Love Hate may be gone
Road Captain
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 675
Likes: 0
From: Willis, Texas
RE: Love Hate may be gone
If you want to get a GREAT sport touring bike get a Yamaha FJR1300. That bike is KICK ***!
When I get bored riding my Road Glide I hop on my Yami. It will do 150 as smooth as my Lexus, if I wanted to. It handles like it is on a rail. It stops on a dime. It passes cars going 70 like they are standing still. The only problem I have with it is my knees won't let me ride it as long as I can my RG. Be warned, when you get used to that bike all it does is call out to you, "faster, faster, faster". Good luck. T.
When I get bored riding my Road Glide I hop on my Yami. It will do 150 as smooth as my Lexus, if I wanted to. It handles like it is on a rail. It stops on a dime. It passes cars going 70 like they are standing still. The only problem I have with it is my knees won't let me ride it as long as I can my RG. Be warned, when you get used to that bike all it does is call out to you, "faster, faster, faster". Good luck. T.
Stage III
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
RE: Love Hate may be gone
I can offer some objective feedback since I owned an 03K1200LT for a few years. It is a very fine bike, I think one of the best long distance bike available. But, like everything else in life, there are compromises. I too was into long distance touring and found the bike extemely comfortable for the long haul. My wife found it so comfortable I had to keep checking to make sure she wasn't asleep. Nothing beats heated seats and backrest and heated grips for dealing with the cold. And that motorized adjustable windscreen was my favorite feature. Weather protection on this bike is supreme.
The bike handled extemely well in the twisties since it has a pretty high center of gravity. That high center of gravity on an 850 lb. bike also made it hell to handle in tight spots and stop and go traffic. That was the biggest negative. I also thought it was a bit underpowered for its size. Sure,you can run it at 90 - 100 all day long,but it lacked the real acceleration for shortpassingbursts, but then neither does the Harely. But it fairness,the BMWdoes so many things well.
Maintenance can be quite pricy if done at the dealer. I chose to do it myself with the help of some very experience techiesso it wasn't too bad, but not nearly as easyas my current Road King. Most owners now are constantly worried about failure of the final drive which has plagued BMWs for the last several years. A real concern when you're a thousand miles from home witha limited dealer network.
My touring time started to dwindle due to work comitments and general lack of time. My riding really consisted of Sunday rides in the country. The big beamer was more than up to the task but really, for me it got to be a little boring.....too pallid (lacking spirit). And, my wife really wasn't riding with me much so I sold it and took a year + hiatus.
Then Istarted to look for something different. Never owned a Harley, never even rode one but I always liked the looks. So last year I went for a test ride and bought one that day.It met all my criteria: reliable (so far), comfortable for light touring, reasonable handling (I'm not interested in tearing up the twisties any longer, well, OK, sometimes but not often...I'm 55), easy to work on, no chain drive, with minimal maintenance.
Well, I have to saythis bike has been one of, if not the most enjoyable rides I've owned. It's got heaps of character, great sound (I even left mine stock) plenty of torque and it goes faster than I want to go. Also, if I want to change the look, take the windshield off,take the bags off, and I have a completely different bike (looks of course). Is it perfect? Hardly, no bike is perfect but it still puts a smile on my face every time I ride it. It doesn't sound like the BMW, it makes a lot more noise, but that's part of its character, right? The Harley, for me, is just as comfortable, but in a different way. The riding position leaves my knees more comfortable for longer time in the saddle. I do need to add a backrest though.
My wife would probably tell you that the Harley is tolerable but no where near as comfortableas the BMW. Comfort, of course, varies with all of us. I was very comfortable on the BMW but after a few hours, my knees would start to lock up from the riding position. My posterior however was fine. I did have an adjustable backrest which made a huge difference on lower back comfort. But the BMW, with all its comfort and engineering, just seemed too complex. I wanted something more simple. When on long distance tours, there was alwaysthat bit of concern aboutsomething breaking and l
The bike handled extemely well in the twisties since it has a pretty high center of gravity. That high center of gravity on an 850 lb. bike also made it hell to handle in tight spots and stop and go traffic. That was the biggest negative. I also thought it was a bit underpowered for its size. Sure,you can run it at 90 - 100 all day long,but it lacked the real acceleration for shortpassingbursts, but then neither does the Harely. But it fairness,the BMWdoes so many things well.
Maintenance can be quite pricy if done at the dealer. I chose to do it myself with the help of some very experience techiesso it wasn't too bad, but not nearly as easyas my current Road King. Most owners now are constantly worried about failure of the final drive which has plagued BMWs for the last several years. A real concern when you're a thousand miles from home witha limited dealer network.
My touring time started to dwindle due to work comitments and general lack of time. My riding really consisted of Sunday rides in the country. The big beamer was more than up to the task but really, for me it got to be a little boring.....too pallid (lacking spirit). And, my wife really wasn't riding with me much so I sold it and took a year + hiatus.
Then Istarted to look for something different. Never owned a Harley, never even rode one but I always liked the looks. So last year I went for a test ride and bought one that day.It met all my criteria: reliable (so far), comfortable for light touring, reasonable handling (I'm not interested in tearing up the twisties any longer, well, OK, sometimes but not often...I'm 55), easy to work on, no chain drive, with minimal maintenance.
Well, I have to saythis bike has been one of, if not the most enjoyable rides I've owned. It's got heaps of character, great sound (I even left mine stock) plenty of torque and it goes faster than I want to go. Also, if I want to change the look, take the windshield off,take the bags off, and I have a completely different bike (looks of course). Is it perfect? Hardly, no bike is perfect but it still puts a smile on my face every time I ride it. It doesn't sound like the BMW, it makes a lot more noise, but that's part of its character, right? The Harley, for me, is just as comfortable, but in a different way. The riding position leaves my knees more comfortable for longer time in the saddle. I do need to add a backrest though.
My wife would probably tell you that the Harley is tolerable but no where near as comfortableas the BMW. Comfort, of course, varies with all of us. I was very comfortable on the BMW but after a few hours, my knees would start to lock up from the riding position. My posterior however was fine. I did have an adjustable backrest which made a huge difference on lower back comfort. But the BMW, with all its comfort and engineering, just seemed too complex. I wanted something more simple. When on long distance tours, there was alwaysthat bit of concern aboutsomething breaking and l
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