1200GS or CBF600? cmon surprise me

  • Thread starter Thread starter gsnoob
  • Start date Start date

gsnoob

Guest
I'm 5.6 with a 30.9" inseam. New to biking, only rode some biggerish bikes on hols in Crete, Spain etc (transalp and drag star most recently). I'm 36, dad of five (2 b, 3 g, between 2 to 13), more to come hopefully - just so you know what I am risking if I get in trouble on a bike.

Just got my license and am in love with the universality of the 12gs. My concern of course is the sheer size of the thing. Walk past one every morning on way to work and I keep asking myself if I could really use this beast for commuting. I would go for the 820mm low seat option on an 08gs (local BMW dealer prepared to sell their fully loaded 13000km test bike for EUR14k, worth EUR18k+ new).

So its either going to be that, OR an 08 CBF600 (probably naked). I know, worlds apart.

Pros and cons of 12gs as I see it:

Pros
-best bike ever
-versatility
-given the noob I am the electronic traction control on 08 model would give me some more confidence

Cons apart from price
-bl-y big
-will i regret it in city traffic?
-huge screen - I would have to be looking through it, not over it. I am a bit of a cleaning nerd when it comes to monitor screens, windshields, my glasses etc - if I have to stare at or through them then I like em clean. Would I not be constantly cleaning the thing?

Pretty much turn the above around and you get my pros/cons for the CBF600.

So, should I start with the CBF, get used to commuting on two wheels and all the rest and THEN go for da real thing or go straight for the real thing?

Would be very grateful for your thoughts
Thanks a lot
 
I am taller but with shorter leg :D

Once on the go they are fine, the size seems to fade away and in city traffic they just whip along, almost like a big motard. Ok, watch the very tight spaces...

The standard seat on low should be fine, even on the standard setting. I used a taller seat than standard.

It was my second bike and my riding improved considerably. If you can manage the stationary manhandling I reckon they make a great first bike as when ridden sedately and sensibly they forgive.

I'd take ABS and no traction control, ABS will get you out of more scrapes.

If your heart says GS, you will keep wanting one. I wanted an Africa Twin when I passed my test, found it intimidating, had an SV for a year then got the GS. The GS was the best balanced feeling of all the big traillies I tried as a big bike noob.

An alternative is a DL1000 or even 650. very capable bikes.
 
I'd take the CBF every time - you can build up experience and save a LOT of money :thumb
 
At 5'6 you'll struggle with a 1200 gs even with the lower seat option.

As with all these bike vs bike threads they are all a bit pointless as your decision should be made up when you test ride the bikes concerned.

Book an afternoon test ride on each bike and make your mind up from there.
 
Steve said:
Why not consider the F800GS or F650GS?

Not quite as big a handful as the 1200, but more fun than the CBF.
Click to expand...

Many thanks Steve.

Thought about both actually.

Methinks:
F800 looks swell, even more of a looker than the 12gs imo. But seat is even higher plus reviews point out a number of relative weaknesses compared to 12, some of them due to the model being new which I am sure will be remedied next model year and some simply down to fact that this is a different proposition altogether.

F650: the new one is a champ in reviews (except the mid stand which sticks out like a sore thumb but as a noob it will be prob take me years to scrape it in corners so dont care). Not a looker, bmw are keeping it plain to protect the market for the big bros 800 + 12.

All in all, I want to end up on a 12gs. Question is how to get there the fastest and cheapest.

If going straight to gs and start pranging it and running up repair costs because of my inexperience with biking in general then thats going to be too expensive. The alternative would be to get experience on a cheaper bike - both the 650 and the 800 are too expensive to be this cheaper option....
 
The White Rabbit said:
I am taller but with shorter leg :D

Once on the go they are fine, the size seems to fade away and in city traffic they just whip along, almost like a big motard. Ok, watch the very tight spaces...

The standard seat on low should be fine, even on the standard setting. I used a taller seat than standard.

It was my second bike and my riding improved considerably. If you can manage the stationary manhandling I reckon they make a great first bike as when ridden sedately and sensibly they forgive.

I'd take ABS and no traction control, ABS will get you out of more scrapes.

If your heart says GS, you will keep wanting one. I wanted an Africa Twin when I passed my test, found it intimidating, had an SV for a year then got the GS. The GS was the best balanced feeling of all the big traillies I tried as a big bike noob.

An alternative is a DL1000 or even 650. very capable bikes.
Click to expand...

WR many thanks for your response.
 
Big Nick said:
At 5'6 you'll struggle with a 1200 gs even with the lower seat option.

