1150 -v- 1200 -v- 1200 adv

[snoopy]

Road all three yesterday in quick succession. Here's my overall rating:

[ Just to be fair my 1150 has an MRA varo screen, no exhaust (cat only) ]

Stability: 1200 Adv (by miles), 1200, 1150
Torque: 1150 (by miles), 1200, 1200 Adv
Power: 1200 (just), 1150, 1200 Adv (slow)
Gearbox: 1200 Adv (amazing), 1200 neutral-1st clunk, 1150 tractor
Weight distribution: 1200, 1200 Adv, 1150 (top heavy)
Screen: 1200 Adv (outstanding), 1200, 1150
Comfort: 1200 Adv, 1200, 1150

Snoop.

 

[Shep]

Road all three yesterday in quick succession. Here's my overall rating:

[ Just to be fair my 1150 has an MRA varo screen, no exhaust (cat only) ]

Stability: 1200 Adv (by miles), 1200, 1150
Torque: 1150 (by miles), 1200, 1200 Adv
Power: 1200 (just), 1150, 1200 Adv (slow)
Gearbox: 1200 Adv (amazing), 1200 neutral-1st clunk, 1150 tractor
Weight distribution: 1200, 1200 Adv, 1150 (top heavy)
Screen: 1200 Adv (outstanding), 1200, 1150
Comfort: 1200 Adv, 1200, 1150

Snoop.

Just out of interest what were the milages of the bikes tested

Shep

 

[snoopy]

Oh not alot on the 1200 Adv, just enough to get the feel. I've road a couple 1200's before though. The 1200 Adv is an awesome bike. I ca't get over how good the wind protection is. Quieter at 80 then 30 on my 1150

 

[Shep]

Oh not alot on the 1200 Adv, just enough to get the feel. I've road a couple 1200's before though. The 1200 Adv is an awesome bike. I ca't get over how good the wind protection is. Quieter at 80 then 30 on my 1150

Sorry I meant how many miles had the bikes done

 

[snoopy]

Roughly:

Adv 14k
1200 24k
1150 37k

 

[bmwbikeruk]

How come did you think 1150 (98Nm) has more torque than 1200 (115Nm)? I feel 1200 is more effortless. However I must agree that 1200GSA is fantastic in weather protection, almost like 1200RT!

Road all three yesterday in quick succession. Here's my overall rating:

[ Just to be fair my 1150 has an MRA varo screen, no exhaust (cat only) ]

Stability: 1200 Adv (by miles), 1200, 1150
Torque: 1150 (by miles), 1200, 1200 Adv
Power: 1200 (just), 1150, 1200 Adv (slow)
Gearbox: 1200 Adv (amazing), 1200 neutral-1st clunk, 1150 tractor
Weight distribution: 1200, 1200 Adv, 1150 (top heavy)
Screen: 1200 Adv (outstanding), 1200, 1150
Comfort: 1200 Adv, 1200, 1150

Snoop.

 

[Gas'd Off]

How come did you think 1150 (98Nm) has more torque than 1200 (115Nm)?

I may be wrong here but......In order to get 15 extra Horsey Powers out of the old boxer engine it needed some serious retuning and this has moved the torque further up the revs. So although the 1200 does actually have more torques it doesn't have as many torques at the lower revs as the 1150 so so feels weeker unless you give it some.
Cue somebody to correct me

 

[Les Wassall]

Gearbox: 1200 Adv (amazing), 1200 neutral-1st clunk, 1150 tractor

No clunk on my 1200, just smooooth

 

[Shep]

I've ridden a couple of 1150's and have owned 3 1200's now

The 1150's seem to have that turbine smooth torque/drivability at low revs , and I feel if you've adjusted your riding style to utilise that (which many have) just jumping on a 1200 for a quick blast without altering your riding style may leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed, the 1200 is a torquey engine once it has a few miles on it

Of the 1200's i've owned, the 04 model felt the fastest with a big surge in the midrange easily capable of lifting the front in second on the throttle,and capable of hitting the rev limiter in 5th with ease, the second bike was bit more sanitised, still with a bit of a rush abourt 4-5000rpm but it was smoother more refined.
The GSA has what feels like a very linear power delivery (compared to the first GS)
torque/drivability is improving with miles i dont feel it is any slower than my second 1200


The fuel mapping effects the characteristics of the 1200's drivability to a huge extent even down to throttle response much more so than any other FI bike i've ridden

As for the screen i've not found it that much better than the tall wunerbra one i had on my last bike, more rigid thats all, the winglets and the huge tank give alot more protection than the basic model


Shep

 

[dirtydog]

Torque: 1200 (by miles),1200 Adv, 1150

Comfort: 1150, 1200, ADV 1200

Fixed...

