Life is so much easier when we can put things into easily identifiable categories. In such a simplified perspective, everything is secure within its well defined place . Then something comes along that defies being put in a category. When I first set eyes on the BMW K1100LT Special Edition, I instantly branded the machine as a “tourbago”. It stood before me, outfitted with matching hardbags, a topcase, heated grips, a radio, an electronic windshield, and a wide plush seat.

But underneath the standard touring facade, I realized there lived a fire breathing DOHC 1100 inline-four. So you can see my quandary when I couldn’t put this bike in a set and precise category. Well, instead of sitting around trying to figure out what the LT was and what it wasn’t, I did what comes natural- I took the big K-bike out for a ride.

Starting the bike is a simple procedure. Insert the key on the dash, activate the bar mounted choke lever, push the starter button and the engine hums to life. After only a few moments the engine settles into a very quiet and smooth idle.

There is still a bit of a buzz left in the lower rpm’s, but above 6K the engine is smooth as silk and pulls like a freight train all the way to the 8.5K redline. From idle to redline there are no dips in the power delivery, thanks to the motronic fuel injection.

The ‘seat of the pants’ dyno puts horsepower around 100. This torquey power plant will pull the front wheel off the ground with little encouragement in first gear. When was the last time you read about a full-touring rig doing wheelies? But the LT does.

There is much more to this bike than a great engine. In the cockpit, you ride in the lap of luxury. The seat is wide and plush but does not lock you into a single riding position. With breaks taken for fuel stops, I never encountered any form of saddle-related fatigue while touring.

The seat-to-peg distance is quite generous and my 36 inch inseam did not encounter any cramping whatsoever. On the opposite side of the spectrum, people who aren’t built like Ichabod Crane might find coming to a stoplight a little stretch.

That same fairing which requires a bit of a leg stretch to get around and touch ground while stopped actually provides wonderful protection when moving. The leg protection comes all the way down to mid-shin. It cradles the legs well enough so that they stay dry in the rain and warm in the cold. In the upper fairing, next to the tank, are two lockable compartments.

The compartment on the left contains the AM/FM cassette radio. The compartment on the right is used for storage. Just behind the right storage compartment is a temperature gauge. And behind the radio compartment is an accurate gas gauge.

The driver’s cockpit has almost as many switches and dials as a 747 jet aircraft, while the ride is nothing short of ‘first class’. The stereo can be controlled at either the unit or handlebar switch- you decide at the touch of a button. The windscreen can be raised and lowered by a green switch on the left bar right next to the stereo control.

Also on the left bar is the choke control. And in case your left hand wasn’t busy enough, the horn button and left turn signal paddle are on the underside of the left bar too.

The right bar holds the right turn signal paddle, and also the turn signal cancellation button on the underside. Moving forward from the bars, just above the large analog speedo and tach, is a convenient map light. Situated between the gauges is a digital clock. On the dash, below the gauges, are the toggle switches for the ABS, hazard flashers, and the ‘oh so wonderful’ heated grips.

The windshield, controlled on the bar, can be lowered far enough to be completely out of the driver’s view. It can also be raised high enough to feel like you’re riding behind a transparent barn door! At one point during the test, temperatures dropped down to the low 30’s.

I just put up the windshield, turned on the heated grips, and motored along on my ‘nice and toasty’ way. The windshield offered such good protection that I was able to cruise at freeway speeds with my helmet visor up, encountering no discomfort at all.

The grips had two settings and on the high setting became almost uncomfortably warm. The windshield also made it very easy to the hear the radio, even while cruising at about 90 within the confines of full face helmet, visor down. Maybe this was aided by the four speaker surround sound. Great tunes- on a go-fast bike! (The car guys have nothing ‘over’ this action -Editor)

Now you might be tempted into thinking “so what, all luxo ‘barges’ do this”. That is until the road starts getting twisty, and that big LT windshield manages to be tilted at some pretty serious lean angles. At about this time, one side of your brain utters “tourbago”, while the other side yells “yahoo!”

The suspension up front is non-adjustable and a bit plush, but it does soak up bumps without upsetting the bike. This is so, even on rough roads and at full tilt. The rear is preload adjustable and feels up to the task of controlling the rear, even two-up and fully loaded. The bars are rubber mounted, further isolating the driver from any nasty bumps that might interfere with one’s fun.

Sometimes the rubber mounted bars worked so well as to almost isolate me from the feel of the road. This can either be disconcerting or welcome, depending on your point of view and style of riding.

The LT is made to go long distances in comfort, yet have tons of fun while getting there. An aid to getting far away from it all is a full-tank cruising radius of 200-plus miles. While large in capacity, the fuel tank sits low in the frame and is still narrow enough to be comfortable for nearly everyone. Taking a passenger along for a long weekend is no problem. The bags have plenty of room with which to fill your needs (unless of course you take Ivana Trump for a ride).

Passengers might have a few more complaints than the driver, but then they always do. Some passengers will find that the side bags intrude on their footspace, should they possess size 12 feet like me. The one complaint voiced by nearly every passenger was the fact that the trunk box was mounted rigidly enough to serve as the backrest it looks intended to be.

All in all this bike delivers what few full-tourers have promised but not quite realized. It goes long distances comfortably, yet handles well enough to have plenty of grins getting there. This is one touring bike that doesn’t mind seeking out twisty roads, especially when they are at least 300 miles from home. On a final note, I should point out that the overall finish of the LT is nothing short of superb.

This is especially true of the Special Edition. It is put together with BMW’s legendary attention to details. So go ahead and try one. Your psychiatrist will either love you for the extra time you spend trying to define it, or he will not be able to buy that new Lexus because you are on the road and not spending money on his couch.