1200GS v 1200GSA

[snerkler]

It comes down to three things:

1) Fuel tank - the GSA has a much better range, which means filling up once a day on tour rather than twice

Yet again, a main plus of the larger fuel tank has been missed I'll state it again. I use my bike for commuting and if having a larger tank means I don't have to got to the petrol station on a weekly basis, and go fortnightly instead that's a massive plus for me. After work I just want to get home, not have the hassle of filling up

2) Screen - the GSA has a better screen as standard, but a GS with a £130 Givi Airflow screen is better still

3) Suspension - the GS suspension is shorter travel, firmer and better damped (I'm comparing ESA bikes here), so has a lower centre of gravity and much better handling IMHO. Coming from sportsbikes and sports tourers, I much prefer the GS.

The ideal GS for me would be an ESA-equipped DOHC GS with a GSA tank and a Givi screen and road tyres

I think much better is a bit of an exageration either way, whether you prefer the GS or GSA. As I said before, I prefer the handling of the GSA. But I find the GS a little small anyway. The GSA is the pefect size for me

To the OP, this is why you need to try the bikes for yourself as you can see we all have different opinions. I still think GS owners are living in denial though and secretly want a GSA

 

[snerkler]

Never ridden a GSA as I could tell by looking at it that after riding sportsbikes for 25 years I was not gonna want a 250kg behemouth with a CofG around shoulder height on daddy long legs style suspension wallowing around underneath me even if the tank of petrol it came with would last me a lifetime.

Looks can be deceiving

 

[coded2112]

Looks can be deceiving

He's right, I went from a 2009 GS 12 SE to a 2011 GSA and the increased tank range is the business. Handling not quite as sure footed but boy you can still through it around, slightly higher suspension is great in town for filtering past high kerbs no chance of the headers or pegs touching!

All in all I would not go back to GS, mind you I did enjoy everyone of my 34k miles in 20 months on the SE.

As they say "ya pays ya money and ya takes ya choice!"

 

[jonny5859]

i cant make up my mind either...

I'm in the same boat now i cant make my mind up as to weather go for a GS or GSA, i had both on test ride for an hour and a half each yesterday..

I have a 600 fazer and getting onto these yesterday was like stepping onto another planet, i just wish i had one now don't care which one lol

I loved riding both and thought there wasn't much difference in them once i was sailing along, the extra weight of the GSA didn't matter, unless i was to drop it, im 5 11 with 32" leg and had the low seat on both, feet flat no probs, i found i was hitting corners faster than i would on the fazer and Ive had it 3 years. I loved riding them, when i got back on the fazer i was so disappointed on having to ride it home lol

Now my problem is which model do i go for? i don't think anything that's gonna be said on here will help, everyone has a different opinion. So prehaps I'm gonna have to get a lone of both for a couple of days and see which i like best, maybe the OP would be best doing the same?

 

[jonny5859]

another thing i have to consider is weather I'm not old and fat enough to have a GS, im only 25years and 12 stone lol

 

[snerkler]

another thing i have to consider is weather I'm not old and fat enough to have a GS, im only 25years and 12 stone lol

I was only 29 when I had my first GS so not much older. I'm only 3 now, and wouldn't swap my GSA for anything. I do think BMW are moving away from the old fart image, although it will take a long time. Bikes like the 1000RR are helping.

However, at the end of the day it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, you're the one who will be buying and riding it. I've found that no matter what bike you have you will always hear a derogatory opinion.

With regards to the 2, do you have no preference at all?

 

[Schtum]

I'm only 3 now, and wouldn't swap my GSA for anything.

Aww....isn't that nice.


Explains a great deal as well......

 

[snerkler]

Aww....isn't that nice.


Explains a great deal as well......

Very funny Obviously was supposed to say 34

 

[Stretchamus]

Not quite, ditch the ESA and fit some quality suspension (Wilburs / Ohlins) I would choose high quality suspension that you adjust manually over low quality suspension that adjusts via a button every time.

Never ridden a GSA as I could tell by looking at it that after riding sportsbikes for 25 years I was not gonna want a 250kg behemouth with a CofG around shoulder height on daddy long legs style suspension wallowing around underneath me even if the tank of petrol it came with would last me a lifetime.

Damn Rasher, you are good

 

[Schtum]

Damn Rasher, you are good

But not good enough. Why would you want to "ditch the ESA" when you could fit the ESA compatible Wilbers shocks and have the benefit of the ESA system working with better quality shock absorbers.....?

 

[Rasher]

But not good enough. Why would you want to "ditch the ESA" when you could fit the ESA compatible Wilbers shocks and have the benefit of the ESA system working with better quality shock absorbers.....?

Cos you still have 3 settings, my suspension has about 30 clicks on each of 4 damping adjusters, so with just 3 settings your gonna have a very soft setting, a bang in the middle setting and a rock hard setting, I like a sort of medium-well done setup and find it works for me over 95% of the time. ESA would give me two settings that are either side of what I want - possibly perfctly filling the other 5% when my base setting is out.

I can however see the benefit for those who want to hop on and go, but as ESA adds about £700, that is over half the cost of the highest spec Wilburs.

Now if you could create 3 of your own pre-set settings I would be wanting it I am sure that will be along in a future generation and I believe the MTS suspension is programmable in this way.

To me the current ESA would be like having a car with electric seats and 3 pre-defined postions, you could gaurantee none of them would work for most people.

 

[jonny5859]

With regards to the 2, do you have no preference at all?

