Adventure vs "Regular": much difference on the road?

Evening all!
Am highly likely to come over to the dark side soon, as my RSV Mille (great bike though it is in most respects) is too hard on the upper arms and wrists after more than an hour or 2, and I very much want to start doing more than shortish round trips. I've ridden a pal's GS twice, loved it for all the usual reasons but thought top gear was a little too overdriven until you're doing 70+mph. The Adventure therefore appeals (and I think the extra seat height will be easier on the knees on longer rides). However I did see a thread on this site that suggested that the lower top gear made it buzzy over 90mph. Given that my riding will be a mixture of A roads where, locally, bouts at 90+ are brief, and some motorway stuff, where 90mph is realistic (only in Germany of course, officer...) and that the local dealer doesn't have a GS demonstrator, much less an Adventure, I thought I'd put the question about on road difference between the 2 models to this forum: so, ignoring price and all-terrainability, which is the better on road machine from the point of view of handling and drive? I did read in one of the bike mags that the Adventure was better on road than the GS, but it was a 1 liner with no substantiation. What effect does the longer travel suspension have?
I'm going to get one of these things anyway, and will even make up my own mind on what "essentials" to add, but would certainly be grateful for people's views on the issue of on road ability. Many thanks in advance.

GS v Adventure

Buy the standard GS and spend the other £2k on ... a high seat, Touratech panniers (better to get them fitted), a holiday in the Tropics, your missus (nah!), new tires, new outfit ... and stop borrowing my bike! ;-)

Saddle to footpeg distance will be no different between the Adventure and the standard GS . . .

If your talking new, buy the standard bike, get it canned and chipped, and 6th gear becomes much more useable. Like your mate said, save the money you'd spend on an Adventure and buy all the bits you need to customise a standard GS to your requirements.

However . . . the Adventure might be a better used buy - they tend to lose a bit more money from new than the standard GS.

jukebox said:

Evening all!
Am highly likely to come over to the dark side soon, as my RSV Mille

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its was you that I wized around the outside of on the Stoke Bishop road.

Simon Eassom said:

However . . . the Adventure might be a better used buy - they tend to lose a bit more money from new than the standard GS.

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Simon,
I'm in the process of changing bikes and BMW Ireland gave me the complete other story. They say that the Adventure will have better residuals in the future.

Or you could buy a standard GS and put the difference you've saved on an Adventure into Gilt edged bonds - then the residuals won't be a problem!

luke scott said:

Simon,
I'm in the process of changing bikes and BMW Ireland gave me the complete other story. They say that the Adventure will have better residuals in the future.

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Luke

I'm only going on what I see around the various dealers and in private sales. Standard GSs under one year old sell for nealy new money at a dealership. Because of the inflated price for the Adventure, nearly-new models seem to be available at a considerable saving.

I think that you lose out a lot on "accessories". So, if your Adventure was bought for £10,000 with all the extras, it'll probably be in a dealership 2nd hand for £8,750. A nearly-new standard GS with ABS, grips, guards, pannier rails will probably be in the same dealership for about £7,750.

The rule-of-thumb seems to be that 2nd hand you'll struggle to sell a bike (with accessories) for more than the cost of brand new (without the accessories), so the Adventure buyer who gets fully loaded from new loses out most.

Simon

jukebox said:

However I did see a thread on this site that suggested that the lower top gear made it buzzy over 90mph. Given that my riding will be a mixture of A roads where, locally, bouts at 90+ are brief, and some motorway stuff, where 90mph is realistic (only in Germany of course, officer...)

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I spent quite a few hours on the Autobahns last weekend, on my way to and from Touratech (from Belgium). I've got an Adventure and I didn't notice anything wrong with 6th gear at 90 - 100mph.

And I'm very happy with the bike! Want proof? +20k miles since last May speak for themselves

The windscreen is better, and I got the big tank as a factory option. That made it cheaper than a "standard" GS with an aftermarket big tank.

I have never owned a std GS, but rode one once for half an hour or so. The 6th gear is much less usable, only good for using a little less gas when cruising at high speeds if you ask me. I use the Adv. 6th all the time, on all roads.

So... don't believe everything you hear! Try it yourself and make up your mind . Either way, a GS is a great bike!

Better now

I have a standard GS, couldn't afford an Adventure with all the extras I wanted.

I did find the 6th gear a bit gutless, especially for up-hill motorway overtakes. However I ditched the exhaust cat for a Y-piece and now all is well, just that bit extra lift to make a difference. Just a thought.

BLL

Simon Eassom said:

Saddle to footpeg distance will be no different between the Adventure and the standard GS . . .

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Not sure about that; was at my dealer last week, looking at my possibilities on what to buy if and when my insurance pays for
my stolen 1150. He told me there's a 8cm difference in seatheight
between the ADV and the std GS. I know the shocks are 2cm longer, so I think there will be some cm difference in saddle to footpeg distance...

