Gran Turismo: The 2003 BMW K1200GT. (Rider Test).(Product/Service Evaluation)

Rider, April, 2003 by Tuttle, Mark, Jr.

Gran Turismo means Grand Touring--GT for short. It's a rarely used designation in the motorcycle world, perhaps because of the potential for associating "Grand" with "Large," or "Touring" with "Slow." But the GT suffix actually has its roots in the streamlined, lightweight European sports and racing cars from the middle of the last century--powerful, rakish machines built by Zagato, Ferrari, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin and Maserati, cars that were great on the road and tough to beat on the track. Grand Touring, or GT, is meant to conjure up the sounds and images of squealing around twisting, snow-lined Alpine roads, or racing fender-to-fender in the Mile Miglia.

With that in mind, giving BMW's newest K1200 the GT designation makes perfect sense. To its...

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