BMW 1200 GT and LT

Been browsing the bike ranges, the BMW 1200GT and LT look like nice bikes,
basically I use a bike every day to go to work which is 10 miles each way,
then go off touring a few times a year, does anybody have any experience of
these bikes and if so how did you find them?

I am toying with buying a touring bike, then some old hack just to go to
work on.

Your thoughts please?

Thanks
Alan

 

Not ridden either of them, but I did notice a fully loaded Lux LT, 2004,
12,000 miles, on Autotrader for £4,450.

Either a right bargain or a mistype.

--
Martin

R1150RS
Falco
GS1000E

 

CG125 to hack your way to work and a proper tourer for longer
distances.

 

Not ridden them, but they're fairly serious touring bikes. Chalk and
cheese, mind. Depends what your budget is, and whether you plan
touring solo or two-up, etc etc....

Oi. I resemble that remark.

Yes, there's little point in using a BMW luxobarge to commute 10 miles
each way. I commute on my K1100LT, but then I'm doing 40 miles each
way, and it's rather good for that.

 

Hmm, the mileage might be a mistype but otherwise the price seems right
for an LT. I'm not sure that BMW made a big dent into Goldwing sales
with them and combined with the high servicing cost (they're noticeably
more expensive to service due to all the bodywork), there is only a
limited market for them both new and secondhand.

 

True, although asking prices for 2004 Lux LTs in dealers is over 8 grand, so
on the face of it, were one in the market for such a beast, one may consider
it not unreasonably priced.

Granted, there would be little prospect of actually selling it on...

--
Martin

R1150RS
Falco
GS1000E

 

Well, my guess would be that the asking price for LTs at dealers would
probably remain at 8k for a long time...

I think fleabay is a better indicator of actual selling prices and I
don't think many LTs there sold for 8k.

Indeed.

 

New

Alan

 

Buy a Versys then you only need one bike.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer
Fireblade 929 (For sale)
ZX-7R P4 (for sale)
CBR600F-W trackbike
SR250 SpazzTrakka,
RD400F, somewhere
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

What?

His commute is 10 miles each way so he could use any shitty old £500
hack for that and he wants a tourer to use for a few trips per year so
why spend a fair wad of money on a bike that isn't really a tourer
when he could buy a commuter and a decent tourer for the same money?
The £500 hack won't lose much in value over a couple of years and
he'll avoid putting 5k of commuting miles onto his bigger investment
every year.

 

Look, I'm only doing the time honoured ukrm thing and recommending the
bike I currently own.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer
Fireblade 929 (For sale)
ZX-7R P4 (for sale)
CBR600F-W trackbike
SR250 SpazzTrakka,
RD400F, somewhere
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

When did you see me suggesting he buys a BMWK100/ Watsonian Palma
outfit?

It might be a bit crap for commuting but for touring it's acceptable
and it cost me under two grand. It'll give you more excitement per 100
miles than any sports bike and nobody would nick it if you left the
keys in the ignition.

 

He wants a new bike though.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer
Fireblade 929 (For sale)
ZX-7R P4 (for sale)
CBR600F-W trackbike
SR250 SpazzTrakka,
RD400F, somewhere
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

I have a new model K1200GT and it's a very very quick and efficient tourer
that can hack it when the going gets a bit twisty. Basically the K12GT is
the same engine and chassis as the K1200S but has a bigger fairing etc.

The LT is more relaxed and "traditional" tourer

Both are opposites of the touring genre. Depends what you want but I find
the GT is a brilliant machine.

--
Steve Parry
BMW R80RS, BMW R45, 03 BMW R1100S Boxercup, 07 K1200GT SE
95 BMW F650, 87 Yamaha FS1, Sukida SK90PY, 91 Kawasaki AR50,
BMW 330Ci
www.gwynfryn.co.uk

 

Pah. You'll be telling me a gixer thou isn't an appropriate bike for a 7
mile commute through central London next.

 

Not really. My money goes on the outfit winning against a car every
day of the week.

 

I used a K1200GT (the newer one, with the new engine and slabby sides) for
a week while my R1200RT was being fixed. General impressions: comfortable
(I'm 179cm), fast, a bit over 6l/100km in mixed motorway and town use, tiny
sidestand foot (watch out for gravel), err ... I don't know what else.

I don't have a huge amount of experience of other bikes to compare, but if
you have specific questions about the GT I may be able to answer. I know
nothing about the LT, other than that it's enormous and it uses the older
1200 engine.

Personally I'm rather hoping the recession will reach Switzerland and force
BMW to sell me a K1300GT at a discount. No sign yet, though.

 

and going for a very good price?

 

Keep most of your money for a really nice touring bike and get a lightweight
for the 10 mile commute. For the commute speed is not going to be important,
agility in traffic, economy, and cheap unfaired parts for when it gets
dropped, which it will.

Much cheapness is the name of the game for a short commute, maybe a CG125
or a 250 (mine is not for sale) if you want a bit more power.
A lot of people commute on GS500s but IMHO they are not agile enough for
short commutes in heavy traffic, rather aim for something weighing
under about 140kg.