Considering a GS....read this

Hi All,

Just joined the forum and this is my first post. This was the first thread I read as I've just started looking at the GS as a possible addition to the garage.

Got to say I'm really surprised to see this thread as a sticky. I haven't read it all as it's 15 pages long after only a couple it made me start to cringe. (In actuality the first post did that on it's own).

Looking at the list of topics and threads, I thought "wow this is the perfect place to find out more about the GS and for post purchase chats and support" but after reading some of this thread i'm beginning to wonder if I was wrong!

Someone please re-assure me that there are normal folk here who love bikes and love riding them regardless of what badge they have on them. Maybe I'm naive but I still ride around thinking of helping and protecting other bikers regardless of what they ride or how they ride it. Sure some ride faster than me and others ride slower, but who cares as long as we all get there in one piece!

I found myself in the opposite position of that described in the first post the other day. I was riding a lovely back country road and caught up with a couple on a bike (Fazer or something like that), it was one of those twisties where there really aren't many places to pass, after a minute or so behind I noticed the guy started to seriously up his pace, that's fine his choice to do. But after another minute or so it was apparent that he was beginning to ride a little raggedy, so I simply chose to back right off. There was little opportunity to pass, it wasn't achieving anything to sit on his backside so just slowed right down for a few seconds to let him disappear and then carry on as normal.
My thought process was that if he and his pillion came off and were hurt, okay by his choice of riding so his own fault, I would have felt terrible and wasn't the point of my journey to be racing him.

I hope this doesn't read as a rant by a newbie, it's certainly not intended that way, to be honest I just found it a little disappointing that I thought I'd found the perfect place to chat GS stuff and was greeted by a sticky thread that really doesn't welcome a newbie. I really hope this is the place I hoped it to be and that I do buy a GS and that I can get stuck in with the GS chat!

Andy.
 
Hi All,

Just joined the forum and this is my first post. This was the first thread I read as I've just started looking at the GS as a possible addition to the garage.

Got to say I'm really surprised to see this thread as a sticky. I haven't read it all as it's 15 pages long after only a couple it made me start to cringe. (In actuality the first post did that on it's own).

Looking at the list of topics and threads, I thought "wow this is the perfect place to find out more about the GS and for post purchase chats and support" but after reading some of this thread i'm beginning to wonder if I was wrong!

Someone please re-assure me that there are normal folk here who love bikes and love riding them regardless of what badge they have on them. Maybe I'm naive but I still ride around thinking of helping and protecting other bikers regardless of what they ride or how they ride it. Sure some ride faster than me and others ride slower, but who cares as long as we all get there in one piece!

I found myself in the opposite position of that described in the first post the other day. I was riding a lovely back country road and caught up with a couple on a bike (Fazer or something like that), it was one of those twisties where there really aren't many places to pass, after a minute or so behind I noticed the guy started to seriously up his pace, that's fine his choice to do. But after another minute or so it was apparent that he was beginning to ride a little raggedy, so I simply chose to back right off. There was little opportunity to pass, it wasn't achieving anything to sit on his backside so just slowed right down for a few seconds to let him disappear and then carry on as normal.
My thought process was that if he and his pillion came off and were hurt, okay by his choice of riding so his own fault, I would have felt terrible and wasn't the point of my journey to be racing him.

I hope this doesn't read as a rant by a newbie, it's certainly not intended that way, to be honest I just found it a little disappointing that I thought I'd found the perfect place to chat GS stuff and was greeted by a sticky thread that really doesn't welcome a newbie. I really hope this is the place I hoped it to be and that I do buy a GS and that I can get stuck in with the GS chat!

Andy.

As above stick around and you will see that all on here are complete bunch of bastards that snipe and argue and fall out over anything in general but imigrants in particular !
You will, if your Skin is thick enough to get past the above, find a Knowledge base second to none on everything and anything and a, for the most part, a caring bunch of biker mates that will help above and beyond the call of duty.

