Glad to see you back on a GS, you're nowhere near old enough to be on an RT Sven
Andres
Oi - Mr Absent Masticator, don't be so bloody ageist...!
. The need to hoon on a GS isn't age-related. It's a state of mind. Just ask Micky.....
Bye Bye RT, Hello GS WC
- Thread starter sven
- Start date
Oi - Mr Absent Masticator, don't be so bloody ageist...!
. The need to hoon on a GS isn't age-related. It's a state of mind. Just ask Micky.....
Which one is best ....
I work on an RT and have a GS. And I seem to put a different head on with each bike. Engineering is a clever clever thing, and how they build a bike to have character and soul beats me. Whilst I don't physically ride them any differently, I definitely take on a different personality with each bike.
For me, the RT is a true sort of roadcraft bike if yer like. It is sublime at covering distance in that page one paragraph one ... 'quiet efficiency is the hallmark of the expert .....'. Sit still, look like yer asleep, and hoon like a gentleman. Yep, you can still ride it like yer stole it, you can still scrape yer pegs and cover distance at a real pace, but for me, it takes on this sort of 'Raffles thief' personality. Very smooth but in a controlled, calm way.
The GS though .... it makes me lairyer ! This time I want to loft the odd wheelie off a rise in the road, have a bit of a super moto push the bike under me style on the odd ocasion, brake hard into a corner (much harder than I would on the RT
I wouldn't say one is better than the other, just very different, and your natural character and persona is possibly going to suit one bike more than the other ?
I'm not ready for the RT yet
I couldn't agree more Giles.
On the RT I used to glide along effortlessly, everything was done smoothly, safely & with the minimum of fuss.
I could sit on it all day long, relax & really enjoy the ride.
When it came to the twisties she was far more capable than I ever will be of hustling alone.
She was more comfortable, easier to ride, better fuel consistency, better mirrors & at no point did I worry when riding her.
She was a far better height for me to pull up safely at the lights & also to park. I also found her much easier to manhandle when slow/stopped.
Every trip, be it 10 miles or 510 miles was an absolute delight & a joy.
The GSA that I've bought on the other hand? Oh dearie me.
It's a bike that insists on being ridden, properly ridden.
I'm 50 years old & experienced enough to know better but when I get onto the GSA I turn into a lunatic teenage dickhead.
I ride it too quickly & dangerously.
At the time it feels great but whenever I got off I think 'You rode like a tw@t today'.
I'm constantly waiting for the day I get a speeding ticket through the post, or pulled over by one of Thatcher's Fascist Bully Boys.
I used to have a Fireblade & I put a sticker on it it that said 'The road is NOT your personal racetrack', which I always ignored, then regretted ignoring.
I got rid of the 'Blade because I was going to either lose my licence or my life.
I fear the same potential outcome with the GSA.
To be fair I did the same as Timaloy - RT to GSA in October 2013...
I loved the RT - would still say it is the best all round bike I have ever owned.
The GSA is a very different take on things - but I am really loving every minute of it. Lots of things I like about it and lots of things I miss about the RT. Thing is - I do maybe a couple of trips away per year the rest is basically riding with a group of IAM mates at the weekends - for the 2 times per year the RT was better than a GSA it made sense to move to a more "active" ride for the majority.
I feel the GSA is a "tighter" bike at most things the only things the RT did better (for me) were:
Motorway trips
Basic capacity (for autocom / puncture kit etc)
Heated seat (only very occasionally)
Multi screen (time as well as temp shown at same time..)
Fuel economy (52 mpg vs 48 mpg)
Things I dont miss are:
The weight (its not much but it feels more)
Cleaning regime
Slack gear change
Tyre noise
Rust (but in fairness not had the GSA long enough)
Heavy Top box
Tiny numbers on the speedometer
Saggy ESA
In some ways its a bit of a dead heat - the true test will be do I still feel the same in 3 years??
Rik
P.S Sven - Good luck with the new bike - hope you enjoy.
I loved the RT - would still say it is the best all round bike I have ever owned.
