Am unsure following a test ride

  • Thread starter Thread starter loolah
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loolah

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Test rode an '08 GS at the weekend as a possible replacement to my VFR. Was a little daunted at the height and general size of the thing, but even though my feet weren't entirely flat on the ground it felt ok. As soon as I moved off it felt planted & maneuverable.

Bimbled gently down some lanes & while it was comfy and a bit less chuggy than my XT600E it didn't wow me particularly although it definitely had much better wind protection than I'm used to, as I'd been freezing on my VFR and I was quite warm on the GS.

Headed to some dual carriageway and spent 10 mins at about normal cruising speed and found the top of my lid was getting much more buffeting & wind noise (I'd deliberately not worn earplugs). Back through town, and then country roads again & I was a lot more confident, did a few overtakes & was very impressed at how it smoothed out bumps, gravel & other debris but it obviously wasn't nearly as smooth an engine as I'm used to & it certainly didn't have quite the same amount of poke.

Delivered it back to the dealer, but wasn't grinning & wasn't desperate to buy one despite being quite keen on them before the test ride. Should I give another one a second chance and take it for a longer run?

Loo.

PS, do they all pop on the overrun so often, or was the one I rode in need of a service?
 
Welcome to the land of Tossers Loo :thumb

... and Yes, go for another test ride. Try an Adventure, try an F800GS, try another 1200GS, try 'em all :thumb

Once you focus on one particular 'bike go for a loooong test ride :thumb

:beerjug:
 
loolah said:
Headed to some dual carriageway and spent 10 mins at about normal cruising speed and found the top of my lid was getting much more buffeting & wind noise (I'd deliberately not worn earplugs).
Click to expand...

Do you normally wear earplugs. If so how is leaving them out for a test ride going to help you tell what the wind noise is like. Surely you're not comparing like for like.
 
I had the same problems as you've found; buffeting (which led to a headache) & concerns over the seat height. As a VFR owner too I know what you mean, but your legs and arms/wrists will be far more comfortable on the GS.

I've cured the buffeting by using a Givi High Screen for the Winter, then using the stock screen during the drier (hmmm) months lowered down directing the airflow below the helmet.

As for the seat; I found adjusting the rear suspension and having the seat set to low/low or high/low works nicely.

Don't go for the BMW low seat unless you want a really numb bum!
 
Definatley take one for another test ride. Take it out for the day try to get at least 200 miles on it. They do take a while to gel with but once you do you won`t want to go back to VFR. Good luck............:thumb
 
I still have a VFR tucked away in the garage, in bits :blast
They are a fantastic bike, but they do lack character and soul.......much like the 1200GS :hide

The far superior 1150 is the bike to go for, if your a real man, but you will soon learn with the 1200 that 120MPH cruising on the VFR doesn't actually make ya happy.

The GS is a bike that grows on ya. The 1200 is an extra 8" on ya hampton, easier to learn and you kinda know what to do with it.
The 1150 is a fanny in the middle of ya back, at first it seems pointless and of little use, but with time you realise it's actually a very usefull place to stash your travellers cheques safely (well you wouldn't look there would ya!!!).

Either way you'll get used to them and will find some pleasure once you suss out how to use them properly. Have you ever followed a well ridden GS, they suprise many people. It may well not be the bike for you, but I never test ride a bike for anything more than mechanical checks. After my 1150 I got my 650 Dakar. It was uninspiring and slow and overall I would say boring. Now having off roaded it to death, toured Europe, scraped the panniers and pegs on bends and whooped two Ducati's through some of Bavarias finest twisties, I can honestly say it is feckin brilliant.

With the face of a GS, your gonna have to be a freak to fall in love at first sight. But big girls do try harder :thumb
 
The first time I rode a BMW back in 2001 I rode a standard 1150GS for about 45 mins.

I didn't really like it to be honest... it was vibey, heavy and didn't get my juices going.

Then I rode an 1100S and thought that I could get to like it though I wasn't entirely convinced.