Not at the moment, i found both so great around the twistys i was taking corners faster than i would have on my fazer and i only cruise at 85-90mph on the m-way if no police about so picking one over the other on speed or handling isn't gonna matter since i found no real difference.

I then start to think which looks better but they are totally different in a way too so that doesn't help. Then there is the weight difference but that only matters moving them about the garage then the GSA has the bars to help if dropped so what next do i consider??? then when i do make up my mind...

to top it all off i have to think if i get a new one what options should i get or save my money and get a 2nd hand one like a non twin cam at 2008/09 with everything on it???

then will i like the non twin cam???

its not fun making up my mind lol

 

[snerkler]

To me the current ESA would be like having a car with electric seats and 3 pre-defined postions, you could gaurantee none of them would work for most people.

Suits me just fine, just like the 3 suspension setting on my car.

With regards to you being from sportsbikes and knew the GSA wasnt for you just by looking at it, well you must be some guru I went from sportsbikes to the GSA and absolutely love it. Much more agile than you think

 

[snerkler]

Not at the moment, i found both so great around the twistys i was taking corners faster than i would have on my fazer and i only cruise at 85-90mph on the m-way if no police about so picking one over the other on speed or handling isn't gonna matter since i found no real difference.

I then start to think which looks better but they are totally different in a way too so that doesn't help. Then there is the weight difference but that only matters moving them about the garage then the GSA has the bars to help if dropped so what next do i consider??? then when i do make up my mind...

to top it all off i have to think if i get a new one what options should i get or save my money and get a 2nd hand one like a non twin cam at 2008/09 with everything on it???

then will i like the non twin cam???

its not fun making up my mind lol

Crikey, and I thought I was indesicive lol Wait til you've decided on which model to go for and then you have to choose the colour

I'm sure you would like the single cam, just not as much as the twin cam. There are 2nd hand fully loaded twin cams on the 2nd hand market if you can't afford one new

 

[Rasher]

With regards to you being from sportsbikes and knew the GSA wasnt for you just by looking at it, well you must be some guru I went from sportsbikes to the GSA and absolutely love it. Much more agile than you think

Did you try the standard GS as well?

An extra 50kg puts me off to start with (and that is before you put another half ton of fuel in) surely with all that weight so high up there is a considerable handling advantage to the stock bike, and unless you go offroad the GSA never gives anything back in return.

I can understand how the commuters love it, I used to do 500 miles a week in a car with a 450 mile range, drove me mad!

I just wish the stock GS had another 3-4 litres, that would be perfect for me, as when abroad I like to look for fuel when I still have about 70-80 miles left, at home it is OK as I run it until light comes on which is about time to stop anyway.

 

[snerkler]

Did you try the standard GS as well?

An extra 50kg puts me off to start with (and that is before you put another half ton of fuel in) surely with all that weight so high up there is a considerable handling advantage to the stock bike, and unless you go offroad the GSA never gives anything back in return.

I can understand how the commuters love it, I used to do 500 miles a week in a car with a 450 mile range, drove me mad!

I just wish the stock GS had another 3-4 litres, that would be perfect for me, as when abroad I like to look for fuel when I still have about 70-80 miles left, at home it is OK as I run it until light comes on which is about time to stop anyway.

Used to have a GS Then sportsbikes, now a GSA. I understand that you were never interested in a GSA, and that's your choice. But I don't know how you can comment on the handling and performance without riding one They're nowhere near as heavy, and soft and bouncy as you think. The only judgement I could pass on a bike I've not ridden is its aesthetics

 

[Rasher]

But I don't know how you can comment on the handling and performance without riding one

I was not writing a review of the thing, it just looked big, heavy and unwieldy, the first two comments are accurate, it is bigger and it is heavier, two things known to adversely affect handling, and as a general rule so does longer travel suspension and a higher centre of gravity.

Even if the stock GS is 1% better on the road that's enough for me, I would also assume the GSA uses more fuel as it carries a lot more weight and presents a larger frontal area (although I must admit I have not put the bikes in a wind tunnel to check)

Also the more people bang on about them (GSA's) the more intrigued I become, but if anything an "upgrade" of my existing GS (ignoring the fact it will be to another brand and going on a hypothetical tangent) would more likely involve a 2010 model and fitting of road rims (and the Wilburs of current bike)

I also like the Vario's, the size is ideal for two of us for a civilised Hotel based holiday, I can understand how if riding around the world you need the extra space to put your spare EWS / FPC / ABS Controller / Final Drive but for the typical owner they also add more unnecessary bulk and weight.

 

[Stretchamus]

But not good enough. Why would you want to "ditch the ESA" when you could fit the ESA compatible Wilbers shocks and have the benefit of the ESA system working with better quality shock absorbers.....?

+1 I didn't want to say it Schtum, too much encouragement, I'm sick of hearing about adjustable, by hand wilbers


Best regards Stretch
PS ESA rules and when the shocks are feked I'll buy the adjustable on the move ESA versions

 

[cookie]

i thought ESA was old hat now. isn't auto adaptive soon to be all the rage?

there was me thinking that manually adjusting my shocks once in a blue moon was serving me fine, now i find that even my thumb on a button on the bars can't do it often enough

 

[Merv]

Rashers problem is that he,s not sure if he bought the right bike and needs to constantly convince himself that he has,sounds to me that he has not!Go and try the Gsa then ur comments will hold some merit rather than spouting pish