In town handling

[jwellis]

I am currently riding a vtwin but I want to move up to a touring bike. I would like a bike that I can also ride to work which means I am on the interstate and riding in downtown rush hour traffic. I talked to a friends who ride a Yamaha Royal Star and another who rides a Gold Wing. They will not ride them to work because of how they handles in traffic.

How is the K1200LT work in rush hour traffic?

[hig4s]

I am currently riding a vtwin but I want to move up to a touring bike. I would like a bike that I can also ride to work which means I am on the interstate and riding in downtown rush hour traffic. I talked to a friends who ride a Yamaha Royal Star and another who rides a Gold Wing. They will not ride them to work because of how they handles in traffic.

How is the K1200LT work in rush hour traffic?

I've test road all of them, and while I might have issues with the wing in traffic,, (starting and stopping, not low speed handling) I wouldn't have a problem with either the RSV or LT, but like the stop and go manners of the RSV the best of the three. And think the RSV is more comfortable. And is just as good on the super slab as the other two.. It's big down fall is once off the straight roads, does not inspire much confidence. If you are not planning anything but easy cruising the RSV is a great bike.. But for what you are asking,, maybe the RSTS (Royal Star Tour Star) might be a better choice.. Same bike, lighter removable plexi shield, still has the same saddle bags but no trunk, and you lose the stereo but keep the cruise.

[ranks]

It sucks in stop and go, but normal light to light, etc it is fine.

[LTsaddledance]

You might consider a R1200RT. I'm told the RT makes a good tour bike (I don't tour on mine but there's certainly plenty of RT's at any given rally so there must be truth to it). It's not, of course, as good a touring bike as an LT but the RT is quite easy to handle in traffic.

[TRANSMAN]

I haven't ridden any motorcycle in heavy city traffic and liked it. The LT is heavy but not to hard to handle. Maybe get a scooter with an automatic trans! HA HA!

[edwinm]

I find the LT easier to handle in heavy city traffic than any of the cruisers I have owned in the past. The LT does tend to run hot though in stop and go traffic.

[munson]

How is the K1200LT work in rush hour traffic?
Hi, and welcome to the site. The LT is big and heavy, and can be a handful. The limitations are with the rider not the bike. With some experience you can handle anything. The more you ride her the more comfortable you will be.

[zippy_gg]

I ride my LT in traffic, stop and go is not an issue, and splitting lanes on the infamous 405 is no trouble.
I guess it is what you get used to...
My LT is my main transportation and we love to take it all over SoCal on weekends.

[hschisler]

I ride my LT in traffic, stop and go is not an issue, and splitting lanes on the infamous 405 is no trouble.
I guess it is what you get used to...
My LT is my main transportation and we love to take it all over SoCal on weekends.The LT is my only bike. I ride it to work (106 miles round trip, mostly highway) and everywhere else but never hesitate to take it anywhere. Sure, I'd prefer not to have the stop and go traffic, but it's fine, and I'd prefer not to have the stop and go traffic in a car. The LT is all I know and handles just fine in city traffic.

[mneblett]

I am currently riding a vtwin but I want to move up to a touring bike. I would like a bike that I can also ride to work which means I am on the interstate and riding in downtown rush hour traffic. I talked to a friends who ride a Yamaha Royal Star and another who rides a Gold Wing. They will not ride them to work because of how they handles in traffic.

How is the K1200LT work in rush hour traffic?As I posted elsewhere this afternoon, I daily commute in suburbs-to-downtown-DC traffic (3rd worst in the U.S., IIRC). Been doing for 5 yrs+ on an LT, year-around. Perfectly happy with the LT; the ideal commuter vehicle, IMO :) Handling is a matter of practice and skill development, not weight. I will resist the temptation to comment on your friends' choices ;) :)

Oh, and on the heat issue, I was surprised to see the comment -- the K12 handles heat *far* better than its predecessors; even in 100+F in the summer, I don't notice the bike contributing anything additional to the outdoors misery :) In fact, the K's liquid cooling and the *huge* amount of heat my R11RT put out in the summer (particularly on my feet) were big reasons I moved to the LT.

[cfell]

I ride in "rush" hour nearly every day. Great bike.. 46mpg commuting... and I can turn the stereo up loud enough I don't have to listen to the others.

[bmwusmc]

I ride about everyday here in Las Vegas where the traffic can be very unpredictable due to accidents..The LT used to be a bit of a handfull until I took the ERC course which upped my confidence level..Now I have no fear except for careless cagers..

