It's big and it's clever.......

[Freddie]

...........but does a GSA commute well into London?

I'm sick and tired of the daily train grind, and really want to commute into the city - about 50 miles each way along the M4, then wriggle through to Bank. Now we all know the GSA is a big old beast, significantly more hefty than yer average scooter.

Does anyone out there commute into the city on one? Can you find parking slots OK (have to be public, cos we don't have a luxurious underground thingy to park in), does it get through bus/taxi/tourists combos' with ease without squashing any of them... it might not be able to wear it's panniers due to stupendous width, but without, surely it's nifty enough to handle the weaving in and out? I suppose if all else fails, I'll just have to copy Dougie Lampkin and trial ride up 'n over the lot

Dreaming of a better way to get to work.....

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

Yes totally doable ,but must say for the daily commute my T max is the daddy

 

[Mav]

I take my GSA every time I go in to London, wouldn't have it any other way

As you say, better without panniers - I take the rear seat off, put everything in one of the waterproof pannier bags and use one of those elastic net things to hold it down where the the rear seat was.

 

[mark2jag]

...........but does a GSA commute well into London?

I'm sick and tired of the daily train grind, and really want to commute into the city - about 50 miles each way along the M4, then wriggle through to Bank. Now we all know the GSA is a big old beast, significantly more hefty than yer average scooter.

Does anyone out there commute into the city on one? Can you find parking slots OK (have to be public, cos we don't have a luxurious underground thingy to park in), does it get through bus/taxi/tourists combos' with ease without squashing any of them... it might not be able to wear it's panniers due to stupendous width, but without, surely it's nifty enough to handle the weaving in and out? I suppose if all else fails, I'll just have to copy Dougie Lampkin and trial ride up 'n over the lot

Dreaming of a better way to get to work.....

Well as to how effectively it carves through stationary traffic really depends on how brave you are. I spent a shortwhile despatching on a GS in Central London, and I would say its definitely doable, but sometimes you gotta have VERY BIG COJONES senor...... although I have followed some scooters through the lesser traffic gaps and wondered how the hell I managed to get through. !!! I guess it's down to personal safety but when you're POB and in a rush its amazing what you will do to "make progress" ahem sorry officer......

Go for it. and have fun, but if it dont feel right at the end of the day then dont do it. I've ended up going over pavements to make progress in the past. Not that its BIG or CLEVER but needs must....

Ok, said my piece, I'l get my coat

 

[Bones]

I commute 40 miles each way to Covent Garden on my cooking GS and it's great for the job. A GSA isn't much bigger. The first week or two take it steady to develop your city 6th sense

Catching the train drives me mad

 

[luckylucian]

Or buy the 400 Burgman scooter in the for sale section and use that

 

[john1215]

Re the panniers, if your mirrors will fit through a gap then so will your panniers.

John

 

[Cooky]

I commute daily into EC3 on my GS. It's a great city bike because of it's road presence and high riding position. No worse off for gaps 99% of the time than scooters or other bikes I've commuted on over the last 11 years. I'm certainly rarely frustrated by its size. Slow filtering on my 2010 model requires zero clutch slip. The 2010 exhaust is loud emough that al-quaeda pedestrians hear you coming.Then when you're f@cked off with work it'll take you touring and do a track day or 2. Love it.

In EC3 (if that's what you mean by "City" - ie the square mile) there's a lot of free bike bay availability until about 8:45am-9am. After that it starts to get a bit full. There are NCP type car parks around on the borders of the square mile but they are expensive. In the bike bays your bike will get the odd scratch from bikers/scooterists trying to wedge their bike into an impossible gap but so what.

 

[Pukmeister]

...........does a GSA commute well into London?


Dreaming of a better way to get to work.....

I drive up the A3 from the South Coast to London most days in an estate car for work. I see a lot of GS and GSA's each day on their daily commute. None of them seem to have a problem. Done it myself on my GSA a few times (pleasure not work) and had no problems with it either, although Park Lane/Hyde Park Corner/Sloane Square gets a bit tight for filtering at rush hour.

Unfortunately I can't carry my work tools on the bike, otherwise I'd leave the car and claim mileage on the GSA instead.

 

[GrinningGSer]

Im embarassed to say that I've just been into the garage with a tape measure for you lot:
07 GSA
Front crashbar width approx 78cm a standard GS with no bars may be slightly less but only a cm or so
Bars 90cm
Mirrors 93cm
Boxes 99cm... so watch out !

