GS Reliability

[clowrie]

I have been looking around and I think the time has come for me to get a better winter / commuter bike. Currently have an XT660X and a single is no good for long runs and I hate spoked wheels with inner tubes - too many punctures and left stranded.

Anyway, enough background, I have decided that I need at least a two cylinder with an up-right riding position and no inner-tubes. I have spoken to a few GS owners and they all love the bikes but there is also a lot of chat about problems with finish and reliability, especially the final drive.

I have the opportunity to get a 2006 R1200GS for a good price - should I buy and anything to watch out for?

Thanks for your help

Chris

 

[GS TRV]

gulp

i'd get an older one i.e no 1200 but i'll who knows you might get lucky

btw - welcome

 

[BBB61]

And there speaks a man with no experience of the 1200 whatsoever

 

[Sgt Bilco]

I have the opportunity to get a 2006 R1200GS for a good price - should I buy and anything to watch out for?

Thanks for your help

Chris

Great bikes and don't believe all the negative stuff. Sure, there have been a few issues and the 11** luddites would have you believe their bikes have never had any problems.

Make sure you have FSH and the recalls are up to date and enjoy

 

[muppix]

Buy a new one I you plan to keep the bike for a while, you'll end up spending less money.

 

[Rasher]

I used to buy real snotters for winter hacks, had some great fun on them too, nothing like a bike that owes you next to nothing and could only be improved by a slide down the road.

My favourite was a TS250 for £70, had been running around a farm and had about two weeks MOT left, it promptly threw big end so I found a cheapo 185 engine and rebuilt it, to then discover frames were different

Got a mate who fixed temporary traffic lights to weld up some new mounts with some lovely yellow metal in his workshop, found a "friendly" MOT tester to look kindly upon the seat that did not lock down, exhaust of unknown origin, tyres with no markings (hacksaw had removed the not for road use ones that were there) and spokes that were very out of tune and lights that dimmed to nothing if revs dropped below 3k.

Whole lot owed me about £250, six months on as summer arrived I sold it for almost as much as it stood me in for, by which time it had a (back in 1989) unique oval end can - the result of it falling off one morning and before I could spin around to collect it getting run over by an HGV.

If spending money on a decent "hack" I would be looking for something that would also double as a second bike, different to your normal steed, which I guess a GS may well be, just be aware you may end up prefering it over your normal bike, I was always glad to get off the embarrasing pile of junk, regardless of how much I had enjoyed the winter riding.

 

[Wrigsby1]

Anything's worth it at the right price.... but think of how much you want to wash it as the finish on the later ones seems a little more sensitive. Also some of your future customers are a little OCD about finish

GS's are some of the best winter bikes ever and there are great deals about over the whole 11/1150/12 range around at the mo.

I think we 11/1150 owners are probably a bit Luddite and some of the 12 boys a bit Pansy so moan alot more