Two wheels also voted the K12S bike of the year!
Against the MT-01, Triumph St, Breva 1100, KTM superduke which were the othe finalists, BMW got the nod for the best technology money can buy...*I can hear R owners jumping up and down there...
And most well finished and competent at it's design breif..
BMW is on a roll...
Not game to post this on the Hayabusa board!
*edit should clarify, earlier on reports were always kinda offish in the mag
Bry
I work so much to afford the toys I don't have time to use!
They didn't run a score sheet as such simply saying out of the field of 12 these 6 were the best and from that, they selected the winner across the fields of
"Fufillment of intended design"
"Appropiate use of technology"
"Quality of manafacture"
& "value for Money"
The MT-01 as apparently creates a new "niche" was automatically in the top as was the KTM for their first foray into the road sector...
Bu the concensus on the MT-01 was a fantastic motor, styling that won't age and will give years of wonder....
*HELL! I wants a woman like that...
Bry
I work so much to afford the toys I don't have time to use!
It's the November issue DJ...3 Yammies on the cover, including the Bumblebee painted YZF-R1 Special.
The article is called "Speed Wagons" and compares the Aprilia RST 1000 Futura, BMW K1200S, Honda ST1300, Honda VFR800 ABS, Kawasaki ZX-12R, Suzuki GSXR1300R Hayabusa, Triumph Sprint ST, and Yamaha FJR1300.
The piece actually makes sense in grouping & comparing these bikes when you get into it. Basically a somewhat in-depth sport touring comparison with different riders for each who swapped around and a woman rider who rode pillion for that evaluation.
The runaway winner was the FJR1300, as most of us would guess. They didn't rank the rest but just told how many 1st & 2nd place votes each bike got and why.
The K1200S got no firsts & no seconds which probably would have put it last, or near last. The pillion rider gave it a solid last place. It was not fastest or quickest in the performance tests, generally mid-pack. They all found the front end feel to be "dead". They liked some things too, but we all know what those are. They felt like it was somewhat a victim of being oversold and creating unrealistic expectations.
I'd recommend anyone considering the K1200S, or any of the others, to read this article and see what they said. CW is not necessarily "The Bible" but they are pretty good and this seemed an objective test.
Dave
#226
I've spent most of my life on motorcycles, the rest I've just wasted...
BP. Me too! I'll have to try and import it one day and a similar model in the US will make it easier.
In the mean time though, it looks like Yamaha is going forward with the MT concept. MCN recently reported on the Paris bike show and the Yamaha new bikes including a new concept MT.
Check out the completely naked FZ1. I've always liked the FZ1, but I just don't think naked bikes should have fairings. This new completely naked one looks really cool.
Dayam Jeff! That new Yammie MT concept bike is titz!
It out MT-01s the MT-01!
It out Speed Triples the Speed Triple!
That is probably the coolest bike I've ever laid eyes on and if Yamaha produces it, and if they stay as close to the concept bike as the did with the MT-01...they won't bring it here.
Dayam...
Dave
#226
I've spent most of my life on motorcycles, the rest I've just wasted...
Just got finished re-reading the CycleWorld comparo. All I've got to say is that it shot a big hole in my plans for a future purchase (It's all good, I can't really contemplate a new bike for a couple of years anyway). I've been looking at the ST1300 and the FJR1300. Salivating a little, thinking I could burn some road on boats like that. But it sounds like what I'd be burning is myself. Heat management seems to be a big problem here. There is an indication the the Yami will be changed for the better in the near future, but you have to get into the lottery to buy one. Would you buy a bike you hadn't had the chance to ride, let alone get a good squint at prior to purchase? Ah, well...
This is the link to the QT clip of the new MT-03 concept bike that DJ posted.
Does anyone know how to modify the QT settings where it acts like a "slide show" with a pause setting?
I want to eyeball this beauty closer but it won't stop rotating!
Dave
#226
I've spent most of my life on motorcycles, the rest I've just wasted...
Go to Start->Settings->Control Panel->Quick Time Settings. Click "Kiosk mode", then reload the "slide show". You should be able to move back and forth through the images by using the right/left arrow keys.
OK Teach...now explain to me what's up with that chain on the fine MT-03??
Looks like a single row chain with *two* sets of side plates!
Now Ive been away from chain climbers for a while but I've never seen anything like that...
Dave
#226
I've spent most of my life on motorcycles, the rest I've just wasted...
I glanced at that chain the first time through the slide show and thought it was a double row. Then I thought, hmmmm, are we looking at massive horsepower here? Must be a bitch to break for replacement...
If I remember correctly, not likely but possible, there was a way to import a bike if you'd purchased it overseas and rode it around enough to qualify as a used item. I think a lot of people used to bring cars back from Europe that way. Is there any possibility of setting up a gray market for things like the MT-01 or some of these new fangled Italian thingies? I especially like the MotoMorini in the latest CW. Naked and well built...Do bikes have to go through some long, painful and expensive environmental testing? Inquiring minds would like to know...
