Dilemma

[SMcGirr]

Here goes... the LC is 4 years old, it will need a service, an MOT, new set of threads (soon rather than immediately) , I tend to go for the extended warranty but thats now the most of £400. I am a short arse at 5'7'' but having had 3 GSes and an RT in the middle, I can manage with the standard seat, so options and advice :

1) a new 1250 GS TE exc : like the wheels, the black engine and the one on offer is fully loaded but the squealer wants it out in Feb. Pros : its there, its loaded and I can transfer my LEDs, crud catchers, boxes, GO Pro mount and all. Cons : it has a bio,d date of last Sept so a wee bit worried why its still sitting in the dealers ...

2) a 1250 GSA TE with lowered seat. No specific offer but I am sure I can get the trade in offered on the GS above (which is OK) plus I'd get a bit more because I'd need to trade in my panniers but then have to buy new GSA ones. I Think the GSA looks better than the GS and the 30 litre tank, whilst not a deal breaker would be nice (but heavier) Cons : will I be able to manage the extra height and weight ? Views please ??

3) Had an air-cooled RT way back, Should I go the RT route ? Pros : laid back cruising, better weather protection, like the looks and anytime I have ridden one I have thought that the boxer engine fits this style of bike better than any other. Cons, none of my stuff will transfer across and the price is a bit more salty.


What would you do ?

SP

 

[twizzle]

Get your 4 Year Old LC MOT'd, Serviced and New tyres and carry on riding it.

 

[Tractors are go]

At 5'7" and 29" inside leg, or as I prefer to call it, "normal"; I have no problem with a gsa; swapping the gsa seat for the gs one can help.

Being a tad biased I'd go gsa, I've never really noticed the extra weight tbh.

It ultimately comes down to cost to change/depreciation.

There's more likely to be a glut of gs's to gsa's in a couple of years so hopefully it is worth more too.

My tuppence worth.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

[pbbanks]

Have a test ride on a 1250 and see if you feel its worth changing to (GS or GSA) . If you then decide you want to change the choice is yours.
Think you'll find the 1250 gearbox\engine is a lot better than your 2015 GS -- I did. But it's likely to cost £7000 ish to change??!!.
The one still on the dealers will be there pure and simply because they would have taken it in Sept last year and no one has bought it yet.

If you do part ex the bike for a new one my personal experience with last two changes is that it's best to remove any extras (panniers\crashbars\spotlights etc.) and if they don't fit whatever you buy then sell them on Ebay. But check with dealer first that he agrees it's OK. Both times I did it the dealer said it doesn't make any difference to the part ex price offered whether the extras are on it or not.

 

[Davey B]

Cons : will I be able to manage the extra height and weight ? Views please ??

What would you do ?

SP

Only you will know if the extra weight is an issue...so ride it. I get your way of thinking cost wise and time to change re service/Tyres etc.... but in reality it'd cost what ? £500..rather than perhaps £4k to swap bikes? If you can afford to swap and want to, do it it. If the cost to change makes you wince, just get an indie to service yours and buy new boots and ride it.

 

[Nutty]

Do it. The new GS is awesome.

 

[Matty589]

OP - what’s the cost to change? I’m interested, having been given appalling figures by a few dealers recently...

 

[SMcGirr]

thank all, I might have a run on a GSA to try. I have a GS 1250 booked out for an hour on Saturday, weather permitting and then an RT 1250 for 2 hours. I might add the GSA to the list and then decide. Cost to change is around £6 1/2 k (for the GS TE with literally all the baubles) depending i.e. if I take finance the price goes down a bit but BMW finance is 10% APR which is silly and Santander will do it for 3% so if I decide to finance the difference I'll have to the sums.

Thanks again all, I'll let you know. Meanwhile ride safely.

SP

 

[squibb34]

Go for it, option 1. Just make sure the back story stacks up - Possibly a deal fell through, but you won't want a reject or damaged/repaired new bike I imagine.

Just been looking at one in MCN, with Lloyds Carlisle, £16800 asking, but it's the cost of change that matters.

 

[CPJS]

Get the new GS, unless you are a really big bloke there is no reason for a GSA. Extra range? my arse lasts about a 100 to 150 miles. The rest is extra plastic, pannier rails and vanity, Oh, and some spokes.
I have riiden the RT 3 times now as a loaner during service, whilst it is a very capable bike and surprisingly quick I find it a bit dull and heavy. My bike feels like a moped when I get back on it, so much more manoeuvrable.

