lt vs gw

[papaed]

Talked a friend into an LT but rejected it because it only came in black.Then bought a gold wing and asked me to ride it.Must say i was disappointed as I,d always heard great things about them.Lots of wind noise,gear noise,and a feeling that the console was "in your face".Did not handle that well either.Lots of bottom end "grunt",The 1800 cc,s are impressive.Did not have the heart to tell him the LT was a much better bike.Maybe next time.By the way,price was not an issue,he was dead set on a silver bike.

[pickerbiker]

Interesting that color would play that strong a role into his decision. Maybe he really wanted the GW all along, but didn't have the heart to disappoint you.

[sonnata]

I agree with pickerbiker. If price was not an issue, and he really wanted a new LT, he would have bought a black one and had it painted silver.

[Torch]

I think your opinion that the LT is a "much better" bike is a bit jaded and biased. Both have advantages over each other. I'm sure color was not his only decision in picking the Wing.

[JetflyerJ]

Interesting that color would play that strong a role into his decision. Maybe he really wanted the GW all along, but didn't have the heart to disappoint you.

I agree..

[Rock1098]

I think your opinion that the LT is a "much better" bike is a bit jaded and biased. Both have advantages over each other. I'm sure color was not his only decision in picking the Wing.



That's why he's on the LT forum! :wave

[leiboshi]

That's why he's on the LT forum! :wave

I changed few years ago from old GW to LT. At time I was impressed of LT. And I have enjoyed of it a lot. Now I have my second LT and I am very happy with it.

My friend was going to buy a bike. He sold his old GW and he took my LT (8.000 miles in it) for a day. He was not so impressed about it. Specially motor was disappointing.

Then he took a GW 1800 (13.000 miles in it) for a day. And his decision was clear after that. He bought that GW.

I took a ride with it as well. Only short ride, but riding on highway and on curved roads to get understanding how easy/difficult it is to handle. And I have to say that I was impressed as well. It is quite a good bike to drive. Not much difference between LT and GW. There are few minor things better in LT, few minor things better in GW. But really main big difference is motor. GW has torque from the bottom on. That confused me quite a lot. I am happy with my LT, but if I would buy a new bike, I would not be sure anymore if it would be LT. Propably I might enter into GW 1800.


Regards
Leiboshi

[gsrhoden]

I feel fortunate in that I have one of each. A 2003 LT and a 2005 GW and they truly are different animals.

The LT is a great bike that just gobbles up the miles in a calm and quiet way that belies the fact that you are one what amounts to an 850 lb sport bike. True, it handles like a pig at walking speeds and doesn't have the low end grunt of a GW but it is still a fine piece of machinery.

The GW on the other hand is a 900 lb two wheeled Cadillac that happens to handle a lot better than it's size should dictate. It's not as quiet as the LT and the wind management (at least for the driver) is not near as efficient as the LT but the engine is wonderfully powerful at virtually any RPM. The GW is also a great deal cheaper to own (maintenance wise at least) and the dealer network is better from just the shear numbers.

If it was just me, the LT is the winner hands down. However, when you add my better half into the mix, the GW begins to come out ahead. It's not that she dislikes the LT but she just likes the GW better. I've asked her about the differences and it's hard for her to quantify her opinion but the biggest negative about the LT is the passenger seat. It sits too high (she is relatively tall) and it's not near as comfortable as the GW. She's a trooper and would ride either one to where ever I want to go but the GW is her favorite choice.

So in keeping with the motto that if Momma aint happy, nobody's happy, I have the GW and still deciding on what to do with the LT. It's down for maintenance (leaking clutch slave cyl) but as soon as I have it back together we will just have to see if I can keep it (preferred solution) or it may need to go on the market.

They are both great bikes, just different in their own special way.

[Mike_H]

I'm glad that some riders buy bikes other than BMWs. Competition makes every manufacturer, including BMW, bring increasingly innovative and fun motorcycles to market.

[Rock1098]

I agree. Competition makes it better for the consumer. I almost bought the GW. Really close. And for all of the same reasons. Bottom line is the wife liked the rear seat better on the GW. But I use the LT for daily commuting and occasional rides with the SO on the weekends. So the LT won out because to me it handles better and gets more mp$. I would love to see other manufacturers get into the luxury touring segment. It would help get better (hopefully) machinery at a more competitive rate. Of course there has to be a demand in order for this to happen. But living in California and with current gas prices, why wouldn't the demand increase for better bikes?