BMW K 1200 LT-C reviews

For me, this bike is the perfect combination of speed, power and agility. It has performed flawlessly under every condition I have encountered. It serves very well as a daily commuter and a weekend hell-raiser. It has more than enough torque to pull through the corners. There is no need to downshift to pass, but it's too much fun not to. The suspension inspires confidence in any situation even when traveling over unexpected gravel roads, wet roads, or tight West Virginia switchbacks covered with dirt and leaves. You can't truly appreciate this motorcycle until you decide to push it hard through the twisties. Thanks to the ABS, it is forgiving enough to enter curves way too fast, yet powerful enough to torque your way through in style. 109HP and 85ft lbs of torque! Who could ask for a better balance? I would recommend an R1200R to anyone looking for a fun bike that will help increase your riding abilities so much so that my wife has one too. Show less

This is my first BMW. I have never dished out so much cash for a bike (I have owned mostly Hondas and Suzuki). But I wish I had bought it sooner. The heated grips, cruise control, ESA and ASC and tire pressure monitor; this bike eats miles for breakfast! The engine is well balanced and the linear power acceleration is deceiving! Goes from 0 to 70 mph and you don't even know it! Suspension is adjustable for those really bad freeways and you can take it to the hills, and you have a sport demon. This thing can be flicked in an instant. It has a low center of gravity! If you are short, get the optional low seat; it's worth it. But I did not need it! You pay more, and you get a lot in return! Show less

I started riding again and recently bought a 2005 R1100S. It's a great bike for short rides. I started to do 300+ miles per day and got too sore after the ride. It could just be I'm not as young as I used to be. This past fall I purchased a used RS and 500-mile days are now followed by dinner and dancing with my wife. This bike has it all; looks, speed, handling and all day comfort. Switched to city lids and carry just enough for a quick change of clothes and snacks. If I had to choose just one bike, the R1100S would have to go. Show less

I have spent the last 32 years owning dozens of different bikes. The R1200GS is the hands-down winner by far. The tall saddle not only helps you see better in traffic, but it allows you to corner much better in that it allows you to lean more. The power output is gut-wrenching from take off to rev-limiter (100 mph in third gear). The bike's off road agility is almost frightening in that the only way you can tell that it is off-road is that you can sometimes feel the bumps. It is just as stable off-road as it is on road. You may think you want to own a hog, but if I were you I would invest in a horse - BMW, there is no substitute. Show less

Okay, so I'm 37. My last bike was a Honda Blackbird 1100XX that I rode from the UK to the South of France (top speed, 135MPH), then shipped it to TX and rode to Dallas, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Diego and Long Beach to ship it home to the UK. Then I moved to Arizona and bought a K1200LT. All my friends said it was an old man's bike. It has an electric windshield, automatic center stand, REVERSE gear, heated seats and grips and CD player. Yes, built for comfort, but WHAT A BIKE! I get just as much fun riding, accelerating and cornering the BMW as I ever did on the Blackbird, but then on the open road, hit cruise, put the windshield up, turn on the CD player, talk to my wife through the intercom, and suddenly it's serious comfort. Get to the windy roads in Northern Arizona and push it from side to side, it feels like a sport bike with excellent handling. A little intimidating at first to push an 800 lb. bike around like that, but it doesn't care. My first day on the bike (I hadn't ridden in a year, so I was a little rusty) I was turning left onto a main street when someone flew out of a gas station on the other side of the street, cut me off and obviously never saw me. Being rusty, I did exactly the wrong thing, I grabbed both of those big brakes with full hand and foot. STUPID! The bike should have low-sided, but it didn't! It stood straight up, chirped a couple of times with the ABS and stopped - amazing! It is heavy, and the reverse comes in useful backing up hill into my garage, but once you're above 10 mph, the weight doesn't take away from handling. It only serves to stabilize the bike in wind and on bad roads. The BMW suspension is 2nd-to-none, no nose-dives with hard braking, and best of all, the wife loves it! Show less

I rode my Adventure back home to Virginia in two days and it inspired more confidence at night and on busy wet mountain highways than any bike I've ridden before. But what I'm really excited to report is how well it handled on the dirt and gravel mountain roads around our property in West Virginia. The ABS brakes were fantastic at slowing me down in a controlled manner as I entered sharp turns too quickly. I'm sure they saved me several times. I felt like a kid with a new dirt bike. Then at the end of the day I could ride 2 hours home with the comfort of a touring bike. I would strongly recommend buying a GS Adventure. Show less

