BMW K1300 GT SE

WHAT WE LIKE

NOT SO MUCH

OVERVIEW|
The K1300 series BMWs probably won't be remembered for their ball-tearing performance, superb ergonomics, brilliant technology, mile-munching capability, horizon-chasing thirst for distance or their huge safety margins.

No, they're more likely to go down in history as being the BMW which saw the return of commonsense in the form of a single-button indicator switch.

For years, some -- but not all -- BMWs have used a three-button system: one on the left bar switches on the left indicators, one on the right does the same for the right, while a third button cancels both. This in an era where virtually every other manufacturer -- even including the frequently weird Italians -- have long-since adopted the standard protocol of a single left-thumb-operated button that performs all three functions.

BMW steadfastly bucked the trend, but like King Canute, they couldn't reverse the tide of better, more logical and safer one-button systems.

One can only speculate how many would-be buyers have looked, pondered and moved on to the opposition.

Even BMW seemingly wasn't entirely convinced, as the three-button system wasn't universally fitted across the entire range, thereby begging the question: if it's so good, why wasn't it on all their models?

However, somewhere, a visionary at BMW has ditched this dumb system and the new K1300 series can finally be considered as mainstream motorcycles. We look forward to the GS models being similarly improved.

Aside from the epiphany of sensible indicators, the K1300GT is an evolutionary step up from the K1200 GT which has been available for five years.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
The K1300 GT gets the K1300 S drive train, detuned by 15hp for its sport-touring mission. GT-power is 160hp -- that's up 8hp over the K1200 GT -- with more torque on tap above 3500rpm than before. The bike's appearance remains pretty much the same.

The Grand Tourer comes in two distinct models - the straight GT and the GT SE model, which gets a lot of the otherwise optional equipment as standard. For example, the SE gets Electronically Adjustable Suspension (ESA), a Xenon headlight, tyre pressure monitors and traction control. Both model variants are standard with heated grips, cruise control, instrument computer and ABS brakes. The downside is a hefty ticket-price the straight GT is $29,800, while the SE asks $32,775 (Plus ORC).

Updates over the 1200 GT are in the most part subtle, aimed at cutting weight and improving power and handling, but the new machine comes with an impressive features list. Appropriate for a grand tourer, there's an electrically adjustable windscreen, two-stage heated grips, and two-stage heated seats -- with separate controls for rider and pillion -- power take-off sockets and voluminous hard panniers.

The instruments include a computer display that includes two tripmeters, range, consumption, temperature, a clock and tyre pressures, average speed, heat setting for grips and seat, fuel level, engine coolant temperature, gear position and ESA settings for preload and damping. All this is available at the press of a button and scrolling through the display options. The instruments also have an ambient light sensor which turns their illumination on or off.

The bike's Xenon headlamp cluster casts the kind of ghostly white light more usually associated with expensive German cars, and casts a spread of light that impales objects  100m away.

In case you get bored, there are 11 buttons adorning the handlebars. Electric screen, cruise control, hazard flashers, info screen display, electronic suspension control, heated grips, heated seats, start button, kill switch, horn button, indicators, head light flasher and dip switch. All that's missing are the GPS and sound systems.

As it is, the GT launches with seemingly unstoppable enthusiasm and will maintain eyeball-warping acceleration with interruptions only for gear changes; unlike the two other 1300 siblings, the R and the S, the GT doesn't get the option of the speed-shifter available.

In addition to its potential for fearsome acceleration, the big Beemer simply isn't intended to trundle around at our pedestrian speed limits -- it's made to blast along European highways at very much higher speeds. This reveals two things -- firstly, the testbike's gearbox wasn't very smooth; at a standstill, it engaged first with the kind of clonk that makes car drivers look around at red lights, while the shift up through the gearbox is slow and noisy, especially at less than 5000rpm -- the trouble is that 5000rpm in anything more than first gear was almost certain to be illegally fast.

It could be that this particular bike had been abused, or it simply required more mileage to free up -- but as it was, the gearshift was pretty ordinary.

The other minor shortcoming was an ever-present vibration though the height-adjustable handlebars. It was never finger-numbing or mirror-blurring, but it was most un-BMW like. It's a distinctly four-cylinder buzz, rather than the metronomic pulse of the twins. This might be down to the absence of a balance shaft, the light weight crank, or the engine being bolted directly into the frame.

After a few false starts over the years, BMW has made its ABS very good; both pedal and lever pulse subtly as you reach the thresholds of grip, but it's a tribute to chassis, suspension and tyre design that these limits are a lot deeper than you'd expect.

You can rip into either or both brake system and the ABS will only wake up long after you'd expect a lock-up. The rear brake's ABS is invoked quite quickly on downhill, gravel road gradients, but this isn't the GT's natural habitat.

You'd need to be seriously spooked to get the system awake on dry asphalt. Unusually, the GT rider can no longer switch off the ABS system.

