Marcus' 1200GS replacement thread.....

[marcus]

insults and sarcasm

That I'm afraid is something of a reflex reaction to something I perceive as being blatently, ridiculously stupid.

Your comments on this thread (started by Marcus) have all been of a negative twist; nothing of value at all has been added; all you've done is slag off the basis of the thread from the start and say why you think it's rubbish in a very blinkered fashion.

That's even continued after your argument of "invalid because you got a discount on the Honda" has clearly been so evidentially wiped out......so please do the rest of us a favour and refrain from taking further part in this one.

I've never used ignore lists before; I'm beginning to be tempted.

Nothing personal - I'm sure you are a decent enough bloke and all that and I'm certainly not in the game of making internet enemies - but I'm finding your contributions on this thread to be of a non-productive fashion and the thread would be better without your input.


Ta

ps good info Minkyhead. All seems validly comparable to me, not wearing my BMW marketing - blinkers . . . .

 

[GS TRV]

Moving on

How's it running Marcus? Any good observations in the first miles of ownership?

 

[instructor Boy]

And you can say that with absolute certainty? Gosh, how did I manage to get a discount on my K1200S then??

..thats because they sold horrendously and have been stacking up in the warehouses. but if the bike suits you, well played on your uber bargain !

 

[marcus]

Moving on

How's it running Marcus? Any good observations in the first miles of ownership?

150miles....
First observation:

Should have got one years ago. Should have binned BMW as soon as the first gearbox went on my first 1200GS (4 days twas, I think!)

It just feels like a properly well fettled piece of kit.

On the daily commute it just feels.......right

It fires into life eagerly, it's plenty fast enough (still running in at low rpm too - bags of torque.)
Plenty comfy enough, the gearbox is as sweet as a well oiled .303 action, the bike doesn't feel anywehere near as heavy as it actually is.
Light easy controls & clear, simple cockpit. Lovely but polite and inoffensive sound; a little pop-pop on the overrrun and a nice growl going through tunnels.
Heated grips give equal heat to each side (my 1200 didn't) although the heated grip control is a fiddle to use on the move.

Brilliant headlights. Absolute blinders blast) Moses would use this bike to filter it's so good at parting traffic.

After 7 years of BMW paralevers I expected to be a little worried by fork dive. None of it. The bike is very stable under braking, and the brakes seem better than the bike I tested.

Absolutely nothing to moan about at all.....might get a bigger screen though

Still getting the hang of very low speed manoevering......"snap" breaking from 10mph does shift the centre of gravity somewhat, so that's the immediate learning curve given the tallness of the bike and the shortness of me.

So I won't be playing mini-stoppie games at the lights GS style and I won't be pulling any wheelies (not that I ever could do so under any proper semblence of control anyway)

I could do lock to lock figure '8's on the 1200 - the Vara will take me a little more time to be able to do this manoevre I think. Narrower bars in particular I think give a different feel.

I can't yet chuck it about as I could the GS. The handling might be a little more ponderous, but that might also be my lack of experience

The only thing I miss about the 1200GS is the servo brakes. I thought these the dog's danglies (especially dabbing the front mid-corner)- but I hear they aren't on the new bikes so that's just another reason to avoid BMW.

Once Ive got the 600 mile service done and can open up those v-twin cylinders some more then there will be a proper report


First impression - best decision I've made for ages.

Deal cost me about the same as a 3rd year warranty from BMW, so all round one happy Marcus.

 

[herrdirektor]

Congratulations ! Happiness is the only thing that counts.


(But you are still a traitor,judas,infidel,heretic !)

 

[minkyhead]

150miles....
First observation:

Should have got one years ago. Should have binned BMW as soon as the first gearbox went on my first 1200GS (4 days twas, I think!)

It just feels like a properly well fettled piece of kit.

On the daily commute it just feels.......right

It fires into life eagerly, it's plenty fast enough (still running in at low rpm too - bags of torque.)
Plenty comfy enough, the gearbox is as sweet as a well oiled .303 action, the bike doesn't feel anywehere near as heavy as it actually is.
Light easy controls & clear, simple cockpit. Lovely but polite and inoffensive sound; a little pop-pop on the overrrun and a nice growl going through tunnels.
Heated grips give equal heat to each side (my 1200 didn't) although the heated grip control is a fiddle to use on the move.

Brilliant headlights. Absolute blinders blast) Moses would use this bike to filter it's so good at parting traffic.

After 7 years of BMW paralevers I expected to be a little worried by fork dive. None of it. The bike is very stable under braking, and the brakes seem better than the bike I tested.

Absolutely nothing to moan about at all.....might get a bigger screen though

Still getting the hang of very low speed manoevering......"snap" breaking from 10mph does shift the centre of gravity somewhat, so that's the immediate learning curve given the tallness of the bike and the shortness of me. So I won't be playing mini-stoppie games at the lights GS style and I won't be pulling any wheelies (not that I ever could do so under any proper semblence of control anyway)

I could do lock to lock figure '8's on the 1200 - the Vara will take me a little more time to be able to do this manoevre I think. Narrower bars in particular I think give a different feel.

I can't yet chuck it about as I could the GS. The handling might be a little more ponderous, but that might also be my lack of experience

The only thing I miss about the 1200GS is the servo brakes. I thought these the dog's danglies (especially dabbing the front mid-corner)- but I hear they aren't on the new bikes so that's just another reason to avoid BMW.

