2012 BMW K1600GT and GTL Six-cylinder Unveiled

[mikedard]

Ok this is strange I'm looking through photos of the K1600GT and GTL down on the very bottom of the page.
BMW K1600GT and K1600GTL: not-a-car officially unveiled | Hell for Leather
And the left and right sides of the bottom half of the fairing is different from each other.

[mikedard]

If anyone has been following this tread you'll remember I said I'd buy a Honda before I'd buy a K1600. I went down to test a VRF1200DCT yesterday. Nice looking bike but after you put luggage, center stand, HID, larger windscreen, Laminar lip, bar backs, grip heaters, and a new seat with a heater, it's as much as a K1300, more negatives a smaller tank and poor fuel economy. I said I have a K1200 and it time to buy another bike, and that I wanted to take a test ride first. The salesman stated we're not like the other guys you've been used to. You have to have all the paperwork done after you've purchased it you can ride it. If you don't like it we'll tear up the paperwork! I'm sorry I have to ride the bike before I buy it. Never mind.

Are all Honda Dealers like that?

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by mikedard

If anyone has been following this tread you'll remember I said I'd buy a Honda before I'd buy a K1600. I went down to test a VRF1200DCT yesterday. Nice looking bike but after you put luggage, center stand, HID, larger windscreen, Laminar lip, bar backs, grip heaters, and a new seat with a heater, it's as much as a K1300, more negatives a smaller tank and poor fuel economy. I said I have a K1200 and it time to buy another bike, and that I wanted to take a test ride first. The salesman stated we're not like the other guys you've been used to. You have to have all the paperwork done after you've purchased it you can ride it. If you don't like it we'll tear up the paperwork! I'm sorry I have to ride the bike before I buy it. Never mind.

Are all Honda Dealers like that?

Pretty much all Japanese bike dealers are like that. And they call Harley riders "sheep". LOL! You can guarantee that every person you see on a new Japanese bike bought it without riding it. Gives a real meaning to the word "sheep".

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

Pretty much all Japanese bike dealers are like that. And they call Harley riders "sheep". LOL! You can guarantee that every person you see on a new Japanese bike bought it without riding it. Gives a real meaning to the word "sheep".

I like this policy. It forces people to read my reviews!

[MTRHEAD75]

Hey I dont call harley riders sheep I call them cows cause they are covered in leather and follow the herd...sheeesh...Just kidding..Kinda...sorta...no not really..

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Duke

I like this policy. It forces people to read my reviews!

Or it ends up having people like me buy a Triumph because they let me ride some bikes without a hassle.

[sarnali2]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

Or it ends up having people like me buy a Triumph because they let me ride some bikes without a hassle.

Yerp, there's a big difference between bouncing up and down on the seat in the showroom and actually getting out and spending half an hour riding the bike.

Road tests and reviews are helpful but the differences in physical size, riding skill and riding environment make them a small part of the decision making process at best.

[Kevin_Duke]

Agreed. All dealers should allow test rides, especially in these gloomy times when the sale of a couple of bikes could mean the difference between being in the black or in the red.

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by sarnali2

Yerp, there's a big difference between bouncing up and down on the seat in the showroom and actually getting out and spending half an hour riding the bike.

Road tests and reviews are helpful but the differences in physical size, riding skill and riding environment make them a small part of the decision making process at best.

Agreed. All dealers should allow test rides, especially in these gloomy times when the sale of a couple of bikes could mean the difference between being in the black or in the red.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Duke

Agreed. All dealers should allow test rides, especially in these gloomy times when the sale of a couple of bikes could mean the difference between being in the black or in the red.

Back in the 60s the local Honda and Yamaha dealers around Torrance Ca had demonstrators for some of the more popular bikes. It's not impossible and the bikes can be written off. I think it's false economy to not allow test rides. Sure, you'd have to exercise judgment, i.e. not hand a Gixxer to a 16 year old. But asking someone to hand out $16+ large for a bike you won't let them ride loses sales I'd bet. I know they have lots of excuses, but BMW and Triumph dealers can manage to give give test rides. No reason the others couldn't.

Maybe that's part of the reason why some companies are selling more bikes even in this economy while others are sucking hind.....