I have a 2000LT and since 07 have done nearly 200K miles. It is my favorite bike I have ever owned and it's ready to go now, except there isn't any place to go in this shutdown. It is heavy, and as I age, I realized last summer that it won't be the long term bike for me. So, at the urging of my son, who rides with me and owns an RT, I picked up a 2010 RT with 35K. It's a very different bike, lighter, way quicker and yet smooth. My wife rides with me a lot, and so I didn't want to buy something that she would never get on, or it would be uncomfortable.
Pros for me. Lighter, easier by far to work on, smooth. I have the lower seat so it is far easier to handle at slow speeds and coming to a stop. That is huge for me.
Cons for me. Less wind protection, although not huge since I have nice gear to wear if it is a bit cool, and in the heat I appreciate the extra air around me.
Pros for my wife. She said last year ( we had the bike in CO for nearly one month and did a fair bit of riding) that 'this is really smooth' She said the wind protection is not nearly the same as the LT, but not a deal breaker. she said it is a bit more difficult (perhaps because after 10 years on the LT she was used to another way) to get onto her seat. I do have rear crash bars which means a little adjustment for her.
Cons. The rear back rest for her is not nearly as smooth as the LT. It moves alot more, which means she is unable to relax on roads that have bumps. It is also not heated, although her heated gear is a solution for that.
Bottom line. Because the LT is worth almost nothing (215K miles) I decided to keep both bikes. I know that given a chance, my wife will choose the LT. And to tell the truth, with my riding style, if I'm going to do a 1000 mile day, I'll hop on the LT. But for the fun ride with my son, the RT is the go-to for sure.
Different bikes, each with their strengths. We rode the K1600 Grand America thinking that it was our answer to an aging bike, but we just didn't like it enough to justify $30,000.
Our long-term plan is to ride the LT as long as possible, moving eventually to the RT as our last bike.
Keep us posted on what you do