Interesting ORS Review

[Malvern_Beemer]

Mmmm, Gaz is a very experienced rider I think Charlie Boorman level of skills were passed back in 1976

No disrespect to Gaz, that's as maybe but he completely missed the point of my post.

 

[Gaz]

No disrespect to Gaz, that's as maybe but he completely missed the point of my post.

No I didn't, you were having a dig at those who hadn't ridden it, which is fair enough.
But you also wrote
" i can say that what this bike can do off road is mind blowing "

which is what I took issue with because you've little experience and nothing to compare it with.

 

[Engineer]

It's not an off-road bike in a purist sense. I don't get why people expect that. The bike is equivalent to buying a high-end 4x4. While these cars are capable off-road, they won't beat a Landrover Defender in the right hands.

I have mine for the blend of a very capable road bike I can enjoy long miles on and enjoy good performance in better comfort. I can also stash all my gear and tour without compromise really. If I hit some rougher parts along the way I can handle that as well hopefully. Most of the time, if I'm carrying panniers and luggage and so on, my ideal isn't to find some beaten dirt track and scare the sheep. If I wanted to green lane, I'd buy a 250 or 400cc KTM and go mad.

I'll admit I can't fix it at the side of the road, that's OK with me as I don't want to anyway. No, I'm not a purist and while I respect other people who would prefer a steam-powered GS arrives in the future, I do wish they wouldn't have a pop at a bike where the purchase decision is voluntary. You may just as well have a go at any bike as every bike has compromises to fit the demands of service, emissions, regulations and what marketing think will sell.

The Range Rover Sport sells well based on people who don't go off-road. The GS sells well and will continue with the new variant. Get over it.

Well said sir

 

[Gaz]

Mmmm, Gaz is a very experienced rider I think Charlie Boorman level of skills were passed back in 1976

If Boorman wasn't such a cock that might be a compliment

 

[Engineer]

Do you actually read and believe....................all you type

Do you read and believe what you type?

 

[NorthernBoy]

With respect, your knowledge of what offroad means to most of us with some experience is probably quite limited. Get a smaller bike and come to Mid/North Wales over the course of a year's weather and you'll see why the rose-tinted glasses soon fall away with regard to the 1200s as capable off-roaders. There is lots of offroading, that is not hard-core enduro, that is beyond the 1200, in anyone's hands.

With respect, your knowledge of what offroad means to most of us with some experience is probably quite limited. Get a bigger bike and come to the Sahara and you'll see...

 

[Malvern_Beemer]

No I didn't, you were having a dig at those who hadn't ridden it

No, again you're missing my point, I was having a dig at those that haven't ridden it but profess to have sufficient knowledge of the bike to pass judgment on it's off road abilities.

But you also wrote
" i can say that what this bike can do off road is mind blowing "

Fair point, perhaps I should have prefaced it with "In my humble experience..." and suffixed it with "... for a bike of it's size" but I wasn't comparing it with anything else, just passing comment on what I had actually experienced which goes back to my original point of using informed opinion.

You're right about Boorman though

 

[Gaz]

OK, we're not going to agree, let's leave it at that

By the way, I can show you lots of stuff around Clyro/New Radnor way if you ever want to find the limits of the 12. Best wait till the drier weather though. Serious offer!

 

[Malvern_Beemer]

OK, we're not going to agree, let's leave it at that

By the way, I can show you lots of stuff around Clyro/New Radnor way if you ever want to find the limits of the 12. Best wait till the drier weather though. Serious offer!

You're on! I spent many happy hours in Radnor forest on a Bultaco Sherpa in my youth (I used to live in Kington) and would love to get back up there on my GSA.

 

[Callard]

"The one i was on had wire wheels, LED headlight and all the electronic trickery. Dropped it all over the place but didn't break anything."

I see that this comment has been over looked. The new GS is a good bike, it is better on the road and doesn't fall apart off it. The guy from the ORS has enlightened us but the "If you cant repair it with a pair of the wifes knickers, and string" brigade still enlighten us with their speculation that it won't be as good as the old bikes; and that anyone who has not done the Dakar (or ridden in Wales with other 1100 owners) must be either told they are not qualified to comment or delusional. I know which will be better round Brands Hatch Indy circuit which is all that matters as I use my Range Rover for picnics.

 

[Flipfly]

"The one i was on had wire wheels, LED headlight and all the electronic trickery. Dropped it all over the place but didn't break anything."

I see that this comment has been over looked. The new GS is a good bike, it is better on the road and doesn't fall apart off it. The guy from the ORS has enlightened us but the "If you cant repair it with a pair of the wifes knickers, and string" brigade still enlighten us with their speculation that it won't be as good as the old bikes; and that anyone who has not done the Dakar (or ridden in Wales with other 1100 owners) must be either told they are not qualified to comment or delusional. I know which will be better round Brands Hatch Indy circuit which is all that matters as I use my Range Rover for picnics.

