2024 1250 GSA: lowered or standard?

[Yorkshire Twat]

I think it does stay on the prescribed setting

Assume the 'auto' just adjusts re load etc and guess takes sag into account.

Happy to educated if im talking rubbish

 

[GSian]

Thanks a lot for the reply and attention, guys, I really appreciate it. Indeed, I think it doesn't make sense to get a lowered one.

I'm sure the height / weight of the GSA makes the piloting experience amazing, but I guess my main concern is, indeed, very slow speed manouvering. But indeed, considering that this represents 2% or less of the usage of the bike, it doesn't make much sense to get a lowered just for that. Also, I guess if I get stuck or something, I could always lower down the suspension electronically for the moment right?

You'd be surprised at how good the 1250GSA is at slow manoeuvring. I've been riding for 50 years this year, this is the easiest bike I've ridden for this. The low hight setting is only good to reassure you if you did need it. But, it's easy to do without putting your feet down at all, as long as you remember just look at where you want to go.

When I was doing my advanced, my observer encouraged me to find a disused car park and practice before every ride (and test). 3-4mph U turning from 1 bay to another at full lock became easy after a short time.
Previously, before doing advanced, I'd rarely used the rear brake at all, for anything . The use of rear brake and the balance of the bike was the key I think. Made me look better than I thought I was.

In contrast, I have a Harley Breakout that is really low, I can't do the same on that as what I can on the GSA.

 

[Trento]

You'd be surprised at how good the 1250GSA is at slow manoeuvring. I've been riding for 50 years this year, this is the easiest bike I've ridden for this. The low hight setting is only good to reassure you if you did need it. But, it's easy to do without putting your feet down at all, as long as you remember just look at where you want to go.

When I was doing my advanced, my observer encouraged me to find a disused car park and practice before every ride (and test). 3-4mph U turning from 1 bay to another at full lock became easy after a short time.
Previously, before doing advanced, I'd rarely used the rear brake at all, for anything . The use of rear brake and the balance of the bike was the key I think. Made me look better than I thought I was.

In contrast, I have a Harley Breakout that is really low, I can't do the same on that as what I can on the GSA.

That's very good to know, thanks! Also looking at where you want to go is a great, many times undervalued, motorbike hack haha for both high and slow speeds.

Interesting practice, I'll try experimenting with that after a couple of months of GS - indeed I heard great things about the slow manoeuvring. What worries me more is uneven weird terrain to park / turn back, etc. But that's minor, I'm pretty convinced to try the standard suspension.

 

[TechnoGSA]

I'm in the 36in (to the floor) inside leg with a std 23 1250 GSA. The biggest issue I find is road camber, dips/high/low spots, or hills (I live in Devon and if you do too you'll know what I mean) where you've got the camber going up when turning right, this can leave you a few ins short of being able to touch the ground at all. In these occasions it's all about positioning the bike i.e. facing up the hill as much as you can to narrow the gap or good use of throttle v rear brake to allow you to not have to stop, slowly roll up to, observe and pull out, not always possibly though. The other issue I and I know many others have experienced, is top heaviness once you allow or find yourself just that little bit cantered over too much, especially loaded or with a pillion.

I've got caught out a few times by road camber or dips and the bike just cantered slightly too much, once you go past the balance point it's a real fight to stop it going over. The best you'll do sometimes is put it down gently and this isn't a strength thing as such, I have no problem in picking up my fully loaded GSA from the ground. It's just the balance catching you off guard, you have to think about how/where you stop taking into consideration all of the above. I know a fair few GSA owners, all of us have dropped their or had to allow their bike to drop under control at some point and you will drop yours too. Get some of the those crash bar protectors or nicely cut transparent plastic attached to the upper cylinder protector bar, these will stop the bars from being pitted/scraped when they touch the road.

 

[Zoton]

From what I remember
Quick press road and dynamic
Hold cycles through min auto, max

Engine needs to be running

Think you need to be sitting astride the bike as well for the auto get a reading

Carl on 'just the way it is' explains things much more fully on U tube.

He's worth watching re gs matters

Hope this helps

I agree, he explains things very well ,even I can understand it. I have the GSA "low" suspension and at 5'8" short with the standard seat in the low position its very manageable , in town I have it at min pre load and set to auto when out and about, easy to play with the ride height and works a treat, drops very quick to low and takes time in auto to calibrate, even slower at cold temperatures .

 

[Santa-2512]

Height has nothing to do with feet down,
Inside leg and arch, are the deciding factors

The LC models are 60 mm wider at the seat position than the Hex heads,

The hexheads have also gained 30mm seat height throughout the model revisions

So the gains of 30mm lowered suspension. Factory option x499 are wiped out by the increase in seat width

If you want to get as low as possible on a factory low you need

Seat bars in low position, offset seat bobbins

And an ultra low seat

That if I recall gets you to around 780mm seat height

 

[Trento]

I'm in the 36in (to the floor) inside leg with a std 23 1250 GSA. The biggest issue I find is road camber, dips/high/low spots, or hills (I live in Devon and if you do too you'll know what I mean) where you've got the camber going up when turning right, this can leave you a few ins short of being able to touch the ground at all. In these occasions it's all about positioning the bike i.e. facing up the hill as much as you can to narrow the gap or good use of throttle v rear brake to allow you to not have to stop, slowly roll up to, observe and pull out, not always possibly though. The other issue I and I know many others have experienced, is top heaviness once you allow or find yourself just that little bit cantered over too much, especially loaded or with a pillion.