Dont listen to Engineer though he is just a wanker :D
 
As above stick around and you will see that all on here are complete bunch of bastards that snipe and argue and fall out over anything in general but imigrants in particular !
You will, if your Skin is thick enough to get past the above, find a Knowledge base second to none on everything and anything and a, for the most part, a caring bunch of biker mates that will help above and beyond the call of duty.

Dont listen to Engineer though he is just a wanker :D

don't listen to reddick because he knows fuck all about anything :)
 
Hi All,

Just joined the forum and this is my first post. This was the first thread I read as I've just started looking at the GS as a possible addition to the garage.
...............................y.

Hey up and welcome :beerjug:

This is a relatively unique Forum in so much as it's lightly if at all moderated and there is a lot of piss taking along with a few complete cnuts too. It's also incredibly supportive and a lot of us meet up and now know each other out in the real world. As Redrick says, that's what makes this place what it is. Stick around a bit, get a feel for the vibe and hopefully you'll like it.

Oh, and Redrick's right about Engineer BTW.....................

Andres
 
!

Someone please re-assure me that there are normal folk here who love bikes and love riding them regardless of what badge they have on them.

:jess

What the f#%k is normal?

Welcome to the forum chap...this place is certainly "unique".....

But yes do take the OP with a pinch of salt, though there are quite a number of advanced riders and police riders on here who could have written that same OP.

Enjoy.
 
Well, I'm almost back...

I was a regular visitor here a few years ago, after my VFR800 was written off I decided a change and bought a 2002 1150GS, loved it and after a year 'upgraded' to a 2004 1200 GS.
After 4 or 5 years on the 1200 I got the well documented rear bevel drive bearings going, followed by so much grief I sold the bike and bought a ZZR1400.
After a couple of years it was out of my system and I sold it and bought a BMW R1150R Rockster, which I still have, and love.
Just toured Scotland on it and it was great, perfect engine, but it's not that comfy, and it's not my GS.
So I want another 1150, not a 1200 or a late model, a 2004 twin spark 1150 GS or 1150 GSA.
Got my eye on a couple but as ever you spot a better one, then a better one still. But they all are now older and inevitably with higher mileages.
Is there any issue with high mileage GS 1150's I should look for when considering a return to the fold?
 
Depends on what you call higher mileage, I don't consider 100,000 miles as too high providing the servicing is spot on and the price right.
 
Hi All,

Maybe I'm naive but I still ride around thinking of helping and protecting other bikers regardless of what they ride or how they ride it. Sure some ride faster than me and others ride slower, but who cares as long as we all get there in one piece!

Not just you fella, I had an incident last year (when I was still riding my rusty old Kwak) where I was turning left onto a main road and oncoming, I could see a pikey looking guy in a Transit was right up the arse of a young lass on a scooter trying to bully her out of the way. She was getting a bit wobbly and quite visibly bothered by it so at the next set of lights I overtook, waved her forwards and went dead slow to give her a bit of breathing room.

Yeah, she was on a scooter, but she could have been on a stepping stone to proper biking. And at the end of the day 2 wheels good. ;)


In my group there's me on the F700GS, a CBR600f, ER6n, an R1, a faired Bandit and of all things a bloody Sinnis Apache. And my other half has a little Suzi Marauder. So there's enough of a mismatch that there's no point holding their choices against them. :)
 
Yeah, she was on a scooter, but she could have been on a stepping stone to proper biking. And at the end of the day 2 wheels good. ;))

Good on you brother.
Pisses me off when car/van drivers bully bikes / scooters.
 
Well said Minge, just picked up my brand new GSA at weekend and bloody love it, do miss my Fireblade though. But if it's only 1 bike I can have it's the big beemer all day long
 
I was speaking with a mate the other day, and he said that one of his work colleagues quite likes the idea of getting a GS, as it would be the perfect all round bike for him.:thumb

But he's worried about the kudos of having a GS, so isn't going to get one.:blast

There are some truly odd people out there!:rob
 
I was speaking with a mate the other day, and he said that one of his work colleagues quite likes the idea of getting a GS, as it would be the perfect all round bike for him.:thumb

But he's worried about the kudos of having a GS, so isn't going to get one.:blast

There are some truly odd people out there!:rob


Well actually ..... :)D) playing devils advocate ....

