The following is an extract from motorcycle.com.
Quote
However, the GS did disappoint me during a casual ride down an open dirt road. I was standing up to get cool air through my riding gear, traveling about 45 mph, when I encountered a washboard section. In an instant and with seemingly no provocation, the bike went into a wild tankslapper that threatened to throw me from the bike. It was a very panicked second before the steering regained its composure.
We can’t yet say for certain this is a problem with the bike, but another journalist reported a similar experience when he was riding while standing. This is quite unexpected considering the chassis geometry is essentially unchanged from the previous model, plus there were no stability issues whatsoever during high-speed road riding. We wonder if perhaps the Dynamic ESA allowed the front suspension to pack down over the washboard surface, reducing its rake and trail to less stable geometry. Or perhaps the GS will end up with a steering damper when deliveries begin in March of this year.
Otherwise, the 2013 R1200GS is a multi-faceted success. Its ground-up redesign means everything has changed. That means there’s a lot of places to potentially go wrong, yet each change to the new GS is a definite upgrade. It’s familiar but better in nearly every aspect.
Pricing info in America has yet to be announced, but you can expect MSRPs about $1000 more than last year if Canadian prices, already released, are any indication.
End Quote
This issue is eluded to in today's MCN glowing report
Full report on
http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/bmw/2013-bmw-r1200gs-review-91507.html
Quote
However, the GS did disappoint me during a casual ride down an open dirt road. I was standing up to get cool air through my riding gear, traveling about 45 mph, when I encountered a washboard section. In an instant and with seemingly no provocation, the bike went into a wild tankslapper that threatened to throw me from the bike. It was a very panicked second before the steering regained its composure.
We can’t yet say for certain this is a problem with the bike, but another journalist reported a similar experience when he was riding while standing. This is quite unexpected considering the chassis geometry is essentially unchanged from the previous model, plus there were no stability issues whatsoever during high-speed road riding. We wonder if perhaps the Dynamic ESA allowed the front suspension to pack down over the washboard surface, reducing its rake and trail to less stable geometry. Or perhaps the GS will end up with a steering damper when deliveries begin in March of this year.
Otherwise, the 2013 R1200GS is a multi-faceted success. Its ground-up redesign means everything has changed. That means there’s a lot of places to potentially go wrong, yet each change to the new GS is a definite upgrade. It’s familiar but better in nearly every aspect.
Pricing info in America has yet to be announced, but you can expect MSRPs about $1000 more than last year if Canadian prices, already released, are any indication.
End Quote
This issue is eluded to in today's MCN glowing report
Full report on
http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/bmw/2013-bmw-r1200gs-review-91507.html
I'm getting a bit scared now