GS Adventure: 2007 My first taste of a GS and this flavor will be with me forever. Actually bought it and had never even ridden one before. My experience: I am 45 and been riding for 33 years and have ridden just about everything you could imagine. I have raced amature motocross, street raced a formula road bike, AMR back in the day and dabbled in Trials, no competition but still own a Honda TLR. Admittedly, I only have about 2000 miles on my 2007 GS, but I probably have more then 2000 smile and grins from it. No one should ever really buy this bike for off-roading (In my opinion of course). But everyone should ride a BMW GS just once to experience just how comfortable, controllable and safe you will feel riding this motorcycle. Comfort: I have had several, ok, over forty, motorcycles, motocross bikes, trials bikes, street cruisers, exotic six cylinder Honda CBX's and many others. When you ride the GS you will find you are in the most ergonomically correct position for riding. I have seen people add the highway foot pegs to the GS's - to eaches own. Controllable: I recently took an advance motorcycle riding course offered by the DOT, CT. It teaches you some best practices in motorcycle safety. Panic stops, avoidance of road objects, sudden swerve maneuvers etc. Thinking I had nothing to learn after 30 plus years on the road, I was wrong. Riding the GSA, I was cheating the course. Riding Figure- eights in tight boxes drawn on the ground. Combining acceleration through three gears then adding panic stops. Everything they could think of to simulate dangerous situations for a motorcyclist. The GS could have probably done it all by itself. The GSA With ABS stopped in just over half the distance of any bike out there in all the braking tests. You could hit the brakes for everything they were worth and the ABS did the rest, it was unbelievable! You stop straight in line with total control of the motorcycle. Safety: I would strongly suggest adding or ordering ABS package as an option. It by it's self is the best friend you could have to trust with your life! This is the first motorcycle I have owned with ABS I can not say enough about it get it. It could save your life! The suspension is like riding on air with the long suspension travel, you glide over some pretty tough stuff without a flinch. When set up properly for your weight, riding style and ability, there's really nothing this bike won't do short of motocross. The handling is steady, nimble and very responsive. You can toss it around on the street like a toy. It feels sturdy, smooth and sure footed and if you're into dragging your knee around the corner I invite you to do so. I can't believe how much you can crank such a tall bike over and still feel stable. With road tires on it of course. Now if you want to get goofy, the GSA I ride will nail a wheelie for as far as you ae willing, or daring to ride one. Up through the gears 1st, 2nd, and try third it's tall but very manageable on the rear wheel! And did I mention fun as hell? My overall rating is five stars! They only thing I would ask BMW for is just a pinch more HP. But it certainly has enough for the average rider @ 103 HP. I just am spoiled after spending many years on some real hypo machines. Happy trails, Keep the shinny side up! Show less

This is the first motorbike I have ever owned and I am 61 yrs. old. I can't imagine how it could be improved in any way. I look forward to riding it year round. Show less

I am 6'4" and in case you didn't notice they do not design motorcycles for tall people, however the 12 GS is the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden. Earlier this summer I did a 2552 mile trip in six days...for me it was a huge trip. Prior my longest day was about 320 miles. The motor is great in the mountains just stick it in 3rd or 4th and go. If you need a little more, down shift and you're getting as much excitement as you want. It handles well. Can go off road with out blinking an eye. I have the original tires, but I bet with knobs it would feel more planted. After all, it is a 500 lb. motorcycle. Show less

In recent years I have owned or ridden extensively a CBR600, VFR 800, Monster 900, VStar 650, Magna 750, SV100S, ST1300A, Tiger 1050 and most recently purchased the K1200GT. I still own the Tiger 1050 and if I could only have one bike, the Tiger would win hands down. It is the best all around bike I have ever ridden and is reasonably priced. However, when I really want to put some miles on the added amenities and storage of a bike like the K1200GT are nice. Prior to the K1200GT I had the ST1300A and was quite happy with the ST with the exception of the heft of the bike and lack of cruise control. With a bike designed to really cover the miles, cruise control is great. Though it was possible to add aftermarket cruise to the ST, I decided to look at other options. The R1200RT and FJR1300 were appealing but overall package of the K1200GT ideal for me and worth the extra cost compared to the FJR. I was very hesitant to get rid of the ST that I was pretty happy with, but after getting the K12GT I was very glad I did. The ESA, heated grips & seat, cruise control, ideal power delivery and many of the other features of the K12GT get a lot of attention but for me one of my favorite features of the bike is the ability to adjust the handle bars. With any bike I get fatigued by staying in the same seating position for hours. The ability to change the handlebar height in the middle of a trip coupled with the cruise control make this bike just wonderful for eating up miles. I must admit I do like the Tiger a bit better for being an all around bike, but to cover a lot of miles over several days I'll take the K12GT and enjoy every minute of it! PS, some of the problems you read about with the new K bikes do exist on my bike and I would still buy it all over again. Show less