2009 Sport-Touring Shootout

[GS1100GK]

Originally Posted by motojohn

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

motojohn, making excuses? For what? For the Kawasaki being dinged for poor handling? I definitely know the difference in handling dynamics between a 180 and 190 series tire. I owned a ZZR1200 that had a 180 series rear and when I switched from the stock Dunlops to Continental Road Attacks it made the bike feel like it lost 200 lbs and transformed the bike from an adequate handler to one that could hunt 600's in the twisties. The same transformation just happened with my C-14 when I switched from the stock Bridgestones to Continental Road Attacks. So, tire width is not the only dynamic when it comes to handling qualities. Tire make and construction plays a huge part.

Just my .02 cents worth.

[Pete_Brissette]

Originally Posted by yonian

"The S-Ts from Japan all have horizontal adjustments for the headlamps"


Really?

Sweeping the beam from side to side is a fresh idea, although vertical adjustment to compensate for changing loads might be more useful.

Locomotive headlamps nutate constantly for conspicuity, that's even cooler.

Maybe an oversight/poor word choice to describe what I was thinking. In my mind I was seeing it as the horizontal plane of the light moving (tilting) up or down. To my knowledge, no, the lights don't move left to right. Ya got me!

[ericrosten]

To bring in alternative perspective, take a 100 lbs-lighter-than-the-lightest-in-this-group Suzuki Bandit 1250S, slap on holeshot.com's full exhaust and ECU tuner, and BOOM you have 132hp @8K and 96 ftlbs @6K with 86 ftlbs available at just 2,600 rpm. Goodbye K bike. And then slap on Givi hardbags and a GPS. You can have all this power, agility, lightweight, and top speeds near 160 for near $3,000 less than these four. Oh and it gets near 44 mpg. Just thought I'd throw that in there.... >wink<

[newagetwotone]

So after all that work its something along the lines of the Buell XB12XT, Triumph Sprint ST and Guzzi Norge... I know the buell is $13K (MSRP) will the bandit really be cheaper at $10k(msrp) + exhaust + Powercommander + bags? We can go one cheaper the Triumph is $12k instead of $13k. (and i really dont know how much the norge costs)

[kkoetters]

Earlier, someone mentioned that all the riders in this test were 5'8"-5'10". I have ridden the ST but not the others and will be buying one of them in the next couple months so the timing of the comparo could not be better. My question is - at 6'4" which of these four is going to feel the most comfortable for me? The ST felt fine when I rode it but it was a short ride. I have always been fairly Honda-loyal but the C14 is really growing on me and it seems, based on the measurements, that the C14 might be a better fit. I am not thrilled by the Yamaha for some reason and probably won't spend the extra $ for the BMW. What do you think for a big guy like me?

Kevin

[sarnali2]

BMW's typically accomodate a wider ranger of riders sizes with adjustable seats, bars and footpegs. other than that the Bandit 1250 with Givi's gets my vote.

Thierry Henry was just in town by the way when F.C. Barcalona gave the Seattle Sounders a lesson in football.. I match I missed due to my slavish insistance on working for a living.......I got to see them play DC United 2 years ago in a friendly here

[Buzglyd]

Test rode the K1300GT today. Very nice! I like how BMW angried it up a little. It has a little more snarl than previous models.

They've got a loaded demo model already marked down 3 grand. BMW is also tossing in $1000 in goodies. Now all they have to do is make a reasonable offer on the H-D.

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by kkoetters

My question is - at 6'4" which of these four is going to feel the most comfortable for me? What do you think for a big guy like me?

Kevin

A good question, but it's one that's difficult to answer. Overall height is just one aspect of fit. For example, I have a 32-inch inseam, which is fairly long for my 5'8" body. Also, bars that may be too low for shorter riders might fit a tall person (with longer arms) nicely.

The Honda is a comfy bike, and if you don't really have the need for big horsepower like the C14, the ST might be a good choice for a Honda-loyal person like yourself. However, if the Concours speaks to you and you think you need mega power, the C-14 could be equipped with a taller aftermarket seat and/or different bars. Really, all these bikes are very comfy, so unless you're doing 600-mile days, perhaps several at a time, you should be okay with any of these.

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by Buzglyd

Test rode the K1300GT today. Very nice! I like how BMW angried it up a little. It has a little more snarl than previous models.

They've got a loaded demo model already marked down 3 grand. BMW is also tossing in $1000 in goodies. Now all they have to do is make a reasonable offer on the H-D.

And there's another factor that comes into play: the out-the-door price. As magazine testers, we can only really discuss MSRPs. If the K13 can be had for $3000-4000 less than MSRP, it becomes even more attractive.

[Buzglyd]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Duke

And there's another factor that comes into play: the out-the-door price. As magazine testers, we can only really discuss MSRPs. If the K13 can be had for $3000-4000 less than MSRP, it becomes even more attractive.

Wanna buy a nice Geezer-Glide?