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2003 k12 gt just purchased

15K views 44 replies 16 participants last post by  Motobiker 
#1 ·
My grin has not and will not for some time leave my face. Wow. Such an amazing machine.

Just can't wrap my head around the amazing burst of acceleration this wee beastie has.

Anyway newb on the forum so just saying hi.

Previous gs owner btw

Regards...
 
#2 ·
They are rather good... but not so good that I'll part with my GS. That bike - 13 years old now has been rock solid reliable. taken me all over europe without missing a beat.

I think the GT complements it.. similar in some ways but completely different in so many others.



Greetings from Robin Hood country. :)
 
#3 ·
Nice looking bike :clap: . (But, then my 04 looks jus like it, down to the placement of the PIAA light's) :) This is my second K bike and I have never owned a sissy twin. But, have had them as loaner's from the dealer. They SUCK!!!!! Could not stand the rocking back and forth at stops and no guts at all. With the K bikes torque, I can put them in 2nd or 3rd and drive all day in the city with out shifting gears every 2 seconds. Great bike for long trips. I added a back rest and a peg lowering kit for the wife and a Garmin Zumo. Comfortable enough for the long haul and more than enough power for fun on the twisties when you get there.
 
#4 ·
Welcome to the K-bike family. I whole heartedly agree that these bikes are awesome. Big time performance and comfort to boot.
 
#5 ·
Thank you EricS for your welcome. Much appreciated. Motobiker, out of interest where abouts in Nottingham are you. In fact I'm English myself living in sunny North Carolina. I lived in Nottingham 3 years and worked at queens medical as well as the city hospital. Small world out there!!!
 
#8 ·
I have to agree, so far this bike although 10 years old has done nothing but impress all round. Admiring glances, acceleration and stunning style are but a few of the facets to this bike. I can even compare it against the British spitfire in many ways. Sleek, elegant, powerful, commanding and can bite you in the ass if you miss treat her.
 
#9 ·
K1200GT 'Classic'

Really pleased to read your post, I have the same bike, 2005 model, same colour too. I live in rural Gloucestershire, England and it does the narrow country lanes as well as the motorway. I love the shape and actually think it's a modern classic. I also love the chunky handlebar grips which I find much more comfy than the thin type. It's a 'keeper' as far as I am concerned.
 
#10 ·
BMW-Owner said:
Thank you EricS for your welcome. Much appreciated. Motobiker, out of interest where abouts in Nottingham are you. In fact I'm English myself living in sunny North Carolina. I lived in Nottingham 3 years and worked at queens medical as well as the city hospital. Small world out there!!!
I live in Mapperley. 2 miles N/E from the city centre.
 
#11 ·
Very pleasing 2 up riding today in North Carolina. Temps up into the mid 60's F. America is all in degrees F. Anyway got set up for a long motorway curve which would take some constant adjusting usually with other bikes, but this time I got into a very minor lean, and waited for the time to sit it up or lean a bit more but it never came. It basically rode itself round the motorway curve with very little input from me. I kept waiting for a drift one way or the other. Just never came. Still grinning even now. Love this machine. I even talked to a colleague of mine who has the bmw turbo diesel car and he looked at my bike and was astounded with the level,of engineering that went into this bike.
Agree,definite keeper!!
 
#12 ·
Welcome!

I too have the 03 K1200GT - green.

In as much as I have had a few problems with the bike, I am please with it and do enjoy the style and power it has.

Welcome.
 
#14 ·
BMW-Owner said:
Does anyone have any good thoughts on tank bags for my new machine??
Yes and NO :( A few years ago I found a "Roadgear" tank bag in black and green. The green was very close to our green. But, a quick search at their site showed them not offering that color combo any more. I mainly bought it to hold my toll road transponder and the XM radio puck for my Garmin Zumo. 3 point attachment makes it easy off and on.
 
#17 ·
BMW-Owner said:
I've seen the aero stitch air horn. Any thoughts?
Horn-Stebel Nautalus compact-loud and easy to mount. Tank bags-Bags Connect-from Twisted Throttle. One ring that fits over gas filler ring- easy on and off for fuel filling, doesn't scratch your tank. I have 2 bags, day pack and XL for long trips. When I sold the GT and got the K13S I just transfered the ring to new bike. Great Tank Bag (s).
 
#18 ·
pmorritt said:
Horn-Stebel Nautalus compact-loud and easy to mount. Tank bags-Bags Connect-from Twisted Throttle. One ring that fits over gas filler ring- easy on and off for fuel filling, doesn't scratch your tank. I have 2 bags, day pack and XL for long trips. When I sold the GT and got the K13S I just transfered the ring to new bike. Great Tank Bag (s).
I have the same setup on my 03. I usually just keep the larger bag on most of the time as I have my com system and phone charger in it.
Jeff
 
#19 ·
BMW-Owner said:
I've seen the aero stitch air horn. Any thoughts?
Yes. You want it. The stock "beep beep" horn is not much good at waking up sleeping drivers. The Nautilus will wake 'em up and keep 'em awake at least until after you're out of sight. [/big grin]
 
#20 ·
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this one: check your fuel line quick disconnects. BMW used plastic fittings that often fail, dumping gas on the engine in the process. Look through the opening on the right side and you should be able to see one of the two QD's. If it's white plastic, replace the QD's. If it's metal, life is good. BMW did a recall on these fittings but a lot of bikes fell through the cracks.
 
#22 ·
I know this sounds a little hyper, but you really, really want to do the QD's before you go anywhere. At the best, you lose gas, at the worst, a bike fire can ruin your whole day.

I pulled the original horn and used a simple bit of moderately thick bar stock that bolted to the old horn mount and the Stebel goes on the other end. A little measuring and playing around will show this isn't too hard to do. But do plan on pulling off at least enough tupperware to get to the left side of the frame.
 
#24 ·
I agree that parking lot handling isn't this bike's strongest area of performance. After a while, though, it gets better, or at least you get better at coping with it.

On long trips on the slabs, 45 MPG is fairly common, but in traffic and in the twisties, 40 MPG is about it. The problem here is it gives the bike fairly short legs compared to a friend's RT. So it goes, eh.

BTW, have you checked the fuel line disconnects on your bike? If they're still the white plastic QD's, replace them like it was done yesterday. See my ...ah... encouragements on this subject elsewhere in this topic.
 
#26 ·
Look through the opening around the crankcase (brake side). Look over the the upper left corner of the crankcase (looking into the opening) and you'll see the fuel hoses (feed and return lines). A flashlight may help but at least one of the QD's should be visible without too much effort. If it's silver, you're good to go. If it's white plastic, whoa!

I'm kinda partial to Beemer Boneyard, but Pirates Lair and other guys sell the QD's, too. Replacing them means pulling both side skins and taking the tank off. The less gas there is in it, the easier the job is, of course,

Do one fuel line at a time and be very, very sure you put the male fitting into the correct hose end, etc. BMW uses crimp-on hose clamps. Unfortunately it takes a clamp crimper to put new clamps on. It's wildly expensive, but it's not dirt cheap, either. Regular hose clamps work, too, but the crimp-on guys are a little kinder to the seal needed.

DISCLAIMER: I have no connection with Beemer Boneyard save as a customer. Ditto for BMW, come to think of it.
 
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