2005 bmw reviews

I bought a 2002 BMW 1200 LT and I love it. I've ridden for 44 years, and I've had everything from a Honda Dream 160 to a six-cylinder Kawasaki Tourer, Goldwings, and Ventures. There's not a question about the performance of this bike. It is awesome...handles like a racer and moves like one too. I have had some problems controlling it in the garage. I dropped it three times in the first three weeks I owned it. This bike is so heavy, that, if it gets a little off-balance, it will go down. There's nothing a 5' 7" guy can do to stop it. I dropped it once trying to get it on its center stand. (I've mastered that since.) Dropped it once going down my driveway, when I stopped at the dip, between the garage and the downhill approach. My feet couldn't reach. I got the kickstand down, but the dip was so deep, the back wheel was off the ground. It rolled forward slightly and collapsed the kickstand. I had one other mishap, when I got slightly off-balance at a stop sign. Down it went. It is virtually impossible for someone my size to right the bike. It takes two or three people, who know what they're doing, to get it up again. I'd like to hear what other short people do with the 1200 LT. I'm starting to think I should have stuck with my old Goldwing. I never once dropped it in over 30,000 miles. My 1200 LT has been refitted with the heated seat, so it is cut down to about two inches below stock, but I still have problems at a standstill. I'd love to hear what your experience has been with this incredible, but incredibly heavy and top-heavy bike. Show less

I've had my 2005 all-blue K1200S for approx. 9 months, and I use every excuse to get on it, from a grocery store run to hard-core canyon carving. PROS: 1) Phenomenal power (stock), with the best sequential acceleration at higher RPMs. Hot off the line...besting any of the Japanese bikes I've raced, as long as you keep the RPMs between 8-10K. 2) You'll surely appreciate the ABS with all that power. I've come too hot into a few corners, and the ABS saved me from heading over a few cliffs (but in beautiful areas). With the Duo-Lever suspension, there is no noticeable braking "dive" on the front end when you engage the ABS. 3) ESA is a nice feature - I've used it for 1-up in various conditions, and also with my girl on the back. Nice feature, with quite noticeable differences in suspension. 4) I use soft, sticky tires for canyon carving on long windy roads - the bike corners beautifully with just the right stiffness to give you extra confidence. 5) Extremely stable at high speeds. I've never felt any shaking/wobbling at 120-150 mph, even in windy conditions, if you can get below the windscreen. CONS: 1) My biggest gripe...the stock seat is way too hard, and on long rides makes me feel like I've been tenderized with a meat cleaver. 2) The clutch lever is quite tight, and in stop-and-go traffic you'll feel like you have early arthritis. 3) The shift lever screw keeps vibrating out, so I've had to keep spares on hand. Not confidence inspiring when you're riding hard. I've used a split washer and lock-tite, but the sucker keeps backing out. 4) Stock wind screen is too low if you want get out of wind resistance and ride at break-neck speeds. It's hard to get my body low enough, and impossible if using a tank bag. 5) Even after tuning the bike to "Sport" suspension, I still bottomed out on the far side of a steep hill (doing 120 mph), creating a nice gouge in the asphalt. 6) There just aren't too many roads where you can get the full value out of what the K1200S has to offer. For Southern CA I recommend Hwy 74, and in Central CA there is no beating Hwy 1 for nice cornering and sheer beauty, and Hwy 58 for hard core cornering, and flat straight-aways to test your speed limits -- just get low enough, watch out for hazards, and of course the CHP! Show less

I've been riding Harleys for years. I've always had full dress bikes, Road Kings and Ultra Classics. My wife and I went down to pick out an 06 Ultra, the bike was in stock, got a good price, but something was bothering me. You've never experienced heat until you've been on a Harley in the summer. The heat that comes off that engine is unbelievable and it is focused directly "below the belt line". I told her, lets go try a demo ride on a bike I heard about. Well, if you know about Harleys, demo rides are non-existent, they don't allow demos unless the entire demo team happens to be in your state. So we went over to Metuchen, NJ and I walked in and the sales guy throws me the keys to a K1200LT and says "see you in an hour, let me know how you like it." We bought it, flat out, right there. The biggest hangup I had was leaving the "Harley" family, strong feelings there. Secondly, there was no sound on the LT. I had to get used to that. The LT had brakes that actually worked, it cornered like a cat and the response from the engine was awesome. I have every option they make on it and love the LT. Bottom line...money well spent. Show less