However I'm now on my 4th BMW and third Boxer-engined model.

Take another test ride and make it a long one. Have a fiddle with the seat height, levers, screen etc and try to keep an open mind. They do grow on you.

However if, after a prolonged try-out, you're still not convinced don't worry. They're not for everyone and you'll be able to say that you gave it a fair crack of the whip.

:)
 
Just like...

me. Loo last year having owned 3 Blackbirds I fancied a change and I test rode a 1200GS from Motorradd South London. Tony was really fair and he told me to take it anywhere I wanted to and not to worry about the time.
But having got it out onto the M25 I decided that this was not for me and I got back to the showroom as fast as I could to get back onto my BB. A really big mistake on my part there as I had not given myself enough time to adjust to the GS. Of cause it was not going to feel as quick as the BB, going into bends was always going to feel strange in fact everything was going to feel different after all its a twin and not a four cylinder and so you see your opinion is just the same as mine was.However what happened to me was I ended up buying another BB riding it for 3000 MILES and then spent countless money on trying to improve the riding position by buying various bars and risers but in the end I realised that I wanted not a fast bike and rather a comfortable one.Close your eyes all you GS Riders now because you won't want to read this because I now ride a Varadero.Mainly because I got a good resale value for the BB against it but I have not lost hope of eventually getting a GS its just as you will realise I have to be very tactful with the wife before I suggest it.
But as for yourself I would say try it again, if you can go and see Tony and just remember the GS will not be as quick as your VFR but what it will be is more comfortable and you will be able to just enjoy the ride and the scenery. Believe me I know.
 
hondated said:
just remember the GS will not be as quick as your VFR but what it will be is more comfortable and you will be able to just enjoy the ride and the scenery. Believe me I know.
Click to expand...

mmmmm... I'd agree that flat out they arent as quick, but it every useable sense I firmly believe the GS to be quicker then most other bikes, particularly when you get used to riding them.

I've got a lot of friends with GSXers and Ducatis etc and flat out they will leave me for dead, but through the twisties and over a distance the 12GS and GSA are easily a match for these bikes and the bonus is you can still walk at the end of a ride.

I too rode the 12GS before I got a test ride on a GSA, I came from a sports tourer back ground and really wasnt impressed with the 12GS, like you, I like to get a buzz about something I'm going to buy, especially if its got a big price tag.

Test ride a GSA, they have their issues, but my first test ride on one left me grinning ear to ear. As for popping on the over-run... great isn't it ;)
 
Go for another test ride......BMW are fairly generous with their bikes.

Even if you were to buy one, you'd be unsure about it for a few months of ownership...they tend to grow on you.
 
Maybe it's just to big a jump from a VFR to a 1200 gs.
So get an 1100s keep it 3 mnt's,then get an 1150gsa job sorted.:thumb2
Of course it goes without saying that you keep the 1100s.
Having owned several boxers in the past i could not wait to swap my VFR.
Great bike does everything well,glad i owned one, but as has been said soulless. Buy a boxer if you don't like it,you won't lose fortunes when you sell providing you buy wisely.

Steve
 
Thanks all, appreciate all the comments :)

I can understand the comments regarding going for the 1100GS rather than the 1200 but theres been a couple of recommendations to try a 1200GSA rather than the GS. What am I likely to find different testing the GSA that I didn't get from the GS?
 
loolah said:
Thanks all, appreciate all the comments :)

I can understand the comments regarding going for the 1100GS rather than the 1200 but theres been a couple of recommendations to try a 1200GSA rather than the GS. What am I likely to find different testing the GSA that I didn't get from the GS?
Click to expand...

Better handling, better tank range, more 'presence' on the road ... :thumb

More elitism, more style, more to talk about, it's the 'grandaddy' of 'em all :thumb

Better colour schemes, more cliquiness, more difficult to manhandle :thumb

I've had one, and I like my F800GS better, but then I'm a geriatric :rob

Go try one :thumb

:beerjug:
 
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