Am I mad?

[matlockscot]

Afternoon all !

Should I be certified? I'm of that age when I need to spoil myself for a change after 20+ years at the grindstone to feed and clothe the family.

My biking experience is somewhat checkered, I drive round Vietnam on an old Minsk, dodged the taxi drivers in Bangkok on GN125 but that was all years ago.

I'm doing my DAS and wanted opinions on diving straight onto a GS1200 or GSA1200. Has anyone done it? Should I be building up to it?

Would welcome your views....

 

[mikepg]

No, you are not mad. Quite normal in fact. You would be 'mad' not to do it in short.

 

[motobiker]

The 'mad' part is choosing a 12. but you're not alone in that particular brand of insanity.

 

[Roberto]

Sounds like a good idea to me..

Good on 'yer.. Buy it, ride it, enjoy it.

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

I did the same thing at the end of last year and went from DAS straight on to a GSA with all the bells and whistles.

Best thing I ever did

I won't say I havn't had a few scary moments due to the size of the thing , but I spec'd a low seat and had this fettled to reduce the width.

Practice makes perfect (well not quite but improves confidence) and 4,000 miles later I'm on my way to Mull this weekend as a dry run before an attempt on the Alps in the summer.

Just do it

 

[Dave56]

Go for it...............

 

[matlockscot]

Thanks for the encouragment - good to hear that others have done it.

My original post should of course have read "drove" rather than "drive around Vietnam" as I now reside in Matlock.

I'll be heading off to the dealer this weekend to see how I feel about the height & weight (I'm 5'10", 31" inside leg), then once the test in the bag will hopefully be joining your ranks !

 

[TroyTempest]

Good decision Matlockscot. Did DAS at the end of last year and went straight to GSA, I'm also 5' 10". Still undecided about getting a lower seat (standard atm). Cooperman is about 3000 miles ahead of me, but like him, i intend to get abroad this summer.

Just do it

 

[matlockscot]

TroyTempest - great stuff! How do you find maneuvering the beast around? I've ridden a few taller bikes overseas but nothing anywhere near as heavy as the GSA

 

[TroyTempest]

Matlockscot - Maneuvering is getting easier by the minute, the throttle is quite snatchy at low speeds so plenty of clutch control sorts that out, however straight line slow riding is a doddle. I have had a stationary drop but managed to pick it up on my own using the correct technique. I still find myself riding a bit further to look for a decent spot to turn around, rather the attemp a u-turn in the road, but I'm sure a few hours practice in the local car park will sort that out. I like to use the left foot down method when stopping or at lights, if it's a steep camber then my heart skips a beat as my foot travels that last inch to reach the ground. Practise makes perfect and I'm loving every minute of it.

Troy

 

[Dale]

Should I be building up to it?
.

Take one for a ride. If you feel fairly comfortable within 30 minutes, then buy it. If not comfortable (or it feels like a hand full), then go try something smaller. Some may argue that you will learn to ride any bike, but the flip side of this is that you are unlikely to get confident enough on a bike that's too much for you to handle. This is especially true when riding off road.

This comfort is often to do with how big the bike feels .... at 80kg and 5'7, I found the GSA too much for me about a year ago. I bought a XChallenge, spent time honing the skills and have now progressed to 1150GSA (and loving it!)

Consider how safe you are on a bike that you don't feel fully in control of

Dale

 

[matlockscot]

Dale, sound advice. The test drive will have to wait until I get of this learner CBF500 though ! Thanks for the advice guys, will keep you posted on progress!

 

[Gazzabart]

go for it

17 years old = Yamaha FS1E & RD250E til 18
nothing for the next 25 years
mate got a GSA and let me have a go
that was it
i bought one - and have done 25K in the past 2 years
the bike has changed my life - its the best thing i have ever done buying it
every other bike i have sat on seems so small now and todate there isnt another bike that makes me happier to be blatting about on
dont worry about a thing - just go for it - you will love it

 

[jbodin]

Hi
I've had a GSA1200 for 12 months, previously a GS1200. The GSA is a fantastic bike, like others have said before,once your on it you really do want to take the "Long Way Anywhere". I just dont know what it is, but they just get under your skin. Go for it, you will not regret it.

 

[hugh jarrs]

October 1989, finnished my last race on a TZR 250..... 15 years later bought an 1150GS. No problems. Had an F800 ST but went back to another 1150GS cause they're so easy to ride.

 

[YANYOU]

As the actress said to the bishop "Come on vicar once you've jumped on you'll never want to get of"
Do what your heart tells you. There is one good way to justify the intial cost. Work out how much you would waste buying differant bikes, before you end up where you could have started in the first place.
If you see what I mean.

 

[matlockscot]

Yanyou - totally get it! Done enough of that on 4 wheels!

 

[oldchris]

Just back from a 3 week tour to Morocco a couple of week ago, a guy on the trip, who is 60 next birthday, did it on a 1200, with all the gear. He passed his test 6 week prior to setting off. He had no real problems, just takes confidence. He booked the trip before his test.

 

[elevensies]

and calling it a gsa1200!!!! ffs its a r1200gsa


a gs1200 is a suzuki!!!!!!!!!



as your new to this, i let you off, but buy a 1100 or 1150, not a 12, you will understand after a while


welcome aboard this crazy ship

 

[matlockscot]

Lazy typing, apologies!

Stopped in at Rainbow in Rotherham on the way home from Leeds this evening and had a good chat with Shawn there who was very helpful. More importantly, threw my leg over a r1200gsa (hopefully technically correct!) and found it much much easier to maneuvre than I expected. Yes it's a beast but this one had the lowered seat and I had both feet flat on the floor. Full of fuel too! So now just need to get that piece of paper and head back up for a test ride.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragment