BMW K 1200 LT - the main competitor of the Honda Gold Wing

The Soviet Union provided everyone with the opportunity to purchase a motorcycle. There were no queues for two-wheeled vehicles, if you want - buy. And there was a choice in several classes, ranging from 125 cc Minchikov to powerful sidecars with boxer engines.


Motorcycles were bought well, especially in rural areas. But there was no smell of great love here - two-wheeled vehicles were taken because of hopelessness and the inability to quickly purchase a car.

Everything changed in the mid-1990s. Motorcycles began to be bought mainly by those who chose them consciously. Some bikes cost more than cars.



BMW models are especially popular among wealthy motorcyclists in Russia. In recent years, you can buy a used bike for quite sane money. But you need to understand that you will have to pay more for servicing the Bavarian brand than for the more popular and budget "Japanese".

The biggest and most comfortable bike from BMW is the K 1200 LT. A huge monster that competed with the legendary Gold Wing from Honda for 11 years. The "Japanese" won this race, and the Germans abandoned the model in 2008. It was replaced by the BMW K 1600 GT, but this is far from the monumental luxury tourer that cannot be put on the same line with the Honda Gold Wing.

Brief history of the class

The first company to make a luxury touring motorcycle was the Japanese Honda. This was in 1974, and the bike was not the Gold Wing despite the name.

The motorcycle looked more like a classic and nothing foreshadowed the appearance of a monster with a plastic lining, if not for the new Interstate model. This version turned out to be so successful that the manufacturer switched to the production of motorcycles with wardrobe trunks. The first full-fledged "Golda" appeared in 1980.



After that, the Honda Gold Wing became a luxury tourer. For several decades in a row, they had practically no competitors, not counting the Electra Glide from Harley-Davidson, but there is equipment for a narrow circle.

The emergence of a competitor from BMW and confrontation

In 1999, the Honda Gold Wing debuted - a luxury tourer from BMW under the K 1200 LT index. The bike turned out to be more modern and there is a completely logical explanation for this - it appeared later.

In order to overtake the Japanese competitor, the Germans abandoned their favorite boxer engine, giving the model an in-line “four”. The motorcycle really turned out to be powerful, beautiful and comfortable for long trips.



In theory, the luxury tourer from BMW with its 1,2-liter power unit was no match for the Honda. But this is a BMW - the model was often bought only because of the prestige of the brand. Plus, the Honda Gold Wing 1 800 had one serious drawback - weak aluminum frames that burst under large riders. Especially if they were fond of trips on not the best roads. At the end of 2003, the frames were sorted out.

The Germans did not remain in debt by upgrading their K 1200 LT. The bike received an updated appearance, a 116 hp engine. With. instead of 98, on-board computer. The most interesting thing is the electric center stand. It was not simple, but with hydraulics capable of putting the bike on a support along with the driver, passenger and panniers stuffed to the limit.



But still, the Germans could not become full-fledged competitors to the Japanese. Who won the race is clear, one has only to look at the years of production of motorcycles. "Golda" is still being produced, and BMW was no longer assembled in 2008. Yes, there is a new bike to replace it, but the BMW K 1600 GT is a very different class, competing with Honda's Pan European.

Features of the model

The first thing that comes to mind when you see the BMW K 1200 LT motorcycle is almost a real car, huge, clumsy and stable. In fact, this is far from the truth, and the bike has a wayward character and strives to fall on its side when riding or turning at a minimum speed.

It's not uncommon for beginners to fall off this bike, although it doesn't hurt either the technique or the rider much thanks to the stock roll bars. Lifting a heavy bike is not that difficult - the main thing is to know the technique of using the back or have an above average physical fitness.

The maximum level of comfort, like a business class car, cannot be in a motorcycle, by definition. For example, automatic transmissions do not exist on production bikes, even on such as the BMW K 1200 LT and Honda Gold Wing. And the point here is not the complexity of production or greed - for two-wheeled vehicles it is dangerous. If the automatic transmission starts to switch in a turn, you can easily fly off the track.



In the city, driving a BMW K 1200 LT is not very convenient. This is due to the size of the bike and its poor stability at low speeds. However, these problems are noticed only by beginners or those who ride this motorcycle recently. After a couple of weeks, addiction sets in and it turns out even to move between rows.

If necessary, the motorcycle accelerates to “hundreds” in 5,6 seconds. Gears are long, traction is concentrated at low revs. On the first one, you can accelerate to 100 km / h, although this will have to unscrew the engine to the maximum.

It is difficult to call the BMW K 1200 LT station wagon - the model is designed primarily for good asphalt. A standard urban "speed bump" can hook on the bottom. The motorcycle also does not like pits - suspensions sometimes make their way to the stop.

Service Features

When buying any BMW, you need to be prepared for the corresponding brand spending on spare parts and consumables. Yes, and servicing these bikes is difficult, which results in high prices in services or time spent in the garage.



For example, to replace a simple air filter, you will have to remove the side plastic and the gas tank. Getting to the candles is also not easy, although the main competitor, the Honda Gold Wing, is even sadder with this.



When buying a motorcycle, it will not be superfluous to change the oils in the gearbox and in the cardan. It is recommended to do this in any case, because it is not known when the work was carried out there - it is better to play it safe, which will definitely extend the life of the units.

The BMW K 1200 LT has its own branded "sores" There are only two of them. The first is the clutch, which takes care of an average of 30 km. For those who like to cheat, the interval is reduced to 000.

The ABC block is also not a model of reliability. Therefore, when buying a motorcycle, it is recommended to check its operation. It is unlikely that this node will be diagnosed, at least it will not be checked in ordinary services.



The cost of a German bike on the Russian used market starts from 350 rubles. For the most expensive copies, they ask for around 000 million, sometimes there are options for 1 million.

Should I take the BMW K 1200 LT as an alternative to the main competitor of the Honda Gold Wing? It is difficult to advise something here - motorcycles are different, despite the fact that they are in the same class.

Definitely, the owner of Golda will experience fewer problems finding spare parts. But on the BMW K 1200 LT, the pilot will draw more attention to his person. Well, how - he has a BMW!