Advice - should I buy a GS ?

[Deadskin]

MJR
Not wanting to argue about the pro's and cons of abs
but the overland package will be top of my list when it comes to
buying an adventure

P.S i'd rather have a silver one

Gates

 

[TaffyScouser]

Where did the Triumph Tiger come in the recent RIDE survey of the top 100 bikes???. I have nothing against anything on two wheels powered or otherwise but when it comes to depreciation I get pi**ed off with the buy British mentality. I would buy British if the price was fair, the price stayed high as a second hand value and the bike was not such a tall barge. I rode one for a week as a replacement bike and hated the way it used to dive under heavy breaking. Telelever does it for me and good residual value. I can put up with not having 104bhp in my right hand and love all the GS faults over the cost and maintenance of A DAMN CHAIN.

 

[BBB61]

It's also easy to liberate a few extra ponies on the GS to bring it within 10 bhp ( at the crank of course) of the latest 955 Tigers. No doubt about it, the engine in the Tiger is a gem ( its the detuned version of what I have in my Sprint ST), but its the whole package that counts.

Bob

 

[Nick]

Rhys and Clord,

here's my two pennorth, as one of those crusty 40 year olds who has "worked his way up" to big bikes over 22 years. On the way I have had big scary crashes on a ZZR 1100 and an R1100GS and decided that I owe it to myself to either get good at riding or give it up. I have ended up taking up racing, and getting more out of my biking, even on short journeys around town, than I ever thought possible.

If you like your test rides - and you should get a half day one from a BMW dealer - then go for the GS. Although big it is very easy to ride, the ABS might save your life, and when (not if!) you drop it you'll find it very tolerant of crash damage, and cheap to fix. (To give your body the same qualities, you MUST of course be covered from top to toe in CE body armour on all journeys, however short. But I'm sure you know this!)

BUT - and please don't take this the wrong way - continue to regard yourselves as learners. Most people don't bother with training after they get their test - but the fact is that you can get to an "expert" skill level in a year if you work hard at it. If you don't it'll take 10 years or more...and you won't get half as much fun out of your GS. Invest time and money in training and you can quickly make up for all that time you've "lost" by not starting out as a spotty yoof.

My ideal curriculum would be:

- join your local IAM group and get your advanced test. This will teach you defensive driving, good cornering lines and bold but safe overtaking. And you'll get cheaper insurance.
- do the BMW off road course. You will lose your fear of slippy surfaces and find out the right way to pick up a dropped bike. (Very easy, even for 5'9" shorties like me.)
- do several levels of the Keith Code Cornering School or the European Superbike School, or both. You will learn how to attack corners like a God. And you'll find out how huge your reserves of grip are. Practice what you learn on these courses by doing track days
- do a course at the Nurburgring with the Nurburgring Riders Club. With luck it will rain - you will become a rain master, which is immensely satisfying as well a life saver. Plus you'll learn how to use ALL your braking powers in an emergency. This alone is priceless.

All of these courses are enormous fun as well as great ways to extend your life expectancy.

The above will make you master of the open roads. The one thing you won't learn is how to be safe and fast in the city, courier style. If you want to go at courier speed, you need to practise, practise, practise. Or get a job as a courier!

Hope this is helpful and doesn't seem too patronising.

 

[clord]

I'm surprised this thread is still going!
I appreciate all the comments, both for and against a novice like myself getting a 1150 GS as a first bike. I have swayed between 'I should start off with a cheaper bike' through to 'I should get a damn good bike, the one I want to keep'.
I have decided the 1150 GS is the bike I should go for. I intend to ride defensively and I will definately be pursuing some sort of additional training. I have already discussed this type of thing with my instructor.
Now on the lookout for a VGC 1150 GS with ABS and heated grips. (Dealer prices are absurd!)
PS, I have been slightly un-settled by the tragedies discussed elsewhere on this board. You can be as careful and skillful as you like, with all the experience that many years riding brings, but you still cannot legislate for everything. However if we avoided anything with risk, we wouldn't do anything at all.
My sympathies to all those affected.
Regards
Chris

 

[Simon Eassom]

Clord:
Check out this one . . .

V-plate 1150GS (Mandarin yellow)
4,200 miles only!

£1500 of extras, including:
ABS
Heated Grips
Handguards
Adventure Screen
Colour-coded headlight binnacle
Pannier Rails and panniers
Remus Y-piece

£6995

01604 232000 and ask for Marcus or Matt

 

[David Buchanan]

Should you buy a GS?

Absolutely.

I am relatively new to bikes - passed my test (Direct Access) almost two years ago and jumped onto an Aprilia RSVR aged 43. Now how mad is that? The sense of liberation and and sheer power of the brute was indeed a highly toxic mixture.

However, to get to the point, my wife an I met up with some old friends in the borders earlier this year, one of whom had ridden down on a 1150 GS from Perth.

I had never considered a BMW even after I passed my test, but a chance opportunity to have a blast on a GS changed that. About 5 minutes and 5 miles on twisting country roads I was deeply impressed. Sadly the RSVR had to go and a GS located.

The subsequent receipt of an 1150 GS has not diminished those initial impressions and I have hugely enjoyed riding the bike this summer. I am convinced that a big mileage trip could be on the cards.....

