damenke said:
How does the R1200CL compare to K1200LT. I'm thinking about going from a K1200LT to a R1200CL. I almost always ride by myself on short trips and think the K1200LT is just to big & heavy. I have never been on a R1200CL and was wanting some input from riders who know.
Thanks,
Solo riding, on short trips (your defined usage), I think you'll like the CL. For two up, or really long distance riding, the power and smoothness of the LT is hard to beat. The CL suffers in almost any comparison to the LT, except low speed maneuvering.
The CL has much shorter range (gets worse fuel mileage AND has a smaller tank). For short trips this would likely be a non issue.
The LT provides somewhat better wind protection, especially in gusty conditions. The handlebar mounted fairing on the CL can lead to some unnerving moments when dealing with traffic turbulence on windy days.
The CL is somewhat lighter, and has a bit lower seat than an LT. Many like that.
The CL costs less than an LT, but I think the LT holds its value better. (due to its being more popular).
The CL had enough power to keep up with normal passing, and enough to pass with, but allow plenty of room, as it is a bit more leisurely getting to speed than almost anything else BMW offers. The power is probably equal to most stock HD cruisers though.
If you have the dealer do the work, I'd expect the maintenance of the CL to be slightly higher, as the valves need to be checked or adjusted every six thousand miles.
Looks are a bit subjective, but I think the CL looks just odd enough to be very cool.
The real clincher, is that BMW is blowing out the remaining CL's. The BMW dealer was offering crate loads of them over the Biketoberfest weekend for 10,999.00 plus 495.00 dealer fee. That's just an incredible deal for anyone that wants one. Brand new (2004) bike with three year warranty, ABS brakes, cruise control, heated grips, AM/FM radio with CD player, and color matched saddlebags and trunk. The deal of the century! They have them available only in brown though, but it looks good. Good enough that my wife bought one, after taking a test ride, even though she wasn't even in the market for another bike!