GS1150 Adventure questions

[Whele]

Looking in at an Oxfordshire Ex BMW dealer this morning they have just taken an 1150 adventure in as part exchange. 13,500 miles with engine bars/head protectors and BMW lockable ali boxes. It’s an R plate ’97 or ’98 in VGC.

Having not owned a BMW before, I pretty rusty on informationabout them - I do have a couple of questions:-

Have BMW changed the GS1150 Adventure much in recent years, my main concerns are over weight and size. If I look out for a later model (2002 or 2003) will the bulk of the bike be any different?

They are asking £6,199 – probably come down to £5,800 for cash, is this a reasonable price for that year?

I have requested a test ride tomorrow and would like to compare it with the newer GS1200, which I hope to ride next week.

 

[Ming]

No such bike as a 97 or 98 adventure!!

the first ones were in 2002 1150's only

6500 will get you a genuine one privately

ask what year it is sounds like a plate has been put on it

 

[Whele]

mmm....thanks for that heads up

I'll take a better look tomorrow.

Am I right in assuming that any 1150 with the large capacity tank is an Adventure or are their subtle differences I should look for?

 

[Ming]

stainless brake lines ,one piece seat ,20mm more suspension travel .

get the frame and engine number and ring a bmw dealer.

 

[dirtydog]

And a big £$&% off plastic beak on the front

 

[JAY]

And - dark blue rocker covers, blue wheel rims, different screen, need a ladder to get on etc etc. Oh and a handy holder for your credit card and accessories brochures!

 

[The_Pilot]

Too much of a hijack

 

[Sir James]

 

[Steptoe]

 

[twodear]

mmm....thanks for that heads up

I'll take a better look tomorrow.

Am I right in assuming that any 1150 with the large capacity tank is an Adventure or are their subtle differences I should look for?

I don't think the 1150GS was marketed the same in all places. Here, there was a standard R1150GS offered that had the larger capacity 30ltr tank. However , the main differences between a standard and the Adventure was a lower first gear ratio, the big crash bars, greater suspension travel, larger tank, different luggage rack behind the seat, stainless brake lines and fog lamps.

 

[The_Pilot]

It was mean't to be a saacaarstic joke, the pen doth not carry (my)emotion and (subtle) tone like the spoken word

 

[Whele]

I took out an 1150 Adventure today for about two and a half hours, on a test ride.

I must say I am very disappointed. Obviously I expected it to be much heavier than the bikes that I am used to riding, but I was not prepared for such poor performance.

I was not aware that the boxer engine needs to be revved so high, below 3000rpm it was completely gutless and of course it redlines at 6,500. I know the BMW is not a sports bike, but my R1 has more grunt below 3000 – and that redlines at 14,500.

Handling felt OK up to 95mph, and whilst it felt secure on tarmac I did feel a little uneasy on gravel. If I went for an Adventure I guess I would opt for a lower seat to give a little more confidence in maneuvering it. I did have a couple of ‘nearly dropped it’ moments when doing ‘u’ turns.

I suppose all the claims of members of this forum that I keep seeing, about being able to out-ride a sportsbike etc have led me to expect more. The plus side is that it did make the R1 feel incredibly fast and nimble when getting back on to ride home.

I am due to try a new GS1200 at the weekend, so I hope the performance is better.

 

[twodear]

Whele,

If these Beemers were really that good, the race tracks would be full of them. At this time, nothing will out sport a proper sportbike when properly ridden. But a Beemer will certainly take it up to them. Beyond them even when the roads are long and rough, and you want to carry a picnic lunch along with you.

I suppose a few of us like to pat ourselves on the back when we have a chance to show up a proper sport bike (well, maybe just me), but at the end of the day we were probably up against someone that is intimidated by the power of an R1 or GSXR or whatever and can only really ride fast in a straight line. Throwing a missile around on a windey bit of road or on a track brings the suspension into play, especially when lots of braking and accelerating is called for. Many riders might have learned to cope with these dynamics in normal riding but riding quick upsets that; the forces are so much stronger.

For me, the suspension a GS and the lower power just gives that extra bit of confidence. I've had a CBR900RR, CBR1000 and an Aprilia RSV Mille and never really learned to work with the power or the way the front pitches forward under hard braking, I always felt on the edge, even in normal riding. None of that with the GS, less power takes the challenges away from accelerating while the suspension takes away the changes in pitch. So I'm riding much faster because the whole package is so much more forgiving. The trade off of course is a lower top speed, but around here there are few roads that allow full-on blasting anyway. And unless I'm up against an experienced rider that is up to scratch with his crotch rocket, I hope to continue to mix it up with the best of em.

Then again, the older I get the faster I was.

 

[Whele]

Forgive me, I don’t want to give the impression that I was expecting a sports bike performance from the GS, as you rightly say that not what they were designed for. I wasn’t however prepared for such a gulf between the two.

 

[StooL]

Of course your right Whele, there is a huge gulf. It really depends what you want a bike for. For me, my 1150 is the ideal bike, as I commute 80 miles a day up and down a twisty, bumpy and sometimes dodgy surfaced A-road in all weathers, all year. The shaft drive was the main reason I bought my bike and I just happen to have fallen in love with the rest of it. It's quick enough for me and I feel it is great fun to ride at non license losing speeds (depending on how many times you get caught). I'm probably not your average GSer either, I'm young (30) only 5' 9" and 11 stone and can easily fit on sportsbikes. I do like quick and nimble bikes and if I didn't commute by bike I would probably have something a bit sportier in the garage. However, I do need my bike every day and now can't see past a GS. By the way, it took me nearly two weeks of riding before I finally realised just how capable the GS is, an afternoons test ride isn't long enough in my opinion. You may find the 1200 a better compromise but if you only use a bike for playing on a Sunday afternoon then a GS probably aint the bike for you.

 

[dirtydog]

The words 'R1 and GS' don't even belong in the same sentance. Please don't even think remotely about a comparason! It's like saying, "I took out the TDI 90 and was shocked just how poor the performance was compared to my twin turbo 911 Carrera"! Let's get real here.

BTW, the GS has more torque than a Gixxer thou!

Horses for courses my friend

 

[GSAdvMelbourne]

I had an R1 for a week, before it was nicked in broad daylight in Melbourne CBD. Now my trusty Adventure sits on the road outside my house, takes me to work and back in all weathers and enables me to sort of keep up with ZX6R's etc on track days. Insurance is $600 rather than $2000. I also get treated like a valued customer rather than the next mug we could rip off, when I go to a BMW dealer. I'm also not you average BMW owner, being 32.

 

[aspad]

Good man - give us a shout if you get up to sydney. We can ride with another ex R1 er who is now an 1150 man. He didn't have his nicked though - sorry to hear about that
cheers