BMW K1300GT Review

BMW K1300GT Review / Page 2 By Trevor Hedge The thin diameter bars are adjustable through a 40mm range in relation to the rider’s body to tailor ergonomics for each individual. The seat is also adjustable in height between 820 and 840mm with a lower 800mm seat available as a no cost option at time of ordering. I found the BMW to be pretty much spot on ergonomically in every plane, however a little more legroom would have been welcome on the long haul. At lower revs and at legal cruising speeds the K1300GT is smooth but when you start visiting the upper reaches of the tachometer a little vibration does become apparent through the bars. With large capacity engines featuring huge torque figures it always seems to be a challenge for manufacturers to come up with a smooth shifting gearbox that is man enough to handle the torque loadings while delivering acceptable durability. BMW have improved the shift forks which reside in a strengthened cradle with the shift lever itself operating on new anti-friction bearings which does help to improve the shift quality over its predecessor. It’s certainly still no knife through butter but is no worse than any of its peers, and better than many. Its sporting cousins the K1300S and K1300R score an optional power-shifter for 2009 but unfortunately that is not available to GT buyers. Someone at BMW must think that GT buyers don’t want perfect clutch-less shifts... Sack the person responsible for that gaff. The wet clutch is light enough to use in city traffic and boasts a larger master cylinder for 2009. Transferring the ample grunt to the 180/55 rear tyre is BMW’s latest shaft-drive system integrated with the single-sided Paralever rear suspension system. The Paralever has been redesigned for the new K series to allow for the implementation of the ESA II suspension upgrade and does an admirable job of putting the power down to the ground without the excessive rising effect common on early shaft drive systems. The Paralever is, in my opinion, still outshone by the Duolever front end. This uniquely BMW front suspension system does a fantastic job of handling the high weight loadings of a touring motorcycle. The somewhat ungainly looking front end effectively isolates the rider from any big hits while proving agile enough to attack your favourite stretch of mountain road. From a ‘feel’ perspective it can take a little getting used to but the system has never given me any reason to doubt its ability and thus I have grown to trust it to save my hide when running a BMW deep into a turn. In fact the front end does it so well that it shows up the rear end as not being quite as remarkable and dips or rises in the road that the front end shrugs off easily the rear struggles to maintain its control. In fairness this is a trait also shown by other large capacity touring bikes and is mentioned more to highlight the brilliance of the front end rather than any major deficiency at the rear. Another thing that should be mentioned when discussing how the big Beemer handles the mountain passes is the engine braking characteristics of the four-cylinder mill. I found the small amount of engine braking spot on with very little backlash felt when getting on or off the throttle between turns. This is quite uncommon on such a large capacity motorcycle, and touring motorcycles in particular, but I felt it made punting the K1300GT through a tight series of hairpin bends considerably nicer than it might have been otherwise. In fact, I think it makes a huge difference to just how smoothly the K1300GT can be hustled and certainly makes things much more comfortable for your passenger. With the optional ESA II system a press of a button at standstill with the engine running is all it takes to adjust the spring base and rate through ‘solo’, ‘solo with luggage’ and ‘with passenger and luggage’ settings that are represented by a single helmet, a single helmet with a suitcase or two helmets with a suitcase symbols on the LCD situated between the conventional speedometer and tachometer. Changes to the damping are made on the fly and are displayed on the LCD as ‘Comfort’, ‘Normal’ or ‘Sports’. In the geometry department the new bike rolls on a 1mm longer wheelbase than its predecessor, slightly less steering head angle (60.6° versus 61°) and has 3mm less castor. BMW K1300GT Review Page 1 (Engine & Electronics) / Page 2 (Handling) / Page 3 (Braking & Luggage) / Page 4 (Dollars & Sense) / Page 5 (Wallpaper)

BMW K1300GT Review
Page 1 (Engine & Electronics) / Page 2 (Handling) / Page 3 (Braking & Luggage) / Page 4 (Dollars & Sense) / Page 5 (Wallpaper)