vibration and harshness -06 K1200R, S &GT

[685ursus]

Last week I had an opportunity to attend a BMW demo ride. I rode an 06 K1200R and was surprised by the vibration and harshness coming from the powertrain. Turned me off. A friend went to another dealer the preceding week with thoughts of purchasing an 06 K1200GT. He was shocked at the amount of engine vibration and the clunkiness of the transmission. He is a former K1200LT rider is now looking at a Yamaha. I am a 1200LT and K12RS rider and I am not nearly so keen to purchase one of the new BMW K's.
Riders/owners of the new K's; please share your thoughts.

Thank you
Mike

[messenger13]

I've ridden the 'S' model three times now . . . and I have to agree with you. The vibrations were enough to turn me off from even considering buying one.

But now, I am considering the new GT. I have yet to ride one. But according to many new owners, the GT is very smooth. Read THIS REVIEW (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9716) and THIS COMPARO (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9087), for some pretty indepth reporting on the new GT.

Also, check out the GT forum on this site, and the GT forum over at K-Bikes.com for a lot of great information.

HTH

[ATDRS]

My 06 GT does have more vibration than I expected.
It does not seem to have as much "felt" vibration as the K1200R that I tested twice.. Perhaps that is why they rubber insulated the handel bars. :confused:

[BillyOmaha]

...I rode an 06 K1200R and was surprised by the vibration and harshness coming from the powertrain. Turned me off. ....
Riders/owners of the new K's; please share your thoughts....Howdy Mike,

Hopefully some aspect of the bike "turned you on" ;) ,if it did and the only thing dissuading you from the K1200R is the vibration, then there is help.

The stock bar-end weights are not heavy enough to control the "buzz" that you feel and see in the mirrors. You can significantly cut-down on the vibration by using, for example, the Throttle Meister, heavy version. I use the standard size and the "buzz" is mitigated enough to not be a problem.

For non-sport bike riders, the sensation of the vibration, IMO, is at it's worst early on in riding the bike. The pace of the bike, relative to other the other BMW bikes is so much much faster as to prompt the rider to tighten their grip and exacerbate the sense of vibration. Once the rider gets used to the pace, puts the heavier bar ends on and learns to relax the grip a bit, then the bike is a joy.

PS, the vibration only seems to come through the grips. The rest of the bike does not seem to have, or transfer, any significant vibration at all.

.

[petepeterson]

Mike, there have been several articles wrote about the buzziness of the "new" K motor.. Even riding the "old" K bikes RS/GT they had a little more buzz than the LT..To me the LT is a totally different class of bike than the other K models...

In my 40 years of riding I have only rode one bike in the same class as the LT and that is the wing...

Just as Joe has stated he is seriously looking at the "new" GT and is going to get rid of one or both his bikes to get the GT, I personally hope that Joe keeps the LT until after he puts some miles on the GT just in case its not as smooth as the LT in a long distance run.......Regards Pete

[685ursus]

Thanks for the input. There is lots about the new K bikes I like. After riding 98 K1200RS I was surprised at the amount of vibes and the clunkiness in the new "K's". The bikes look great. I like the K1200R and S. The GT is beautiful in reality, far better than the pics. Too close to the price of an LT in Canada to consider trading. On the other hand a second bike such as an "R" really appeals to me. After the ride on a new one, I may wait for a used one; see how they hold up value wise.

[BeemerDude]

You want change, I'll give you a change...As noted in an earlier post, I recently traded my LT after 5 yrs. for a new 06 RT. However, I gave up 200+ lbs. for a much lighter more "nimble", easy to handle at low speed bike. The result: nothing replaces the LT for over all comfort and smoothness. And, not to mention, long distance anytime anywhere...IMHO can't be done.

Now, regarding "smoothness", of the new K1200 S engine, which, is the same engine in the K GT. The power band is outstanding at all RPM's and gears. The KS transmission is very "clunky". Especially between 1st and 2nd gear. You either hit it or it ends up in Neutral...Get's marginally better over time. BTW, my new RT's tranmisson is remarkably smooth. More so than the 02 LT I rode. The K1200 S engine is smooth, but, not LT smooth. Don't expect it... It won't happen.

