BMW K1200LT Reviews

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I've recently purchased a BMW K1200 LT Lux 2007 (CD Changer, heated Seats and bars etc)

I think the best place to start a review on this bike from a bikers perspective is with a few warnings! some I got on the forecourt from another rider who owns one, and some I learnt myself in the next month of riding!

This machine is amazing, and I've rated it highly but first the warnings.

WEIGHT

This bike is BIG, and it's HEAVY.
I've ridden the SV650s (189KG) for 8 years and the Triumph Trident 750 (230KG) compared to the K1200LT's 387KG's!

You have to plan ahead accordingly though the Telelever suspension helped a lot in the one case where I had hammer the breaks on at low speed whilst turning as the front didn't dip like you'd normally expect making it much easier to get my foot down and hold the bike up! - Big plus for the suspension!

When Two up, make sure you get ON first, and OFF last!
Sounds stupid but when I got off to fill the bike with Petrol and the other half wanted to stay seated that was fine, but getting back on the extra weight at the back as I flung my leg over sent the bike falling over,luckily we held it up (took both of us, me bracing legs and her pushing against the pump to do it though)

SIDE AND CENTER STANDS

That brings me to the Side and Center Stands.
The Side Stand leaves the bike standing more upright than I've gotten used to on other bikes, but with the weight of the machine I guess it makes sense, but this means you have to be more aware of parking on cambers.

Likewise with the automated centre stand.
This thing punched a hole through an "Admitably rather shoddy" tarmac drive way and then proceded to lift the bike at an slant so again you need to be careful where you park the thing.
But the Center stand is a god send though! and it can lift the bike, Rider, Pillion and luggage with ease asd is pretty sturdy.

ABS

A quick word about the ABS.
There is a wanring on the front panel saying that ABS doesn't work while the ignition is off.
But unless you read the manual first (I didn't) you don't realise this means you have to pull the breaks ALL THE WAY IN when starting on a hill to get any breaking efect.
(You'll see BREAK FAILUIRE" flashing on the dash until you've started the engine and pulled away and the ABS and Servo assisted breaks kick in)
When it's working the ABS is fantastic as are the breaks, it stops this monster very quickly, that said I do wish I could turn it off for riding in Central London as having the breaks turn off when you have to break across a meter long painted arrow (no grip) rather than have the wheel kick out 2 inches to the side to grip on the road isn't ideal)
Again this comes down to PLANNING AHEAD, something you have to do a lot on this bike, but sometimes needs must.

The final warning is ground clearnance, this thing doesn't have much!
I've bottomed out two up going round an A roadround about at 40 two up.
Country roads are an experience I didn't enjoy as several ruts were acompanied by lound metal screaches, so again you need to plan your route/path and speed accordingly, I'll be taking this across Europe and Spain in May next year so I've yet to see how that works out, going slowly over larger bumps and round them where possable works out well so chalking it down to experience at the moment.

You'll also have the "Triple switch" indicators which took some getting used to but you'll master those very fast.

Onto the good stuff!
Comfort wise this thing is hard to beat, it's like sitting on a Sofa, and as for the passenger, well the other half complained she almost fell asleep it was so comfortable!, ok that's not a good thing but hey! Comfort it has.

The heated sears and grips are amazing, even in the cold rain I found the first setting to be a bit on the warm side through winter gloves, setting 2 made it uncomfortable to hold and I had to switch it down! that will be great in the freezing weather!

The handling once you get moving is great and it feels so confident, it's just a shame the ground clearance is so low but you learn to plan for that, this isn't a sports bike after all.
Acceleration is supprisingly good on this especially if you max out the revs in each gear and (very easy to do with the low 9k rev limit)
It's so smooth you'll have to actually resist shifting up to get the most out of the rev range.

CD player is great and easy to hear with the Screen up even at motorway speeds upto 70 as it adjusts according to speed (this is adjustable).
Above that you'll probably need a taller screen, at 5"11 and the seat on the low setting my head is above the screen and gets some windblast but comapred to any of my previous bikes I can go past a sports bike doing 100 with ther head down with my head held high and feeling as if I was doing 40.
The passenger isn't so lucky though, at least not my girlfriend as she's quite tall, but again with the taller screen this should be fine.

