Comparative test of the Supertourer

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Comparison test Supertourer, BMW K 1200 LT, Honda Gold Wing

Today a king

3500 kilometers between castles and palaces will be a royal pleasure with the BMW K 1200 LT and Honda Gold Wing.

When kings used to travel, they did so in splendid carriages, which were lavishly equipped and with many horses-
which previously guaranteed the most relaxed and quick progress possible. If you were to pull from lock to lock on two wheels today, your choice of the appropriate vehicle would certainly be one of the luxury tourers Honda Gold Wing or BMW K 1200 LT fall. There is currently no more comfortable traveling on a motorcycle.
Please take a seat, is the invitation of the lavishly shaped benches. And they already make striking differences clear in their appearance, which are representative of the different interpretations of Honda and BMW on the subject of super tourers.
The chairs of the Gold Wing with finely contrasting seams, bulky upholstery and fine cover would also cut a fine figure in any living room. In contrast, the seat of the K 1200 LT seems almost too sober and pragmatic.
In terms of comfort, however, the seating is nothing. And that’s a good thing, because the castle tour, on which the two travel steamers prove each other-
sen, leads from Stuttgart via Fussen to Berlin and after a detour to
Rugen via Cologne back to Stuttgart.
A total of 3500 kilometers long tour of Germany on the trail of kings.
But while they used to be traveling with a whole entourage, today two suitcases and a topcase have to be enough for their luggage. The "trunk" of the Honda are more elegantly equipped. With her, the luggage is stowed in specially adapted inner pockets that adorn the Gold Wing logo. And when unfolding the suitcase, a damper slowly brings the lids down
in position. The BMW cases, on the other hand, have only cheap-looking straps.
Due to the low seating position and the flat tank, you sit in the massive Gold Wing almost like on a scooter. Good for smaller drivers, bad for tall people, as there is limited space for the legs. The BMW is more generous, with a height-adjustable bench also allowing individual settings. Tea wear out-friendliness of the Munich-based woman is positive even after the first few meters. In contrast to the manually adjustable counterpart of the Honda, the window moves electrically to the desired position, the radio independently regulates the volume depending on the speed and can thus be heard easily up to 150 km / h. The instruments are easy to read and the on-board computer can be conveniently operated from the left handlebar switch.
The Honda is different. Everything is with her
somewhat baroque, more playful. While the BMW with a good 20 switches and buttons-
the Gold Wing driver is spoiled for choice between more than
40 elements. It takes time to find your way. Just like with the
atypical, but typical for BMW
Indicator arrangement of the K 1200 LT, the
actually not really in the logical
Operation guidance of the Bavarian big ship wants to fit. There are three switches opposite the one conventional and easy-to-use Honda switch.
But told enough about the many buttons and switches; the thick tome of operating instructions stay in the case, after all, we have enough kilometers ahead of us to try everything out. So up on the highway. The first
Kilometers in the direction of Neuschwanstein Castle in Ostallgau are going off in a hurry-
solves. The wind and weather protection is
First class on both machines. Even heavy rain showers cannot spoil the fun. Except for the head and the shoulder area everything stays dry ?? provided that the cruising speed does not fall below 100 km / h.
The two engines are of very different nature. No wonder, since the BMW has a four-cylinder in-line engine with 1171 cubic centimeters and the Honda a six-cylinder boxer with a full 1832 cubic meters. Over a third more displacement is of course noticeable. And more so than the pure performance values ​​suggest. With measured 110 HP on the clutch, the Gold Wing is below the factory specification of 118 HP on the crankshaft and one HP below the LT, but it lifts a huge 150 Newtons at 4200 revolutions-
meter on the roll.
While driving, this torque gives the Gold Wing driver a very special pleasure. No matter which gear is engaged, from 1000 tours the six-cylinder presses silky smooth, but with un-
