GT- Better in person.

[drmajor]

Sat on the new GT at Daytona. Knew not to take a test ride- not n budget and the lust factor was already high.

1st- it isn't ugly in person - to me. To each his own opinion.

I was impressed with the package.
The built in bar risers are really nice. Position for me felt Very good.
The flip in the side of the fairing for leg protection.


The slab side is pretty big and it would be nice if it was broken up some, but in person, it doesn't seem so big.

Can't tell if the windshield will work for my height. I'm +2" on the LT.

The seat is like no other BMW seat- I heard some say they didn't like it. For me, it the first one that feels really good- it's firm and the shape feels right.

I like the factor that the transmission and clutch are accessable w/o taking the entire bike apart. The present $1300 for a clutch is really steep.

I don't like that you have to have a BMW shop do the brakes and radiator. Takes a special gizzmo for both.

[wardenross]

Well folks, I got up at 5am and waited in line for about an hour, only to find out that there were no more spots available to test ride the new GT. I did this both Thursday and Friday while at Daytona Bikeweek.

In person, the GT doesn't look half bad. The seating/handlebar position is much like the RT. It appears the bike is aimed straight at the Yamaha FJR/Honda ST.

My personal concern, is their is no protection for the fairing. If one should go down, you gonna do losta plastic damage, real quick.

The bike did look much better in person, than in the pics I've seen.

[dcwchfc]

Lucky enough to get a slot at Bike Week
1) handlebar riser setup is the most progressive I've seen on a BMW w/o having to buy bar risers. Still to short and to narrow for me.
2) The 6 speed trans has one gear too many
3) the windshield raised is high enough to allow a Nolan with the shield up have the air pass right overhead no buffeting no problem.

I had just ridden a used '05 (what I was told was an '05) and the '06 felt not as tight in general, not as tight shifting. The narrow handlebars on both are such that I'd have to learn countersteering over again using different angles and leverage points.

Frankly, I was more impressed with the '05 than the '06. Appearance of the bike was good. It had bags, of course, but I didn't touch them, don't know if they're bulletproof like the LT bags.

Result of the GT and the RT ride was that I decided to keep the LT. Interesting to me after riding the lighter, more flickable bikes, when I got back on the LT I was flicking it around. I guess it's a mind set. If you think the LT is a big heavy bike you're right, if you think it's a sporting tour bike, you're right.