Once Ive got the 600 mile service done and can open up those v-twin cylinders some more then there will be a proper report

first impression - best decision I've made for ages.

Deal cost me about the same as a 3rd year warranty from BMW, so all round one happy Marcus.

dont forget there linked brakes marcus ...just in case you didnt know ??

ive used this sysem on the black birds and the vara .....
the initial pull on the front lever doesnt give the same initial feeling of power of a conventional set up and especially after the gs servo which is probably a little too much the other way

i found it better to use both brakes all the time for normal braking ...on the plus side its impossible to get your braking in the wrong sequence

again on the plus side they are pillion freindly cos you can use the rear first and still get the required weight transfer to the front

down side ...slow speed manouvering takes a little more finesse with the rear lever
and not being able to trail the rear on tighter turns for fear of loading the front is a bit of pain ..very effective when you get used to it ...

i admit i would prefer them unlinked mainly for the last two reasons ..but they haul the beast down very well when used together

but you wont be left with what is lauhingly called residual braking if the servo fails ...[i was that soldier ]
trust me that firestorm engine will give you pleanty of shove after your run in
i think you may be surprised by it ....the vara is not slow especially in big trailie terms ..it has a better ability to criuse unstressed at high speeds the one thing i never really cured was the correct type of screen ..but its a recurring problem on most bikes ...
anyway let us know ...

 

[Twotter]

With a Strom & a Varadero on the test ride to-do list one thing I have been wondering about is the effectiveness of the brakes. I'm coming from a 61k 02 R1150GS with ABS.

Fingers crossed for a decent test ride

 

[minkyhead]

With a Strom & a Varadero on the test ride to-do list one thing I have been wondering about is the effectiveness of the brakes. I'm coming from a 61k 02 R1150GS with ABS.

Fingers crossed for a decent test ride

the strom needs a good tug at the lever but they work ok ..its a little disconceting after the servo gs ..but when adapted they pull up well ...i have the abs on the 650 ..and would ideally like it on the 1000

the strom rides a bit high at the front but raising links and changing from trailwings make a big difference ...slipped up raised the rear and changed the tyres at the same time so its difficult to say other than the combined effect ......which is exelent ...crank the rear preload up before u ride it which will help .....
ive no doubt you will like the engine .....
this will get your attention when fitted
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MCYCLE&pcode=SGMTRE002

 

[Twotter]

Cheers

 

[Twotter]

Went out bike shopping today and having looked at a number of bikes I've booked a test ride for Wednesday

 

[Steady Eddie]

Vara

Marcus ,

How are you managing the height on this bike - my next machine may be one of these , or a v STROM 650 [ took a test ride a while back and was very impressed ] .
As I'm only 5ft 8 , it looks a bit tall for me - I have sat on one , and was on tip toes on level ground .

Steve

 

[BBB61]

After you resorted to your usual tone, I didn't come back to this thread, but now it's popped back up the list again it's time to respond to you.

That I'm afraid is something of a reflex reaction to something I perceive as being blatently, ridiculously stupid.

Being selective in your editing of posts doesn't do you any favours when responding to a post. As for your perception, it is well off the mark.

Your comments on this thread (started by Marcus) have all been of a negative twist; nothing of value at all has been added; all you've done is slag off the basis of the thread from the start and say why you think it's rubbish in a very blinkered fashion.

I always worry when people refer to themselves in the third person. I made 1 comment about Triumph build quality and the rest have been in response to dubious figures being used in cost comparisons. That's not slagging off, just challenging figures being presented by other posters. I guess that's further evidence of your wonky perception.

That's even continued after your argument of "invalid because you got a discount on the Honda" has clearly been so evidentially wiped out......so please do the rest of us a favour and refrain from taking further part in this one.

Wiped out by who? You? Now you have got me rolling in the aisles!!!

I've never used ignore lists before; I'm beginning to be tempted.

A rational response to a differing viewpoint? I think not

Nothing personal - I'm sure you are a decent enough bloke and all that and I'm certainly not in the game of making internet enemies -

Really? I do find that surprising given the tone of some of your posts! You come across as being deliberately abrasive at times. Not the mark of someone who wants to avoid making internet enemies.

but I'm finding your contributions on this thread to be of a non-productive fashion and the thread would be better without your input.

In your opinion of course. Which you are entitled to, even if it is a load of tosh.

You come across as an intelligent bloke Marcus, but there is obviously a side of you that doesn't like being challenged. This tends to bring out the worst in you. You could easily have replied without the insults and sarcasm you used earlier, but you have chosen to not to.

I suspect you would be a decent bloke too, but it's not coming across very well at the moment.

 

[birdseye]

For heavens sake, GROW UP YOU TWO!

 

[Twotter]

Marcus ,

How are you managing the height on this bike - my next machine may be one of these , or a v STROM 650 [ took a test ride a while back and was very impressed ] .
As I'm only 5ft 8 , it looks a bit tall for me - I have sat on one , and was on tip toes on level ground .

Steve

Looks like Marcus may be a while

I recently part-ex'd my 1150GS for a Varadero and found the seat height to be higher. Now that's partly down to the knackered rear shock on the GS allowing me to flat foot the bike. With the Varadero I've wound the preload off a bit and my heels are about 1/2 an inch off the ground. Add luggage and a pillion and I'll be needing to wind up the preload

If it's the bike you want, and you are struggling, then you can drop the forks 10-20mm, or fit a rear suspension lowering kit, or get a lowered seat.