Why?

1) You can see where you are going without getting a cricked neck after 10 miles.

2) Your wrists remain intact no matter how far you ride.

3) You can't use 130 BHP on public highway, but you can use 80 BHP and more importantly 70+ ft/ lbs torque very effectively.

4) No more oiling chains - big plus no oily fingers and fiddling around checking chain slack, etc etc. .

5) Fraction of cost to insure compared to a Superbike

6) Build quality and residuals are virtually bomb proof.

7) Doesn't eat a set of tyres evey 1,000 miles.

8) Doesn't scare the sheep (lots of them in North Yorkshire) - the noise that is!

9) Can it corner - yes it does. On His Toniness' crumbling highways, it carves turns accurately and without the 'shakes' irrespective of the state of the surface.

7) I could go on, but would suggest that you get a test ride on a GS and let the bike convince you instead..

 

[Cbailoid]

Definately GS

I think most things have been said,yes it is a big beast,and it can be a handful to push around,but once you are rolling it's weight disappears.
Definately get some follow up training and treat every ride as a learning experiance.
Once you get it dialed there is so much fun to be had "following" sports bikes through the twisties.Although I have to say one of my greatest pleasures on the GS is just cruising through the countryside,which is something I never did on the ZX9 (I do miss the shear POWER now and then,but not often).
If you have the confidence in your abilities then go for it,the GS is a very rewarding bike to ride.
What ever you decide to get ENJOY it.
Bails

 

[snodog]

oh bloody hell
I think the addiction is starting.


Test ride booked for Friday.

 

[snodog]

oooooops, thought this thing had "auto language" sensor.....

 

[Steve]

oooooops, thought this thing had "auto language" sensor.....

"Bloody"? That's hardly language is it? **** **** ****** ****ing ******* makes the sensor work though...

 

[snodog]

ROFLMAO at Scurrel

try telling my mother that its not "language" !!!

You'll get a skelp across the lug

 

[simon thomas]

Quote from snodog

You'll get a skelp across the lug

...a "skelp" I must meet your mother, I thought that a "skelping" was some kind’ a vigorous, hedonistic underground sex act, involving, large Swedish sauna attendants a group of female trapeze artist, a 3 ft stick and a modest amount of heated lubrication...?

Of course I could be thinking of something completely different


Mmmmmmm
Cheers
Simon T

 

[judge]

Quote from snodog




...a "skelp" I must meet your mother, I thought that a "skelping" was some kind’ a vigorous, hedonistic underground sex act, involving, large Swedish sauna attendants a group of female trapeze artist, a 3 ft stick and a modest amount of heated lubrication...?

Of course I could be thinking of something completely different


Mmmmmmm
Cheers
Simon T

And the reason you knew all that was..........

 

[pint6x]

I'd quite like a 1100 or 1150 GS - currently have an R1100R - paid £3000 which was about my total budget - can't get near an 1100GS for that money, even privately, unless it's got about 80k on the clock.

I have seen an N reg 1100GS with 40k for £4995 at Hughendon M40 which is just a rip-off for a 7 year old bike.

I have also seen 1150GS's for around the £6000 mark.

Is the 1150 a massive difference/improvement over the 1100 ?

Trying to work out whether to save for 1150 or try and get an 1100 sooner. Have to say My R1100R is a blast though !

Philip

 

[THE PICT]

Philip,
R1100R is a great bike however if you want a GS then that is what you must do.As for 1100 or 1150,its down to you.If I was in your position and was happy with the R11R then save for the 1150.If your desparate obviously the 1100 is cheaper and therefore quicker to get.

 

[BawdyMonk]

Out here in Cyprus you can take your test on a GS, a Gold Wing, or a Ninja!, as long as you have a car license you can ride anything on two wheels, I've been told that CY£50 on the seat guarantees you pass your car test as well.. and we're in the EU next year!
The human road kill is awesome, but hey, we need the flies!

 

[Spanish Bob]

No actually I wouldn´t buy one - they are rubbish. Actually we are all marketing executives and work for BMW. Ooops.

 

[BawdyMonk]

**it Bob, and I thought you were really nice guys...............

 

[Gecko]

I did a lot of looking, reading and researching before buying my Beemer and I looked at all sorts.
The main thing that put me off Triumph is their pricing policies.
The cost of a Triumph in the UK is somewhere close to 30% more than the cost of the same bike in America.
(At the time the Triumph Adventurer was £7,399 here, yet $7,999 in California. How can this be?)
Having done a spreadsheet (too much time on my hands) and compared costs I found that the huge majority of bikes available in the UK are more expensive here than in America - except BMW who charge less in the UK. The biggest price difference was - Triumph

This didn't make up my mind to buy a 1150GS BTW, but it did make up my mind NOT to buy a Triumph regardless of how good it may or may not be.
A wonderful example of Ripoff Britain?
And I made the right decision as it happens, the only complaint I have is the numb bum syndrome after about an hour, but I suspect that's more to do with my weight (18st)

Robin
Check out www.wunderlich.com - I bought one of their replacement saddles the 'Ergo -hi' it is 4cms higher than stock and that 4cm is all extra padding. As long as your legs are long enough the saddle is just great . 1 hour is now 3 hours for me