Considering a GS....read this

[Brian ROSEN]

GS's

Originally Posted by GSdude
I am an advanced rider - to the highest attainable professional standard - both on and off road (if you get my drift), and I can therefore ride a bike just a bit. and if you are even remotely thinking of getting a GS then you should do it. ......and he is on the old lorry type version!

 

[couchcommando]

Now I should say two things here (1) I am an advanced rider - to the highest attainable professional standard - both on and off road (if you get my drift), and (2) I can therefore ride a bike just a bit.

LOL pure comedy at it's best, only came here to gather info not expecting to find delusional souls

You only went faster than a slower rider it is nothing to brag about, advanced qualifications don't automatically make you fast and if a sportsbike means it you won't see which way it went

 

[Corporal Punishment]

I have a Ducati Monster S4 ( bought new ) and a 98 1100GS. I love them both but they're both differant. I just like bikes.

 

[nsm]

oppps sorry but on normal roads the vfr and blackie will kill you. SEEN IT, DONE IT,: BIN THERE, swappin blackie for a gsa at the mo. ALL COMES DOWN TO THE RIDER!

 

[jbodin]

Hi, I,m new to UKGSER,and just spending time reading all the interesting comments. I have also done the sportsbike route, R1s, Blades, Gixxer 1000. Even went off-roading on a KTM 250EXC.I needed to slow down so went down the Harley Davidson route. Christ, tooooo slow!!. To be fair did a tour of the french alps on the Harley and got to see a lot of scenery. Harley's didn't float my boat, and after seeing the Ewan and Charley stuff, thought I could give this a whirl. I bought a GS in december 2007, would you believe it, got my first speeding ticket in Jan 2008!!!!
Went to Austria, did over 7000miles on the GS, not all at once.......Sold it in July 2008, and got the dogs GS Adventure. Don't know what it is, but never want to go home when riding it. Best bike I have ever owned, and will probably be my last bike. I'm just glad I found out the GS experiance before finally hanging my boots up.

 

[Arthurwg]

I recently purchased an 08 Speed Triple as a fun bike to compliment my 05 R12. Although I think the S3 is a great bike, I've got to say that at no time does the Triumph's suspension give me anywhere near the confidence that I get from the GS. Most recently I was riding the Triumph at 75 mph over a long stretch of country road that was mildly corrugated. On previous trips on the BMW this was hardly noticed. But the Triumph was so troubled that it was actually frightening. Generally speaking, I can go point to point on the GS much faster than on the S3.

 

[slparry]

on the road the GS is awesome although I know for a fact I would be quicker on a litre sports bike then my GS although the GS would be more fun

On a track I'll take the sports bike any day please.<snip>.

...erm yes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAwRpgUzUt0

 

[StephenC]

If you want to ride like a tw*t, why not get yourself a race licence and a number and go racing ! A slow rider on a sports bike is just that .....a slow rider..........on anything and will be cuaght by a fast rider on a GS even on a track day. A fast rider on a sports bike can't be caught by a fast rider on a GS..........it's too slow !

And matey you're clearly not that advanced otherwise you would NEVER push someone into a dangerous situation, re-read your training manual,I'm sure it's in there somewhere

I love going quickly on my GS and I love going quickly on my sports bike............on track with a number on, nothing to prove on the road

 

[TC2]

thinking of a change, am i mad?

Fancied a change, got a 90 1150, quite fancy a k1200r, sit-up-and-beg, shaft drive.
Any thoughts?

 

[PowerRanger]

Dellusional???

I must admit, there are some dellusional comments on here!!, dont presume all sports bike riders are crap..i've just got back from a week in germany where two guys were on GS 1200's, and believe me, they were flat out most of the time they even admitted it, while us power rangers were just cruising, our bikes nowhere near the limits of handling and power??, also remember this, in your pursuit to "prove a point" with all your "advanced" riding skills and overtakes that "you normally wouldn't do" do you not just think that some people would rather not risk stuff on the road, and how do you know that the R1 that has just appeared in your mirrors isn't being piloted by a club racer??? who could more than likely wipe the floor with you, but chooses not to because the track is were he does his stuff?? one of the guys with us stuck his GS in a ditch on the first proper day of the trip, trying to ride the thing beyond the limits of the bike and tyres, i'll post the piccys to show you!! oh how we chuckled, they're not all bikes to all men...and i've yet to have one come past me on a track day...but then they are rare in the fast group,

Now that i've got that off my chest, i'd like to say that i actually like them, i like the ruggedness of them and the sense of purpose they give you, i rode the particular bike that went in the ditch, superb bit of kit, if a little (lot) flat after getting of an R1, but thats to be expected, i understand it..the reason most guys feel "quicker" on the GS is the confidant riding position and the very fact that the motor isn't intimidating, thus they feel safer, some guys just haven't got the balls to say they dont get on with litre sportsbikes, they'd rather just slag them off....The two gs's never " got away from us" as you lot like to say, both riders wanted a go on the R1's, and both got off with massive grins when we got back to the hotel, because it had reminded them how good it was to ride summat like that..

