GS or not to abandon Harley

[Rollo]

'scuse me, anybody ready to offer advice to a lurker ??

Am searching to replace a 1550cc Harley that has reduced my annual mileage from 13k (Pan) to 7k, cost £3.5k in extras (total £16.5k) and still ain't right.
New mount needs to be:
Useable whenever there's no ice on the tarmac.
Be quick enough to leave most cars at the lights to ride in free space. Harley is now as quick as a Pan.

Be fast enough to clear 100 miles of motorway to get to the playground for the day.
Be comfortable enough for regular 300 mile days.
Is free from the roar of the wind (Pan was really bad). Also provides some protection from high speed rain.
Can take all camping gear and a change of socks.
Is comfortable for occasional pillion.
Is a low maintenance machine. Cleaning is fine, replacing chrome is out.
Can be parked outside the tent without a cover!
Won't rust at the first sign of water. Harley frame is being powdercoated under warranty, "corrosion is not a H-D problem, sir". "Harley standards are not Honda standards, not your standards ...."

Don't need real off-roading with jumps etc, but mountain tracks on road tyres would be good.

My quest took me to the GS1200 which looks a really great bike, but since following your mails, and visiting the dealer, I am more taken by the Adventure. Besotted almost! Have booked a demo on both for the weekend and that will help a lot.
Will the Adventure meet my current criteria?

Do y'all leave the big panniers on all the time or use them just for RTW trips? Take it the frames have to come off as well to use a smaller set of boxes?
Have spotted a very low mileage 2002 ABS Adventure. Will this be Twin Spark? Is TS important?
Can top box be fitten in pillion position as GS1200?

If demo is plagued by wind noise, can I assume I can erradicate it with new screen or Tobinator? Although only 6'1", I'm long in the upper body - ass to crown - and sit right up there in the airflow catching flies.
Large tank looks fanastic ! Does it act as a fairing ??

Thanks for all the entertainment you've given. Enjoyed your banter.

 

[schnauzer]

Do y'all leave the big panniers on all the time or use them just for RTW trips?

I opted for the black plaggy BWM panniers and discreet rails on my adv, and only put em on as needed

Have spotted a very low mileage 2002 ABS Adventure. Will this be Twin Spark? Is TS important?
It will be, TS is a means of making wartime technology comply with eurocratic emission levels, but does make a more efficient engine

Can top box be fitten in pillion position as GS1200?
Not with the standard 1 piece Adv seat

If demo is plagued by wind noise, can I assume I can erradicate it with new screen or Tobinator? Although only 6'1", I'm long in the upper body - ass to crown - and sit right up there in the airflow catching flies.
I'm 6ft 1, with relativley short 31" legs I've not got a wind noise prob at all on the adv, although I did end up replacing a pair of Sidi vertebrae boots with some moto-x stylee boots to give more ankle support when tip-toeing around, that made a big difference

Large tank looks fanastic ! Does it act as a fairing ?? it seems to, despite it being an unfaired bike, the screen,handguards,big tank and cylinder heads do a great job in weather deflection

 

[Deleted Member I]

So you want to go from this ....

 

[Deleted Member I]

To this ....


hmmm....

 

[Rollo]

A sobering thought !!

 

[Grizz]

ahhhh....see long man short arse in future

Rollo old man, seems you're stuffed, actually doubly so, The Harley is easy.... get rid of it......
BWM's on the other hand..... ohoh OH !!
Now you have been reading and picking up theres a multitude of camps.ie:Airheads, oilers, tourers, racers, and of course: ers, and now the dilema that faces you is very current..... 1150, or 1200 .
I have ridden for some time (26yrs) and currently have an 1150 and my next bike has to be the Adventure, rather than the new 1200. Peak of the evolution of this species methinks.
Every one of them from g/s to has its merrits, but currently my vote for selfish reasons lie with the Adventure.
Good luck in finding the right Adventure, and welcome to this assylum where as in the pic above, normal people are able to pull off feats of unknown........????
Bakerman Roolzz .....

