2009 Sport-Touring Shootout

[GS1100GK]

I've got an 09 C-14 with ABS and love it. The comment "the Kawi routinely disappointed with surprisingly heavy turn-in effort. It also required constant pressure on the inside bar to keep the bike tracking in a smooth arc. We suspect the Kawasaki’s largest-in-group rear tire (190/70-17) was a contributor to what was generally the slowest-handling bike.". It's the stock tires guys. Just put on a set of Continental Road Attacks and the bike transitions effortlessly into turns, unlike the stock stones. Also, one of the print mags tested the K1300GT against the C-14 and noted that the K1300GT's gearing was as much as 2 gears off from the C-14 running 5K RPM on the tach at 80 MPH which made it feel on edge all the time. At the same speed the C-14 is running around 3800 RPM. I wonder which bike would have run the roll ons if you put the C-14 in 4th and the K1300GT in sixth to equalize out the RPM's? In fairness, you did note the high gearing of the C-14 did hurt it's roll on performance.

Overall, nice writup guys. The BMW is a great machine, but not worth the extra $9K (fully loaded) to me.

p.s. Remove the secondary flies and add a PC-V to the C-14 and see which one wins the roll ons then.

[motojohn]

Originally Posted by GS1100GK

I've got an 09 C-14 with ABS and love it. The comment "the Kawi routinely disappointed with surprisingly heavy turn-in effort. It also required constant pressure on the inside bar to keep the bike tracking in a smooth arc. We suspect the Kawasaki’s largest-in-group rear tire (190/70-17) was a contributor to what was generally the slowest-handling bike.". It's the stock tires guys.

Um, are you inventing excuses now? Who makes the so called 190/70 -17 anyway?

[pushrod]

You think we could make an executive decision here?

These Big 'Ol Gals are really a different class of bike than the "STs" NATT mentions (Sprint ST, Duck, Buell, Guzzi, etc.)

How about we call the Big'ns "Express Touring" bikes, or ETs?

One characteristic is that they come with bags, and don't look quite right without them, and the other is that they weigh more than, say, 650 pounds, wet.

Whatcha say?

[newagetwotone]

Heh, to be honest i was just being a smart ass because all know that 6 months to a year from now some guy(or girl) with pop up and b*tch that the comparo didn't include their favorite bike, manufacturer, whatever and write 3 posts about why it should have been.

Anyways, I like Pushrods new class of bikes, Big'ns express, awesome.

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by newagetwotone

Heh, to be honest i was just being a smart ass because all know that 6 months to a year from now some guy(or girl) with pop up and b*tch that the comparo didn't include their favorite bike, manufacturer, whatever and write 3 posts about why it should have been.

Anyways, I like Pushrods new class of bikes, Big'ns express, awesome.

I'm not an executive, but I play one on teevee.

Didn't they used to call (or still do call) the B-52 the "BFF?" These bikes might be more B-2 than B-52, but it's still catchy:

Motorcycle.com's 2010 BIFF Shootout, on newsstands TODAY!

[SmokeU]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

I'm not an executive, but I play one on teevee.

Didn't they used to call (or still do call) the B-52 the "BFF?" These bikes might be more B-2 than B-52, but it's still catchy:

Motorcycle.com's 2010 BIFF Shootout, on newsstands TODAY!

BIFFY shootout?

[Pete_Brissette]

Originally Posted by GS1100GK

I've got an 09 C-14 with ABS and love it. The comment "the Kawi routinely disappointed with surprisingly heavy turn-in effort. It also required constant pressure on the inside bar to keep the bike tracking in a smooth arc. We suspect the Kawasaki’s largest-in-group rear tire (190/70-17) was a contributor to what was generally the slowest-handling bike.". It's the stock tires guys. Just put on a set of Continental Road Attacks and the bike transitions effortlessly into turns, unlike the stock stones. Also, one of the print mags tested the K1300GT against the C-14 and noted that the K1300GT's gearing was as much as 2 gears off from the C-14 running 5K RPM on the tach at 80 MPH which made it feel on edge all the time. At the same speed the C-14 is running around 3800 RPM. I wonder which bike would have run the roll ons if you put the C-14 in 4th and the K1300GT in sixth to equalize out the RPM's? In fairness, you did note the high gearing of the C-14 did hurt it's roll on performance.

Overall, nice writup guys. The BMW is a great machine, but not worth the extra $9K (fully loaded) to me.

p.s. Remove the secondary flies and add a PC-V to the C-14 and see which one wins the roll ons then.

More good notes (in re tires) from actual owners of the machines in this test. However...we're really just a bunch of security guards around here: observe and report.

[Pete_Brissette]

Originally Posted by motojohn

Um, are you inventing excuses now? Who makes the so called 190/70 -17 anyway?

It seems you must've glazed right past the tire chart directly below the closing of the Handling section, near the comment on the Kawasaki's handling possibly related to tire size. In the chart you'll note it was listed correctly as a 190/50 x 17.

If you were responding to reader GS100GK, good dig.

If you were poking at us, thanks for pointing out the typo (Turkey!).

[sarnali2]

It's "BUFF" as in "Big UGLY FF"........Anyway NATT beat me to it with the sporty sport tourers comment but I'm going to say it anyway because I like the sound of my own voice.........

You should do a ST Twin's test with the MG Norge, Buelly Ully, R1200RT and Triumph Sprint..( yes, I can count thank you) and whatever POS Ducati will throw in. That'd be kinda' cool, specially since I think the Norge` is the total bees knees and would win it in a trot most likely..

Out of this pile I'd take the Beemer hands down.

[SmokeU]

Eh, Beemer's too ruch form my blood. I'd take the Concours(obviously partial to them) or the FJR.