Grrrrr....With - Without - With - Without

[oldrascal]

This is driving me bonkers and I have just got to get it off my chest (sob) - I mean there's only so much a man can take (sob).........

I am getting more than obsessed with my 2008 GSA. It is becoming a bizarre part of my life like no other bike has. What is so endearing about a lump of fabricated metal and plastic? But endearing it is.

I digress.

The quite ambiguous With/Without of the title refers to the GSa's aluminium top box and panniers. I have now got quite used to filtering in dense traffic with the panniers attached, a point which was of some concern to me when I was a total GS newbie.

Although I find the top box brillaint for day-to-day chores (going to the shops etc.) where it is the perfect size for the crash helmet and then shopping, the panniers are really not going to be useful until touring time.

So I took them off and rode around a while with just the top box. But then I felt the GSA looked a bit, how shall I put this, underdressed. So I put them back on and drove about for a bit.

And then I thought that wearing the full monty for just tooling around looked a bot OTT, a bit like I was obsessed with LWR and LWD and Charlie and Ewan. So I took then off.

And then, last night, I was looking at the bike in the garage and thought it looked a bit naked, so...............well, you get the point.

Do I need to see a shrink or am I just being a big girl's blouse or is this part and parcel of GS ownership?

I've put on my flame suit so let me have it, boys

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

It's obvious reallly, just have one pannier attached then you are neither 'underdressed' nor 'LWD OTT'

Andres

 

[Big Lee]

I think a grip needs to be got
At least you can, deep down, see the sense in not carting round another 20kgs of metal thats also causing the bike to use more fuel because of the weight and drag.

Keep them off until you need them

 

[MikeP]

Put the panniers back on.

Leave the bike in the garage where it looks good with them on.

Buy another bike to ride.

 

[Thunder]

Keep them on as your used to them, they provide additional protection on the event of the unmentionable happening and are useful in bringing home that simply must have bargain bit of bling when out on the bike

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

I have the Rail but never seem to need the panniers day to day. The Top box is essential though !!They look great without are easier to filter and you can still get a waitrose/asda /sainsbury sop in !!and yes you need a shrink

 

[ultrasound]

Actually i agree, I have never been able to leave the house without three box set, tang bag, TT wedge and side bags, fire extinguisher, 2L jerry, ortleib roll bag and camel pack. or not

 

[oldrascal]

Sensible and conflicting answers

Actually, I suppose that I am really asking why we all ride these bikes. How much of their undoubted world-shrinking ability will we ever use (rhetorical).

I have just spotted in the GS Travellers section a report of a journey into Spain where one of the bikes was a Bergman scooter or similar. Two up, well laden but going like a godd'un.

So are we 'making a statement' about our willies (with apologies to any lady Tossers reading this who don't suffer generally from the same genital worship as us boys) or is it a deeper rooted 'hit'?

Perhaps it is simply that the GS is a hoot to ride and that it seems to get up the nose of the candy-coated, hero-swaggering superbike riders (and yes, I used to be one). Why don't they wave to us?

But back to the panniers.

Common sense says leave 'em off. As Big Lee points out, why carry around a load of extra weight for no gain. On the other hand, as Thunder points out, common sense also says leave'em on to act as protection and a visual deterant.

Oh happy days.

 

[John Armstrong]

Leave them on = have accidents due to too small gaps that you could get through if you didn't have them on, just as well they add extra protection

Real question is, do you NEED a 1200 GSA to commute, or are you trying to get support for the Burgman you secretly desire. Otherwise, why mention one

 

[Big Lee]

Common sense says leave 'em off. As Big Lee points out, why carry around a load of extra weight for no gain. On the other hand, as Thunder points out, common sense also says leave'em on to act as protection and a visual deterant.

Oh happy days.

If you want protection and a visual deterrant jump in the car as it`s far better at it than the bike!

 

[Big Lee]

with apologies to any lady Tossers reading this who don't suffer generally from the same genital worship as us boys

You think eh?

 

[MikeP]

Actually, I suppose that I am really asking why we all ride these bikes. How much of their undoubted world-shrinking ability will we ever use (rhetorical).

I don't think that it's as rhetorical as you suggest.

I have an 1150GSA that I bought for travel and have used it for that. It's a functional bike for that role. The GS range is arguably the most suitable for that role.

Having bought the bike new and then sorted it out for my travelling needs, I found that I don't really enjoy riding it for short journeys. Nothing wrong with the bike and everything to do with me feeling that anything short of a fully loaded trip somewhere is a waste.

I don't care what anyone else says, a fully loaded 'Adventure' type bike, shouts "look at me" whether that's the intention or not.

Day to day, I prefer to ride my anonymous, ratty-looking K75.

With a few minor tweaks, the 75 would probably be as good for loading-up and travelling on. I wouldn't seek out trails and tracks as I do on the GS but as long as the surface isn't too bad, I reckon it would go to a lot of the places that I take the GS.

The big difference though is that I don't think that I'd look forward to a trip as much on the 75 as I do on the GS.

I was musing on this the other day. What if a law was introduced that said you can only have one bike?

I surprised myself by deciding that I'd keep the 75!

 

[davegs]

1200 fettish

See a shrink at once!

 

[John Armstrong]

I surprised myself by deciding that I'd keep the 75!

Official then, K75S is better than the 1150GS

 

[Voyager61]

For London traffic I tend to use the top box and tank bag (I have the large one).

Although I have also mastered filtering with panniers on my '07 ... the ride is a lot less challenging without them ...

 

[MikeP]

Official then, K75S is better than the 1150GS

No. K75C. Drum rear brake makes it more practical.

K75S owners?

Pah! They're to K75C owners what 1200GS owners are to 11xxGS owners - all plastic-fantastic.

 

[D6]

i use as little as possible, its feckin heavy enough

 

[Zundapp]

If you really need to pretend to be a 'celebrity' setting off around the globe, not only do you need all the boxes and 6 different riding suits from different suppliers, you'll need to get one of your mates to follow behind you in a 4x4 to help you at toll bridges and to communicate with the locals.

The rest of us can just go the the pub.

 

[SkyGod]

Get some TKC`s fitted rascal and I`ll take you to get some mud on it.

 

[LittleMark]

Who cares what others think... if you enjoy it then get those panniers back on and get out there!

I use mine for shopping all the time (i don't have a car and don't care for cars much). They don't bother me if I use them on the commute either as they are more or less the same width as the handlebars so I can squeeze through pretty much the same gaps as I can without them.

Personally I'd rather have them on and not need them, than not have them on and need the storage space. If people think I'm a wannaby Charley or Ewan, well let em think that. I'll just put it down to ignorance.