WOW what a bike!!!
OK, my concerns about motorway long distance riding have been resolved. I took a 58 plate GS (not GSA) out for a test ride today with only 537 miles on the clock in this gorgious sunshine from 9.30am to 12.10pm.
General Ride
I rode on all type of roads long dual carriage ways and A/B roads. There were a number of slow cars, lorries and tractors out today and difficult to overtake on country roads. I did manage to overtook soooo many cars though and it was fun. The standard GS to me at least seems faster than the GSA and it was alittle lighter too. So, I know now that this will be my next bike but still undecided about GS or GSA? I like everything about the GS but having the extra fuel capacity would be useful but Ocean BMW says you don't want to carry all that weight around with you - which is a fair point as I will mostly be using it for weekly rideouts not world tours.
GS Screen
Based on what I've read about the GS screen I was suprised that it did a good job protecting me from most of the wind. Not sure I would upgrade the screen unless I knew 100% that it would be better unless it was a smoked screen which looks very good! If I remember right, when riding the GSA, I could lift my visor whilst riding and it didn't seem windy, lift my visor whilst on the GS and it was windy. But it was ok with my visor down.
GS Seat
Again I was suprised how comfy the standard seat was considering most people complain about it but I think that was about the GSA seat. My bum after 2 hours was on the numb side but it wasn't too bad.
Motorways/Dual Carriage Ways
I rode up to 90-95mph for very short bursts on the odd occasion but was keeping it for the most part below 5000rpm. Mostly rode about 80-85mph. The vibration I previously mentioned (I was concerned about) is just the engine droning away. It's not as smooth as my RD350 but I can live with that - it was not a problem today!
Weight
The bike on this occasion had a full tank of fuel and by the time I did 130 miles it was on about half a tank. It was good to ride with a full tank as it gave me an idea of bike wight and it was ok and noticeably lighter than the GSA with only 3rd of a tank of fuel. Having said that I did feel at first that the front wheel could slide away easier than being on a GSA because it felt lighter on the front - am I right about this?
Height
Sitting on this bike puts you up above most cars and that was a great feeling. It also allows you to see further ahead also!
Acceleration / Speed
Well, I know this bike does not have a power band like my RD but there are burst of extra power at certain speeds and revs which makes this bike fun to ride and great for overtaking!
Sound
Stationery the bike sounds like a sowing machine. Open it up and it roars with plenty of grunt. Not sure if it needs to have an exhaust or silencer upgrade?
Reliability
Spoke to the salesman about this. Same one that I've been dealing with all along. Told him my concerns about the bikes reliability and he just shrugged it off saying no worst that other brands. Told him about the fuel controller thing and he didn't seem to make a big deal of it or even know about the many complaints I came accross. I got the feeling that this bike is reliable yet some do fail as you would expect - but no more or less than others?
Decision Time
Well I don't have to decide today, but I'm still undecided about the two bikes GS vs GSA, colours, alloys vs spoked wheels, touring boxes etc. This could take some time to decide but I plan to visit the NEC in November to see if there is something new for the 2009 models?. But If I'm right about the GS being faster then I will more than likely get that one! I just wish they still made the GS in that nice bright RED. I am currently saving up £3000 for a deposit. I don't see the point buying a new bike just before coming into Winter even though I really want one now! I'm also off the road waiting for my RD350R to have new pistons fitted. I was told it would be done Thur/Fri, then Sat now been told it will be Monday!!!
Buy New vs Buy Second Hand
Second hand is a little cheaper and it might mean I could buy sooner but I want the peace of mind of a longer warranty and I would only get 3 months if I bought second hand. There are two GS's second hand near me, both going for about £8000 or just over with low mileage on both. But second hand means they lack the extra electrics and the 105bhp found in the 08 models. I guess I prefer to buy new!
So my verdict on this bike based on my ride today is 10 out of 10. Needless to say that I now have no intention of test riding other bikes.
Paul.
