[Donunder]

I'm showing my age admittedly but I often thought that a K1600GT would be a nice thing to have should the finances ever allow.

After tackling the insanity that is Saturday morning traffic at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, I made it to the bike show and headed for the Beemer stand then waited patiently while a portly foreign gentleman camped on the 1600 and examined every electronic device, and they are numerous, on the bike.
Seat finally vacant, with much anticipation I hopped aboard. Horrors, the cockpit is so cramped! Like unbelieveably restrictive for a bike this size. I would need the seat hump moved back about 50mm (so bye bye pillion), the seat raised about the same and the bars, which are the usual BMW tourer Texas longhorn variety moved forward about the same again. I'm not sure if this latter move could be done given the architecture of those bars. Certainly more involved than throwing a set of after-market Renthals or similar onto a Strom.

Disappointed I moseyed off and returned later to the Beemer stand to find a guy almost as tall as I am actually sitting up on the pillion seat, hands on the controls, exclaiming that this was where he would need to be sitting to feel comfortable on the bike! So it's not just me. I haven't seen in any of the reviews I've read that space was an issue with these bikes but it most surely is.

To restore my faith I took the Strom out today for what turned out to be a terrific ride through the Lockyer to see how Grantham's coming along, then up to Toowoomba, down through Warwick and Clifton and back home in time to join the family in celebrating my dear old mum's 95th birthday.

K1600GT? I think I just saved myself (an imaginary) forty grand!

 

[AceRider]

i did like the little HID projector that turns and tilts as the bike goes into corner. Perfect for my night riding habits.

Honda's Goldwing will give u all the comfort and none of the BMW issues, Don - but only if u can see yourself in one!:mrgreen:
------


In the spirit of your title and perhaps a little of the original topic - i also saw the stand for Ruka gears - i always wonder what this hype-up clothing is like - examined their range in details and am a little disappointed to say the least.

Ruka Airob looks like it will breath quite well in Brisbane weather, but why is it only in black and with no "cool black" tech of any kind - they didnt even bother doing it for marketing purpose. I have serious doubt as to how well the material will hold up in a crash - it is flimsy and already started to fluff a bit in certain places from people handling it. Without believable evidence of crash-worthiness, it's just a well-made expensive junk!

Ruka Armas is one of their flagship model and does incorporate some very good protection in the arm and shoulder area with use of armacor and superfabric, but the rest of the clothing is again not much better than our cheap dririder as far as materials is concerned. There's a few design flaw that is evident - how the superfabric are folded and stitched - it is against the most likely direction of slide making it vulnerable being caught and ripped.

My biggest disappointment comes when the guy told me Armas itself (in addition to protectors) are CE approved. my suspicion arose when i could not see any CE standard (EN 13595) for the clothing itself. Further questions and subsequent internet search reveal that the clothing has not past the required CE test

Oh well one less thing to lust after! I simply cant believe the whole protective equipment market is so full of hypes and lack of factual test evidence.

 

[saturn 5]

Lust-less

I have to wholeheartedly agree with the general thrust of both the previous posts.
One of the few benefits of ticking off the passing years is that you become reluctant to believe most of what you hear and you often question what you see, such is modern technology and age old trickery.
I'm sure we have all seen reports on the Stroms by some journos stating various facts that we know by virtue of owning one, that are plain wrong or supposition. One small item springs to mind where a tester lamented the fact that a throw over soft pannier would melt on the exhaust cover. Really? And so it goes.
In regard to the cramped cockpit of the new 1600 BM, I was surprised to find the same applied to my ex GS1200. The Strom was measurably less cramped. I do wonder what yardstick BM are using. I must say here that I do miss the supple suspension of the GS.

I hope everyone enjoyed the show, I did when it was here in Sydney. I admit to leaving my finger prints on a lot of the displays and I did wonder off into fantasy while I await for a phone all from the Lotto people.

 

[windinhair]

Well said Sat and some wisdom there,My only comment is there are sooo many reports on this site but especially the US from motorcycle enthusiasts who having owned some 35+ bikes over their lifetime will vouch that be it the Thou or the wee it is by far the best overall bike they have ever owned,shhh :yesnod:

 

[PeteW]

Well said Sat and some wisdom there,My only comment is there are sooo many reports on this site but especially the US from motorcycle enthusiasts who having owned some 35+ bikes over their lifetime will vouch that be it the Thou or the wee it is by far the best overall bike they have ever owned,shhh :yesnod:

It doesn't matter what you ride, the getting out and riding is the important thing.

Peter

 

[windinhair]

It doesn't matter what you ride, the getting out and riding is the important thing.

Peter

So correct Pete I ride with mates on all sorts of things,a coffee and a yarn is what counts--lately there has been a serious increase of pushies with little 2 stroke donks that go like a shower of have you noticed them,they can nearly ride at posted speed,they are chained to a lot of lights around town and at about $550 off you go.

 

[stretch49]

The reason why i havent posted lately is beacause after "Lusting" over a Triumph Sprint GT for the last few months i bit the bullet and picked this up a few weeks ago. Needless to say the Wee has sat neglected in the shed for a while:thumbdown:

A very sweet ride it is too!

