I'm almost convinced to buy a 12GS

[BigNige]

What an excellent bike!

Not ridden one before but was out on the RT and was going in the vicinity of the dealer so popped in.

Had about an hour on it and was at home right away.
I think non BMW riders will feel at home more quickly on this, it has much more of a Japanese feel to it.

Nice comfy riding position, the screen is no longer noisy - the 1150 had a reputation for terrible screen generated noise & turbulence, light (weighs the same as a 996 I'm told at 198kg) and very very grunty.

The engine is a world away from the 1150.
It revs much more freely and much more willingly and the 6th gear is now usable at proper speeds.
Smoother too.
Brakes are good if a little wooden but I've only realised this after I've got home so I guess they are unobtrusive overall.

I'm not too sure about the colours, the red & yellow are ok but the blue is rank. They should have used the same blue as they use for the 1100S I reckon.

The quandry is do I change my order for the K1200S? (don't want both)
£2500 cheaper, lighter and just as fast in the real world is a powerful argument tbh.

(that tyre cover thing has to go btw)

 

[oddball]

Swapped a varadero for the gs and was convinced i would miss the power of the v twin. I dont.

Without doubt the GS has been the best bike Ive come across for giving you everything you need and more for the real world. The more you ride it the better it gets.

Like any rider and any bike, match the bike to the type of riding you do to get the most satisfaction. Dont buy a big tourer if you dont go touring, it will feel heavy and cumbersome and wont give you the performance of a middle weight.

Analyise the ridding you do and ask yourself what bike best suits the riding you do most of the time.

Good luck, sounds like you have a hard but enviable decision to make.

 

[Dolphin]

Good recommendation Oddball.
That is exactly what I did.

I wanted a touring bike that was capable of touring long distances on some of the worlds worst roads.
The GS was 1st choice.

I wanted a sports bike that was excellent for handling tight twisty mountain roads.
The GS was 1st choice.

I wanted a bike that I could ride to my favourite bush tracks, and then keep riding, well beyond the roads end.
The GS was 1st choice.

I wanted a bike that would stop people in their tracks & draw hoards of admirers every time I stop.
The GS was 1st choice.

I wanted a bike that was competant enough to win awards all over the world.
The GS was 1st choice.

After sitting down & contemplating this for about 8 years, I finally came up with the most obvious solution.
I bought a GS !!

If you think I'm in love, you are right....


Enjoy riding as many ultimate types of bike, all rolled into one package as possible. I do!