Road Test of The BMW K1300 GT SE
On Wednesday 7th July 2010, Richard of BMW Dealer, Cannon Motorcycles in Braintree Essex, made available a 2010 Magnesium Beige Metallic K1300 GT SE with Dynamique package and fully equipped with 49 litre top box and panniers. The bike had 1,800 miles on the clock and the seat was originally on the lowest setting and the handlebars about 4 clicks up from it’s lowest setting. I will not go into the full specifications of the bike as these are freely available on the web, but will for this test just concern myself with the practicalities and rideability of the bike in comparison to my Pan European ST1300.
First impressions of the bike were good, I liked the styling and the in line four engine made it sleeker than most touring models. The cockpit console was excellent with all the necessary readings available at a glance, I particularly liked the gear selection indicator showing in the LCD screen, and the indicator function is now incorporated in one switch. All the switch controls are easily reached and logically placed on both sides of the handlebars, with some additions too those I am familiar with, namely, the heated seat switch ( it has heated grips as well), the cruise control switch, the ESA ( Electronic Suspension Adjustment) the suspension ride mode setting switch. It also has the now obligatory on board computer and all the readings are loud and clear on the functional and well designed centre console.
Right…so far so good….does it start? I throw my leg over and switch on, press the start button and she fires up in splendid fashion with a very pleasing exhaust note. I am more than impressed with how light the bike is compared to my Pan European ST1300 , one plus point already…select first gear and off we go. I had been given a forty minute test ride slot, but after a brief discussion with Richard, I was told to bring it back when I was ready, there were no further test rides booked for the day….GREAT.
I decided to do a run out to the coast at Maldon…well, Heybridge Basin to be precise, this would be about a three hour round trip and would supply all the road types I was ever going to encounter, twisties, fast A roads, dual carriageways, farm roads, bumpy roads and most important to me, a stretch of road where I could really check the aerodynamics of the bike whilst it was kitted out with top box and panniers, and at a speed in excess of 120 MPH. I planned to have a cup of coffee at the Café on the waters edge in Heybridge, this would be at the halfway point of my ride, and play with any mechanical settings for the ride back, so ride organised I set off.
My seating position was way different to that of the Pan, I found I was in a much more pronounced knees up riding position, quite well forward, but not that uncomfortable just different. The gearlever and rear brake pedal seemed in a strange position as well mmmmmmm…was I going to get used to this? After ten minutes or so I was finding the gear and brake pedal much easier and as this slipped further back in my mind I started to notice other little things. The power feed in from standstill up to 3rd gear was certainly not as smooth as the Pan 1300 ST and in those lower gears if you stretched the revs a little it was certainly a lot more viby than the Pan, particularly through the seat and the bars, nothing disconcerting, but certainly noticeable. The torque and power available was pretty much the same as I was used to, but due to the lighter weight of the BMW against the Honda, I reckon the BMW just edges it on pull away performance.
The Clutch lever operation was nice and light and the brakes are phenomenal, one slight criticism would be that the ABS seems at times a little eager to enter the fray, I did test it under quite harsh braking but too my mind it came in a smidgeon too early, having said that, better early than late!
I started playing with the different set ups under different road conditions and found that they really do work and the changes are noticeable. The options you have are, Normal, Comfort, Sport. I loved the sport setting, the bike felt really taught and handled the twisties as good as any sport bike, this beamer really does handle well. The turn in is positive and the feel from the road is firm, stable and very reassuring. Normal setting gives a good all round handling mode, and will cope more than adequately with all road conditions and speeds. The comfort setting is perfect for those long mileage tours, the suspension softens off nicely and even quite large potholes are taken with ease. I will not go into massive detail, but I can confirm that the K1300 GT out rides the Pan 1300 ST in just about all categories, but most impressively at high straight line speeds where the aerodynamics of the BMW show their true colours. In the Normal mode setting, with top box and panniers fitted, the BMW was stable and straightlined at a speed of 125 mph, not the slightest hint of a weave or wobble….man..I was impressed.
I arrived at Heybridge Basin, feeling pretty good and ready to make some changes. I raised the bars a few notches, raised the seat and checked the riding position….much better for me…not so far forward, knees not up so much and the angle of operation on the gear lever and rear brake pedal much better. This quick change proved how good and efficient the BMW seating position ergonomics are. Cup of coffee done with, I set off on the return ride, feeling more comfortably seated and ready to really ride the wheels off the thing. Well I tried, but in all honesty the bike handles so well that not once did I get it anywhere near the edge, and believe me I really tried….sometimes too hard, but credit to the bike it even handled those situations with aplomb!
So my final thoughts….my Pan is definitely smoother, certainly as quick, but you reach the edge much sooner, probably more comfortable ( or is this because I have now covered many miles on the Pan). No vibrations, but it does get the Pan weave when fully loaded and when riding in excess of 110 mph, and the Pan is heavy.
The BMW….nice and light in comparison, ride selection modes that work, traction control, heated seats and grips, great straight line stability at speed. A slightly over eager ABS system, tingly vibes through the bars and seat at high revs, and as yet a slightly awkward riding position. Nearly all plus points for the BMW . I think the seating/riding position can be made right for me, and I can live with the ABS situation. I think I will always find the vibes a little irritating when the rest of the bike is so superbly put together, however the vibes are not there all the time and they are fairly minor, so on balance the bike gets 9.999 out of 10 for me, that’s pretty near perfect and I have yet to ride the bike that is perfect. The BMW K 1300 GT really does not ride like a tourer, it is more like a very comfortable sports bike, the confident and spritely handling suggests that even using it as a commuter would not be out of the question. Covering long distances or scratching at the weekend should not be a problem for this bike, I have been very, very impressed.
Bottom line is the Pan will be going up for sale in 2011 and I have found my replacement bike….NO QUESTION.
The mechanics at Cannons that I spoke to confirmed prior rear shaft drive, some software and corrosion issues with the 1200 and some other models, but the 1300 boasts a beefed up drive shaft and at present date has shown no signs of the corrosion and software issues previously experienced. The 1300 is proving to be pretty much trouble free….their words not mine….but I feel inclined to believe them.
Easyrider 07/07/2010
