1150 vs 1200?

[Bobmoz]

Apologies as I am sure this has been done many times but can’t really find what I’m looking for in search.

The question is, are the early 1200gsa’s a considerably better ride than the 1150?

So… I have been looking for a good 1150 for a while
I had one briefly before, as I found a bargain and fancied trying one, loved it.

A bit of history for context: I like light bikes
I will always have a light adv bike aswell
I have just sold my AJP PR7 (didn’t want to but whilst rennovating a house I don’t have a dry garage/workshop, so thought it better to sell and buy another when I have a suitable space)

My intent is to buy another older gsa for day to day and so my son can come on trips with me but I will also buy and build an old drz400 into an adv travel bike for now

My budget is £7k for both a gs, a drz and all the parts I need to build the drz.

So… I love the 1150, I think it is a much better looking bike and appreciate the simplicity but I am seeing a few early 1200gsa’s in budget.

Interested in your unbiased opinions
Cheers

 

[Mzokk]

1150........completely biased opinion.......and you don't need a GSA.

 

[KMD]

I had many years on an 1150Gs, eventually sold it to buy a nearly new 1200. No matter what I threw at the 12, I couldn’t make it work for me. Sold it and bought an 1150 again.

 

[Udders]

1150. End of.

 

[jetjock]

Once the 1150 has the 1200 injectors and serviced well with the tappets and end float set with good tolerance , nicely balanced throttle bodies and it makes a great motorcycle with a superb engine and I’d say better than the 12 . Nice and simple to maintain too. Probably a set of decent shocks as the icing on the cake . A Y piece exhaust helps too.

I tend to prefer my 1150 over my 1300 . The 1300 is a great motorcycle but the 1150 has something else .

 

[jefformston]

Once the 1150 has the 1200 injectors and serviced well with the tappets and end float set with good tolerance , nicely balanced throttle bodies and it makes a great motorcycle with a superb engine and I’d say better than the 12 . Nice and simple to maintain too. Probably a set of decent shocks as the icing on the cake . A Y piece exhaust helps too.

I tend to prefer my 1150 over my 1300 . The 1300 is a great motorcycle but the 1150 has something else .

View attachment 442885

What are the benefits of 1200 injectors?

 

[mikeyboy]

If you buy an early cheap 1200 look out for failing coil sticks,final drive issues,propshaft wear.
A replacement clutch is expensive,gearbox input shafts can be noisy and fail.
If all of these issues have been attended to,go for it.
Otherwise,buy an 1150

 

[Nin]

Or just get an 1100 …

 

[jetjock]

What are the benefits of 1200 injectors?

Night and day . With the standard injectors the bike see seems to struggle in E ( over drive gear I believe ) but with the 1200 injectors fitted it copes really well even at relatively low RPM. The low down torque is so much improved and the engine is suddenly very smooth compared to previous fitted injectors. The bike is a different bike . I wouldn’t go back to the OEM injectors . You have to ride the bike to feel the difference

 

[dub 24]

As has been said 1150 all the way you don't need a GSA. I still have one alongside my twin cam 1200gs. Best of both worlds without spending a great amount of money

 

[Mad Hatter]

I've owned two 1150GSA's and two 1200GSA's. For me the 1150 is definitively the better bike. The reliability is better, the quality of the metal finishes and paint is much much better, the character of the engine is better. There was nothing on the 1200's that I actually thought was better than the 1150. Unfortunately it wasn't until after I'd owned the 1200's that I discovered the 1150's (idiot)

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I will just leave this here …..enough reason to get a 1150 Adv

 

[jonnie comet]

I ran both for many years. I bought my 1150 used but with just 1,200 miles on it and bought a brand new 1200.

The 1150 was by far the better bike. The memory of that lovely underseat tool kit - everything in it's nice little place, with the puncture outfit etc, still makes me go all gooey....

If you're the sort of person who likes 'nice' things - nice switches - nice levers - nice mirrors - nice high quality plastics, then it's the 1150 all the way.

 

[Neil W]

Went from a 1999 r1150gs (owned for 10 years ) to a 2011 r1200gsa, 2014 r1200gsa lc, 2018 r1200gsa lc to a 2021 r1250gsa (which I still have ). However, I still bought another early r1150gs a couple of years ago and out of all of my bikes it gets the most use .

Back when the first r1200gs's came out I tried them on a couple of occasions and they did not do it for me .

The 1150 is easy to work on and parts are readily available and they are more than capable of huge mileages

 

[Mad Hatter]

I will just leave this here …..enough reason to get a 1150 Adv

View attachment 442900

Not to be outdone, here's my pair

 

[johnnyboy]

For me a 1200 twin cam is the best out of all of the above....

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

For me a 1200 twin cam is the best out of all of the above....

Heathen

Engine is dreadfully vibey though

 

[johnnyboy]

Heathen

Engine is dreadfully vibey though

Vibey? Don't talk shite

 

[Mad Hatter]

I always thought the 1200s felt flatulent when you are trying to get a wiggle on (think long sloppy fart as you hold the throttle open) but somehow the 1150's don't

 

[dub 24]

My three the red and black I sold (idiot) was originally a bumble bee which had been used for commuting so after 3 years was in a bad way so had the frame stripped of it's original yellow colour and powdercoated red.
I de -badged some the tank graphics.
Also resprayed the various parts black

The white was originally a grey 1150 in bad shape so I went with my own colour scheme.

The 1200 came with the red saddle set up,the original owner bought s set of OEM black so the red wouldn't get dirty