 

[choccoloco]

Horrors, the cockpit is so cramped! Like unbelieveably restrictive for a bike this size.

Hard to imagine you'd have a problem with the size of bikes, you did well on this one....:thumbup::yesnod:

 

[BrettStrom1]

To restore my faith I took the Strom out today for what turned out to be a terrific ride through the Lockyer to see how Grantham's coming along, then up to Toowoomba, down through Warwick and Clifton and back home in time to join the family in celebrating my dear old mum's 95th birthday.

Don you weren't riding between Twmba and Warwick about 2pm on Sunday were you. I was on the main hwy on my way home from a weekend up Blackbutt and Bunya Mountains. It was a warm ride out there on sunday.

cheers

 

[Donunder]

Hard to imagine you'd have a problem with the size of bikes, you did well on this one....:thumbup::yesnod:

Yeah good on you Chocco. I walked into that one. :yesnod: The fact remains I rode all around Canberra for a week on that ripper little 500 as you know, and while I may have looked like a giraffe on a pumpkin I could get very comfortable on it. Its drop bars were a perfect length for me and I could slide back a little on the seat to where it suited me. The big Beemer on the other hand would not allow me to move back on the seat, its handle bars were in my face and I felt the pedals were higher up than on the little Suz. I'd have trouble riding it around the block without altering the seat and having some Glitch-type major surgery on the handle bars.


BrettStrom1: Mate I was under strict instructions to be back by one o'clock for the birthday lunch, which means I didn't have time to call into the Marburg emu farm for some sossos, and I had to miss the nice little run home in through Mt Crosby and Karana Downs as well. And yes, it was very warm when you stopped.


Stretch 49: Lovely looking Sprint. Bringing it to Bingara? I think there's a sub-rule in our constitution somewhere that says one has special dispensation to bring a non-Strom to a gathering on one occasion. :thumbup:

 

[saturn 5]

Stretch; A few years ago a mate and I spent a few days travelling around the Central West of NSW. He had a Sprint like yours and we swapped bikes a few times including on some good dirt roads west of Parkes. I was impressed with the Sprint, the triple being a revelation.

I think you have just started a new love affair. Great bike :thumbup:

 

[Tweed-Strom]

I was at the bike show on sunday and am in agreement sat on a lot of bikes with very big price tags attached. Am pretty much the same as the rest of the wee owners dollar for value the bike is as good as $20,000 or would have to keep justifying to myself where is the difference.Reading through the threads and meeting other owners everyone is more then pleased with their bikes would have to be a bargain with a lot of dollars attached to exchange mine.

 

[stretch49]

Stretch; A few years ago a mate and I spent a few days travelling around the Central West of NSW. He had a Sprint like yours and we swapped bikes a few times including on some good dirt roads west of Parkes. I was impressed with the Sprint, the triple being a revelation.

I think you have just started a new love affair. Great bike :thumbup:

Bang for buck wise the Wee is pretty hard to beat, BUT for a big sports tourer like the Sprint GT, current ride away price of $15990 is pretty competitive and thats standard with good size panniers and ABS.
I picked mine up for $14500 with 360ks on it and a Taller touring screen thrown in to sweeten the deal. There are a few 2nd hands on the market for high 12k ATM with under 5k on the clock.

 

[Stromin'Nroman]

I used to lust after Kirsti Alley.

No so much any more.

 

[mcguyver]

I used to lust after Kirsti Alley.

No so much any more.

What an intelligent reply :weapons_5:

Cant you blokes keep your inane comments to your own regions.

 

[OneOff]

What an intelligent reply :weapons_5:

Cant you blokes keep your inane comments to your own regions.

that's odd...

I kakked meself laughin' when I read that. :green_lol:


Nroman was just pointing out the things we lust after in our youth ain't so attractive anymore, Ms Alley probably weighs a good deal more than a K1600GT these days.. :biggrinjester: unless of course he was making comparisons of cockpit size...

(there ya go, back on topic)

Sorry Don, we've fully trashed your thread now. Had something to do with a BMW I think.

 

[windinhair]

that's odd...

I kakked meself laughin' when I read that. :green_lol:


Nroman was just pointing out the things we lust after in our youth ain't so attractive anymore, Ms Alley probably weighs a good deal more than a K1600GT these days.. :biggrinjester: unless of course he was making comparisons of cockpit size...

(there ya go, back on topic)

Sorry Don, we've fully trashed your thread now. Had something to do with a BMW I think.

:mrgreen::mrgreen:Crusoe,you have puter in the tree house :yesnod:

 

[Robman]

I used to lust after Kirsti Alley.

No so much any more.

Love your taste in bikes and Zappa....but Kirstie Alley?

 

[Donunder]

Sorry Don, we've fully trashed your thread now. Had something to do with a BMW I think.

Did it? I think I've forgotten.....

 

[Stromin'Nroman]

What an intelligent reply :weapons_5:

Cant you blokes keep your inane comments to your own regions.

I used to lust after Olivia Newton-John.

Not so much any more.

(..........and this from a dude who steals his name from a 1980's American TV action hero.)


Thanks OneOff, for taking a moment to think.