How fast is too fast?
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 9:44 pm
I took my R in for its 42k service, @ 43k on the odo at Hammersley BMW in Lynchburg, VA this afternoon. During the time it was worked on, I took a R1200RT and a K1200GT for a test spin.
I took the RT first. It's incredibly comfortable on the highway with excellent wind protection. I seriously think you might be able to get away with not wearing ear plugs on the highway if you set the windscreen at an angle suitable for your height. I usually use the amount of wind noise as an intuitive indicator as to how fast I'm going. On one acceleration run, I spun the boxer in 3rd gear to near redline and shifted into 4th. In little time with no indication from the amount of wind swirling around my head, I found myself shocked at finding myself doing over 90 in a 55 mph highway. Handling was good, like just about every boxer bike made. While the saddle height was a tad tall for me, the bike felt light. The brakes on the RT are incredibly powerful - almost grabby really. The first time I braked to come to a stop at an intersection, I found myself jerking forward due to greater than expected stopping power. An interesting thing about the gearing ratios on the RT's tranny is that in sixth @ 72 mph the motor is spinning close to 4k rpm. So the 6th ratio is a little shorter than the tall 6th on the R1150R. Giving it gas in top gear had the RT accelerate a little better than my R does in 6th, but not considerably so. As expected of a boxer motor, the RT's engine had character that belied its smoothness.
After a dozen miles, I ended my test ride thinking the RT might very well be the perfect touring bike to go across the country. I was curious to see what the KGT would be like in comparison.
I hopped on the KGT a few minutes after I returned with the RT. The KGT by comparison felt heavier and longer. I immediate felt that I was leaned over a wee bit on the GT. The clutch didn't engage until near the end of the lever release. The inline-4 had surprising amount of character considering how Japanese 4s tend to feel. When I hit the highway, I found myself giggling like a school girl at the ridiculous amount of power the KGT has. I mean, is all this power necessary for a touring bike?!? Wind protection was noticeably worse than the RT, but a lot better than our Roadsters with the touring shield. In 6th gear, the motor turned 4k rpm at not quite 70 mph. Giving it half throttle at this speed saw a surge begin slowly but after about 3.5 seconds the bike would begin traversing the 90 - 100 mph range awfully quick. I found myself playing with the throttle constantly just to experience the surge in power. I tried the cruise control as well as the adjustable suspension and was quite impressed at how effective both were. In comfort mode, the bike felt like a magic carpet. Toward the end of my ride, I concluded that the KGT is a big sportbike with hard luggage.
As I waited for my Roadster's 42k service to be finished, I came to the conclusion that I'd prefer the RT as a touring platform. If I wanted something as powerful as the KGT, I'd probably opt for the K1200S or even something as light as a GSX-R1000. The KGT is a tour de force in technology and power. Power I would find impossible to resist. The RT would be a saner choice that would be more comfortable on a 500 mile ride.
I was thinking of the test ride while I rode home from Lynchburg via Route 29 through Charlottesville and Warrenton, VA. One firm conclusion was reached over all else - BMW makes the best motorcycles on the planet!
I took the RT first. It's incredibly comfortable on the highway with excellent wind protection. I seriously think you might be able to get away with not wearing ear plugs on the highway if you set the windscreen at an angle suitable for your height. I usually use the amount of wind noise as an intuitive indicator as to how fast I'm going. On one acceleration run, I spun the boxer in 3rd gear to near redline and shifted into 4th. In little time with no indication from the amount of wind swirling around my head, I found myself shocked at finding myself doing over 90 in a 55 mph highway. Handling was good, like just about every boxer bike made. While the saddle height was a tad tall for me, the bike felt light. The brakes on the RT are incredibly powerful - almost grabby really. The first time I braked to come to a stop at an intersection, I found myself jerking forward due to greater than expected stopping power. An interesting thing about the gearing ratios on the RT's tranny is that in sixth @ 72 mph the motor is spinning close to 4k rpm. So the 6th ratio is a little shorter than the tall 6th on the R1150R. Giving it gas in top gear had the RT accelerate a little better than my R does in 6th, but not considerably so. As expected of a boxer motor, the RT's engine had character that belied its smoothness.
After a dozen miles, I ended my test ride thinking the RT might very well be the perfect touring bike to go across the country. I was curious to see what the KGT would be like in comparison.
I hopped on the KGT a few minutes after I returned with the RT. The KGT by comparison felt heavier and longer. I immediate felt that I was leaned over a wee bit on the GT. The clutch didn't engage until near the end of the lever release. The inline-4 had surprising amount of character considering how Japanese 4s tend to feel. When I hit the highway, I found myself giggling like a school girl at the ridiculous amount of power the KGT has. I mean, is all this power necessary for a touring bike?!? Wind protection was noticeably worse than the RT, but a lot better than our Roadsters with the touring shield. In 6th gear, the motor turned 4k rpm at not quite 70 mph. Giving it half throttle at this speed saw a surge begin slowly but after about 3.5 seconds the bike would begin traversing the 90 - 100 mph range awfully quick. I found myself playing with the throttle constantly just to experience the surge in power. I tried the cruise control as well as the adjustable suspension and was quite impressed at how effective both were. In comfort mode, the bike felt like a magic carpet. Toward the end of my ride, I concluded that the KGT is a big sportbike with hard luggage.
As I waited for my Roadster's 42k service to be finished, I came to the conclusion that I'd prefer the RT as a touring platform. If I wanted something as powerful as the KGT, I'd probably opt for the K1200S or even something as light as a GSX-R1000. The KGT is a tour de force in technology and power. Power I would find impossible to resist. The RT would be a saner choice that would be more comfortable on a 500 mile ride.
I was thinking of the test ride while I rode home from Lynchburg via Route 29 through Charlottesville and Warrenton, VA. One firm conclusion was reached over all else - BMW makes the best motorcycles on the planet!