Need the right GS

[Nick849]

Right, i need some help and you guys seem perfect to ask. i am currently in the middle of planning a RTW trip, leaving in january 2010. i have tested a few bikes out and i have settled on taking a GS, it seems like the only thing that will make 52,000 miles in one piece! the question is, which one? i have been thinking of a late nineties R100 GS, purely because it seems at just the right level of technology where it is reliable, yet fixable by me at the side of the road. i have been "put off" a new one by a fear of the ABS failing, i don't know how true this would be but i have been told it's pretty catastrophic. does anyone have any ideas?? thanks,
Nick

 

[Dave56]

Hi Nick welcome along............

 

[Stewart H]

Hi Nick, welcome to the site, if you look around you will find that the very rare brake fail/ABS issue is limited to the 1150 SERVO braked models, all others default to ordinary brakes (pretty good ones too IMO) in the event of ABS failure.

Stewart

 

[Blacktop]

Hi Nick
I took a 2001 RTW in 2002, 27000miles in three months (went with Nick Sanders) bike never missed a beat.
Only thing I would change is to put larger fuel tank on.

 

[Blacktop]

Nick
Forgot the important bit it was a BMW R1150 GS.

 

[Duchess]

Right, i need some help and you guys seem perfect to ask. i am currently in the middle of planning a RTW trip, leaving in january 2010. i have tested a few bikes out and i have settled on taking a GS, it seems like the only thing that will make 52,000 miles in one piece! the question is, which one? i have been thinking of a late nineties R100 GS, purely because it seems at just the right level of technology where it is reliable, yet fixable by me at the side of the road. i have been "put off" a new one by a fear of the ABS failing, i don't know how true this would be but i have been told it's pretty catastrophic. does anyone have any ideas?? thanks,
Nick

Nick, I'm just going to move this thread over to another section of the forum where I think you'll be best placed to get the right answers to your queries.

Welcome to UKGSer BTW, good to have you with us ... and good luck, hope you find what you want soon.

 

[Nick849]

Thanks guys!

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

why do you think an old airhead is a better RTW bike than an old japanese 600-ish single ? XL,DR,KLR, XT etc etc

i'm interested in your opinion - cos i think i'd be going single cylinder if i did it.

 

[Nick849]

well, i have taken a couple out, the best i found was the XT660, don't get me wrong, it was the best bike off road, still remaining light and nimble. but fully laden with everything i need to go round, i know it would suffer. plus, to be honest it wasn't very comfortable over distance, quite a tiring ride. the BMW was the most comfortable, more so than the KTM adventure and as nearly all the miles i will be doing are tarmac, i need something that would eat up the miles easily and comfortably. if i was doing the dakar, or just africa, then i would take the 660. no question.

 

[chrisjk]

Nick,
Not meaning to be a smartass but is it really possible to do a RTW trip nearly all on tarmac? I would have thought that even well marked roads on the map are likely to turn out to be pretty basic at times.

 

[Nick849]

oh no not possible at all! there will be some serious off road, as well as some good roads in US and europe. i'm expecting maybe 50/50, but most miles are covered in the US and other more western countries so the roads will be better. it's just those long stints on tarmac would be pretty uncomfortable on the 660.