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In recent years I have owned or ridden extensively a CBR600, VFR 800, Monster 900, VStar 650, Magna 750, SV100S, ST1300A, Tiger 1050 and most recently purchased the K1200GT. I still own the Tiger 1050 and if I could only have one bike, the Tiger would win hands down. It is the best all around bike I have ever ridden and is reasonably priced.
However, when I really want to put some miles on the added amenities and storage of a bike like the K1200GT are nice. Prior to the K1200GT I had the ST1300A and was quite happy with the ST with the exception of the heft of the bike and lack of cruise control. With a bike designed to really cover the miles, cruise control is great. Though it was possible to add aftermarket cruise to the ST, I decided to look at other options. The R1200RT and FJR1300 were appealing but overall package of the K1200GT ideal for me and worth the extra cost compared to the FJR.
I was very hesitant to get rid of the ST that I was pretty happy with, but after getting the K12GT I was very glad I did.
The ESA, heated grips & seat, cruise control, ideal power delivery and many of the other features of the K12GT get a lot of attention but for me one of my favorite features of the bike is the ability to adjust the handle bars. With any bike I get fatigued by staying in the same seating position for hours. The ability to change the handlebar height in the middle of a trip coupled with the cruise control make this bike just wonderful for eating up miles.
I must admit I do like the Tiger a bit better for being an all around bike, but to cover a lot of miles over several days I'll take the K12GT and enjoy every minute of it!
PS, some of the problems you read about with the new K bikes do exist on my bike and I would still buy it all over again.
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