When the pressure was raised, the 409 kilogram load with a full tank was moving forward. And the sound becomes even beguiling when the tachometer needle pushes into higher regions. In these spheres, the BMW driver has to move more often than he would like if he does not want to lose touch. Especially in the lower speed range, the LT seems rather powerless and uncultivated. Frequent stirring in the hooked and stiff gear is the result.
Both steamers get by with five gears, with the Honda only having the last gear designed as overdrive. That is why it constantly turns over 1000 revolutions less than the BMW. Although this increases comfort, it does not lead to a consumption advantage. On the contrary, over 600 cubic centimeters more displacement and two additional cylinders are wanted-
be fed. In numbers this means:
On the country road and at 130 km / h
the Honda consumes on average over a liter more than the BMW on the Autobahn. The consumes a comparatively moderate 5.7 or 5.2 liters. At higher travel speeds, the difference becomes even greater. So it is little consolation that the Gold Wing gets by with the cheaper regular gasoline.
As with the fast Autobahn-
Stages farther from Neuschwanstein Castle in the direction of Potsdam, the number of refueling stops increases, it bothers BMW all the more that the fuel filler neck is on the right-
th side is under the handlebar. To fill the fuel barrel, the LT has to be jacked onto the main stand and the handlebars turned to the side. The electric main stand, at first a little laughed at, proves to be a welcome relief. Another annoying issue with the many interruptions to the journey is the BMW’s immobilizer, which has to be deactivated with the remote control before starting.
But that’s it with the small inconveniences of the kilometer eater, if you disregard the significant tendency to pendulum that occurs at speeds above the 200 km / h mark. On the motorway, the standard cruise control and the large rear-view mirrors make their contribution to stress-free driving. With so much comfort, after more than 2500 kilometers in five days, the desire to ride a motorcycle is by no means gone, and the beautiful green Eifel invites you to swing around bends. Even on the small, curvy, sometimes very bumpy streets, the two luxury tourers are really fun ?? as long as the pace remains leisurely.
If you drive briskly, the Honda will wave the white flag first. Scratching footrests quickly make clear the limited freedom of inclination and warn you to be careful because the line you are aiming for can often not be held and the curve
is bigger than planned. The BMW, which is quite handy in view of its high weight, takes part in the game a little longer, but then hits the center stand all the harder. The slightly better handling of the K 1200 LT results not least from the narrower tires. With a normal size 120 at the front, a 160 tire at the rear is sufficient. In the Ge-
In contrast, the Honda is equipped with a wide 130er at the front and a 180er at the back.
The Honda’s braking system is also not entirely convincing. The CBS composite system with ABS can be dosed nicely, but it requires a lot of hand strength and does not have a lot of effect. In addition, fading occurs after several emergency stops. The BMW, on the other hand, is almost too brutal with its fully integrated composite system with brake booster and ABS. Even a light tap on the front or rear brake causes a short but abrupt brake nod despite the Telelever. In addition, there is an ABS, which is available in some
Lacks sensitivity in situations. Even with small bumps, the electronics regulate and reduce the braking effect of the system. This means that valuable braking distances are lost. In addition, the is full-
integral system to operate the rear brake alone. One would wish for this in switchbacks to get the up-
to avoid torque when braking and to circle the LT more easily around the corner.
After more than 3,500 kilometers, the palace tour ends in Stuttgart. And the luxury-
Steamers have proven to be a truly royal form of transportation. Whereby the BMW takes on the more functional and, compared to the Honda, sporty part. The Gold Wing is a truly majestic litter. Velvety-soft and powerful six-cylinder, comfortable chassis set-up and sofa-like seating position: the nobility traveled so comfortably
Certainly not in his careers before. It’s just a shame that this luxurious type of travel is reserved for only a few. Because with a good 25,000 euros for the Gold Wing and over 20,000 euros for the K 1200 LT, the manufacturers are calling for rule-
prices.

