Battlax tyre wear and very poor handling.

Katy M said:
The bike is new with ESA so I very much doubt it’s a suspension thing - especially having seen other comments now.
Just sh**e tyres really then.

If things don’t change with a new set then the bike will be on the market.
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Honestly, the GS IS one of the best handling bikes out there. I have owned literally all sorts, R1 various GSXR, Ducati, KTM, S1r and 3 GS. Short of extreme road riding or track use, the GS is a sweet handling bike.
Sort the tyres, sort the tyre pressure, put some miles in. (They defo have a different feel (or lack there of ..)
But handling issues are not a GS trait.

If I could remember how to post pictures I would show you a Conti Road Attack 3 ragged to the edges in Spain just a few years back…
 
I had Bridgestones as standard on my 2nd and 3rd GS and thought they were far better than the Michelin Panickies that were on my 2016 1200. What's your riding style like, are you pushing the front as the GSA is a big heavy old bus which if you do might explain your tyre wear?
 
My previous GS and current GSA came with A41s. I remember the front on the GS being quite heavily worn and oddly shaped at around 4 1/2k.
With 2500 miles on my GSA and a 3500 mile trip coming up I changed the front to ensure I didn’t have any issues while away. The plan was to replace both front and rear to something I prefer when I got home. I’ll be honest, I’m not a Bridgestone fan.
As it happens the trip didn’t go ahead.
Now this maybe in my head as I’m no superstar test rider but what has surprised me is that the new front A41 does feel different to the original tyre bearing in mind there was only 2500 miles on the first one.
I’ve not ridden in very wet weather yet.
 
J biker said:
Honestly, the GS IS one of the best handling bikes out there. I have owned literally all sorts, R1 various GSXR, Ducati, KTM, S1r and 3 GS. Short of extreme road riding or track use, the GS is a sweet handling bike.
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Yeah. This is what bothers me and we discussed it: so many others can’t be wrong- can they?
May be it is me and my style and the different front end!
I don’t know what I can do about my style, it’s always been the same and other bikes have behaved far better than this GS.
The point about the tyres still stands - and others have had same problem.
Maybe the bike just isn’t for me.
Here’s hoping new shoes will sort it.
 
As I said earlier, I came to the GSA from a GS. I’ve definitely found the GSA feels quite different to my GS. Feels to me in needs a bit more muscling around. I’ve mentioned this in other posts and if I’m honest, at this point I prefer the handling on my GS.
Katy came from a 1290, a very different bike. On top of that tyres that are not instilling confidence.
I know from my own experience that once you’ve lost confidence in your bike / tyres / whatever it’s so hard to turn it around. We all know riding is all about confidence, if you’re heads not in it, it feels wrong, if you’re tense it feels wrong. It’s in your head all the time that you don’t trust something.
Please Katy, do not misunderstand me, this is not me saying this is in your head, it’s me saying I’ve been there when it just doesn’t feel right.
I hope a new set of rubber improves it for you.
For the record I too went onto Conti Trail Attacks on my GS and found them a significant improvement.

Good luck
 
Hartley said:
As I said earlier, I came to the GSA from a GS. I’ve definitely found the GSA feels quite different to my GS. Feels to me in needs a bit more muscling around. I’ve mentioned this in other posts and if I’m honest, at this point I prefer the handling on my GS.
Katy came from a 1290, a very different bike. On top of that tyres that are not instilling confidence.
I know from my own experience that once you’ve lost confidence in your bike / tyres / whatever it’s so hard to turn it around. We all know riding is all about confidence, if you’re heads not in it, it feels wrong, if you’re tense it feels wrong. It’s in your head all the time that you don’t trust something.
Please Katy, do not misunderstand me, this is not me saying this is in your head, it’s me saying I’ve been there when it just doesn’t feel right.
I hope a new set of rubber improves it for you.
For the record I too went onto Conti Trail Attacks on my GS and found them a significant improvement.

Good luck
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I agree with all you say. It is difficult to ride a bike when you cannot predict when it will step out of line.
I too hope new tyres sort it otherwise I’ve spent a lot of money for no return.
For the record; I’m considered a fast(ish) but smooth rider that can push things on - just not on the GSA then!!
 
Katy M said:
I agree with all you say. It is difficult to ride a bike when you cannot predict when it will step out of line.
I too hope new tyres sort it otherwise I’ve spent a lot of money for no return.
For the record; I’m considered a fast(ish) but smooth rider that can push things on - just not on the GSA then!!
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There's definitely a different way to riding a GS. Its all i've ridden the past 3 years, even when having a loan bike from the Dealer.
Recently i had a F900XR and i couldn't get on with the handling. When starting to push on just a little bit It felt unnatural/wrong to me - but that was probably because i wasn't riding it the right way.
Might be worth jumping on one as pillion to see if the rider is doing anything different to you, and picking up on anything else?
 
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