1250 to 1300-Is it worth the upgrade ?

[Boxerlust]

Arsey I would not call that riding just putting around but on these straight roads partly wet and cold you cant go riding but ILMAO listening to these gurlz how much more dynamic the new one was and how much more feedback it gave them… And best of all when the 1250 pulled away on the roll-on blaming it on the heavier weight of the fatso sitting on the 1300… Cant wait to test the new one myself to see if you can actually feel the difference in power and put top case and boxes on it and see if it still wobbles like an old goats dick above 120 mph…

 

[Hann]

Chopsie has spoken

...which just goes to prove that you need to demo a bike yourself..
Those two reckon the 13 is more refined, i found the opposite when i rode one recently.
The gearbox especially on the 13 i tested was pretty crap to be honest, clunky and stiff, notchy-feeling, the clutch action was not particularly smooth either and those two added together made for some clumsy shifts at times.
My 1250 only requires the slightest pull on the clutch lever combined with the merest pressure on the gearlever to make barely-perceptible slurred gearchanges. Tried that on the 13, no go..
Engine vibes were more pronounced on the 13 - my 1250 was silky smooth in comparison when i got back on it, these two niggles made the 1250 to be the one with the feeling of refinement, not the 13...
They are right about the power of the 13 though, very, very quick, `bars go light and wobble in first 4 gears as front end goes light after quickshifting up the `box when giving it some, engine does not complain either about opening the throttle even at very low engine speeds and in a higher than you would normally use, it just pulls without complaint. Electronic intervention is a bit brutal if you pull away with gusto..
Talking of the quickshifter, it`s still not brilliant. Sometimes there is too long a gap between power off and on again which makes for a lunge and `pogo` type shift instead of a seamless transition. The 1250`s is slightly better i feel. It does however like to change down gears now, something my 1250 resolutely refuses to do! The 13 changes down better than it does going up!
Brakes: plenty, `Suspension: well damped and firm-ish, handling: agile and flickable.
The 13 - even though my demo had the Akrapovic - was far too quiet, the predominant sound on a bike needs to be the exhaust note not the engine clatter...
Overall the 13 feels a lot smaller, nimble and agile, sporty, but i am used to a GSA so i suppose it would, wouldn`t it. And that is why the 13 does not appeal to me at the moment- i prefer the barge-like mass of the 1250, compliant suspension, `sit in` riding position and cartoon-like looks of the GSA.
In fact the whole character of the 13 is now so much about road dynamics it`s hard to imagine it being an off-road bike at all.
Salesman reckoned 13 - sorry 14 - new GSA could be ready as soon as Sept and will look `nothing like the GS`, which is good...

 

[Deleted account 251212001]

Agree with Leadfarmer , feels the same as the old 1250 . Not crampt at all , but we do have the view as owners not testers .1000 + miles in now , great bike , to add its a new design , so some will find it odd compared to the old bike but its the same , like a new pair of shoes , not the same as the old ones but give it time , its the same....

didn't you go for a higher seat Stick, you will probably have a bit more legroom if you did ?

 

[Boxerlust]

Hann…interesting as I have not ridden the new GS myself and Motorrad Top Test revealed that the new one is only faster proved by the rwhp diagram because of gearing at speeds above 100 mph…Lambchop and his friend acted like little girls giggling and talking about really…nothing showing how wet and boring the roads were.The engine of my GS is completely smooth and so is the gearbox but I have to admit that I have never used the shift assist because I can shift much smoother than the gear assist pro ever can… More power of the new one great but smaller tank and quiet exhaust/more mechanical noise not so ! Question remains if it takes top speed with bags/top case without the goats dick wobble…Waiting for the answer and how bad they will screw up the new GSA…

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

Don't say that. I've got high hopes for the new GSA. .....

 

[Boxerlust]

I am with you Onahi

 

[stick]

didn't you go for a higher seat Stick, you will probably have a bit more legroom if you did ?

I have but not arrived yet as with most extras , I may not need it as the position feels fine . Always used one before on the 1250 as felt too much in the bike , crazy frog type position , and the high seat put me in the position I prefer , so far not so with the new one. I will still try it tho as nothing ventured nothing gained .

 

[MartinK]

Suprise noone mentioned the 1300GS as a comparison with the new 1200 Tiger. ?
When I rode the Tiger I felt it slightly (compared to a 1200/1250 GS ) sharper more nimble, slightly lighter, a bit more 'ballistic' above 6000 rpm.... A bit better braked ... Basically most of the characteristics people are saying about the 1300GS!!!

Just my thought.... Not ridden the new GS yet

 

[Arsey]

Suprise noone mentioned the 1300GS as a comparison with the new 1200 Tiger. ?
When I rode the Tiger I felt it slightly (compared to a 1200/1250 GS ) sharper more nimble, slightly lighter, a bit more 'ballistic' above 6000 rpm.... A bit better braked ... Basically most of the characteristics people are saying about the 1300GS!!!

Just my thought.... Not ridden the new GS yet

The Tiger is physically much bigger than the 1300

 

[MartinK]

The Tiger is physically much bigger than the 1300

I think seat height is same?
Weight only 7kg difference (fuelled, but Tiger has bigger tank)
Power more closely comparable (Tiger is 150bhp) than 1200/1250 GS
I think they have the same braking system now? (Stylema?) - seemed a bit better than the brakes on our 1200/1250's

Huge price difference tho....