I've got caught out a few times by road camber or dips and the bike just cantered slightly too much, once you go past the balance point it's a real fight to stop it going over. The best you'll do sometimes is put it down gently and this isn't a strength thing as such, I have no problem in picking up my fully loaded GSA from the ground. It's just the balance catching you off guard, you have to think about how/where you stop taking into consideration all of the above. I know a fair few GSA owners, all of us have dropped their or had to allow their bike to drop under control at some point and you will drop yours too. Get some of the those crash bar protectors or nicely cut transparent plastic attached to the upper cylinder protector bar, these will stop the bars from being pitted/scraped when they touch the road.

Yes, I totally get you. I currently live in a very flat area of Germany (unfortunately, I really enjoy canyon roads), but I come from a very mountainy twisty part of Brazil, and there I had to act exactly as you said with my Harley: positioning the bike properly when facing these uphill awkward situations: always leaving a lot of room to the next car/bike above, open the curve as much as possible and try to make the turn quickly in a way that you'll be facing the up the hill as soon as possible. And always look where you want to go, not down. I think following these principles + having a good "connection" and experience with the bike's manoeuvrability, should be fine.

 

[Doc]

I went for the factory low GSA1250.
Best thing i did with being a short arse. Especially two up touring with it being a big bike to begin with.

 

[Trento]

I went for the factory low GSA1250.
Best thing i did with being a short arse. Especially two up touring with it being a big bike to begin with.

What's your height / leg size if you don't mind sharing?

 

[Doc]

What's your height / leg size if you don't mind sharing?

Height 5ft 7-8 ish
Inside leg 30 ish.
I can measure properly if it helps

 

[Spook1969]

Trento,
I am roughly the same size as you but 90kg. I test rode the standard and the factory low even though I found the standard no problem height wise. I bought the low one as it steered quicker through the bends and with the seat on the high setting the footpeg/seat space seemed the same:

 

[Trento]

Trento,
I am roughly the same size as you but 90kg. I test rode the standard and the factory low even though I found the standard no problem height wise. I bought the low one as it steered quicker through the bends and with the seat on the high setting the footpeg/seat space seemed the same:

Nice, thanks for sharing. Do you ride with load and/or +1? Any concerns about the smoothness of the ride due to a smaller suspension/spring course?

 

[Trento]

I plan to ride with +1 most times, and loaded a lot of times. Any tips if the standard suspension would be better for this kind of usage? Part of me thinks yes, as the bigger suspension course, which would maintain the smooth ride. I've also read that a fully loaded low suspension acts a bit weird.
But another part of me thinks: it will be to heavy to hold it without proper flat footing haha. But I'm tending to go towards conclusion 1: standard would be better.

 

[Spook1969]

I generally ride solo with half luggage (panniers).
I sold my bike last week and have gone back to a standard R1200GS

 

[Trento]

I generally ride solo with half luggage (panniers).
I sold my bike last week and have gone back to a standard R1200GS

May I ask you why?

 

[Spook1969]

I had a late 23 1250GSA.
Brilliant bike but tbh I found it boring. It literally excels at everything and numbs the experience.
The fuel range is continental, the comfort is better than any other bike I’ve had, the ergonomics and tech are first class. The luggage system is excellent and the bike has no right to handle as well as it does. Personally I loved the look of it as well (Rallye colours with gold wheels).
Sounds stupid but I quite like the chore of a long tour on an inappropriate bike so the GSA was the polar opposite.
I’ve had a lot of bikes (I have six atm) and done a lot of miles and my favourite bikes have been either a 2016 KTM 1190 Adventure S or the 17/18 plate R1200GS. Looks like I prefer the less ‘tech’ loaded bikes than the newer ones really, that and the KTM was 130bhp and the GS was 125bhp

 

[L2RKE]

Thing is.... Are you going off road. If not, why do you need the ht, / ground clearance?

 

[Trento]

Thing is.... Are you going off road. If not, why do you need the ht, / ground clearance?

Not really, I don't intend to. Ground clearence would be more to support the load + pillion and assure the smooth road experience. If I'm sure I would have the same with the lowered, I'd be fine with it tbh.

 

[Doc]

I plan to ride with +1 most times, and loaded a lot of times. Any tips if the standard suspension would be better for this kind of usage? Part of me thinks yes, as the bigger suspension course, which would maintain the smooth ride. I've also read that a fully loaded low suspension acts a bit weird.
But another part of me thinks: it will be to heavy to hold it without proper flat footing haha. But I'm tending to go towards conclusion 1: standard would be better.

Nothing wrong with the suspension two up fully loaded.

 

[Trento]

Nothing wrong with the suspension two up fully loaded.

Nice, thanks for confirming. Thinking that the lowered GSA is the standard GS, it makes sense that the suspension should be just as good.