Factory lowered vs Standard

[Bob Jeffries]

I've just had the "your PCP hasn't long to go" call from my dealer. I have been thinking about changing as I'm doing a 3-4 week trip to Norway next June and the PCP will end the week after we return.

The dealer has a factory lowered triple black coming in a few weeks and I'm thinking about it.

I've had 3 GSA's and am on my 3rd GS but all have been Standard height. Although the GSA is now too tall for me (I think I'm shrinking with age) I've had no problem with my current GS, BUT, I'll be 70 shortly after we return from Norway and this may be my last new bike (I've also got a '98 Africa Twin that I'll be keeping for a while).

For those who've moved to a lowered, or those who have one, what's the down side?

Thanks

 

[Schtum]

I've never owned a Low Chassis GS but I did borrow one for the day before I bought my LC. My subjective opinion is that they don't handle as well as the standard ride height bikes.

 

[Big Si]

I've just had the "your PCP hasn't long to go" call from my dealer. I have been thinking about changing as I'm doing a 3-4 week trip to Norway next June and the PCP will end the week after we return.

The dealer has a factory lowered triple black coming in a few weeks and I'm thinking about it.

I've had 3 GSA's and am on my 3rd GS but all have been Standard height. Although the GSA is now too tall for me (I think I'm shrinking with age) I've had no problem with my current GS, BUT, I'll be 70 shortly after we return from Norway and this may be my last new bike (I've also got a '98 Africa Twin that I'll be keeping for a while).

For those who've moved to a lowered, or those who have one, what's the down side?

Thanks

My last GSA, a 2016, was a factory low model. All I can say was it made a world of difference. Easier to get on and off, and more confidence inspiring when slow manoeuvring. I also found that I suppose because they are not as plentiful and we are all getting older and considering a lower bike, they tend to hold their value really well.

 

[wessie]

I have a factory lowered S1000XR and I have since ridden standard ones as service loan bikes or demos.

For me, as a fully paid up member of the short arse brigade at 5'8" (although I do have a 31" inside leg), the major benefit as I get older and knees and hips are a bit tired it that there is much less risk toppling over if you meet a bovine chicane around a bend (as I did several times in Spain recently). Being able to get both feet fully planted is a big benefit and aids confidence.

I have owned full height R1150GS, XT1200Z and a Triumph Explorer and they all gave me a few palpitations on adverse cambers where there there was a moment when you weren't sure of defeating gravity.

I have not noticed any big downsides to lowered suspension. The main stand is easy to use and was factory fitted. I assume the GS one would be suitably engineered for the job as well.

 

[Davel]

Ive had GSs and now two factory lowered GSAs

I prefer the lowered GSA and have just come back from two weeks touring Spain and Portugal and with no issues whatsoever.

I've just traded mine for a KTM but purely because I want to stick with the previous BMW dealer at Little Stanney

 

[Rowle]

Had my lowered GS for 2 years and no down sides.
I even have an ultra low seat (tourarech) with low bungs - its really low now for my 28” leg.
Go for it !

 

[Santa-2512]

I can offer some advice on both the hexhead & LC variants of the GS and a bit of info on the GSA

I'm a short arse with a 28" inside leg ( height has sod all to do with feet down , its leg arch that matters)

on the Hexhead with a std seat in the low position i was on tippy toes,

Changing to a factory low seat set low meant i was on the balls of my feet,, but there was always that what if feeling

dropping it by 30mm ( Wilburs) and lowering side and centre stands was a flat foot revelation.

So when the factory low lc was announced i was in heaven or so i thought ?

On paper its a std height LC lowered by 30mm, in reality it's the same height as an old hexhead with std seating

Why ?

They made the seat 60mm wider, so your legs are spread that much more, so instead of being on the flats or balls , your on tippy toes

So i had to get a kahedo ultralow seat and lowering bungs , to give me back the 60mm


The GSa uses taller shocks if i recall, so a factory low GSA will still be taller than a lC GS you would need to look up some spec sites to se the difference

In Terms of handling / factory low, there is no difference from hexhead to LC, i chuck mine around like a 125 lol, low speed just requires some dexterity with clutch and brake .
What does make a difference is bar risers, if the bars are up and back, pulling the bars in for a full lock maneuver means your hand hits your body,

as opposed to being in front of your body on std height bars .

other than that go for it

 

[DevonAl]

I had the shocks on my Hexhead GS serviced & lowered 30mm by Denzo(ttech suspension) made quite a bit of difference call round and took away some of the anxiety at cambered junctions and low speed manoeuvring. Kept it for 18 months then bought a 1200r LC, same weight as GS but much lower Cof G, love it.

Al.

 

[CPJS]

Riding is all about confidence. I spent years tippy toeing fully loaded two up bike around Europe, then I tried the lowered GS in 2014. Thanks, thats me sorted. Much better with TT suspension.

 

[Doc]

I found factory lowered GSA was so much better for me being able to flat foot. Especially two up with luggage.

 

[steve hughes]

Check the all up weight limits on std versus lowered .

Not the big GS’s but on the 700/800 range lowering reduces total payload by 50/60kgs. So much so my lowered F700 is near the top of max permissible weight with me the missus and a top box.

No fully laden panniers and roll bags for us anymore

 

[MIKE R]

I traded a standard 1250 GSA for a lowered one in March and have now covered almost 9k on the lowered version. It's taken me on 2 European tours, one to Greece and then through France and across Northern Spain

Absolutely no regrets and wish I had done it years ago. Although I have a 32 inch inseam I was on tip toe and now I can now flat foot.

Absolutely no difference with the handling or ergonomics IMHO. Being lower I have lost ground clearance but this has never caused an issue.....I never go off road intentionally!

