To upgrade?

rhobgoblins

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I'm currently running a '96 R1100GS which I love but I have a hankering for something newer and with a bit more "go" and at the end of this year I have an insurance policy maturing which will free up some cash. The things I like about the 1100 are it's build quality - still looks good after 20 years and ease of maintenance - I'm no mechanic but can do all the routine servicing myself. The downside is that it's a big old beast and bloody heavy and I do struggle with it at times with my short arsed frame and I do find the controls heavy and gearbox crunchy although it works fine and never jumps out of gear.

So, the question is, would a 1200 be a marked improvement - lighter/smoother/more poke and is it easy to work on? My budget will be about £6k which I guess will put me somewhere around 2007/8 years with relatively low mileage. Should I worry about final drive issues and when did BMW drop the servo brakes (don't want that complication)?

Any view appreciated.

Cheers

Rob
 
Its worth having look at the R800/700GS. You will get a mint one for your budget and be pleasantly suprised with its performance/reliability/frugalness.
 
I'm in a similar position and have been looking for a few years for something that catches my eye, I've looked at couple of really nice 1150 gsa's which I've always fancied. The only problem is my 1100 is so well sorted everything I look at I think well if I change this and change that and get it lowered etc etc etc I'll end up with what've I've got now - Doh.

However thinking outside the box the new Versys 650 is a really nice bike getting fantastic reviews, I had one of the MK1's it was brilliant, supposedly the new ones are even much better.

Sorry I'm not much help.
 
You will find the 1200 a much smoother and punchy bike however I don't think you will find it much easier to handle. I strongly recommend trying a R1200R....a bit lighter but much lower making it easier to handle....with better handling than a GS.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, never considered a 1200r but sounds interesting. Guess the way to go is try to test ride as many different options as possible. Then again, I've just been given the option on a mint 1980's xt600 tenere at a good price which I could keep ass well!
 
fuck it, for 6k you could turn your 1100 into a new bike!!!!

just remember the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence its just a different shade of green
 
Ive rented an 800gs which did everything I wanted it to do , was a fantastic handler and a lot lighter than my 1150gs at home.
 
I rented a 650 Vstrom in Thailand a couple of weeks ago and rode 7-800km two up with luggage, not at higher motorway speeds I must admit but on mountain and normal roads and it was pretty good, probably better than the GS would have been on the same route because it is a lot lighter.

Al.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, never considered a 1200r but sounds interesting. Guess the way to go is try to test ride as many different options as possible. Then again, I've just been given the option on a mint 1980's xt600 tenere at a good price which I could keep ass well!

Thats the way forward, just try and get as new as your budget can stretch, you will always think I loved my old bike, but you will soon get over it.........
 
Keep your 1100GS.
It's the last of the quality BMWs and a budding neo classic which fulfils all needs.

And get the XT600.
Definately so if it's a minter.
That's another classic/iconic motorcycle that you'll own then, and you'll enjoy the differences between the two.

By the way, a change of motorcycle is a change of motorcycle, and not an "upgrade" however new or fast it may be.
Upgrades are what you do to computers.
 
I had a 1100GS and really liked it putting on many miles across different countries then changed to non BMW bikes only to go back to the GS. I ended up getting a 2010 1200GSA TC and think its a better bike than the 1100 I had with the extra gear and refinements but no lighter of course. The extra gear makes a nice upgrade however the TC isnt as quiet even as standard.

I also think the GSA looks superb plus when loaded with panniers I get alot of admiring glances in the Tescos car park and Im ready to ride cross any spilt groceries on the ground should I need to. :thumb2 .. On a more serious note take a few different bikes out for test rides as I bought a bike a couple of years ago new based on spec and looks but hated it then lost loads of money selling it of course
 
I’ve had an 1100 for nearly 20 years and it’s been (and still is) a brilliant bike. I have ridden all the GSs from airhead to LC and think the 1100 is the best as an all round bike ie road and trail (easy stuff).

However, when my wife bought a LC the difference was so marked it peaked my interest and I ended up buying a 1200 TC. It’s a great bike but I will keep the 1100 for future long trips to far flung places, as a winter hack and for stuff like the Stella/Paddy Dakar.

My opinion is if you are a road rider only and want to upgrade then stretch your budget to a TC or LC.
A few years ago I was in the same dilemma and got MikeyBoy to refurbish the 1100 - it was a great decision. The bike has 170K miles on the clock and not worth selling now so it’s a keeper.

:thumby:
 
I've had a few 5 series. The best one, without a doubt, was my 2001 e39 which extremely well built and a delight to drive. Certainty best car in its class at that time, in fact I replaced it with a 2007 e60 face-lift and went back to a 2002 e39 as I still thought it a better car. The reality is that those cars, however well built and great they were in their day, are now old cars. Same thing applies to the GS (and, incidentally, my '98 VFR which I've kept and is still lovely) - however good this model or that model were, time and technology (and the GS) has marched on.
 
I've had a few 5 series. The best one, without a doubt, was my 2001 e39 which extremely well built and a delight to drive. Certainty best car in its class at that time, in fact I replaced it with a 2007 e60 face-lift and went back to a 2002 e39 as I still thought it a better car. The reality is that those cars, however well built and great they were in their day, are now old cars. Same thing applies to the GS (and, incidentally, my '98 VFR which I've kept and is still lovely) - however good this model or that model were, time and technology (and the GS) has marched on.

The world also moves on. It is now illegal for my bike to be ridden in 3 French cities, this will soon be followed by cities all over Europe and very soon London I suspect. It also becomes harder (not impossible) to get insurance eg The States.
I stand by my claim though, that my 1100 is a better all round bike than the wife's 1200 LC :hide
 


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