Was chatting to a mate (GS owner) - we were going to try and take test rides on the Tiger and 1300GS back-to-back... Would be interesting! (to me anyway!)

 

[Rushy]

Could some of those issues like poor gear change etc not just be down to the bike being brand new ? How many miles on the test bike ?

I’ve only had one new bike in the past 30 yrs, my Spitfire , and when it was delivered the gear change was very notchy and recalcitrant. I hadn’t noticed this when I briefly rode one of their test fleet at the NEC but that had plenty of miles on it . By the first service it had improved somewhat and also I had them put a much better oil in it and voila by 1K it was fine.

 

[Arsey]

I think seat height is same?
Weight only 7kg difference (fuelled, but Tiger has bigger tank)
Power more closely comparable (Tiger is 150bhp) than 1200/1250 GS
I think they have the same braking system now? (Stylema?) - seemed a bit better than the brakes on our 1200/1250's

Huge price difference tho....

Was chatting to a mate (GS owner) - we were going to try and take test rides on the Tiger and 1300GS back-to-back... Would be interesting! (to me anyway!)

Triumph 1200 GT is 850/870. Rally is 875/895.

1300GS is 850

 

[leadfarmer]

Could some of those issues like poor gear change etc not just be down to the bike being brand new ? How many miles on the test bike ?

I’ve only had one new bike in the past 30 yrs, my Spitfire , and when it was delivered the gear change was very notchy and recalcitrant. I hadn’t noticed this when I briefly rode one of their test fleet at the NEC but that had plenty of miles on it . By the first service it had improved somewhat and also I had them put a much better oil in it and voila by 1K it was fine.

I think a lot is down to personal perception and expectations, and maybe user error in some cases

I had a quick shifter on my Euro 3 1200, so before the gearbox update, I found it brilliant as soon as you’d understood how to use it, either on the gas or off but not half throttle. A lot of people find them crap, fair enough, but then again I saw a YouTube video recently where the guy was saying gear changes were jerky with the quick shifter, he was dipping the clutch at each change

I find the gearbox and quick shifter on the new bike far smoother than the old one, for me it’s superb, maybe I just got lucky, twice

 

[MartinK]

Triumph 1200 GT is 850/870. Rally is 875/895.

1300GS is 850

Yes...in base spec, both 850

 

[Hann]

the new one is only faster proved by the rwhp diagram because of gearing at speeds above 100 mph…

Talking about gearing...
Interesting fact about the gearing on the 13 is that it has regained the few mph that the 1250 lost over the previous models so that the ’ busy’ feeling has gone.
As someone who is hyper-sensitive to engine speeds I found the 1250 slightly low geared and revvy. Great for throttle response and accelleration but tiring on tour. There were even times when i went for an extra 7th gear...
At 4000rpm 1200 Hexhead did 72mph, 12/1250 LC dropped down to 69mph. The 13 is back up to 73.7! Doing m`way speeds at under 4k is nice`n`relaxing.
I`ve fitted an RT final drive to my GSA which gives 73mph at 4k so is similar to the 13 but in theory i`ve lost a bit of flexibility with the higher gearing, not a prob as i prefer the relaxed, rangey feel and the bike still retains plenty of rideability, it is after all exactly the same as an RT... The 13 has the higher gearing and the power.....

 

[Boxerlust]

Hann you can see on page 7 the Motorrad Top Test Arsey posted…The 1200/1250LC had the same gearing despite the 1250 having more power and Torque than the 1200 which made it feel much more powerful without giving it more top speed…I did the same when I had my 2016 R Nine T and put the shorter R1200GS reardrive on it…The bike felt like it had 10-15 hp more faster acceleration and roll-on! Now the 1300GS having a real 15 hp/nm more over the 1250GS but 10% longer geared cant pull the last 12 mph off possible speed and not faster roll-on because it has not enough power for the taller gearing…Nothing a few mm more stroke and 1400 cc would not solve As you can see the 1250 has the same rwhp up to 100 mph where the 1300 finally clears off…! Clearly Lambchop and his boyfriend in the LCR video where full of sheet doing there little roll-on videos on wet roads talking out of their arses experiencing all that added performance and “feed bag”…

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

You do highlight some very questionable claims with the 1300. The obvious being the "Slight of hand" or, "underhand" weight claims. Smaller fuel tank, No center stand etc ...... Those gullible will fall for it. But like you say, the GSA will be the new king.

 

[stick]

I think seat height is same?
Weight only 7kg difference (fuelled, but Tiger has bigger tank)
Power more closely comparable (Tiger is 150bhp) than 1200/1250 GS
I think they have the same braking system now? (Stylema?) - seemed a bit better than the brakes on our 1200/1250's

Huge price difference tho....

Was chatting to a mate (GS owner) - we were going to try and take test rides on the Tiger and 1300GS back-to-back... Would be interesting! (to me anyway!)

Blimey , have you connections to the banned one .

 

[stick]

You do highlight some very questionable claims with the 1300. The obvious being the "Slight of hand" or, "underhand" weight claims. Smaller fuel tank, No center stand etc ...... Those gullible will fall for it. But like you say, the GSA will be the new king.

What … a Mr Creosote of the fat bloke in the room , ffs

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

What … a Mr Creosote of the fat bloke in the room , ffs

just one Wafer thin mint ?