Being lowered it came with a lowered GS (not GSA)seat as standard. I found this slightly uncomfortable and wanted more leg room so I sourced a standard GS seat

I think my set up is a fraction lower than a standard GS

I tried to get a test ride on a lowered GSA before I put my money down but none were available in my local area for a demo ride, although I did get to sit on a new one in the showroom. I took a punt after ringing a friend who had made the same move. As I said at the start....No Regrets

Mike

 

[littleade]

After test riding a standard GS back in 2015 I sat on a factory lowered one in the dealers showroom which was waiting to be picked up by its new owner. At 5'7" with a 29" inside leg I found it more confidence inspiring especially with SWMBO sat on the back so ordered the lowered version. I've had 3 now and not noticed any downsides apart from perhaps being slightly lower to the ground meaning visability over other vehicles isn't quite as good but I've never had any problem with that. The lowered seat also means the peg/seat/bars geometry is slightly different with your knee angle being slightly reduced but the upside for me anyway is I sit a bit "more" in the bike rather than on it which I prefer. It might be an idea to see if you can find a dealer with a used one for sale so you could try one first?

 

[Santa-2512]

After test riding a standard GS back in 2015 I sat on a factory lowered one in the dealers showroom which was waiting to be picked up by its new owner. At 5'7" with a 29" inside leg I found it more confidence inspiring especially with SWMBO sat on the back so ordered the lowered version. I've had 3 now and not noticed any downsides apart from perhaps being slightly lower to the ground meaning visability over other vehicles isn't quite as good but I've never had any problem with that. The lowered seat also means the peg/seat/bars geometry is slightly different with your knee angle being slightly reduced but the upside for me anyway is I sit a bit "more" in the bike rather than on it which I prefer. It might be an idea to see if you can find a dealer with a used one for sale so you could try one first?

Its only lowered 30mm, so im curious why you say the visibility over vehicles isnt that good, even if it was 30mm higher you wouldnt see that much more

 

[GADGET]

Have been following this thread with some interest, as I have a GSA, which was originally a standard height version, but currently fitted with the Touratech ESA, GS height, shocks which are 2" shorter than the standard GSA ones. ( Currently FS on here, only) Now I'm a 6 footer/32" inseam, but much happier being able get both feet flat on the floor, particularly when loaded and the Mrs on the back.

It appears to me, that the only difference between the standard GSA and the lower version, is that the latter is fitted with GS shocks, side & centre stands, giving 2'' less height.

A lowered GS, presumably, has specific shorter shocks/ side/centre stands for that version.

 

[knutk]

I have a couple of friends that ride lowered GS/GSA.

You can not easily see that the bikes a lowered. The book says that the springtravel is 2cm less than standard bike.
But for all practical purpose, there seems to be no obvious disadvantage by choosing a lowered bike. The roadhandeling certainly appears to be the same, as is the loading capacity.

So, in my book, to anyone considering a lowered bike, go for it.

 

[ShakeyBMW]

I had a 2016 GS LC factory lowered bike as my first GS and couldn’t fault it until the computer failed.

My current bike is standard so I have the ESA set at MIN, damping set at Dynamic.

What I learned fairly early on is that you need to stay in one riding mode (ROAD in my case) or else risk the suspension setting changing with the result that when you stop and try to put your foot down, the ground isn’t there anymore.

Don’t ask me how embarrassing it is to drop the bike at a T junction and get help to pick it up again from the guy in the Triumph dealership van!

 

[Santa-2512]

I had a 2016 GS LC factory lowered bike as my first GS and couldn’t fault it until the computer failed.

My current bike is standard so I have the ESA set at MIN, damping set at Dynamic.

What I learned fairly early on is that you need to stay in one riding mode (ROAD in my case) or else risk the suspension setting changing with the result that when you stop and try to put your foot down, the ground isn’t there anymore.

Don’t ask me how embarrassing it is to drop the bike at a T junction and get help to pick it up again from the guy in the Triumph dealership van!

Some one posted a matrix of suspension settings / heights based on riding modes in another thread.

Rain mode is soft road is normal, so it always gets set to low when i'm on road mode, you can set it on the fly so there should be an issue

 

[Bob Jeffries]

Thanks for all the usefull advice guys. I'm 6'1" with a 32" inside leg, or at least I was - old age shrinking may be changing that!
I dropped my last GSA, before my current GS loads of times and all over Europe. It was always at a stop or almost at a stop, and always with my wife on the back. She used to bounce quite well but since breaking her back in a fall at home last year she'd rather I stopped falling off.

I've had no problems with my current GS but I'm not getting any younger and the new bike will take me to 72 and her to 71 so I want to make life as easy as I can.

I only occasionally use the bike for casual riding nowadays, it's mostly used for touring 2 up with luggage, and, as a lifelong off-road rider Ido like to explore gravel tracks and "easy" off road. A big advantage of the GS off- road is that it can be riden slowly, which suits me nowadays. I don't think a lowered bike would compromise that to any degree and if it does I can always raise it up with new shocks and stands.

My dealer is having a low triple black in soon, I'll give it a try with a far more open mind than I would have had before all your advice.

 

[Kaybe]

I have had 2 std GSs and now own a factory lowered GSA with a std seat.
The only down side I have come across is, if you ever have it in low setting suspension mode, need care with side stand and camber, it can be a bit precarious and in any wind might even blow over!! So once bitten...
Apart from that the bike has been excellent, I never use it for off road so don't need the extra suspension travel that comes with a std GSA.
Found no problem with its handling and indeed I feel quite confident with a full load and full tank, although never had a passenger.
Best go give it a whirl, think you will be pleasantly surprised.
If I go for a new one next year, I would order a factory lowered version.