[Zotter]

My LT is my every day go to work ride. Durring the day it's also what I use to visit upto a dozen client sites all over town. Best day was 100 miles without leaving the city limits.

I love it. Handles great - wonderful in traffic.

This thing handles as well and often better than my old '81 GS-1000G

Hehehe, I'm get'n the timing down and the practice up - I can just about hold it at the stop lights without put'n foot down. Almost. If I catch the timing just right and the red don't stay that way too long....

[Ghost55]

I wouldn't, and don't ride mine as a daily commuter in heavy metro traffic. Crazy cage drivers is the main reason, but the bike's creeping speed handling characteristics are also a factor. Pretty unforgiving bike at very slow speeds.

[Ted]

The LT has great balance, and it will improve yours if you trust yourself. In LA stop-and-go traffic it's possible to stay on the pegs even AFTER you stop (for a second or two). Even when I'm stopped at a red light I'll pull up my feet and see how long I can stay balanced!

Lane-splitting can be tough if the lanes are narrow - and U-turns require a little practice, but you shouldn't be U-turning on your commute!

Also, I like the bike in traffic because of it's high profile - and the protection it gives your legs.

If you feel the LT is too big, then perhaps you should check out the new GT.

Good luck!

[dshealey]

Once you get used to the LT, it handles just fine in traffic. I lane split every work day on the freeways for five years, and part of the commute every day was in HEAVY city rush hour traffic (San Diego) where I would not lane split, had no problems at all.

The LT handles just fine above walking speed, and even that is pretty much a "no problem" issue after you learn the main trick (NO front brake at walking speed till the front wheel is absolutely straight ahead).

There was at least one GL1800 rider who rode most of the same route I did, saw him many days, sometimes I was leading, other days he was. He seemed to have no problems lane splitting either, and I believe the 'Wing is actually a little wider than the LT.

I believe anyone who won't ride to work every day because the bike is too hard to handle is just not committed enough to the cause. :D The only times I ever took a car was when I really needed it for some reason, or the bike was down for maintenance.

[Ekim]

No problem here commuting on the LT. I find stop and go in or on any vehicle sucks. The LT does not add to the misery of stop and go....I actually find it pretty easy to balance at a creeping speed, plus I have the radio to listen to while just sitting there.

While researching the LT on this forum, I was a little nervous about being able to handle it (came from sport bikes) but found that it is a motorcycle and handles like one. If you have motorcycle experience, it poses no serious concerns.

Good luck and have fun on what ever bike to you decide to buy (The LT) :D

[Tat_n_Telle]

I rode a Suzuki Intruder 1400 for years, and moved up to the LT. I commute 60 miles each way. I'd much rather be on the LT than the Intruder in traffic - having that big V-Twin cooking between your legs, and sending the heat right up to - well, you know where - was no fun. Don't be worried about the LT handling. It took me awhile to get used to it, but now it's not even an issue with me.
Oh, the radio, cruise, adjustable windshield, etc - NICE! :-)

[rixchard]

I ride mine in traffic all the time (Dallas). Stop and go driving sucks on all bikes I would imagine.

[andy]

I am currently riding a vtwin but I want to move up to a touring bike. I would like a bike that I can also ride to work which means I am on the interstate and riding in downtown rush hour traffic. I talked to a friends who ride a Yamaha Royal Star and another who rides a Gold Wing. They will not ride them to work because of how they handles in traffic.

How is the K1200LT work in rush hour traffic?

I rode my LT in San Francisco Bay Area traffic on a day to day basis as my main commuting vehicle (including lane splitting) and I do the same thing now that we moved to Houston, TX. Every day, yearin-yearout.

In my opinion there are two types of MC riders/owners: There are "RIDERS" and to those it won;t make a difference if the traffic is rush hour or empty back country road. If it rains or the sun shines.

And then there are the "OWNERS" ...

$0.02

[BecketMa]

Around here heat is the big issue. My Wing test ride was through Tucson, to the interstate was on a day when the temp was only in the mid 90s--ROASTED my left foot. And, that wasn't in stop and go traffic.

There are times when I'm in stop and go traffic, or waiting for a train crossing a road, when I simply put down the side stand and listen to tunes from my iPod. My car isn't an automatic transmission, so stop and go is a pain. But, I think it is easier to work the clutch lever and twist the throttle than it is to use my feet for clutching and throttle.

