After riding socialist 2strokes (Mobra50, CZ175, MZ250) in my early days, I have only had rice burners (and I say it endearingly) XT600, GSXR1100, Blade900, and the amazing R1. Oh, and when I felt the need to batter and bruise my body like I hated it I was taking an LC4 (KTM600) off roading and enduroing (I know, I know but I just like making verbs, English being so permissive that way).
While I was having my R1/LC4 tandem if anyone would have told me that soon I'll be riding a Bavarian boxer and enjoy it I would have laughed loudly in their face and called them names.
In autumn 2007 a friend of mine who did a longer stint through Europe on a GSXR750 and needed massive attention from a kiropractor on return, asked me to join him in visiting a BMW dealership where he had booked a test ride *on a GS12. I accepted his invitation split between what I thought will be a slow boring ride along his test tractor and the fun of whizzing past him just to make a point.
It turned out that the BMW dealer was an old acquaintance of mine from my moto racing days and he absolutely insisted that I too take a GS for a spin. I tried to politely decline by hinting at my gleaming R1 in the parking lot but he would have none of it, so I mounted a GS feeling rather silly in that new to me upward position, like a doggie waiting for a biscuit.
To cut a long story short, our test ride ended about 4 hours later (instead of the 90 minutes agreed) and upon return, that very afternoon before leaving the dealership I had already made a first payment for a GS.
Since then me and my trusted "Beem of joy" have been together for almost 50,000 Km now, out of which 30,000 done in 2008 while on a 4 moths trip all around Europe, from Sicilly to Lapland.
I might have been just lucky, but in 5 years and almost 35K miles I had "0" (zero, zilch, nada) problems with my bike. Gas, regular oil changes, tires, service inspections and maintenance rigorously observed and that was all I ever had to do. The rest were just thousand after thousand miles of joyful riding.
Accessories? Well, that's a completely different topic. Kitted as it comes out of the factory the GS is hardly a bike apt at touring, and to such an extent is this aspect obvious that I even wonder if BMW don't have shares or some secret deal with Touratech and Wunderlich, the 2 main suppliers of after market bits for our beloved G(elände)S(trasse)s. So if proper touring, as this bike otherwise fuly deserves, is on your agenda be prepared to shell out a few good quid to improve it's all weather (especially wet) ridebility.
In conclusion my advice, if you're reasonably satisfied with the bike you currently ride, is to NOT test ride a GS. You'll just end up having one.
Oh, and just one word to those funny, funnypeople bringing Triumph into a conversation about reliability and good engeneering / build quality. Read my lips: whhhooooooaaahhhhhahhhhahahahahahaha!!!
Excellent post, I enjoyed that.
, Check the key antenna and Fuel Pump Controller part numbers, if they are the ones to avoid get them changed, (see previous threads regarding these) mine were done under warranty at my insistance even though they had not caused any fault. Although they should have been replaced during a scheduled service, but somehow mine got missed. Keep the pressure washer away from bearings and seals. I can understand that the fuel strip issue is annoying, there are other more reliable methods of calculating roughly how much fuel you have left, such as using the trip meter. Final drive issue appears to be a case of luck, chance and over exposure to a few problems which occasionally could have been serious are not all that regular. At least the front wheel is unlikely to fall off as it has on some F650's recently, that's gotta be something worth worrying about.
