few low-down growls emanating from the dark recesses of the garage as the door slowly raised and they sensed a newcomer. After a time, though, the friendly conversation drifted away from English and I could hear a few choice German words being tossed about. Schweinhund, Eindringling and Dickkopf are the few I recognised. I'm not fluent so I hope it isn't an impending gang up.


I hadn't told my 'wife' about the bike and even when the garage door opened on Saturday evening after I picked her up at work, she didn't notice the new bike parked prominently at the back of all the others. It wasn't till I'd made dinner and we'd eaten that I asked her to join me in the garage, glass of red plonk in the belly and one to hand. She still didn't believe that I'd bought it until I showed her the temporary number plate instead of a dealer plate that'd be on a bike I'd borrowed for the weekend. It's better to ask forgiveness than permission...

Truth be told she's never, ever questioned a bike purchase, other than to ask if I plan to sell one off to compensate.

We did our first 'hunnerd' miles yesterday, out for a bite to eat at the Black Diamond Bakery, with the snow mainly melted off, the sun shining and the thermometre topping out at between 7 & 10C. The long-legged gal liked the perch, and the reach to the pegs, but said the seat surface is a bit too slippery. She marvelled at the revibility of the motor and the way the bike swings round the bends with ease. A coupla longish Spring and Summer trips are now in the works.

Sitzundtinkel. No, Google won't give you a straight translation - it's situation-based wordplay - in German! I was told it by an Austrian friend.

Laitch wrote:

It's actually Ram Jam singing and playing here on this Goob Chewb clip, not the Top. Aussie band Spiderbait covered it in '04. It was first recorded, sung by Leadbelly, in the '30s and was sung a capella as a field work song. I linked to the correct Ram Jam video above in post # 35.

If you go to Goob Chewb and search for this video (purportedly by ZZTop) you'll see the comments are turned off, likely because the poster got heaps of comments correcting him.

40F degrees (4C) and with often dense fog scattered about the lowlands, but it's a Sunday and the urge to ride is strong, and with promised sunshine in some higher elevations it might top out at 50F (10C). The warmer air is south so off we go. The heated jacket liner and 3 stage grips will come in handy. I have managed barely 200 miles so far, mainly commuting, and wish to get to the 1000km/600 mile service so the low-set, break in period rev limiter can have its cherry popped. I would dearly love to introduce Mr Tacho Needle to Ms Rev Limiter. Lunch in Portland, Oregon?

Does that model come with a center stand as well?
Are the lights daytime driving lights as required in Canada or fog lights?

Shep wrote:Does that model come with a center stand as well?
Are the lights daytime driving lights as required in Canada or fog lights?

A centre stand is an option on all XRs but this one had it rolled into an options package. This particular bike has 'everything' bar forged wheels. The spotties are switchable driving lights and will do in a pinch as fog lights if swung down a bit. They're almost too bright to use against oncoming traffic at night, tho' the triangular pattern with the slim LED headlamps above them seems to get me noticed in traffic.

The bike has no taillight, per se, but the rear LED indicators act as stop/running & indicators. The only gripe I have with them is that the rear indicators are red, as it is in Los Estados Unidos, and perhaps Canadia. I will attempt to source the non-US version which has an amber centre section for 'proper' indicator colour. Strangely too, the US versions of the big XR have the old style arrowhead front indicators (in amber as required up front) but with a 10w incandescent bulb, unlike the rest of the world where amber LEDs are utilised. I have already sourced the LEDs for the front end and they should be in my post box tomorrow.

The further south I rode the colder it got and the denser the fog, despite the weatherman's forecast last night on the tele. The fog and cloud layer above is thick enough to not have allowed sunbreaks, of which an optimistic blue spot was spied just once, to warm up the earth and the ground below. After 125 miles and the temp hovering round 1C as evidenced by the flashing snowflake indicator on the TFT screen, my teeth chattering, & the puffs of breath within my Arai, I stopped at a servo and wrapped my hands round a hot cuppa and nibbled a slice of warmed lemon cake. 

In the end I did not reach Portlandia, but instead threaded the two-lane backroads between Winlock/Toledo, the Shoestring Valley to Cinebar, the Old Jackson Highway to Chehalis/Centralia, Yelm, Olympia/Lacey, the Nisqually basin, Dupont then home to Lakewood. I managed to double the mileage.