Very in depth report...

 

[Shep]

Talk: 1100 owners(by miles), 1150 owners (close behind), 1200 owners (still out riding).

Fixed it

Shep

 

[APE]

my 1200GS produces more torque than my old 1150GS (both with Remus, chip etc) at all revs from 2.5k up (and significantly more power).

 

[snoopy]

This is not a report, it's my thoughts based on trying all three within a short timeframe.

Shep is bang-on about the torque and about customed riding style.

I'm amazed you rate the 1200 more comfortable than the 1200 adv. The wind protection on the adv was incredibly refined during our gale-force outing in Scotland at the weekend.

 

[cookie]

Stability: 1150 (by some margin), 1200 Adv (but lighter on it's feet, quicker turning & generally nicer, more modern feel), never ridden a standard 1200

Torque: 1150 more torque really low down , needs less revs to get moving. above that, 1200 feels at least as strong.

Power: 1200 Adv (feels much quicker), power delivery on the 1150 is very smooth but feels very sluggish and slow to rev compared to the 12 however.

Gearbox: equal. 1200 Adv (much lighter), 1150 feels like heavier bits moving about (none the worse for that). supposedly "better" box on the 12, no advantage that i can see. perhaps if you ride in plimsolls?

Weight distribution: 1150, 1200 Adv (top heavy). worrying feel when dropping into slow corners sometimes. demands confidence & commitment. no worse than 1150 GSA perhaps. if you want to go quick in corners, don't buy the ADV version of either IMO.

Screen: 1200 Adv (great, but could be higher), 1150

Comfort: 1200 Adv, 1150 (standard seat is a joke).

noise: 1200 ADV (very nice as stock) , 1150 (dyson) assuming standard exhausts.

lights: 1200 ADV (adequate), 1150 (not as bad as some would have you believe).

brakes: 1200 ADV non servo, 1150 non servo not that far behind. 1150 servo: ok when it works. 1200 ADV with servo: massively overbraked & miles too sensitive. all servos now binned by bmw, need i say more?

luggage: 1200 ADV (proper rack), 1150 rack too small + it can crack.

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

Re Stability of the 1200ADV

Hi I agree the 1200 ADV is fantastically stable.I used to feel my 1150 ADV had a flat tyre or was going to fall over if I got on it after my KTM 950 SM ,but the 1200 feels great and falls into a turn really well even in this cold weather.I am sure as the miles grow it will get even better ,though riding it home for the first time I wish I,d kept the 1150 as well .Had I kept it I think I would have been typing this from a Hospital bed so my wife tells me!

 

[Flipfly]

Comfort really depends on who you are, stability is down to personal feel and it depends how you ride as to which engine suits you best. The 1200ADV has a fantastic screen, I think that is universally accepted but the rest is down to personal preference.
Snoopy if that's what you found then the answer has got to be to buy one. Personally I'd have any of them from the 1100 through to the 1200ADV, I think they all have their merits. I have an 1150 and the gearbox is shite, the wind protection is ok, the engines so so and it handles pretty well, nice and stable though and I love it to bits. I think the 1200ADV is a bit twitchy but I'd still have one if I could. Don't think it'd be because it's a better bike, but more cause we all like a change from time to time.

 

[Gas'd Off]

FWIW: Before I bought I test rode three different 1150's and each one felt completely different

 

[dirtydog]

The ADV 12 may have a great screen but the the seat is the the Devil's armchair. It's shite, to narrow, doesn't extend up the tank far enough and is sculpted out to much But the 12's engine is a peach and it handles better than the ADV 1150 too. Great gearbox apart from that shite 'long' first gear. Finally, it's to big and heavy, but it looks fantastic

ADV 1150 has a fab seat, crap wind protection, smooth engine, crap gearbox, nice short first gear, to 'top heavy' and to slow.

1200: nice little mover, comfy, quick, twitchy (love it!), frugal, best 'all-round' bike IMO

 

[Paul Wakefield]

The torque on the RT is still getting noticeably better low down after 15k. (I realise it is in a different state of tune to the GS). Quite often I find myself tootling around at less than 2k rpm. OK it won't do much from there but once over 2k, it gets going. When new, it was dead as a dead thing below 3k. My 1150 didn't take as long to bed in. I haven't ridden an 1150 for a while but I reckon the RT would stack up well against it (something I didn't think I'd say when it was new).

Paul