Just wondering if I should....

I shall look in depth at it over the weekend, but comments like yours, aren’t confidence inspiring.


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Sorry mate, but it's impossible to make an informed decision without taking account of all the possible outcomes. I promise I'll never say " I told you so"!

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.... well I did a lot of research, found lots of very happy K13 threads and reviews, saw little of the problems above (yes of course there are issues - as there are with every bike.....), but plunged into the BMW v club as my Honda v was so good. I am very pleased with the bike - it performs like a marathon running race horse, except needs refining for long legged comfort.

I am sure that every bike prof will be able to kick the tyres somewhere but from what I found there are a lot of happy owners too. Built on the reliability of the 12, succeeded by a market shifting 16; the 1300 (for me) was a really good balance and I don't regret owning it for a minute.

Does it need tlc ? I am sure it does, will it get poorly? I am sure it will. Will it hold its value? Who cares - it is a bike to ride today ffs!
 
I shall look in depth at it over the weekend, but comments like yours, aren’t confidence inspiring.


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it was a very expensive bike when new, it had a second to none warranty that meant a lot of things got changed that other manufacturers might have quibbled at or repaired, hence it got a rep as always going wrong, it was also cutting edge in its day, not something that usually equates to completely trouble free life,it had certain faults that continually raised their heads and the internet thrived on it, I dread to think what would have happened to Honda in the 70's and 80's if the internet had been up and running (cam chain adjusters anyone :p) the end decision is yours, have a look at a couple of bikes have a test ride, then if you are worried see if you can get into the warranty scheme, its about £400 a year, you are buying a lot of performance and tech,
and there are lots of people who will tell you your GS is going to explode in-situ :rob
my K1200GT is 10 years old now and hasn't had any of the problems people tell you "will" happen so you pays yer money and takes yer chance :beer:
 
it was a very expensive bike when new, it had a second to none warranty that meant a lot of things got changed that other manufacturers might have quibbled at or repaired, hence it got a rep as always going wrong, it was also cutting edge in its day, not something that usually equates to completely trouble free life,it had certain faults that continually raised their heads and the internet thrived on it, I dread to think what would have happened to Honda in the 70's and 80's if the internet had been up and running (cam chain adjusters anyone :p) the end decision is yours, have a look at a couple of bikes have a test ride, then if you are worried see if you can get into the warranty scheme, its about £400 a year, you are buying a lot of performance and tech,
and there are lots of people who will tell you your GS is going to explode in-situ :rob
my K1200GT is 10 years old now and hasn't had any of the problems people tell you "will" happen so you pays yer money and takes yer chance :beer:

I know that K1300 has later (conventional) switchgear and K1200 has earlier (confusing as I like to call it) switchgear. However apart from increase in CC (if any) and minor bodywork tweaks, is there much else different about them?


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The 1300 incorporated all the fixes developed in the 1200 model it should have a better clutch pack and has the "awkward" jap style of indicator switch which is more prone to failure. A late model 1200 should incorporate most of these anyway but as always individual condition and price are the deciding factor for me generally the 1300 will be a better option as it will be younger

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I looked at the GT for a while then discounted it. As others have said, it is a great bike, very quick (and quicker than the K1600GT whilst being the best part of 50Kg lighter) but after looking at about 20 used bikes and a load of test rides I decided against it.

1. Corrosion - I didn’t find a single bike without a bubbling final drive, front/rear shock spring rusty and chipped and elsewhere behind those expensive fairings
2. Clutch - very heavy with what feels like no assistance. Not a problem for others but the engagement point felt right at the end of the lever’s travel and with limited adjustment it would be a right PITA in any traffic
3. Screen - just like the K1600, I couldn’t find any screen position that reduced buffeting except in its highest position, which introduced huge back pressure and cold air against the back of the neck.
4. Fuel economy - OK on the motorway at about 48mpg but the engine runs very hot so drops like a stone in traffic (the readout said 28mpg). The K1600 is better on fuel despite being much heavier, and it runs a lot cooler to boot.
5. Heat - I tried one on a warm day on two separate occasions and thought my right knee was going to catch fire when stuck in traffic.
6. Reliability and costs - just google Alpinebiker for extensive reviews of the GT for an eye-watering insight into running costs. My concern for most used models would be the issues mentioned by other posters - new ESA front and back = £3K, final drive around £1K, the radiator can clog easily as crap accumulates at the bottom, and as it needs to be removed and the cooling system re-pressurised as part of the valve clearance service, it can be £1K to replace, plus crown bearings etc. Then there’s the people who have had 6 or 7 sets of switches as the fine contacts heat up and rub on the edge of the circuit board then fail - look at ashonbikes.com as Kev Ash (RIP) had it happen to him twice on his long term loan.


Now the above may not put you off and you may experience none of the reliability issues others have. I liked the bike when I test rode it but the fact that for a few £K more I could have a new/nearly new 1200GS made my mind up. If you’re worried about costs due to PCP on the GSA I don’t think you’ll be much in pocket in the medium term with any large K.

In spite of all that it is a rocket ship -if you find one that is pristine with low miles and a 2-year BMW warranty, and you love the test ride, take a punt, it’s unlikley to lose much value.
 
