2012 model

[Winston Smith]

<snip> I'll pop down to the local BMW dealer this weekend so I can see all the obnoxious owners which will be enough to convince me not to get one. I may also look at the FJR and Pan European just to satisfy myself that the GTR is one.

OI! (yells a BMW owner).

We have an FJR and I don't think it's a patch on the GTR - doesn't handle as well (much better now we've fitted an Ohlins), doesn't go as well, isn't as comfortable and is very dated. Having said all that we still like riding it, it's just not as good as the GTR.

I had a Pan as a hire bike after I dumped the GTR in 2009. I absolutely loathed it. Winston will probably comment in a minute and tell you he thinks they're OK but I thought it was awful. The handling was so bad I stopped and got off once to check the tyres as I was convinced it had a flat (it hadn't). I was very grateful when it went back.

Kevin

ROFPMSL!! ;D ;D

[Hans]

Well....
After all.. this IS an "area" for GTR-owners! Where else to read stuff like that?  ;D
Every bike has plus/minus attached to it... but it wont make GTR "The One & only"....
Just my 2 cent...

[partyarty]

just to repeat on lone wolfs words about bmw dealers treating you like crap even when you spend 7500 grand on a bm and after sales over here in northern ireland shoddy to say the least and thats why i changed my bm to a kwack and would not ever go back after my experenices with them but a lot happier now with the gtr.  :D

[Winston Smith]

Been in the BMW dealers nearest to us today - excellent serv ice, no snobbery, very pleasant.

Oh Chrissy, come and buy me, I am your dream 1600GT   ;D ;D

[Lonewolf]

Perhaps you were just lucky?

[Ziderman]

We have an FJR and I don't think it's a patch on the GTR - doesn't handle as well (much better now we've fitted an Ohlins), doesn't go as well, isn't as comfortable and is very dated. Having said all that we still like riding it, it's just not as good as the GTR.

I am an X Fjr owner, had two of them. The Gtr is coming out better at moment. The Fjr is a very reliable bit of kit, bullet proof. It does come into it's own , when loaded with luggage & a  Pillion on. You could still sling it into Alpine corners & was like you had no extra weight at all on board. It pulls better from lower Gears too. Short shifts much better that the Gtr.

Not loaded the Gtr down for big Tour yet. So cant say.

[Kevin]

It does come into it's own , when loaded with luggage & a  Pillion on. You could still sling it into Alpine corners & was like you had no extra weight at all on board.

With a standard shock? You must be the only person in the world who thinks that! Even most of the died-in-the-wool aficionados on the FJOC forum will concede that the standard shock leaves a lot to be desired and they're not wrong.

Kevin

[Ziderman]

t does come into it's own , when loaded with luggage & a  Pillion on. You could still sling it into Alpine corners & was like you had no extra weight at all on board.


With a standard shock? You must be the only person in the world who thinks that! Even most of the died-in-the-wool aficionados on the FJOC forum will concede that the standard shock leaves a lot to be desired and they're not wrong.

Kevin

Don't think that's the case at all. Not sure where your getting all your info from. I've had plenty of Bikes in my 33 years of Riding, so I know difference between good & bad. I had standard shock too.
Think that's one reasons some Police forces use them as they behave so well when loaded. I never had problem & still scraped the foot Pegs a time or two when on tour. It pulls better at low revs than what the GTr does , that's for sure. But like I said , the Gtr does handle better for sure. But the Fjr is in no way a poor Bike. It's price tag put me off 3rd time  , that & fancied some thing different. I cant comment on it's abilities when loaded or with Pillion as yet.
Look at the Slagging the Gtr has had from some...so it's often a personal thing.

[Kevin]

Don't think that's the case at all. Not sure where your getting all your info from.

My personal experience, talking to other owners, reading the experiences of other owners in places like the FJOC, FJForum, talking to suspension experts like MCT. Have you considered that you were scraping the ground because there's inadequate pre-load adjustment?

I'm not sure why you think this is a GTR vs. FJR thing because it really isn't. As I said, we have both - we're on our second FJR and second GTR - and I really like both bikes but I don't like the standard FJR suspension at all. You obviously do but, like you said, we're all different.

Kevin

[Kwikasfuki]

It would be a boring world if one size fits all.

I think a 2012 model is on the cards, and if they don't do one in a colour I like, then it'll be a used 2011 model. One that's been lovingly looked after by someone

[Ziderman]

I'm not sure why you think this is a GTR vs. FJR thing because it really isn't

Where did I say it was a FJR Verses GTR.....?  I was merely saying the Bike served me well , never let me down & had some great tours on them. I no mechanical expert. But if it works it works & it worked well. Forums full of Experts...!

[Kwikasfuki]

I see the BMW 1600 GTL E is on for sale at ~£17.5k
That's a shit load of money for a bike, considering the RRP for the 1400 GTR is ~£13.5k

I spoke to a Kawasaki dealer who imitated that the GTR wasn't selling. Not because of the competition, but that Kawasaki had started to market themselves out of the market. Considering the earlier revision RRP was £11.5k, the additional 2k is probably making an impact

[Winston Smith]

....or it's the Green colour scheme  ;D ;D

[Lonewolf]

I keep hoping that Kawasaki will do the 0% finance in the not too distant future for the GTR. They are doing it at the moment on some other models.

Fingers crossed.  ;D

[fred24]

Having recently bought a 2011 after looking at all the competition I thought 13.5K was very competitive in comparision to what other bikes are costing nowadays. Most if not all flagship bike's are well in excess of 10K

Bikes have gone up a lot in price recently and may be making people think twice about buying any bike not just the GTR in today's economic climate especially as most bikes are bought as toys