i bought a new LT in 05 & can't imagine ever parting with it. with the addition of a russell seat, i couldn't ask for a more comfortable touring bike. despite it's hefty size, the agility rivals that of a sport bike when carving these beautiful east tenn twisties. and from what i understand, these qualities are only enhanced in the new GT & GTL series. while the feel of pure european quality has been unsurpassed by any bike i've ever owned, reliabilty is actually a shortcoming of bmw's. in 56 years of riding experience, this is the only bike that has ever failed to get me back home. as mentioned earlier, don't expect to get a bargain on a new one. dealerships are few & far between. and when you do find one & carry it in for service you'll find that BMW stands for "Bring More Wallets"!! one scheduled maintenance for me soared past $700. when i finally accepted the fact i had "outgrown" my K1200GT, i opted for the f6b over a new bmw for several reasons; a $3000 discount, never far from a dealer, & absolutely bullet proof. i've had many hondas & can never remember a maintenance issue of any kind. bought the new bike 5 weeks ago & have only put 15 miles on it so i can't really attest to it's accolades yet but i have no doubt it's going to be a great addition to the riding stable.