2013 GS - is the TE version worth the extra?

bejam

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Eh up from Sheffield.

I'm looking at buying a GS, after test riding one from Rainbow on Friday.

Firstly, the dynamic ESA and various other electronic malarkey. Is it worth stumping up the extra £2K for the Touring version? Was the previous GS really so rubbish without ESA? :)

I'm concerned about "more to go wrong" further down the line, as well as the obvious showroom salesman patter, "you should really get the more expensive model, sir..."

Also, I'd welcome some help from fellow UK business users/owners. I'm VAT registered, so will be buying this as a company bike. Has anyone got any tips on whether to go for the BMW lease/balloon payment deal or just to claim the VAT in one go up front and just get a regular business loan to pay the rest? I don't want to stump up all of the capital in one go.

Any tips welcome.

Many thanks in advance,

Ben.
 
Thanks Paul - useful stuff.

I'm mentally referencing all of this against the Pan European ST1300 I had a few years ago - where the most useful bits of extra tech to me were ABS and heated grips for the winter.

If I go for the base model GS, which includes ASC, plus comfort pack (heated grips etc), it looks like I'd be saving £2K on ESA and "Riding Mode Pro", which I'm not certain I'd get a whole load of use out of. I tend to set a bike up to suit most of what I'm doing and leave it that way. I currently have a bike with 3 engine map modes (Aprilia Dorsoduro) and have never changed the maps, as the standard road map works just fine all of the time for me.

I imagine this GS configuration could be potentially appealing at re-sale time further down the line - I guess there must be others who don't want to stump up for the ESA/Riding Mode premium?

What do you guys think?

Cheers,

Ben.
 
bejam said:
Eh up from Sheffield.

I'm looking at buying a GS, after test riding one from Rainbow on Friday.

Firstly, the dynamic ESA and various other electronic malarkey. Is it worth stumping up the extra £2K for the Touring version? Was the previous GS really so rubbish without ESA? :)

I'm concerned about "more to go wrong" further down the line, as well as the obvious showroom salesman patter, "you should really get the more expensive model, sir..."

Also, I'd welcome some3 help from fellow UK business users/owners. I'm VAT registered, so will be buying this as a company bike. Has anyone got any tips on whether to go for the BMW lease/balloon payment deal or just to claim the VAT in one go up front and just get a regular business loan to pay the rest? I don't want to stump up all of the capital in one go.

Any tips welcome.

Many thanks in advance,

Ben.
Click to expand...

Ben, ESA has been a round for some time, I chose it on my 2009 GS and 2011 GSA, its handy to be able select modes for riding on the move, and modes for loading when still - is it essential? No, not in my opinion anyway, just handy to have if and when.
This year I took my longest trip just under 3000 miles, I set up for the additional weight of the gear strapped on and that was that, rain sun sleet no need to alter.
If i was to choose a GS/GSA No. 3 I'd go for the basic, the most beneficial component I've ever used have been the heated grips, thats my preference for next year.:thumby:
 
I have the TE, with DESA. For me, its a great feature, as I ride down gravelly bumpy B roads, so set the suspension to soft to soak up all the bumps, then when I get to a fast A road, I'll select hard, which firms everything up.:thumb

I could probably live without it, but now that I've had it, I wouldn't be without.:rob:beerjug:

And you also get the LED headlight, which makes HID look like a candle.:D
 
bejam said:
I imagine this GS configuration could be potentially appealing at re-sale time further down the line - I guess there must be others who don't want to stump up for the ESA/Riding Mode premium?
Ben.
Click to expand...

Yes and no :D

Lots of folks will not look at a second hand GS unless it has all the toys i.e. you get posts on here saying they want a GS/GSA but must have dynamic and premium packs.

Then a good number of folks would not want a second hand GS with ESA as when they go wrong they cost a small fortune to replace out of warranty.

If like me you tend to set up a bike and then leave it as it is or are constantly swapping between solo and 2 up riding then ESA is not going to be that much of a benefit.

LED headlight - do you ride at night a lot/what are they going to cost if they go wrong ;)

Do you really need cruise control on a bike - hardly ever use it on my car :augie

Personally I would not worry about residuals - just buy what suits you and spend any money saved on petrol and tyres :D:D
 
I spent a full day on a test ride on a bike with all the toys and for the first couple of hours it was quite good playing about with all the settings but once the novelty wore off I left it alone and just rode the bike for the next 5 hours.
I then decided to buy a bike without the toys and have never given them a second thought.Set your suspension up to your personal preference and get out and enjoy your bike.As for ABS you dont need it if you ride to the conditions.
 
Lunepilot said:
I spent a full day on a test ride on a bike with all the toys and for the first couple of hours it was quite good playing about with all the settings but once the novelty wore off I left it alone and just rode the bike for the next 5 hours.
I then decided to buy a bike without the toys and have never given them a second thought.Set your suspension up to your personal preference and get out and enjoy your bike.As for ABS you dont need it if you ride to the conditions.
Click to expand...

Just worth pointing out ABS is mandatory on every new bike in the EU from January 2014, must be worth having cos the Eurocrats say so eh......
 
New TE ordered today.

Rainbow BMW said it would take months to order the standard model (yes, really...) and, instead, offered a sizeable contribution towards the TE.

Purchase of a GS ensures that my membership of the card-carrying bearded old fart brigade is now unequivocal.:):)

Can you get a Radio 3 receiver to go on that?..
 
bejam said:
New TE ordered today.

Rainbow BMW said it would take months to order the standard model (yes, really...) and, instead, offered a sizeable contribution towards the TE.

Purchase of a GS ensures that my membership of the card-carrying bearded old fart brigade is now unequivocal.:):)

Can you get a Radio 3 receiver to go on that?..
Click to expand...

Congrats.:thumb The new GS ain't like the old beardy weirdy ones.:rob:JB
 
bejam said:
New TE ordered today.

Rainbow BMW said it would take months to order the standard model (yes, really...) and, instead, offered a sizeable contribution towards the TE.

Purchase of a GS ensures that my membership of the card-carrying bearded old fart brigade is now unequivocal.:):)

Can you get a Radio 3 receiver to go on that?..
Click to expand...

Well done you wont be disappointed:cool:
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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