So the boxes ARE the widest part and I'd leave the boxes if you want to enjoy filtering cos sooner or later you'll clip someone

The mirrirs are a joy for commuting till you meet a transit van

As far as the front end is concerned, GS/GSA near as damn it identical although they dont feel the same

 

[Wapping]

There are NCP type car parks around on the borders of the square mile but they are expensive. In the bike bays your bike will get the odd scratch from bikers/scooterists trying to wedge their bike into an impossible gap but so what.

Do some checking around. Those operated by the Corporation of London are free. For instance, the popular one on White's Row and the (very good) one beneath the Marsh building, on the extension to Lower Tames Street, leading to the dead end of Petty Wales and the Tower. Many bods assume this car park is private, simply as it sits beneath the Marsh building and is not well signposted. It's not; it's public and free for motorcycles.

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corp...Transport_and_streets/Parking/motorcycles.htm

====

As to whether you can commute on a GSA, of course you can.

 

[Freddie]

Thanks to all you chaps and (possibly?) chappesses for some great comments and encouragement - looks like I've found a new smiley way to start and end the day! Cheers all!

 

[solarider]

I live in central London and ride a 1200 GSA every day of the year. From Chelsea, across Battersea Bridge, through Clapham, Mitcham, Tooting and Croydon through some pretty heavy traffic. I Love it. I look forward to the commute every day, come rain or shine. The GSA has better road presence than any other bike and is more manoueverable than you imagine.

All down to you, but I commute quite happily on it.

No way I would do it with panniers. Used to on a GS with Varios on their most compact setting, but wouldn't do with aluminium. They are I can confirm the widest part of the bike. Your handlebars and cylinders are your benchmark otherwise, and these are in front of you, so much easier to gauge than the rail of destruction left by your panniers!

 

[Yonkyo]

Boxes 99cm... so watch out !

So the boxes ARE the widest part and I'd leave the boxes if you want to enjoy filtering cos sooner or later you'll clip someone

Yes, i've collected several different colours of pant on my boxes, when filtering through Bristol traffic...

Sorry cagers, i didn't feel a thing..honest.

 

[Cooky]

Do some checking around. Those operated by the Corporation of London are free. For instance, the popular one on White's Row and the (very good) one beneath the Marsh building, on the extension to Lower Tames Street, leading to the dead end of Petty Wales and the Tower. Many bods assume this car park is private, simply as it sits beneath the Marsh building and is not well signposted. It's not; it's public and free for motorcycles.

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corp...Transport_and_streets/Parking/motorcycles.htm

====

As to whether you can commute on a GSA, of course you can.

Useful - thanks

 

[Bones]

Daily use of the bike in traffic will also improve your riding skills and you'll get better value out of the bike. My 06 is now up to 40k miles, looks a bit rough if you look close but has more cred than a minter. I'll put another 20K on it then I won't give a monkeys how much I get back on it. Daily use keeps them reliable too.

 

[freeloader]

Yes, i've collected several different colours of pant on my boxes, when filtering through Bristol traffic...

[leslie philips]
I say...
[/leslie philips]

 

[Mav]

[leslie philips]
I say...
[/leslie philips]

 

[tw99]

My experience is you can filter pretty effectively on a GS in normal-to-heavy city traffic. In really heavy London rush-hour conditions, there are some major junctions with very narrow lanes where you will be unable to squeeze to the front on a GS, but might make it on something narrower.

Henley to the City must be about 90 mins each way I'd have thought, assuming you have to travel at peak periods ?

 

[Simon_h]

Having done 16k miles in 5 months on a 2010 GSA from Basingstoke up to the city everyday....it's do'able but you're making hard work for yourself.

It's uncomfortable and thirsty on the motorway and the high and wide arrangement puts you right in the league of transit van and people carrier mirrors. I now commute on a pan euro and the journey is, except for turning circle, much easier.

Recommend you buy a big cc scooter or a bandit or something that is easier to ride, more comfortable, cheaper to run and less of a bother if it gets nicked or skanked up through the winter.

As for car park, if you can stand the walk there is a car park on Queen Victoria Street (just past Blackfriars station) which is barriered, covered, camera'd, guarded and free for bikes. I park there everyday and I've never had a bike/scooter park within a meter of mine and never seen any bother. If you park in onroad public bays you will get scooter rash.