 

[Brian ROSEN]

We are all bonkers

Don't try to be rational about choosing a bike (or a car or a wife!) Why do I ride a GS? Because it is bigger (and thus 'better') than bikes ridden by my (smaller) friends. Why does my friend have a new Fireblade everytime they change the colour and make it a bit more powerful (although in France all bikes are restricted to 105 hp?) - because he thinks Honda's are the bees knees and he can afford to change regularly and have the latest model. There are exceptions of course - a Sports bike is the obvious choice if you do track days or cover long distances on the Autobahn an a big scooter if you have a lengthy commute in a poor climate; I could manage most of my journies on a 125 varadero for instance and get there a minute or two later perhaps. Variety is the spice of life - happily we are all different.

 

[Bem]

Fancied a change, got a 90 1150, quite fancy a k1200r, sit-up-and-beg, shaft drive.
Any thoughts?

It will certainly be change!
From having ridden the K13 you can expect your arms to be wrenched from their sockets every time you get on the gas. Looking at others commenting on this change, it seems they want to come back tot he (relative) sanity and slowness of the GS in order to maintain their licence.
Go on, have a go.
And don`t forget to tell us what its like!

 

[gazzauk]

Ive always been ,for the last ten years anyway, a kawasaki man .Ive bought 3 new Kawasakis in that time and have been very happy with what i was riding .After owning my current bike , an excellent 04 zzr1200 , from new i had no real intension of changing it until Southport Superbikes lent me a new 1200 gs for the night. That was yesterday and this morning i was back at the dealers to give the keys of the demonstrator back and to trade my bike in for a new GS1200, which i pick up on Monday. The riding postion feels more relaxing as is the power delivery than the zzr1200, and it feels much more planted on the road than the zzr1200. So there it is 50miles on the GS and im a bmw convert, although im still not too sure of those indicator switches.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Welcome aboard

"still not too sure of those indicator switches." You will get used to them BUT itwill take some time and practice; They do 'self cancel' but that is not mentioned in my (French) handbook.

 

[Arthurwg]

Rather than looking so "tough" and intrepid, I think the GSA looks rather silly-- more like a military Hummer than a motorcycle. I was driving on the highway in Italy last month when two GSA mounted Germans came flying by in full "adventure" kit, right there with the Fiat 500s and Renaults. I guess they thought they were having an "adventure" of some sort. The bike is too large, too heavy and too foolish. Better to get a standard GS and add the kit that you need.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

The Adventure(rs)

"....too large, too heavy and too foolish..." Well, aren't we all???

 

[TC2]

The only reason for a change to the k1200r is 4cylinders and a noisy exhaust and i still haven't had a test ride yet but i do love riding my 1150. I have had it six years.
Maybe the 1200gs? Don't like the cast wheels so that means the adventurer and boy, it does look like a tank.
As for the indicators, i thought that left on the left and right on the right seemed perfectly logical and i had no probs switching from a jap bike(a TDM, funnily enough, see a previous reply). As for MCN journalists always slagging this, do they want every bike to be a Jap clone? Obviously BMW have listened as they've changed it on their latest race rep and funnily enough now they report problems with the switch gear and quality probs in general.
As a reply above says, we are all different and buy our bikes because they are different.
BMW have a formula that works, stick with it(see Honda copy of BM shaft drive in recent MCN).

 

[b12bandit]

Slightly off topic but...

I've got an 1150R. 02 reg 30k miles. Love it. I'd like a GS but have no intention of 'off-roading'.

My question is - what can the GS do on tarmac that the R cannot?

 

[sven]

Fancied a change, got a 90 1150, quite fancy a k1200r, sit-up-and-beg, shaft drive.
Any thoughts?

The K1200R riding position isn't that upright - I have the R bars/top yoke on my K1200S and there's still quite a bit of pressure on your wrists, especially two-up.

 

[Woooodentop]

Why do members on this site think they are better riders than anyone else just because the own a GS.
I guess thats where the name "Tossers" comes from.