Funny Front End?

[alp]

When you read magazine tests of BMWs they often say that there isn't much feel from the funny front end (careful now chaps...I'm talking suspension here!) and you need to believe it works.
After lots (years) of experience of 'conventional' front suspensions I found that my K1200R, with a different front suspension from the GS, did worry me at times when chucking it into corners. But my new GS is excellent and confidence inspiring, not the same at all, thankfully.
Is this due to the semi active suspension on the new GS or have all previous GSs been this good?

 

[Engineer]

When you read magazine tests of BMWs they often say that there isn't much feel from the funny front end (careful now chaps...I'm talking suspension here!) and you need to believe it works.
After lots (years) of experience of 'conventional' front suspensions I found that my K1200R, with a different front suspension from the GS, did worry me at times when chucking it into corners. But my new GS is excellent and confidence inspiring, not the same at all, thankfully.
Is this due to the semi active suspension on the new GS or have all previous GSs been this good?

This new one feels a bit different to my previous 12's and I don't have semi-active suspension so it must just be down to the bike's geometry change - it does feel so much better than the old 12's.

 

[Giles]

All previous GS's have been regarded as having good flickablilty and a pretty good front end. I couldn't tell you how the characteristics of the telelever (GS) and the Duolever (K1200) differ, I've not ridden a K1200 for many years (although I remember the two days I spent on one a few years back and thought 3rd gear was like nuclear fusion ).

Not sure how much the active suspension has helped (arguably it must do) but certainly all telelever front ends feel pretty good ...

 

[Schtum]

All previous GS's have been regarded as having good flickablilty and a pretty good front end.

Actually, the pre '08 1200s didn't have a lot of front end feel unless you ran close to maximum preload on the rear shock, in order to steepen the steering head angle a bit and get some more weight over the front wheel. Before I discovered this, I'd find myself barrelling along and hammering the front brakes before corners to load the front end and get a bit more feel.

BMW acknowledged this with the changes to the '08 model-year bikes with a steeper steering head angle and a slightly shorter wheelbase. In practice, I suspect they just jacked up the rear end a bit.