Tell me the range rovers on 22s Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase

 

[Wrinkly]

I'd be the first to admit that I enjoy owning the latest bike,I get pleasure from it and there's nothing wrong in that !!
In the last seven years I've had an 1150gs an 1150gsa se a 1200mu and now I have a 1200 tc in a few weeks I'll have a 1200 lc

In my opinion each has been a little better both on the rough stuff and on tarmac than it's predecessor,but they've all been great bikes and a pleasure to own.

Each year I go off camping with a mate of mine,me on the latest incarnation of the GS and he on his trusty W reg 1150gs.
He loves his 1150 it goes everywhere and does everything that the latest incarnation that I'm on will do.
Sometimes if I'm poodling around he'll go off for a blast and visa versa.

If I really wanted to get a lick on say from Inverness to Tongue then yes I'd most probabley get there 10mins before him,but then to me that's not what bikings about it's about enjoying doing what we do it doesn't matter what we do it on as long as we enjoy it.
My mate gets as much pleasure out of his as I do out of mine so in his book his is the better bike and in mine mine is and it's not that he couldn't afford the latest cause he could.

So,to go over and over what is the best is totally irrelevant,let folks be and enjoy their given choices.

Steve

 

[Callard]

"If I really wanted to get a lick on say from Inverness to Tongue"

If Carlsburg posted on forums

 

[Fanum]

This was never about how little off road experience i have, it was about people commenting on the capabilities of the new R1200GS off-road with no experience of the bike whatsoever.

.....No, it was about a well written and surprisingly impartial ride report on another forum about......from the observations in that R-R, it seems that the Toilet12 isn't as sturdy for Off-Roading as the Hexhead, nor does the engine suit the needs of someone who wants to ride it off-road, as it's lost the low powered grunt

 

[Flipfly]

If I really wanted to get a lick on say from Inverness to Tongue then yes I'd most probably get there 10mins before him

Steve

I'd love to think my bike was the fastest, but it isn't. The fastest GS is an 1100 has 300k+ miles on it and is THE DONKEY. The bike is only 5% of the equation, Vern is the other 95%.

You get a lick on Vern will be on his 3rd pint and be just about finshing pudding by the time you get there

The "A well ridden GS" term was originated by the first guy that tried to keep up with Vern

 

[Malvern_Beemer]

.....No, it was about a well written and surprisingly impartial ride report on another forum about......from the observations in that R-R, it seems that the Toilet12 isn't as sturdy for Off-Roading as the Hexhead, nor does the engine suit the needs of someone who wants to ride it off-road, as it's lost the low powered grunt

You've incorrectly assumed that I was referring to the OP rather than some of the subsequent posts.

 

[Flipfly]

You've incorrectly assumed that I was referring to the OP rather than some of the subsequent posts.

TBH it doesn't take a mastermind to work out that a 125bhp twin is going to be a bit too much of a handful off road unless it's stuffed with electrickery (which require sensors etc which fail after prolonged off road use and abuse) that holds back the power etc.

Off road, less is more, that's why a serrow is a fantastic off road bike. My 1150 makes 75-80bhp max which is nice and smooth for off roading. Yes it's heavy, but it's manageable and sometimes it's the challenge which gives the buzz. It is however, very sturdy and will suffer the abuse well. I'm just not convinced that the digital GS will be quite so sturdy. Judging by the ride report, I'd say that so far my thoughts are justified.

The addition of more electrickery, water cooling and even more plastic to smash off just makes the bike unviable imho as a long term big trail bike. No doubt it'll work for those who ride it on road, or can afford to repair it should they have a mishap off road, but I couldn't afford to take on off road.

 

[C-J]

I did the ORS last year on one of the old fangled twin cam things... It blew my mind what they could do offroad.. I'm guessing an 1150 would have aswell..

Perhaps we should have a new section of the forum where you can only post if you've earnt your offroad wings through some sort of extreeme expedition. It's like the offroad nazi's are the only people who can comment on the capability of a GS. can we get an Offroad Nazi smiley face.. bit like the hitler one but with knobbly tyres or summat ??

 

[Yellow Peril]

Lets face it, off road, on road who really cares, the designers designed a bike to appeal to the sports bike converts and must keep up with the jones brigrade, more power, more capable on road, more toys, yes in the right hands it is capable off road in many respects the same as the previous bikes, but there is more to go wrong more to break.

 

[Count]

The assumption that all the electronics will break easily has some merit but is hardly justified based on current experience. Most electronics on modern machines are solid state lumps that if working day one will most likely work for a long time.

The whole mindset that thinks these simple machines are better and never go wrong are the same folk who boast they can fix it at the side of the road - both statements don't add up really.

I don't think I'd like to revert to old style ignition systems and doing my timing with a strobe light while worrying if the distributor cap was on straight but some on here clearly would. Rotor arms broke, I'd say electronic systems to control ignition timing is a lot better and reliability isn't quoted as a major problem. Technology evolves and in a few years the LC will be the dinosaur stalwart of the old timers who will swear it's the best and only bike capable of doing what they need.