Quick Ride

Quick Ride

BMW K1200LT Beemer-Upper

THE HISTORY OF LUXURY motorcycle touring in America is littered with

the discarded remains of models that dared go head-to-head with Honda’s mighty Gold Wing. Yamaha Venture Royale, Suzuki Cavalcade, Kawasaki Voyager XII, all come and gone.

Just two contenders remain, and one of those-HarleyDavidson’s Electra Glide-has staked out the Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang side of the luxobike landscape, wisely choosing not to tech it out with the Wing. That leaves BMW’s K1200LT, the laydown-Four flagship introduced in 1999.

Back then, the Beemer bettered the old four-cylinder GL1500 by virtue of its speed, styling and features. Two years later, though,

Honda rolled out an all-new 1800 Six and assumed its rightful place at the top of the touring-rig heap.

Gotta give props to BMW for not giving up like everyone else. For 2004, the LT is back at it, spoiling for a fight and looking very much like a Wing-dinger.

First order of business was powering up the long-running “Flying Brick” of a motor.

Borrowing from the GT and RS sporttouring models, the LT got more aggressive camshafts, a cleaned-up cylinder head and intake manifold, and bigger 36mm EFI throttle bodies, for a claimed 15 percent boost in horsepower.

On our dyno that worked out to 98 rearwheel bhp-not coincidentally 1 more than the last GL1800 we tested.

Chassis tweaks came next. For more secure parking-lot

navigation, trail was increased .6-inch, all but eliminating the previous LT’s annoying slow-speed waverings. There’s no tradeoff at velocity, either-in fact, this is one of the beststeering big bikes (fully fueled, over 850 pounds) we’ve ever sampled, aided by a surprising amount of cornering clearance. Out

back, a new “TDD” (TravelDependent Damping) shock, developed on the R1150 GS Adventure, keeps things nicely under control, damping effect increasing as a function of spring action.

It’s in the add-ons and geegaws, though, where the BMW (priced between $19,800 and $22,500, depending on extras) really comes on strong and the Honda looks decidedly downscale. LT: heated handgrips, electrically adjustable windscreen standard, heated seat optional. GL: e-grips (and not very good ones) optional, no seat-heat, manually cranked screen. And then there’s the BMW’s electrohydraulic centerstand, deployed by a button on the right-hand control pod. More than a mere Stupid Bike Trick, this gizmo takes all the drama out of docking one of these behemoths, especially if you’re two-up with the luggage overloaded. Simply roll to a stop, balance the bike until the stand contacts Mother Earth, the bike rises slightly and you’re done. Brilliant!

So, how does the significantly improved LT stack up against the status quo Gold Wing? Turn to this issue’s Ten Best Bikes section for our answer, but let’s just say Honda has some homework to do...

David Edwards