I found myself selecting the R100 more and more, leaving the K1600 older with fewer miles. If I fail to get a R9T (#7 on dealer waiting list), then it's a new GS. When I got the 1600 the GS was always in the back of my mind. The airhead is hard to beat and the 9T may be just that good.
After about seven hours in the 9T saddle yesterday, I have almost no regret with it replacing my old R80 (which was my only ride for the previous 26+ years). I'll miss the old-school funkiness of the R80, and I reckon I'll miss it's windshield, the hard cases and its higher, more vertical riding position on multi-day excursions. I'll probably even miss that rock-hard Corbin seat I put on it.
But I won't miss its lack of power, or its exhaust note, or its transmission, or its suspension, or its brakes, or the way it handled through curves and traffic. The 9T beats it in all those categories by miles...as do a lot of bikes.
And yet, curiously, having ridden the R80 for so long and feeling somewhat uncomfortable on nearly all the bikes I test-rode before deciding on my new ride...the 9T was almost instantly familiar and comfortable to me within half a block of leaving the dealership. Maybe because it's roughly the same size and close to the same ergonomics. It's certainly no bigger than the R80 was, and it's about the same weight. But its lower than my old bike, which has me a bit more crouched. The lower riding position (and more forward lean), contributes to the 9T's superior handling. The trade-off is you don't have as relaxed a riding position for longer hauls. If you like keeping your legs stretched out on longer rides while hauling all your worldly possessions into the wilderness, then the GS will be your better bet.
