MCN Hidden Gem?

[drumwrecker]

Did anybody read MCN's article on bikes that haven't sold as well as expected?
If so do you think it was a fair summing up of the K1300s?

[chriscanning]

Yep I read it and thought about posting and then on second thoughts I can't be done with all the 'I don't read that rag' blah blah blah 

But yes I do agree with them,doesn't mean I'm about to go out and sell my K.

[Phmode]

So, for those of us who didn't do the rag last week, what was the verdict?

Brian (who does like a laugh once in a while, but not every week  )

[drumwrecker]

They said the K1300s was from a different time both in attitude and philosophy. It was a blisteringly fast hyper bike brought in to compete with the Hayabusa etc.
Attitudes have now changed to outright speed and those macho capabilities no longer seem quite so important.
While the K1300s comes with electronic assists, they are also from a different age.
A bargain can picked up from dealers if you want to go fast with no effort at all in reasonable comfort but if you want a damn fine sports tourer your money is better spent on one of the new breed of BMW's.

Strange because when I tested my bike with a view to purchasing it what impressed me was the
low speed control,
it felt so planted,
was so tractable
was comfortable
had good fuel consumption for its engine size
and as I got used to it speed and the way it did it.
Mind you when I say speed I have only got to 110mph once
So I like it for the reasons MCN say I should by a modern BMW but I guess they are talking about buying new and that does change one's thinking a bit.

[Phmode]

If I remember him correctly, the dear, departed Kevin Ash wondered why BMW had introduced the K12S way back in 2004. There was no niche that wasn't already filled and he concluded that they introduced the slant-engined K bikes because they could. Simples!

I believe that he later went on to comment that they had thereby created a niche all of their own.

One wonders quite what, from the current BMW stable, (or any other stable come to that) MCN think can come anywhere near the K12/13S for outright sport/touring performance allied with its nimbleness and compact size, comfort and economy.

Brian (who didn't bother to mention the intercontinental ballistic missile performance because that is taken for granted, even if you never go above 110, occifer)

[Dusty]

He certainly said that about the R Sport, Brian,:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/2745358/German-engineering.html

[chriscanning]

One wonders quite what, from the current BMW stable, (or any other stable come to that) MCN think can come anywhere near the K12/13S for outright sport/touring performance allied with its nimbleness and compact size, comfort and economy.

Blimey that's easy to answer it's called an XR my K with a map and pipe showed 162 on a dyno an XR does that stock,with no weight on your arms or cramped legs the game has moved on,will I buy one or a multi? probably,will I sell my K? No I won't.

[SimonH]

I agree that the XR looks like the answer to every requirement, and I am eager to ride one. HOWEVER ....  having ridden a S1000R my reaction was that it was frantic and buzzy compared to the K. I value the way in which the K delivers its power and speed, which is different from the S1000R (even though the bhp number is impressive).

Any direct experience on the XR power delivery would be of great interest .....!

[Costas]

Writing articles like that one is simply an effort to shift peoples opinion and imagination to where companies and others want peoples mind to go. Clear manipulation. So, Kevin and others are just payed to do what they were told to do , and in my opinion they always comply with the instructions they receive.
Have the RR, rode the XR for many days now. VERDICT Will stay with my K. It is indeed a bike fm another era, planet, call it whatever you want or they want. But to me its perfect and whenever I want I can f..... everything else in the road, easy so easy.

[chriscanning]

Hi Simon

You made it at long last,I still haven't got around to taking up Phils offer of his 1290 for a week and with the SMT in the wings at the end of year and my old Tiger running better than ever I'm in rush.

Plus both BM&Ducati are too busy selling electric suspension bikes to bother about selling a stocker which poor me is interested in 

[black-k1]

I haven't read the article (or any other part of MCN for a long time) but I am aware that BMW spend a lot of advertising money in MCN (and a number of other bike mags owned by the same bunch.) If a BMW marketing department were doing the write up on the K1300S at this moment in time then it is very likely EXACTLY what they would write! Great bike but a bit "old hat" now and replaced by our all new all singing, all dancing model! I wonder who actually wrote what is in MCN!

[raesewell]

I haven't read the article (or any other part of MCN for a long time) but I am aware that BMW spend a lot of advertising money in MCN (and a number of other bike mags owned by the same bunch.) If a BMW marketing department were doing the write up on the K1300S at this moment in time then it is very likely EXACTLY what they would write! Great bike but a bit "old hat" now and replaced by our all new all singing, all dancing model! I wonder who actually wrote what is in MCN!

You old cynic you 

[Phmode]

Strangely, David is probably one of the least cynical people I know.......

Brian (.....which might say more about the other folks I know than about him  )

[Ross]

They said the K1300s was from a different time both in attitude and philosophy. It was a blisteringly fast hyper bike brought in to compete with the Hayabusa etc.
Attitudes have now changed to outright speed and those macho capabilities no longer seem quite so important.
While the K1300s comes with electronic assists, they are also from a different age.
A bargain can picked up from dealers if you want to go fast with no effort at all in reasonable comfort but if you want a damn fine sports tourer your money is better spent on one of the new breed of BMW's.

Strange because when I tested my bike with a view to purchasing it what impressed me was the
low speed control,
it felt so planted,
was so tractable
was comfortable
had good fuel consumption for its engine size
and as I got used to it speed and the way it did it.
Mind you when I say speed I have only got to 110mph once
So I like it for the reasons MCN say I should by a modern BMW but I guess they are talking about buying new and that does change one's thinking a bit.

This from the people who think the Triumph Speed Triple is the greatest bike on the planet! I am past middle age (aaaarrggghhh!) and so have earned the right to be bolshy! I can only afford one bike so why swap an extraordinary engine, superb suspension and shaft drive for some bike originally designed to perform on the track with a chain drive and a suspension linked directly to steering (name me a recent car engineer who thought that was a good idea)? I am talking K1300 of course :-) As an aside, my K1300R has now reached 27000 miles with very mild corrosion (I park it outside under a flimsy cover and an overhanging roof) and no other issues whatsoever since I bought it many thousand miles ago. BMW have made a marketing decision to promote the newer RR inline 4. Ho hum.

[richtea]

Strange because when I tested my bike with a view to purchasing it what impressed me was the
low speed control,
it felt so planted,
was so tractable
was comfortable
had good fuel consumption for its engine size

And leg space for gangly gits.

The fuel consumption also continues to impress me. I can occasionally drag it down, but it returns 48-52 on most trips. 57 is my top so far.

Definitely a hidden gem.