I looked at the GT for a while then discounted it. As others have said, it is a great bike, very quick (and quicker than the K1600GT whilst being the best part of 50Kg lighter) but after looking at about 20 used bikes and a load of test rides I decided against it.

1. Corrosion - I didn’t find a single bike without a bubbling final drive, front/rear shock spring rusty and chipped and elsewhere behind those expensive fairings
2. Clutch - very heavy with what feels like no assistance. Not a problem for others but the engagement point felt right at the end of the lever’s travel and with limited adjustment it would be a right PITA in any traffic
3. Screen - just like the K1600, I couldn’t find any screen position that reduced buffeting except in its highest position, which introduced huge back pressure and cold air against the back of the neck.
4. Fuel economy - OK on the motorway at about 48mpg but the engine runs very hot so drops like a stone in traffic (the readout said 28mpg). The K1600 is better on fuel despite being much heavier, and it runs a lot cooler to boot.
5. Heat - I tried one on a warm day on two separate occasions and thought my right knee was going to catch fire when stuck in traffic.
6. Reliability and costs - just google Alpinebiker for extensive reviews of the GT for an eye-watering insight into running costs. My concern for most used models would be the issues mentioned by other posters - new ESA front and back = £3K, final drive around £1K, the radiator can clog easily as crap accumulates at the bottom, and as it needs to be removed and the cooling system re-pressurised as part of the valve clearance service, it can be £1K to replace, plus crown bearings etc. Then there’s the people who have had 6 or 7 sets of switches as the fine contacts heat up and rub on the edge of the circuit board then fail - look at ashonbikes.com as Kev Ash (RIP) had it happen to him twice on his long term loan.


Now the above may not put you off and you may experience none of the reliability issues others have. I liked the bike when I test rode it but the fact that for a few £K more I could have a new/nearly new 1200GS made my mind up. If you’re worried about costs due to PCP on the GSA I don’t think you’ll be much in pocket in the medium term with any large K.

In spite of all that it is a rocket ship -if you find one that is pristine with low miles and a 2-year BMW warranty, and you love the test ride, take a punt, it’s unlikley to lose much value.

I think you’ve put me off the idea of buying one. Thank you for the insight.


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I'm a bit late to the party but I've had my K1300GT for 4 years and still think it is a superb bike. I'm 6' 6" so can comment on comfort a bit too!

Brilliant tourer that you can scratch on (others better than me no doubt!); mine gives 53mpg all the time, never seen 28mpg in traffic etc (no photo's/it didn't happen). Heated pillion seat roomy and excellent according to SWMBO. Faster than my mate's K1600 in any roll-on test (much to his upset). The turbine power is addictive; 160bhp tourer!

Eurokclub website is good - more stuff on US sites. Yes some bikes have had issues but the Internet magnifies the bad and few people spend time praising anything!

Extended Warranty is a must for me just for peace of mind (see costs of parts above) but in 3 years I've only had 2 claims (rear wheel bearing (p*ssed off that BMW thought failure at 10K was not goodwill issue) and one switchgear - about 1 year's cost back) - I have the £100 excess version/no recovery so that's +£200. One other repair £65. I've only done 10K miles though.

If I wanted a similar bike now it would be £15K+, so paying just under a pound a day for warranty works for me to get a similar level of safety net.

Heavy clutch is a 1 hour fix with the Oberon slave cylinder mod but I've never thought it heavy so haven't bothered.

Not had my fairings off but it is coming up to 18K miles service (the BIG one - £500) and they'll report on the radiator then. My bike rarely sees rain and I do clean the rad as much as I can from the front. The K1600 is the same anyway. BTW I don't feel my legs frying in traffic - being taller may help.

A bit of corrosion on the FD but small and not spreading (but see rain comment above); haven't looked at the engine!

There was a recall on starter cable (done on mine before I got it - cures hot-start problems), cam chain guide (I think only on the 1200), and rear disk carrier (per other models).

I've fitted MV Verholen footpeg lowerers and a Helibar riser (on top of the std riser); the bike has a Z-Technic V-Stream (std height) which is a bit short but I'm tall so I have the seat on the lower setting. Some buffeting remains so I'm about to fit a BMW OE Tall screen plus Laminar Lip to see if that perfects the airflow. Ideally I'd buy the Wunderlich winglets if I rode in the cold a lot, but I don't.

You've probably moved on to thinking about another bike but maybe these comments will help others.

A
 
An excellent suggestion.

At least try one or you’ll never know.

I have had a go on a K1600 GT last weekend. Fantastic bike but bloody heavy.


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Are these the bikes that cost millions to look after ?

Depends who you ask, I had my K13GT for a while and lots of miles and it was a fabulous tourer (pillion loved it) and virtually hassle free. I had the rear shock replaced under warranty at 26k and that was all. I don't recognise all the problems the guy who did lots of test rides had. I only traded mine because I fancied the K13S and I got a great deal, my GT depreciated £900 in two years which is pretty fair and this was a few years back. They are still sought after. Re the big 18k service, I had mine done at winter rates and it was only just over £300 (provide your own oil and keep the cost down), I certainly wouldn't pay £500. I did the same with the K13S - Dick Lovett in Bristol highly recommended. I've had my K13S for 5 years now and have had absolutely no problems with it.

You'd never buy any bike if you filled your head with all the doom and gloom you can find on bike forums! Give it a go :beerjug:
 


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