The lights are very good! and the adjustable angle by a knob on the dash is fantastic and easy.
I'll be adding driving lights to this all the same.

There is a map reading light on the dash and floor lighting which are great for fiding the ignition in the dark or getting round the bike when stopped in the dark.

Storage is phenomenal, two helemts in the top box with a few extras and huge paniers and a luggage rack, you won't be short on space.
A vanity mirror and light in the lid of the top box had my Girlfriend in giggle fits.

The Mirrors are fantastic, and easily adjustable not that you need to! I actually had to TRY to get them into a position where I couldn't see EVERYTHING (just out of curiosity)
That said they are large and stick out and account for a good 12" on the width of your bike so if you're going to clip something they will come off.
That said they are designed to do this, held on by 3 screws that clip into spring mounted clips so they come off easily at the slightest knock but clip in easily and don't take damage.
That said on my Lux it was connected to the bike by steel wire so it didn't hit the floor and get run over, not sure if this is standard on all models, but if you don't have it, GET IT!.

The sound of this thing above 3/4k revs is great but even better is when the engine breaking kicks in a these revs it sounds like an Aircraft landing!

The petrol cap is proving to be a bit of a pain...theres a knack to getting it off that I don't have but my Girlfriend has no problem with, probably just me!

Fuel economy is good! 52MPG as long as you don't get silly on the motorway (which took it down to 48MPG), but a tank range in excess of 200miles on a £16 tank of fuel is pretty good especially on a beast this size! (two up no luggage).

All in all a fantastic bike that takes some getting used to and has a few minotr niggles (can't disable ABS, low clearance) but then this bike is a Tourer that excels at long distance touring, it's not a suprise that trying to use it as a comfortable sports bike isn't working so well! but it managers well enough, and it's supprisingly filterable once you get the size of it into your head (and knok the mirrors off a few times).
Especially as with a white lid and the Antenna people tend to see you and move over even when you're still a mile away, it's a very visable machine!

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Just bought a BMW K1200LT 1999 lux model with 15,000 miles. On the first day I travelled from Gloucester to Nice 963 miles, I was averaging 70 mph until it got dark and foggy in the mountains. I was going around corners at 15 mph! It took 19 hours because of the last part but it really was a pleasure. I cant believe that I did this distance in one day.

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I have a 2002 BMW K1200LTE with 28K miles.
Excellent touring machine. Maximum comfort, wind protection, and handling. The braking system is superb but be careful when the engine is not running because the power brakes are not available. The factory seat is comfortable and the pillion has no complaints on long trips. The power is more than enough to cruise at 80 plus MPH for hours and still get 50 MPG. I have no problem passing vehicles quickly with a downshift to 4th. Every tourer need an adjus ...

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The BMW K1200LT is an awesome bike, all over the engineering is good, fantastic brakes but Wobbles at low speeds.

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1st bike in 22 years. Weight and height was initially intimidating, but have never dropped it. You can u-turn on a 2 lane road with your feet up. Feel like I could ride at any speed. Thought of trading for a K1200RT or similar, but this bike offers enough power and handling to keep you happy and stealthy enough to keep "five- oh" off your tail. Great mpg at any speed. No fatigue on long rides. European styling bests the other chunky touring bikes. Smooth, quiet, and fun if your into that kind of ...

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I have ridden Bikes most of my life and I have a love hate relationship with this BMW K1200 99 LT. I had no qualms buying this vintage bike with 21k miles on it because it was the first year ergo well thought out and loaded with goodies. In most respects I can echo the sentiments of the other owners. It is a beast in the unsupported position and very much has a mind of its own when slightly off balance. Once having mastered the centering concept using the central stand it was reassuring to be ab ...

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Why spend all that money - ride with all that weight and have a less pleasant jouney than you get on a BMW R1200RT.
Had both and my subjective view is that the K1200Lt is superb but not as good as RT.

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A most enjoyable way to travel the country while still gaining the bike rush? not like an arm chair on wheels liked people think, its pure comfort while enjoying the ride.

Kavas Arjani's review has yet to be rated - Be the first!
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Excellent overall but expensive to own and keep.