Having a nice comfortable seat, with a back rest, Ottamans, and a hydronic center stand, would almost be like waiting in an easy chair?

Another plus is the ability to lower the shield when stopped, or going slooow.

On HOT days, the AC is nice in my car; but, if I have to park my car while out running errands, it gets HOT real fast, and it takes the AC quite a while to cool all of the air inside the car down to a comfortable level.

I keep a Battery tender plugged into my car. Last time I drove it was Jan.

Bob

PS: around here, lane splitting doesn't have a thing to do with operating a motor vehicle.

[Petre]

I am currently riding a vtwin but I want to move up to a touring bike. I would like a bike that I can also ride to work which means I am on the interstate and riding in downtown rush hour traffic. I talked to a friends who ride a Yamaha Royal Star and another who rides a Gold Wing. They will not ride them to work because of how they handles in traffic.

How is the K1200LT work in rush hour traffic?

To put this nicely ... it sounds like they need riding lessons.

I've ridden a Goldwing more than a few times ... It's like a darn Weeble . You know they wobble but they don't fall down ? Plenty of power / torque , easy as heck to steer and brake .

I would have bought one if they had a soul , but souless beasts that they are , they did nothing for me. :bmw:

[TandemCyclist]

I haven't ridden any motorcycle in heavy city traffic and liked it. The LT is heavy but not to hard to handle. Maybe get a scooter with an automatic trans! HA HA!

Get a scooter and an LT. The only way to go. Our Burgman 400 goes 90mph down the freeway, handles heat, stop and go, and you can maneuver like no other motorcycle. Storage is fantastic. Just got back from a beer run. Planned to go about 3 miles but they were out of my beer, so rode 10 miles up the road in 5:00 traffic and liked it.

Now tomorrow when we make the run to the beach, 73 miles, the LT will take the duty.

[hig4s]

Oh, one more note about the three GW, LT and RSV.. of the three the one I could go the slowest before having to stop and put my feet down was the RSV... This is why I rate it better in stop and go traffic.

[wardenross]

Every time I ride the LT I find that I'm amazed how well the bike handles in traffic. One would think that an 800+ pound bike would be a handful. I ride in traffic about 50 miles or so each work day. Heavy traffic...No Problem!

The LT is unusual in the fact that it is so well balanced. In my book, she is an engineering marvel.

The ONLY time I have to remember the weight is when parking.

+ Don't park on soft (new) asphalt. She will sink fast!

+ Don't park in a parking space with the nose downhill, unless you are willing to use the reverser to get back out.

+ Since the bike is very heavy, watch for loose gravel in parking lots or driveways. If she does slip, she will go over very quickly.

+ If you have to do a U turn on a narrow county road, be extra careful.

If you are one of those folks who whuss-out at the idea of riding a 800+ pound bike, there are plenty of lighter bikes on the market made just for you!

The more you ride the LT, the less you notice the weight or slow speed handling.

[nightcrawler921]

I currently ride an Ultra Classic. I took my LT test ride in Denver CO at 5:00 pm right at the heart of rush hour. I was a little nervous at first but once under way the bike feels much lighter. Stop and go traffic was not a problem at all, just take it easy on the brakes. After I adjusted to the riding position the bike was fairly easy to handle, but I am also used to an 800 bike. One thing that really stuck out was the absence of heat on my legs. My Ultra has the big bore kit and that puppy will cook your thighs like a Thanksgiving turkey, or in my case a couple of hams.
Soon as I get the details worked out I will have an Lt in my garage.

[legacy]

I've found the LT to be a bit of a challenge at slow speeds, especially stop-n-go traffic and mall parking lots. Once it is moving, then it's fine.
Put a passenger on the back and the challege is greater. My only real complaint about this bike.

Most of my riding is done with a friend that has an 1800 Wing, and he can ride circles around the LT at slow speeds. We've traded rides a number of times, and when I'm on the Wing, I can outride him at slow speeds.

[Tat_n_Telle]

Get a scooter and an LT. The only way to go. Our Burgman 400 goes 90mph down the freeway, handles heat, stop and go, and you can maneuver like no other motorcycle. Storage is fantastic. Just got back from a beer run. Planned to go about 3 miles but they were out of my beer, so rode 10 miles up the road in 5:00 traffic and liked it.

Now tomorrow when we make the run to the beach, 73 miles, the LT will take the duty.

Check my avatar! LT and a Burgman 400! (The scooter is my daughters, but I do *borrow* it now and then, just for fun!)