Dropped the bike off at the dealer today for the 600 mile service. Still too early for a full report, but I'm feeling verbose....
Likes
- Adjustable levers. Sounds like a silly little thing, but a tiny adjustment in where the clutch and brake levers are makes a world of difference. I can now two-finger the brake while still working the throttle, and I've shortened the clutch pull enough that it got rid of the jerkiness I was feeling.
- Power windshield. Love it. Every bike should have one.
- Mirrors. They're mounted way up on the fairing, but with them up there I can finally see all the way behind me without moving my head. Again, a little thing that makes a big difference.
- The Magical Wonder Wheel. I can access any information or suspension adjustments without taking my hands off the grips. Super intuitive system too.
- All three bags come off in less than 2 minutes. And the bike looks good without them.
- The suspension. I don't think about it, it just rides and tracks beautifully. Road gets rough, switch it to "Comfort". Wanna ride like a hooligan, switch it to "Sport". Bike hasn't bottomed out once, and nothing has jarred me out of the seat.
- The power. It's everywhere, even in the low-power "Rain" mode. Shifting isn't necessary. I can literally leave it in 3rd gear from a dead-stop up to about 70mph.
Not So Much
- No locking kickstand. Just dumb not to have one.
- No self-canceling turn signals. These things aren't rocket science.
- Key has to stay in the ignition. I'm spoiled, I guess.
- Luggage space. Not as much as the Ultra. Not a whole lot less, but still.
- Side-opening saddlebags. Sure, they look all swoopy, but they dump your stuff out when you open them.
- The top box rocks back and forth on the mount. Not a lot, but it does move. Makes me wary of mounting a luggage rack on top.
- The transmission is clunkier than I'd expected.
Other than that, this thing is a dream. I added an engine guard with highway pegs, got a new windshield with a recurve coming, and I scored a taller 2-piece seat on Ebay. Looking forward to getting it back and being able to let this thing run at full power.
More to come.
Sent from my iPad, probably while I'm pooping.
I finally got a chance to sit on a K1600GTL. I sat on it while on the center stand talking to the salesman for a few minutes. That was all it took for me...my legs were tired after just sitting there for a few minutes. Performance or not, if I'm not comfortable sitting on a bike, it's not for me.
To 05Train...if you would have waited a few more weeks for the 2015 model, they have the keyless setup available like on the Exclusive model. If you would have gone for the Exclusive model though, you wouldn't even be able to remove the tourpak...it's not removable. Anyway, I'm glad you are enjoying it. I sat on a 2008 K1200LT (which they don't make anymore). That one was a little more comfortable for me, but again they don't make them anymore and the engine isn't even comparable to the 1600.
I went one more step this week and I checked out a Gold Wing. It was comfortable, but I felt like my feet were trapped in a little area with no place to move them at all unless I was moving to the highway pegs. It looks like I'll either be keeping what I have or diving back in head first into a 2015 Harley.
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Topic: CVO Street Glide vs BMW K1600GTL (Read 61157 times)