I've been looking for any opportunity to ride lately, partly because I want to get in-shape for the trip, but also because the GT is still so new. I need to crack the 600-mile mark on the odometer so I can get it in for the break-in service prior to our departure.

After 250 miles on the bike here are my observations:

1. The engineering is simply fantastic. Everything about this bike is tight, from the way it shifts, accelerates, and brakes down to the placement of the controls. It all has a place and no detail was overlooked.

2. It is hands-down the fastest motorcycle I've ever owned. Mark's K12R is no doubt faster, but I think it would be a competitive race. I've had the GT as fast as 115 mph and it was rock-solid the entire time.

3. The little touches are nice. Heated seats & grips may seem like an unnecessary luxury, but in Washington where it rains a lot these definately come in handy. The modular panniers are great too. I take them off when cruising around town and it cleans the look of the bike up a lot. i'm enjoying the electronic suspension adjustment feature too - putting it into "comfort" mode makes a difference on my lower back after 50 miles or so.

4. Partially-integrated brakes rock. Read about them on http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com if you have the time.

What I don't like:

1. It's a nit, but the grips don't heat evenly. I'm told this is because the grips are of a different thickness (because the throttle is on the right side the grip is thinner), but you'd think they could have engineered around that.

2. The turn signal cancellation is annoying. The cancel button is on the right hand side but there is a turn signal button on each hand, so when turning left you click it with your left thumb and cancel it with your right. I've owned other bikes where this was designed better in my opinion.

All things considered I think it's amazing and I can't wait to see how it performs on our trip.

-pt
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