2007 BMW K 1200 LT

The BMW K 1200 LT - six times winner of the MCN Best Tourer award

BMW was prepared to navigate uncharted water when it entered the luxury tourer market. Avoiding preconceived ideas and notions it tore up the specification sheets and started with a blank piece of paper. Waving the rules has resulted in the £13,895 (on the road) K 1200 LT - not so much a ponderous battleship but more the surprising and nimble frigate.

It has never been mandatory for a luxury tourer to be weighty and cumbersome, difficult to handle in traffic and hard work on twisty country roads. Despite its role as a luxury tourer, the K 1200 LT retains all the advantages of two-wheels. It vindicates BMW's design philosophy by being relatively nimble in urban environments and dynamic and agile on British back roads. The choice isn't simply between traditional and modern though - the LT can provide the best of both worlds with unheard-of versatility. The K 1200 LT is able to be whatever the rider wants it to be.

The driving force

The BMW K 1200 LT's driving force is the relentlessly reliable 1171cc 16-valve, liquid-cooled, in-line four-cylinder engine. Redesigned in 2004, engine output has now been boosted by 15 per cent to 116 hp (85 kW). Maximum torque has also increased by 5 Nm to 120 Nm or 88 lb ft at only 5,250 rpm. With high-rise teeth on all gears, the improved five-speed gearbox now runs even more smoothly and comfortably, with noise reduced to a minimum. A 23.4-litre fuel tank ensures that petrol stops are few and far between.

Specially modified Motronic MA 2.4 Digital Motor Electronics handle engine management, enabling the use of an automatic choke and featuring an electronically controlled throttle butterfly adjuster. A traditional choke lever is, therefore, not necessary.

The exhaust system and engine are equipped with a regulated catalytic converter and MoDiTec respectively. The latter is a multifunctional diagnosis component that allows the entire electronic and electrical system to be monitored. This results in easier and more precise maintenance.

Suspending belief

BMW's exclusive Telelever front suspension system - arguably the most significant suspension development of the modern era - has been incorporated in the K 1200 LT's set-up. A luxury tourer traditionally (and practically) requires softer and more comfortable suspension and damping, and although conventional telescopic forks would be adequate, a consequence might be unpleasant dive effects under heavy braking. Employing the Telelever system negates machine destabilisation and improves safety.

The ride quality of the K 1200 LT has been improved even further by extending the castor by 15 mm which results in even greater stability and smoothness on the road, and improves slow speed handling. The rear spring strut has 130mm of travel and incorporates the successful progressive damping system first introduced on the R 1150 GS Adventure where the damping effect increases as a function of spring action. It can be set to appropriate load conditions by hydraulic adjustment of the spring base. A hand-wheel adjuster is easily accessible beneath the seat.

The K 1200 LT's slightly longer Paralever also contributes to a better standard of rider comfort and control. In conjunction with the machine's longer wheelbase, the Paralever helps to ensure superior straight-line stability.

To add to the LT's manoeuvrability, when parking, it is fitted with an electrical reversing aid. This is activated by the electric starter motor, which is connected to the gearbox drive shaft.

Light by luxury tourer standards, the 378.5 kg (unladen, road ready with a full fuel tank) K 1200 LT is a dynamic motorcycle for its class. The balanced characteristics of the suspension set-up enable the LT to show agility other machines of the genre will find difficult to equal.

A beautiful body

One of the original design concepts of the K 1200 LT was to create, for the first time, an all-inclusive motorcycle body. This means that the fairing, fuel tank, seats, luggage and even the exhaust system have blended into a single unit instead of being individual components all grouped around an engine and frame.

The engine is not rigidly connected to the frame as a load-bearing element but is, instead, housed in a central ultra-stiff, cast aluminium frame. This prevents vibration being transmitted to the handlebars, seat, footrests and body of the motorcycle.

The steel tube rear sub-frame has additional extra-strong base supports that hold the floor section of the integrated luggage cases firmly to the motorcycle itself. This rigidity is combined with special impact strips on the case covers to provide efficient protection should the machine topple over. These impact strips are duplicated at the outer extremities of the LT's main bodywork.

The engine is not rigidly connected to the frame as a load-bearing element but is, instead, housed in a central ultra-stiff, cast aluminium frame. This prevents vibration being transmitted to the handlebars, seat, footrests and body of the motorcycle.

The steel tube rear sub-frame has additional extra-strong base supports that hold the floor section of the integrated luggage cases firmly to the motorcycle itself. This rigidity is combined with special impact strips on the case covers to provide efficient protection should the machine topple over. These impact strips are duplicated at the outer extremities of the LT's main bodywork.

A luxury tourer provides the greatest protection against wind and other inclement weather when compared with other two-wheeled machines. BMW's extensive and advanced wind tunnel testing revealed new solutions and refinements to many of the traditional aerodynamic problems associated with motorcycling. One of these is the use of transparent, adjustable wind deflectors that control the side flow of air along the motorcycle. This solution not only allows the rider to exercise some control over the environmental elements but also provides enhanced stability in strong and variable wind conditions.

Also new is a two-piece headlight, with high and low beam units harmoniously integrated into the fairing. Featuring free-form technology, both the high and low beam headlights come with clear glass lens, offering about 10 per cent better illumination than on the previous model.

Yet another new feature is the front mudguard. Larger and extending further down than before, the new mudguard takes up and continues the lines of both the side fairing and the engine spoiler.

The new K 1200 LT the following components are now finished in high-gloss chrome:

New instrument cluster with a flat-screen info unit