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Great bike, I love my BMW K1200 just got it 2008 has 25000mi on it from 22000 when purchase. Would recomend this bike to anyone that like to travel on a motorcycle.

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I just picked up my 2002 BMW K1200LT in Kansas City on April 15, 2008 and drove it to Edmonton 2700 km/1675 miles in 2.5 days. My 2nd day I rode 1205 km in 15.5 hours. This includes an hour at the border and stops for fuel and food. The bike is simply amazing. Lots of power for passing, handles beautifully even in high side winds.
Only documents needed at the border were the Title and Bill of Sale, 72 hrs prior to crossing. You need to have the originals with you too. Crossed at Portal, ND. ...

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I am on my second K1200LT and I have covered 40,000 in the last year. I have a daily 200 mile round trip into the centre of London so I get a fair variety of traffic and road conditions. I soon learned to always treat this bike with respect at low speed and although I am an average build and no weakling, I can't pick this bike up without help if it falls (I unfortunately dropped it in a car park when I thought I had put the side stand down and got off. Oops!). Superb cruising comfort and over 50 ...

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Overall the BMW K1200LT are good long distance tourers and bikes you can throw about for their size, with plenty of luggage space & economical at 50+ mpg no matter how hard it is ridden. Yes, I would buy another.

showlove's review has yet to be rated - Be the first!
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Very comfortable, good torque, wonderful audio system, simple ergonomics. love the power visor.
Nice bike to have if you are rich.

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Slave cylinder failures on the BMW K1220 seem common on many BMW models including this one. Final drive failures run about 3 to 4 % and are costly to repair.
But the bike turns heads here in the US. I like that. Its a bit top heavy and not a good choice for a beginner or a re-entry rider.
Mileage is great. Consistently 40 to 45 mpg.
BMW dealer network in the US are not the best. Air and gas filters are buried and not easily changed. The bike could use a little more power. My 03 is about 105 bhp. ...

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This is the best touring bike I have ever ridden. in my opinion, it is certainly superior to the Honda Goldwing and the Yamaha Royal Star Venture. The milage is unbelievable as I am able to cruise 250 to 300 miles per tank.

The only bad point is that i feel the seat should be more of a saddle as offered by some of the after market suppliers also the bike could have a lower centre of gravity. Other than that, Great fuel economy, a pleasure to ride, good performance, and all the bells and whis ...

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I owned my BMW K1200 Tourer for 11 months. Bought it at the Manchester BMW dealer. It was on 12 months old and their ex-demo bike. Bought it April of 2005 and in January 2006 I moved to Spain. Rode the bike from St Malo, France to San Sebastian in Northern Spain in one day, 10 hours riding. This was the first of a 3 day ride to our new home in Spain. The bike was superb. It was cold but having the heated grips and seat the only part that got cold was my toes but a warm bath at the end of the day ...

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I bought the BMW K1200LT last September 2006, I had a Harley Davidson Heritage Classic before that and quite frankly the difference between the two is amazing. The Harley is a great machine, but the BMW's overall a far better touring machine. Great fuel economy, comfort, power assisted brakes, the best I've ever tried. The smooth delivery of power is reassuring and cruise control is an advantage on motorways. You can hear the radio or CD at 80mph, great company if your alone. The intercom is gre ...

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Having owned numerous bikes over the years from Z1300's of the 80's to the new generation Triumph Trophy 1200 of the 90's and all types of bikes in between, this BMW K1200LT is my 2nd BMW and boy, what a capable machine! I have had a number of friends who own ST1300's who state they cannot believe a bike of this size and weight should handle as well as this does when they follow in my wake.
Having toured Europe recently on it in the most foulest of weathers I can honestly say there isn't many ...

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I have been riding bikes for a good 30 years and have ridden most of the classic British bikes and over the last 10 years been riding a few Japanese bikes but the last 8 years they have been BMW.

The LT is not exactly the best looking bike on the planet but the reason I bought it was for long trips and for comfort. In the first month I almost sold it as it seemed just too big for me but after a nice 1600 mile trip I certainly changed my mind. I could travel for hours in all weathers and get o ...