This is my third bike, having started with a Suzuki Katana, moving on to a BWM F650CS, and then to this one. I think I have found the bike that fits! A few minutes into the test drive and I knew I had found the bike for me. I like the crouched riding position, the level of power is just right for me, and even on long rides (so far have done one 260 mile day), I did not get any unusual soreness from the riding position or seat. The bike is light enough so that I can push it around the parking lot when necessary, but not so light that it gets blown around the highway. The bike rides like a dream, gliding along @ 85mph in 4th gear like it is nothing. My first impression of this bike, when I saw it at the dealer, was "That just looks like WAY too much bike for me". The test drive proved otherwise - this bike was far easier to maneuver than that Katana-tank ever was. I really like the bells and whistles, and think that the gear indicator is just the coolest thing. Show less

From Honda's to Harley's, I ended up with a R1200 RT and wouldn't trade it for anything. Fast and great handling, and I can throw stuff into the hard-bags and be gone for the weekend! Show less

Bought the bike new after a 10 min demo ride on a used LT. I had demo'ed the GW about a week before and the comparison rides made the LT the better bike by far in handling above 5 mph. It is a heavy bike and requires special attention when operating at parking lot speeds so as not to drop the bike when stopping. NEVER use front brake when front wheel is turned!!(How do I know that?!). The bike is great in handling the twisties and on straightaways is super smooth. The engine is very smooth and powerful at high rpms. The stopping power is AWESOME!! Good gas mileage. A little tall for an average height rider but manageable. Stock seat was finally replaced with a custom seat to make the long distance rides more comfortable. Adequate luggage space. Oh, the bike handles very well in x-winds(gusting or steady). Sort of has a built x-wind correction due to the high cg and lower center of pressure that makes the bike lean into the wind automatically. Can be exciting if not expected. All in all, this is one great riding bike. I love it!! Show less

I spent last weekend winding through the hills in and around Ozark AR, the bike was flawless much better than the rider ever will be. My buddies I was riding with were very empress with the power and for its size, how nimble it is. It is about 9in longer than my buddies 919 but it was very well mannered it never made me feel out of sorts. The only beefs I have are the 05 mapping which gives it a low rpm stutter (hence the 4th star in quality)and the 2nd to 3rd clunky shift but it seems to be wearing in. By far the best over all road bike I have ever owned, we rode for about 6hrs and 320 miles the only thing tired was my throttle hand. Show less

When I saw it I had to have it. When I sat down I didn't want to get off. I never felt this comfort on a bike for a long time but the 1200 ST sure made an impression on me. This is an absolute looker, on top of that, it performs and handles at your needs. Suspension is what I like the most about this machine. I wish the handle bar was little higher up as I have short arms makes me numb for long ride. I wish windshield was little higher up when I'm touring. Show less

I bought the R1200RT at BMW of Atlanta on December 29th, 2005. I had been calling around to dfferent BMW shops and these folks know what they're doing. They delivered it to me the next day, 240 miles away. I keep my BMW in Jacksonville, Florida where I spend a good bit of time consulting. I rode the bike from Brentwood to Jacksonville (640 miles) and from that point it's been my daily transportation. I can't wait to get it out for a tour this summer. I lowered the pegs to give me some more leg room and purchased an AirHawk cushion to make longer rides a bit more comfortable on the old rear. Show less

I purchased this bike in September 2000 from a dealer in Boise. After 67800 miles, I am still in love!!! My wife even refers to the bike as the "other woman". Lets see, the past 5 1/2 years we have been to Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. From 20 degrees in Idaho to 108 degrees in Laughlin, NV, it has never missed a beat. I have listened to other owners and learned to do the minor maintenance myself which makes it even more enjoyable. There is just so much more to see, while perched on the seat of the ole LT! Show less