Another reason to have a GS

[richie]

Riding home tonight 60 miles mostly motorway in flat Belgium.
Pissing down with rain 40MPH cross wind and it felt very stable.
There, one more good reason to own a GS.
(I've never owned a baike which was so stable in a cross wind and believe me over here we have crosswinds)
Anybody know another bike as good. It's about time magazines told us about real world capabilitie of bikes. I've owned a few rice bikes where I used to get up early to see if it was windy before deciding to ride to work. (SAD but true)

 

[TimC]

You're right, riding home from Chew Magna last night on a pretty blustery wet night there was a fair bit of buffeting on top of the hills, but the GS felt planted on the road.

TimC

 

[BTBR]

Is that with or without a top box fitted?

I ask coz when my E52 box is fitted to my (up for sale 2003 Africa Twin) bike, the whole lot gets blown about all over the shop.

Alan

(Only two more days to wait for the GS to be delivered......... )

 

[cactipus]

The old 93 GSXR 1100 used to be as solid as a rock in all weather , but it was low down and damn heavy, well maybe not as heavy as the GS but heavy enough. But I agree the GS is very reassuring

 

[Rabbitson]

Interesting that you mention about the topbox making a load of difference as my 11 seems to get blown about all over the place, although to be fair it is a large givi job (big enough for two full face helmets), so it probably would be too big for just about any other bike anyway!!

 

[TimC]

Well I have a large Nonfango topbox fitted to my bike and I did'nt have any problems at all.

TimC

 

[BigDave]

I noticed the same. On my Tiger, I'd get blown about like a torn sail on a pirate ship. The GS just stays the course.

 

[BawdyMonk]

On an A class road or motorway, with crosswinds and rain, nothing better than an RT1150.
shoot: I'm nothing if I'm not fairly biased!)

No, I not thinking of changing back to an RT, but horses for courses, the GS does most things very well, the RT does one thing excellently.

 

[richie]

No top box, and very stable...

 

[Invicta Moto]

On the subject of givi.... my 1200 bandit Sk1 used to weave like a good un and the bars tried to shake my arms off once above 35mphd and I did everything to get it sorted even lowering the forks in the yokes to get more front down.... when I put it in the givi on GS I was amazed at how calm it was right up to 110 on the clock with it loaded....

 

[ralphy]

Hmmmmmmmm.

My experience is:

Top box (Givi 45) on its own, no problems....

Panniers (bmw) on their own, no problems.....

Top box + panniers, start to get a 'weave' at 70 & gets progressively worse up to max speed (obviously, when abroad on autobahn).

 

[Rushy]

Weave

Givi E45 fitted in addition to BMW panniers.

Utterly stable up to the ton at which point a gentle rowing motion becomes evident in the bars. Definitely caused by the top box.

Not too disturbing but remains up to about 110 at which point the bike stops accelerating anyway and I start to worry about getting another 8 points on my licence which is why I gave up fast bikes several years ago.

Used to own "the" K1. Now that could be effected by side winds but otherwise it was great getting into a semi racing crouch and then sitting at 110+ all the way from my home in Cheshire down to my girlfriend's in London and then often back again in the same day. Only collected 3 points on that one.

Ian