Grabbing a fistful of the front brake will slap your eyeballs against your visor, but it won't also catapult you over the bars as the front end dives -- thanks to BMW's odd-ball Telelever strut front suspension, braking doesn't automatically absorb all the front suspension travel, and this means that steering isn't affected under braking as it is on bikes fitted with conventional forks. This bonus aside, you'd never pick that the BMW's suspension was in any way abnormal.

Traction control on a road-going motorcycle is still a rarity, although if motor industry experience is anything to go by, it should quickly become much more common.
Technically, the system is an offshoot of the ABS system, but trimming excess applied power rather than braking effort.

In reality, the BMW's traction control system needs more refinement -- invoking it with deliberate ham-fisted acceleration on gravel saw the computer detect wheelspin and shut down the power abruptly, which suddenly transfers a lot of weight onto the front wheel, giving a pogo effect. There's little subtlety in its operation -- but like the ABS of yore, that can be expected to improve.

The four-wheeled experience is varied: some car systems kick in early and often, whereas others have much more of a lag. BMW's bike system could do with a more gradual removal of power, although simultaneous brake application probably isn't desirable.

Sadly there was never enough rain to find out how the traction control worked in the wet, and we weren't up to finding out if the system negates wheelies, as we are mature, sensible and responsible adults.

We're guessing that initially it won't, but as it compares front and rear wheel rotation speed, as soon as the front wheel slows appreciably, the TC system will slam the front end onto the road…

The traction control works by both retarding the ignition and interrupting the fuel injection system.

Cruise control is also a rarity on two wheels, but in practice it's great, given the BMW's ability to comfortable cruise at double Australia's national posted limit -- that's right, the GT will happily travel at 220km/h, and with more in reserve. But only on a closed course, officer.
Setting the cruise control system is a breeze and, while it took a leap of faith to trust it, we were able to let go of the bars, steering only with body English.

Bored, we were also able to get onto the rear seat and hug the invisible rider as we trickled along at the speed limit. This caused some consternation among those car drivers who were awake, but back-seat kids loved it. Like I said, we are mature, sensible and responsible adults.

At first that electrically moveable windscreen would seem to be an exercise in onanism, but in truth it's something that you quickly find yourself -- if you'll excuse the expression -- fiddling with it a great deal. In varying positions at varying speeds, it does a great job of cutting wind pressure, buffeting and noise to the rider's helmet. On gravel roads, it can be dropped right down almost out of sight, so you have a clear view of the road ahead.

Advantages of the electrically adjustable suspension were less clear-cut - there's certainly a discernable difference between Sport (hard) and Comfort (comfortable), in that in Sport, mid-corner bumps will clatter all the way up your spine and tingle your skull, and in Comfort, they won't.

As the daily commute includes gravel, windy mountain roads, suburbia and freeways, Comfort was just fine. Even with a pillion, Comfort was still good enough, although with luggage in the panniers and a load on the rack too, it might have proved a bit squishy. On a roadbike at least, ESA's a nice-to-have, but not an option we'd demand.

No matter how or where we rode the GT, it wouldn't misbehave -- mid-corner bumps were absorbed with a flex of the springs, but with nary a deflection from the chosen course, although lines in corners could be altered at will.

The GT's ground clearance is vast and its handling capabilities vast; if you've reached the edges of the envelope on this bike, you've either done something catastrophically stupid, or you should be riding on closed circuits 17 times a year with messers Rossi, Stoner and Lorenzo.

As to the heating systems of grips and seats -- well, stage one was fine and stage two was simply too hot, even for Melbourne autumn mornings.

Heated grips are increasingly available as aftermarket fitments and are good things, but factory-fitted versions are obviously preferable, although they do crucify the showroom price a bit. Heated motorcycle seats are still a rarity, and the jury's out on whether they're a necessity or a novelty.

Some will say that you can tour on a nakedbike, a trailbike or indeed, anything with an engine bigger than a lawnmower, while others will insist that a tourer, by definition, needs a detachable hard luggage system.

Not surprisingly, the BMW has a luggage system and it's real top-drawer stuff -- once you've called Mensa to find out how it works.

Colour-matched hard-shell panniers lock onto and off the bike with discreet handles and almost invisible brackets; they are cavernous and would seem to be almost airtight, let alone waterproof.

We removed them on the first day, and had to go back home to collect them because we'd forgotten to refit them before returning the bike to BMW HQ. Why? Because every single rider, between 172-195cm in height, kicked the right-side box every time they got onto and off the K1300 GT.

It's not that the boxes are cavernously big (they are), stick out too far (they don't), are mounted too high (they aren't), but they are possibly too far forward -- although there was plenty of boot space for both rider and passenger.

Every rider's right heel made contact with the top leading edge of the right-side pannier, so in the interests of preserving their pristine paintwork, (and not actually needing them on a daily basis) they were uncoupled and safely stored. Doubtlessly an owner of this wondrous machine will soon have more educated feet.

In short, the K1300 GT is an impressively comfortable, hugely powerful, massively competent motorcycle, packed with safety-boosting and environmentally friendly designs and useful features.

Sadly, much of its performance potential is redundant, rendered irrelevant by draconian speed laws and a mediocre general standard of driving -- but happily, you no longer need a PhD in thumb control to use the indicators.