The GSA is a very different take on things - but I am really loving every minute of it. Lots of things I like about it and lots of things I miss about the RT. Thing is - I do maybe a couple of trips away per year the rest is basically riding with a group of IAM mates at the weekends - for the 2 times per year the RT was better than a GSA it made sense to move to a more "active" ride for the majority.
I feel the GSA is a "tighter" bike at most things the only things the RT did better (for me) were:
Motorway trips
Basic capacity (for autocom / puncture kit etc)
Heated seat (only very occasionally)
Multi screen (time as well as temp shown at same time..)
Fuel economy (52 mpg vs 48 mpg)
Things I dont miss are:
The weight (its not much but it feels more)
Cleaning regime
Slack gear change
Tyre noise
Rust (but in fairness not had the GSA long enough)
Heavy Top box
Tiny numbers on the speedometer
Saggy ESA
In some ways its a bit of a dead heat - the true test will be do I still feel the same in 3 years??
Rik
P.S Sven - Good luck with the new bike - hope you enjoy.
David Lee
Guest
Timaloy - you are aware that Giles is a motocycle cop surely ????
I don;t think he's a Fascist
I don;t think he's a Fascist
sven
Registered user
I ride two-up 99.9% of the time which is the RT's forte. I'm surprised you mentioned saggy ESA as my RT is much stiffer than my old GS MU which in turn was stiffer than the GSA I tested. Tyre noise probably depends on the tyres. The Conti Trail Attacks on my GS were very noisy - can't say I've noticed any tyre noise on my RT.
The RT is very tyre sensitive. The solo handling was quite slow on the BT021's, but very good on BT-023's. Two-up and fully loaded it is very confidence inspiring and it came back from the Picos with shredded tyres and zero chicken strips.
I want a GS WC for the reasons Giles mentions above - it is so much quicker and feels like a real hooligans bike. I've missed the performance of my K1200S since I sold it and whilst the RT pulls better than the old GS at speed and is better for quick overtakes, the GS WC felt properly quick and I'm hoping it'll put the fun, rather than the ruthless efficiency, back into my biking. I was tempted by the RT WC, but I prefer the GS WC styling.
Timaloy - you are aware that Giles is a motocycle cop surely ????
I don;t think he's a Fascist
Maybe he has crossed paths with the biker traffic cop off the tele up in north yorks- speaks to all his customers like they are imbeciles and doesn't let them get a word in? Always the same- the minority get the rest a bad name...
Worse than that I'm afraid - I live in Lincolnshire & have never had a decent experience with any of them - ask Att, he'll tell you what they're like.
It was said slightly tongue in cheek though as I am fully aware of Giles' job. He does, on the face of what he's written on this forum, seem to be one of a very rare breed indeed - a decent Fascist Bully Boy
I had an rt and had to get rid because I was travelling too fast. That fairing separates you from the world, invariably making you feel that you are going slower than you are.
The GS has more character, but I'm quicker on an rt, just less thrilled.
Enjoy ya new bike
The GS has more character, but I'm quicker on an rt, just less thrilled.
Enjoy ya new bike
R2D2
Registered user
Went from Gs to Rt, the only thing that annoyed me bout Gs was
all the bits u needed to buy on top of purchase price. Only thing
I bought for Rt is mud guard extender.
Love the change, vvv. happy !
Troppo
Bemused observer
I have both.
They are both different. Pros and cons for both.
The RT handles magnificently for a tourer...never owned a big bike that handles so well in the twisties.
The GS is great fun - the stock front tyre is annoyingly noisy, though.
What is really noticeable is the different weight flywheels...the GS (2014 GSLC) spins up quickly and is more raw to ride.
The RT (2014 RT LC), with its heavier flywheel and higher gearing, is smoother and more refined.
Both are excellent machines.
They are both different. Pros and cons for both.
The RT handles magnificently for a tourer...never owned a big bike that handles so well in the twisties.
The GS is great fun - the stock front tyre is annoyingly noisy, though.
What is really noticeable is the different weight flywheels...the GS (2014 GSLC) spins up quickly and is more raw to ride.
The RT (2014 RT LC), with its heavier flywheel and higher gearing, is smoother and more refined.
Both are excellent machines.
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