As with all these bike vs bike threads they are all a bit pointless as your decision should be made up when you test ride the bikes concerned.

Book an afternoon test ride on each bike and make your mind up from there.
Click to expand...


Thanks Big Nick. I should do that shouldn't I. I _will_ do that. Not much time though, these bmw dealers know how to make you think you have two seconds to make up your mind whether you want to buy the test bike. "So are you interested in the test bike or not". The way things are.

Thanks again
 
Big Nick said:
At 5'6 you'll struggle with a 1200 gs even with the lower seat option.
Click to expand...
:nenau

I am 2" taller with the same inside leg.
I managed fine most of the time with an 1150 with the seat on high, fine ALL the time with a 1200 with seat on high, and now manage ok with a new GSa with the seat on low.


The rest of your post made a lot more sense.:thumb
 
I agree with Trev. cbf got to be the best option to start with. Are you intending to tour e.t.c .or just commute and spin around on? Better with a fairing of some sort if you are planning longer runs,especially if the weathers a bit dodgy.
 
I'd go for the CBR or an F650GS.
My hubby is taller than you and has the same inside leg measurement. He test rode the 1200 and loved it He got one as his first big bike, and soon regretted it. As a new rider short legs can be a problem - with experience your legs seem to grow!

There is a lot you can do to the F650 to make it look a bit beefier, but if you don't fancy that go for a shorter bike than the 1200GS. Or try out the newer lowered version.
 
One thing you don't seem to have factored in are the practicalities of the bike.

For exaple:
Insurance (inexperienced rider the GS might be quite high)
Servicing costs (if you are going main dealer then GS definately high!)
Repairs (GS repair bills are pretty high on some issues)
Shaft V chain (shaft a definate advantage)

Not sure about vienna, but my GS was a pig to commute on in central london. It's do-able, and a very controllable bike, but my maxi scoot is just so much better in the city. For me, when it comes to commuting, I try to take the emotion out of my bike choices, and look to which one is going to be better at the job. I sold my 1200 as it wasn't getting used and it was too much for commuting. Soon I'll need a new bike for commuting, and am seriously thinking about the F650. Has everything I need, but the main thing is good fuel economy! Now if only they put the belt drive on the damm thing it would be perfect:spitfire
 
I'm 5' 7" with an inside leg of 29". I bought the F800GS and rode to Austria. My girlfriend is Austrian and so I spent 10 days commuting in and out of Linz, Linzland and beyond. It managed fine with traffic, trams, cobbled streets and twisty Austrian roads :beerjug:

I took the lower seat option and on longer runs I use an airhawk. Side by side there is not much in it. (see picture below)


http://www.flickr.com/photos/everywherevirtually/2798455038/



I love the 1200GSA and would love to have one but what concerns me is trying to lift the bike fully loaded off the stand when it also has a full tank of fuel. The beauty of the F800GS is that the fuel is under the seat which lowers it's centre of gravity. :thumb
 
Last edited:
everywherevirtually said:
I love the 1200GSA and would love to have one but what concerns me is trying to lift the bike fully loaded off the stand when it also has a full tank of fuel.
Click to expand...

The standard 12 really isn't that heavy even with a full tank. It carries it's wieght down a lot lower thn the 1150.
 
You will get "taller" as time passes, and you get more experience of riding. Until then why stress yourself unnecessarily? Get a bike that will give you pleasure, do most of what you want, and "grow" in confidence and height. Having ridden Elvie's new 650Gs, I cant help feel that it might be the right way to go. Have a look at the blog to see what we got up to earlier this year.
As for short people riding tall bikes, I'd remember what Ogri said in one of his cartoons. " It's not what you ride, but how you ride it " I can't see any point being halfway up, or half way down the Grossglockner and only being able to manage your bike most of the time.
 
p.s you might want to consider also a V-Strom 650 Suzuki - i bought one for commuting in Italy in Naples and it was a storming bike :thumb
 
The 12GS at first seems an enormass hulk of a thing!:eek:

If I get on anything else now its like riding a mini moto!:D

Once youre used to the size it becomes the norm!:thumb2
 
I second that. I learnt on a Honda Varadero 125 and all the other learners gasped at the height of it. Again when I bought the F800GS it seemed tall but now it's normal. I've also recovered it when it looks like I was going over. It's all about confidence, technique and planning.

The 1200GS doesn't look so big anymore and I'd be happy to try that. When I met Nick plumb he looked the same height as me. Check out some of his promotional shots against his Dakar bike. It looks massive.

All the GS's give you a great road presence and you feel great when riding them :thumb2
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top Bottom