In summary, I made a decision to move to the new RT (as a 2nd bike, specifically for touing and two up),rather than the new K GT as I have experienced the KS engine, transmission, and ergos and come to the conclusion, for ME, I must have the ergos. I was NOT convinced the GT would give me the comfort, i.e., ride position over long distances, that the RT would provide. It's a give and take process. IMHO, especially after you have ridden it for a few years, absolutely nothing can replace the remarkable LT.

It's been said before, "there is nothing wrong with two bikes in the garage" it all comes down to WHAT IS YOUR MISSION? "

[messenger13]

It's been said before, "there is nothing wrong with two bikes in the garage" . . . Yea...just make sure you KEEP them in the garage. Don't dare RIDE them! You can't keep up with the maintenance. Both time-wise and dollar-wise. That's why I'm buying the GT, and selling my LT & Ninja. But time can only tell if I'm making the right decision. Probably not. But I'll just hafta suffer through. ;)

[BeemerDude]

That's why I'm buying the GT, and selling my LT & Ninja. But time can only tell if I'm making the right decision. Probably not. But I'll just hafta suffer through. ;)[/QUOTE]

From all the post I have read from the GT site, I summize you will be very pleased. However, from reading your previous post, I thought I read you had not ridden the GT, yet. You gotta take it for at least an hour before the purchase. Most dealerships I have visited don't have a "demo" GT. That make it very difficult on a guy trading his LT. I wish you the best.

[messenger13]

However, from reading your previous post, I thought I read you had not ridden the GT, yet. You gotta take it for at least an hour before the purchase.Naw! Test rides are for girls! http://www.the-sparkmans.net/avatars/gayanim.gif
I bought the LT without a test ride. 44K miles later, I think I've decided that it just isn't the bike I want to buy. :D

[fas]

Sills, the dealer in Cleveland, Ohio, where I bought my LT in August of 2002, has a demo GT. I rode it and loved it. When I returned it to the dealership the first thing I told them is it certainly has a vibration issue. I'm waiting a few months to ride another one. Interestingly, the GT I rode in Germany did NOT vibrate like the one here. Not in the bars, the vibration came from the frame, during mid range rpm's. I now believe I want the GT motor in the LT body/frame. I commute and I need room for the computer, boots, rain gear, etc....

[fas]

I pick up my new GT at noon tomorrow. My LT now lives in Georgia. Sold it for $12,000 on eBay to a man who said he got tired of his Harley Davidson stranding him and his gal on the side of the road. He picked it up yesterday. My hat is off to Sills, one of the Cleveland area dealers. They let me and the SO take the GT out for three hours last Saturday. I bought my 2002 LT there and they did all my service. Good folks. Easy to deal with and never let me down.

[teejay]

I had the loan of a K1200S-06 model, on Saturday, while my LT was having a service. I loved the 'flickability' the responsiveness of the engine. Plenty of torque even in 6th. What I didn't like was the vibration thro' the bars,(my right hand went numb) and the agricultural gearbox. Good fun even so but didn't come close to the LT IMHO.
Regards
Terry

[GregK100rs]

Vibration is brutal on a bike, and it will wear you down over the long haul. My Suzuki 1150EF was the worst one so far, after two seasons I sold it due to excessive vibration, made it impossible to tour. The CBR1000 was glass smooth, ultra nice to ride for a long distance but couldn't provide the overall level of comfort of my K. But, my K was buzzy and around 4,200-4,500 smoothed out nicely.

After riding the K1200GT, my thoughts are leaning towards the R or ST1300. Living with vibration just isn't an option.

[ATDRS]

This is why I dumped my 06 GT. :rotf:
I am now the proud rider of an 04 GT and an 05 LT. SMOOOOOOOOOth.
My 05 RT and 06 GS were better than the 06 GT, IMHO.

[crashman68]

I am looking at a 2007 K1200GT. Have they made any improvements on the vibration problem? I am planning a test ride at the dealership.
Vibration is the main reason I am selling my 2008 Suzuki GSX650F. Between 5000 and 7000 RPM (Cruising Speed of course) It is a killer. And it buzzes through the whole machine. I know that their is always vibes on a bike but I am turning to BMW for the balance and refinement. Any suggestions? Thanks Crashman68