Comparative test of the Supertourer

Today a king

Technical data: BMW K 1200 LT

engine
Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, crankshaft lying lengthways, one
Balance shaft, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, oven valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 36 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 840 W alternator, 12 V battery /
19 Ah, hydraulically operated single-disc-
Dry clutch, five-speed gearbox, gimbal.

Bore x stroke 70.5 x 75.0 mm

Cubic capacity 1171 cm3

Compression ratio 10.8: 1

Nominal output 85 kW (116 hp) at 8000 rpm

Max. Torque 120 Nm at 5250 rpm
Pollutant values ​​(homologation) in g / km
CO 0.446 / HC 0.099 / NOx 0.017

landing gear
Bridge frame made of aluminum, telescopic fork, Ø 35 mm, suspension strut, single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, adjustable spring base, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, disc brake at the rear, floating brake disc, Ø 285 mm, four-piston fixed calliper, fully integral composite brake system with ABS and brake booster.

Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.00 x 17

Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 160/60 ZR 17

Bridgestone BT 020 »M« tires tested
mass and weight
Wheelbase 1627 mm, steering head angle 63 degrees, caster 117 mm, spring travel f / h 102/130 mm, seat height * 800 mm, weight with a full tank * 392 kg, payload * 208 kg, tank capacity /
Reserve 24/4 liters.

Warranty two years
Service intervals every 10000 km
Colors gray metallic, blue metallic,
Yellow metallic
Price 19,950 euros
Price test motorcycle ** 20.315 euros
Additional costs 262 euros

Technical data: Honda Gold Wing – HONDA Gold Wing

engine
Water-cooled six-cylinder, four-stroke boxer engine, crankshaft lying lengthways, one each
overhead, chain-driven camshaft, two valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 40 mm, regulated catalytic converter with secondary air system, alternator 1100 W, battery 12 V /
18 Ah, hydraulically operated multi-plate oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox with reverse gear, cardan.
Bore x stroke 74.0 x 71.0 mm
Cubic capacity 1832 cm3
Compression ratio 9.8: 1
Rated output 87 kW (118 hp) at 5500 rpm
Max. Torque 167 Nm at 4000 rpm
Pollutant values ​​(homologation) in g / km
CO 1.097 / HC 0.136 / NOx 0.031

landing gear
Bridge frame made of aluminum, load-bearing motor, telescopic fork, Ø 45 mm, air-assisted, single-jointed single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, double disc brake at the front, Ø 296 mm, three-piston floating calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 316 mm, three-piston floating caliper, Composite braking system, ABS.

Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 18; 5.00 x 16

130/70 HR 18 tires; 180/60 HR 16

Bridgestone G 709/704 tires tested
mass and weight
Wheelbase 1690 mm, steering head angle 61 degrees, caster 109 mm, spring travel f / r 140/105 mm, seat height * 750 mm, weight with a full tank * 409 kg, payload * 193 kg, tank capacity 25 liters.

Two year guarantee
Service intervals every 6000 km
Colors blue, silver, red
Price 24,790 euros
Additional costs around 270 euros

Power diagram

Four against six cylinders, over 1800 cubic centimeters against just under 1200. An unequal duel, which the performance curves reflect. The peak performance is practically the same. Goal
when driving, the range is between 3000 and 4000 rpm
relevant. And there the curve of the Honda is always 20 to 25 hp above the BMW. The torque is even more impressive-
Curve. The six-cylinder already provides well over 120 Newton meters with 1500 tours.

Scoring: engine

The one with overdrive
equipped Gold Wing does not reach such a high top speed
like the K 1200 LT, but scores with its homogeneous gear ratio. The BMW has no chance against the silky smooth and almost linear power delivery
of the six-cylinder. Starting behavior and clutch of the big Honda are also impeccable.

Scoring: chassis

That motorcycles
With a live weight of almost eight quintals, it is clear that it does not set the best marks for handiness. But the driving behavior with a pillion can convince. The chassis tuning is comfort-oriented.

Scoring: Security

A mixture of the two brakes would be the optimal solution. Easy to dose, with a fine
Control behavior of the ABS, as offered by the Honda, combined with the brute deceleration, low manual force and high stability of the BMW. The large rear-view mirrors offer the best view to the rear, unfortunately the high windows and wide panels limit the view to the front.

Scoring: everyday life

Extensive equipment, easy to maintain, long range and payload ?? the everyday
is a parade discipline of the two Brummer. If it weren’t for that
Handling the heavyweights.

Scoring: costs / environment

Inferior warranty conditions-
Conditions without a guarantee of mobility and the higher consumption cost the Honda a few points. Tea exhaust emissions of the BMW are exemplary. In terms of price-performance ratio, both models do poorly. You get a lot on offer, but you also have to pay a lot.

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