Adventure vs Regular - much difference OFF the road?!

Hi everyone,
This is a great site and I havent been able to keep off it. Can anyone help me make my mind up?
Ive read the thread about 'much different on the road?' but I need to ask whether there is much difference off the road?

I'm picking up a new GS and am still in two minds. If the standard GS is as good off road then I will go for that.

Can anyone help?

Tim

These things spring immediately to mind...


The GSA has more ground clearance/suspension travel

The GSA has a Single seat, making moving around the bike (or backwards at least) easier

The GSA has Conti knobblies as a no-cost option (but then you could negotiate on a normal GS anyway)

Isn't the GSA sump protector more substantial too ???





So, with a bit of cash thrown at the standard bike, prolly not a lot in it.





But what do I know, closest my bike has been to offroad is across the grass at Donington car park

Thanks for your reply.

Cripes Im a fussy git and analyse to the nth degree. Although I hadnt thought about the seat set up! That has given me more to think about!
No, I wil go for the graphitan GS and be happy.

Thanks Simon

Tim

Or shall I wait for more replies?

Timmy:
The GS is not an off-road bike, so whilst the longer travel suspension, twinduro tyres, single seat and shorter first gear of the Adventure might give the Adventure more off road pretensions than the standard bike, neither would be an off-road tool of choice.
However, I happen to have ridden a TKC80-shod 1150GS off-road and have been impressed with just what can be done with the beast when you get down and dirty. The overwhelmingly significant factor when considering the merits of the GS as an off-road tool is the rider. If you ever saw the late John Deacon ride his GS off-road, or Simon Pavey or Nick Plumb, you'll realise that all things are possible to those who are gifted. Which would they choose? . . . probably the Adventure.
It's better to think of the Adventure as the "overlanding" option. It's merits are largely related to serious round-the-world riding in areas with poor quality roads, poor quality fuel, and big distances between fuel stations. Having said that, the Adventure is really BMW's answer to all those customised standard GSs with 42-litre Touratech tanks, BB-chips for different fuel octane levels, and Ohlins suspension. You can make the standard bike into as good an overlanding package (or better) than the Adventure. It's just that the Adventure is "off-the-peg" so to speak.
The reason for choosing the Adventure that you alluded to in other thread is that you like the even funkier looks of the Adventure over the standard GS. And what's wrong with choosing it for its looks? (Like you I don't much like the colours and graphics - the Black and Yellow looks just like my R100GS that I had in 1989). Seems to me you're looking for a rationalisation for your desire. Sorry, they're just not different enough on-road or off-road to say that one is substantially better than the other. If you buy the Adventure for its more focused rufty-tufty image then don't imagine you're doing anything other than choosing form over function: one's a Discovery and one's a Freelander; neither isa proper Land Rover.

Which one

Simon,
Great reply - honest and unbiased .
I ride a standard GS [no ABS] and by my own admission am not a very skilled rider . The reason I bought the GS was primarily that it looked so different and everyone I spoke to said that I would not really benefit from the extra that an ADV has - plus there are so many things you can do to customise these bikes that you can make your own spec .
I love the fact that people always notice the bike - it has great road presence - I get much more respect from car drivers than I ever did on my Yamaha Fazer , probably just due to the size of the GS.

Steady Eddie

Simon,

Thank you for that eloquent and succinct reply. I have made a decision and your little pice of rhetoric has put me right!
I know that neither are serious off road tackle but needed to be told this or otherwise!

Yep It looks like I will be picking up my new GS - in graphitan - next Tuesday! I cant wait too.

Had a Fazer before the ZX6. Brand new, 5 weeks ownership and ended up closely inspecting tarmac and tree.

Look forward my GS

Tim

I might be too late but...

Having just done the off road course with Pavey, Plumb and all and having had a chance to ride a GS and Adventure off road my view would be this: better to pay the extra from the off just in case you might benefit later as its a lot cheaper than retrofitting the parts to a 'normal' GS. I know we on this board love throwing money at our bikes but occasionally a bit of up front investment may be a sound idea.

Simon is of course correct to say that both are amazingly capable in the right hands but IMO the Adv has a few bits that may well make life a little easier if you don't have Paveyesque skill levels


To wet your appetite for what you have on the way check this out:

as you can see the standard GS has bottomed out on the same jump - conclusive evidence that Adventures are best...sorry

GS VS ADV

Hi everyone, just signed up to the forum.

My name is Alan and I am from Perth Western Australia.

I couldn't help but notice throughout the Standard GS vs ADV comparo no oone has seemed to comment or mention the biggest factor I believe separates the two.

The different gearing of the first gear on both bikes make them both distinctively different. Especially if you are considering going off-road as mentioned. The ADV has a huge advantage when descending steep hills on loose ground.

I must agree with Simon however that neither are 'off-roaders' and the advertising may have you think, but more of an 'overlander'. You don't need to be an expert to work out that around 260kg wet is not an ideal set up for a serious off-road bike.

I recently returned from completing the Australian BMW Safari and have come to the conclusion that there is a far greater selection of motorcycle brands that produce more ideal and better suited off-road bikes but none with the same 'on-road' comfort in between and character. The finish of the BMW range is second to none.

However considering nearly 200 riders participated in the off-road section to begin with, but only about 30 of those 200 riders could honestly state that they completed the whole 2500km off-road route says something.

Nearly all participants fell off at one stage being from either a major 'write off bike' and 'serious injury' crash to a minor 'lay down' The majority of bikes that went over were either GS'S or ADV'S. Hard ground seemed to be okay but as soon as we had a sniff of sand or slight gravel build up all but the experienced riders ran into trouble.

I myself came away unscaved but not without a few scares I must admit. The trip enforced one train of thought I had prior to attendance, BMW F650GS Dakar all the way!!!!!!!

For pictures and future info feel free to look up the web page at www.bmwsafari.com

With my Adventure in Spain:
pic made by Henry

Dusty gravel:
pic made by Ferdi

on the dam?
pic made by Henry

Great trip

pic made by Klaas,

btw : Klaas has a `normal ` one we did a gravelroad with jumps and big stones. Klaas hit with his left footpeg a stone and broke his gearbox. Maybe it would not have happened since the Adventure has more groundclearence?

more pics:

http://www.pbase.com/shelby/gs_club_spain&page=all

Cheers guys for those pics.

This is rather a late post and i have now bought a standard GS 03 model.
To be honest I am so new to this game that I'd be happy on any bit of gentle trail with my bike. The Adv was i felt, a little too tall for me if I were to venture off road.

Timmy