Re: Qusetion????
I moved up from 900LT to 1600 Nomad three months ago.
The difference is enormous. Huge. Unbelievable. You get up to 50-55 mph in 4th gear and drop it into 5th gear, and your engine drops to near idle rpm. Seriously. I rode from northeast Louisiana to western Colorado and back (2613 miles) running speeds from 55 mph to 75+ mph for hours. Absolutely no problems. (Actually doing about 82 as indicated on the speedometer, but my GPS showed 75-77 mph).
Would I have done that on the 900LT? Yep, you bet. I believe that she would have made that trip and several others afterward.
Would the 900 been as comfortable as the 1600? No way. Much lower rpm's, much smoother ride, much more comfortable overall. I bought my 900 new and kept her for four years, and I certainly don't regret that purchase. Excellent bike to learn (and re-learn in my case) riding, especially longer distances than on a sportbike. But I certainly don't regret the move up, either.
EDIT: By the way, the 2613 mile trip netted 38.9 miles per gallon, and that included a few hours @ 75, more than just a few hours @ 70, and that included crossing the Continental Divide three times, so 150 ft above sea lever to 11,000 ft and back.