My recent two weeks to Corsica ... every other bloody bike on the road was a GS. It was really nice to be on something that wasn't as common as muck .... :p
 
Well actually ..... :)D) playing devils advocate ....

My recent two weeks to Corsica ... every other bloody bike on the road was a GS. It was really nice to be on something that wasn't as common as muck .... :p

Fair play, but this guy really wants one but won't get one, as he's worried about what people will think.

Apparently he's in his 50's, so goodness knows how he's got this far in life, with all the worrying about what people think of him!
 
Face it Nutty ... you're common .... :D
 
Well actually ..... :)D) playing devils advocate ....

My recent two weeks to Corsica ... every other bloody bike on the road was a GS. It was really nice to be on something that wasn't as common as muck .... :p

But there were only 2 bikes on Corsica when you vacationed there....;)
 
I love mine and you're right it's so capable at so many things. I do hancker for a fast naked too would be the perfect combo. Here's my review. Also check out my view of off-roading in Africa I was blown away with how amazing it was. It took over where my ability failed.
https://youtu.be/GfDPBrE39jE
 
Last edited:
A 2005 bike with just 27,000 miles showing, I'd suggest you need to ride it a bite more often,lol just sayin.
Cheers
 
I'd be surprised, to be honest............. mid-bend bumps in the road unsettle a sports bike, whereas the GS suspension just soak them up :nenau

Al :)

Tell that to the Irish road racers
 
I'm taking a gamble on this

Up until 6 months ago I'd been riding several VFR's for about 10 years. then as I got older they became more uncomfortable.
So I decided to have another go at an adventure style bike.(previously had a 1100GS bu couldn't sit on it for more than 1/2 hour before extremely sore arse)
Bought an original tiger 1050, didn't like it, sold it. Was out one day to look at a new tiger 1050, and came across a Versys 1000 (2nd gen).
Decided to buy one of them instead. Collected y bike on a Friday from Drayton Croft, Hinckley(give them a very wide berth if you don't want to fecked up the rear).
The next day, went for a ride with my wife on the ne toy and decided to stop at the new BMW dealers in Suffolk, Reiten.
Clocked a GS ICONIC, thought that's pretty. Sat on it just or the hell of it, and couldn't believe how comfortable the seat was compared to everything else I had ever sat on (except for the Corbin on my last VFR800. PERFECTION).
Took it out for a 2 hour test ride to assess the seat comfort. Came back, bought it!!! So now I have 2 bikes, very similar just as much fun to ride as the other. The handling on the Versys is so good I have reached the edge of the rubber, never done that before!

Right that's the background for this post.

Currently keeping the Versys, and not getting any interest in the GS, even though I've dropped the price considerably.
Can only assume it's due the 1250GS just having been released, and the second hand market being flooded.
I am happy t service and tinker with the Kawasaki but the BMW appears to be like rocket science, or am I wrong?
GS has more toys but doesn't make for a better,more comfortable ride as a result of them compared to the Kawasaki.

GS is far nicer to look at, fuel consumption is similar when ridden legally, GS is heavier and hence harder to push around. Wire wheels are a pain to clean, so I've discovered.

I paid over £12500 from the dealer with 2 years extended warranty. Now asking for £11500 ( balance of warranty can be passed on), 6 months and a 1000 miles later. And yet no interest.
If it doesn't go this spring I will hang on to it for another year and retry next year, and use for when I am out doing advanced training.
Are they easy to maintain, if not, who can I take it to who knows what they are doing near Harlow, Essex.
Keep hearing horror stories about the electrical bits packing up on a regular basis after a few miles. Is there any truth in this?
Trying to justify why I should keep a bike that is roughly £4000 more to buy, and I can't notice the benefit of one against the other is proving to cause sleepless nights.
Advice and opinions please?
 

Attachments

  • Versys1000.2.jpg
    Versys1000.2.jpg
    222.9 KB · Views: 816
  • _20180927_202233.JPG
    _20180927_202233.JPG
    70.4 KB · Views: 758


Back
Top Bottom