 

[Grizz]

The future....

You could get up to this....

 

[Grizz]

the future......

Or some of this.... Same bike, same day,same venue....MMmmm...

 

[Rollo]

Thanks Grizz,
My insurance company offers a discount for overnight parking in a garage !


Same venue ? Which image came first ?

Riding looks good. What about the dancing ??

 

[Fanum]

Rollo.....if your heart tells you the ADV, then it's right........we'll all argue the toss until the moo moos come home, and never agree.....apart from that whatever varient of the GS it is, it's got to be a GS.

It'll do all you want from your questions above........you probably won't spend as much making it 'right' as you had to on the hog, but you can still spend a fair bit......a lot of it is tartingthough, something we're all guilty of whether we admit it or not....

If you get close to home after a 300 mile ride, and decide with a big stupid grin to take the wigglies the last 50 miles rather than the 10 mile a road back to your door, you just know it's the right bike......that's what you do on a GS whatever flavour it may be.....

Of course, if its the silver ADV, you'll stand out on the evolutionary scale and be the envy of your fellow GS'ers........even the 'nearly there' black ADV owners who will secretly covet your beasty........



PS did I mention they're the fastest ones too???

 

[wessie]

You spent 16.5k on a bike and use a tent?

Can't you get one of your servants to book a hotel?

 

[BawdyMonk]

...Will the Adventure meet my current criteria?Yes, and more

Have spotted a very low mileage 2002 ABS Adventure. Will this be Twin Spark? Almost certainly not Is TS important?Test ride it to see if it has "The Surge" (Not all single Sparks surged)

If demo is plagued by wind noise, can I assume I can erradicate it with new screen or Tobinator? Tobinators got rid of the buffeting for me, a larger screen (CB) quietened things down even more Although only 6'1", I'm long in the upper body - ass to crown - and sit right up there in the airflow catching flies.
Large tank looks fanastic ! Does it act as a fairing ??Wish I had one

Thanks for all the entertainment you've given. Enjoyed your banter.You're Welcome

Of course, an Adventure that's not Silver is slow, unreliable and tends to be ridden by people who dress like Gary Glitter used to

If you get close to home after a 300 mile ride, and decide with a big stupid grin to take the wigglies the last 50 miles rather than the 10 mile a road back to your door, you just know it's the right bike......that's what you do on a GS whatever flavour it may be.....

Yep, you do tend to do that

 

[Rollo]

The Adventure I’m viewing is in the more aerodynamic silver shade. It’s a 2002 model with ABS, heated grips, low seat, scaffolding around the engine, enormous aluminium panniers and matching top box. With only 4000 miles the price is high, but the extras and warranty seem to provide some assurance of value.

ABS and heated grips are required options, low seat might be handy, but will those big boxes stay on the bike or would a smaller/cheaper pair be more practical for regular use? The saving would close the gap on the price of a new bike with Twin Spark, maybe. Her indoors says I can have what I want as long as I put £3,000 back into her account!

For mostly on-road use, do most of you keep the engine crash bars on the Adventure?

Is corrosion an issue at all for a bike that will have some TLC?

 

[Eggchaser]

Although probably one of the least important of your points, doesn't the ADV have a smaller seat therefore not as good for that occasional pillion you mentioned?

 

[(RIP) Sugar Ray]

Rollo

If you did decide to buy the Adventure that you've mentioned, some philanthropic soul like me would gladly swap their standard panniers for the aluminium ones. I've just purchased the Adventure top box, and may well change my luggage to suit in the next few months.
Seriously though, any accessories that you don't want are easily disposed of through this board, once you become a sponsor, of course.

Regards,

Charles

 

[Rollo]

Eggchaser,
Pillion comfort, I was hoping the board would clarify that for me. I don't ahve the answer.

Also hoping the pannier preferences will come through. To a non-GS owner they look big, but I needed them a few times on camping trips.

The specific GS Adventure I was viewing has now got a deposit on. Not mine sadly.