I have a Standard GS, but have also ridden an Adventure fairly extensively. I actually prefer the Standard, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder so as the man says getting a decent go on both is your best bet. With regards to the sixth gear debate - I find it's just fine. It's an Overdrive and if you use it as such there is no problem. Fifth's always there if you need it, though to be honest I am mostly having fun when in fourth! I did find the Adventure to be a bit Vibey at higher speed, though(1)

(1) This is the opinion of my arse only - other arses may not necessarily agree

Wakey said:

Or you could buy a standard GS and put the difference you've saved on an Adventure into Gilt edged bonds - then the residuals won't be a problem!

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I have checked the Wunderlich and Touratech catalogues but couldn't find Gilt edged anything.....please advise where do you by these accesories and will the make my bike go faster, look better, make more noise, carry more luggage, reduce buffetting, have better headlights, improve saddle comfort, louder horn, GPS navigation, better suspension.....or what ! .....Otherwise why would I want to buy them ?

luke scott said:

Simon,
I'm in the process of changing bikes and BMW Ireland gave me the complete other story. They say that the Adventure will have better residuals in the future.

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...could that be because there isnt much difference between on and off road in Ireland?


sorry

bob

Jukebox

you´ll never get a straight answer to a question like that here. The inmates are far too gone. Buy the one you can afford and you like the look of best. They are both brilliant and sometimes the right thing to do is buy with yer heart. I´d buy the adv because I like its looks, I am quite tall and I ride off road every now and again and the lower first is an advantage. But if they stopped making the adv tomorrow I´d buy a standard GS and be a very happy boy as well (unless is was flowery yellow of course).

By the way anyone here riding a blue and white R1150GS outside my house in the centre of Barcelona yesterday (UK plate a 51 or 52 I think). You waved to a sad looking ****head fixing his R100GS?

bob

Spanish Bob said:

By the way anyone here riding a blue and white R1150GS outside my house in the centre of Barcelona yesterday (UK plate a 51 or 52 I think). You waved to a sad looking ****head fixing his R100GS?

bob

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You'll probably find that was Bakerman, he's been putting it about a bit recently, including Highway 1, Californ-I-A on a silver ADV. Are you sure it was a wave and not one of these

Thanks...

Thanks for the replies guys. I sense a "regular" GS coming on, but then again the Adventure does have a certain something. Bugger. There I go again...

So, if your Adventure was bought for £10,000 with all the extras, it'll probably be in a dealership 2nd hand for £8,750. A nearly-new standard GS with ABS, grips, guards, pannier rails will probably be in the same dealership for about £7,750.

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So second hand the Adventure is worth a £1000 more than a similarly equipped second hand Standard, yet costs only £500 more to buy new. Seems to me the Adventure is the best buy.

?????

You've lost me there, Russell. £10,000 - £8,750 = £1,250 loss from new. Standard model with extras mentioned costs about £8,600 - £7,750 = £850 loss.

We're not talking about VFM for the new buyer, but residuals and the potential loss faced by a new buyer selling on or trading in. My point was that "extras" above the RRP of the bike lose money hand-over-fist when selling on. The Adventure comes "topped-up" by the first customer with lots of extras. So, the initial loss for the new Adventure buyer if he/she sells on in a year or so is greater than that of the standard bike buyer.

This is not, actually, an Adventure vs Standard issue, but a matter of the cost of accessories. It's just that the Adventure tends to get get accessorised more at initial purchase. In fact, you lose less if you buy new the standard bike without ABS or grips. The more "stacked" your bike comes, the more you'll lose selling on. THe standard GS without ABS or grips costs £7,600. You could probably sell a 6-month old bike for between £6,995 and £7,195 privately. A dealer would probably try to get between £7,250 and £7,495. Maximum loss would be £600.

Of course, this means from the 2nd-hand buyer's perspective, the bargains to be had are buying the fully loaded bike - you'll get more VFM because the original owner has taken the depreciation hit on the "extras".

This is not an argument about which is the better bike. I know you've got an Adventure. I've got the standard GS. If the adventure had been available when I purchased my GS in 2001, I would have bought an Adventure without hesitation (but my decision would not have been based on cost or residual value comparisons between the two).

Zwerver:
The only way there can be a difference between the seat/peg length on the Adventure and the standard GS is if the rear sub-frame is different or the Adventure seat is significantly higher/thicker than standard. I don't know if either is the case. You mention spring length - is that static or with sag taken into account? An 8cm difference in seat height? I've sat on the standard GS side-by-side to the Adventure and there's no way there's an 8cm difference: maybe 3 or 4cm or 5 at the absolute most.

Russell:

See the AD in "For Sale and Wanted": 12-month-old Adventure, cost new £10,000, 6,000 miles. On sale for £7,850. That's a £2,150 hit!

A standard 1150GS with no extras would be sold for £5,450 to lose the same money. No way Jose.

Case proven ????

Who gives a t***...

... what residual second hand values are.
Are you buying a bike or making an investment.



S