 

[beaver]

Keep your existing.. why spend the money.. how many miles on it... should be good to keep until 75K and beyond IMO.. why throw your money away

 

[Blackal]

Are there any ‘new’ 1200s left?

Find out how much to change - then subtract all the things you would have to put on your existing bike (and factor in the extended warranty) - you may find that the cost to change is less than you imagine.

 

[Matty589]

thank all, I might have a run on a GSA to try. I have a GS 1250 booked out for an hour on Saturday, weather permitting and then an RT 1250 for 2 hours. I might add the GSA to the list and then decide. Cost to change is around £6 1/2 k (for the GS TE with literally all the baubles) depending i.e. if I take finance the price goes down a bit but BMW finance is 10% APR which is silly and Santander will do it for 3% so if I decide to finance the difference I'll have to the sums.

Thanks again all, I'll let you know. Meanwhile ride safely.

SP

If I were you I’d bite their hand off for a new bike. I was quoted £5K cost to change for my sub-1,500 mile, 18 plate GS TE with full luggage, LED additional lights and alarm. There are so many nearly new GS/GSA out there I’m going to keep it - it’s just not worth it.

 

[Matty589]

I’d also say you really should test each bike. If you put the GS seat on a lowered GSA it will be exactly the same height as a regular GS with low seat, and probably just as comfortable. The difference in bulk is only really noticeable at slow speed with a full GSA tank. However the extra width and frontal area of both GSA and especially RT make a difference in terms of how punchy the bike feels. Not ridden a 1250 but the 1200GS feels much more sprightly to me than the GSA.

 

[pbbanks]

Cost to change is around £6 1/2 k (for the GS TE with literally all the baubles)
SP

£6.5K to change doesn't sound a bad deal to me (Depending on how many miles your existing one has etc.) assume it's a 2015 LC TE you have??. And assuming the new 1250 EXC TE is new and unregistered??. Does it have any extra options above standard TE EXC spec. ? Think the SOS Emergency Call was fitted to a lot of the first batch sent out to dealers and it's there whether you want or or not, it was on mine but they didn't charge the £300 extra it normally costs.

Also what's the bio.d date mean on the first post ?? is it just a type error. "it has a bio,d date of last Sept".

I wouldn't think it's worth considering a new 1200 instead of 1250 unless you are really tight for money and even then I would think you wanted to be saving at least £2000 over a 1250. Or keep your existing one until the end of this year and see if there's any 2nd hand 1250's around??. Even if you did buy a new 1200 I am guessing that the second hand price will be a lot less than a 1250 if\when you wanted to change again. There a again -- if some major problems arise with the 1250 (like some people on here seem to be wishing for , mainly ones who haven't got a 1250), they may not hold their price!. But they have a 3 year warranty so I'd be fairly confident if there are any issues with the shiftcam BM will sort if FOC.

I find the 1250 really is so much better than the 2015 1200GS I had, on bottom end smoothness and "driveabilty", + smoother gearbox and shift assist works a lot better. I know people say that the later 2017 + 1200GS has the improved gearbox etc. that the 1250 has but if yours is a 2015 1200 you will notice a big difference on the 1250.
If you go for your test ride the bike will sell itself; GSA\GS or RT is personal preference.
Bet you wished you'd never asked for advice

 

[twizzle]

Build Date of Last September...

 

[Blackal]

Cost to change is around £6 1/2 k

SP

Approx £1,300 for 3yrs ext warranty, £300 for tyres, £250 for a service, £30 for MOT, 6m tax at £40?

That accounts for about £2k of your cost to change.

Might tempt you?

 

[pbbanks]

Build Date of Last September...

Right, cheers. That makes sense . It will just be one of the first batch of bikes sent out to dealers for them to do the showroom launch of the new model in Oct lats year.

 

[SMcGirr]

it has all the bells and whistles, the bio was a typo for build date, so as you say, its probably one of the first batch. The deal is so that they can have a Feb reg on it and the number plate doesn't really matter that much to me.

 

[stick]

Do it. The new GS is awesome.

100 % agree , its a great bike , if the money is not an issue go for it , I did and very happy.