Hi got trials bike for playing in quarrys and mud , need a bike for work and some trips and gentle green laning suitable for big bike , had good years doing enduro's now want to do some adventure type stuff i'm not expecting it to behave like my ktm 450 , but want to know what to reasonable expect them to do ,Was lent those mcboorman dvds when i was off over summer also watched terra circa and mondo enduro now thats better
Hey Will, the bikes you are describing are the GS1150, VL1000 Varadero, V-Strom, TDM 850 (cringe) etc etc... I'm sure you get the picture. I have owned a Varadero (briefly) which was great but has alot of fancy trimming to get ripped off and destroyed OR alot of JUNK to remove for roadside repairs etc.
I have owned the GS1150 since December 19th and briefly put it through slow paces off road... It's weight aids traction on the arse end, the torquey engine provides shove on tap when required. the height gives you adequate clearence to not worry about the terrain too much. COG is briliant and you dont even think about keeping it up right when being tracked by a ditch. Just point it in a reasonable direction and it goes where you want with bars wide enough to muscle the Titanic onto a different course.
Having said all that I wouldnt want to give the KTM guys any ammunition either!
so here are what I see as down sides;
Muddy bogs etc forget it unless you hit them and rely on BFI... (Brute Force and Ignorance)
Deep water... The air box intake is level with the bottom of the fuel tank. Granted how deep a water would you travel through BUT it does leave you open to getting flooded by your own bow wave!
Dropping it; all down to technique, strength and weight. "Apparently" the wide handle bars are used as a lever to lift the bike up. (scary unless you have the (GULP) £360 Magura bars) I estimate a GS on its side would stop at 50 degrees before resting on various parts of the engine or guards. When I dropped my ZZR1100 (also weighing a quarter tonne) (pulled away with disk lock fitted
) it was flat on the ground and I could JUST pick it up without needing any magic cream afterwards! So the GS having many more handles and levers shouldnt be too bad comapred to other 2 wheeled devices.
Ooh... I nearly forgot... IF and only IF you like low speed technical stuff you will find first gear is pretty tall which means you're on the clutch! having said that the clutch feels alot like a car clutch and I didnt hear it complaining either? According to (certain) members if you manage to hump a GS clutch you will be in for some kind of award?
Everything you say you want from a bike the GS does and very well too. I chose the 1150 because I really cant fall in love with the 1100 and my wallet doesnt stretch to the 1200.
Once (eventually when) my tyres turn up
I will be looking for some green lanes and start pushing my off road skills which im SURE will end up with time to practise picking the bike up.
Turn your question around the other way and see what answers you get...
What WONT a GS do that I DO want to do?
I dont think you need to look any further but then im newly converted without disappointment and not a great lover of the very capable "orange" two wheel devices
Come on Will, join the Bavarian Two Wheeled Tractor Club
i'm expierenced off road been laning and doing enduro's last 20 years also ride trials but need a bike that can do everything or should i get gs 650/ africa twin 
but not my wallet , what really pisses me off is had one lined up before accident 
