New to me!😁

[fox889]

Been on an 1150 for the past three years, for whatever reasons (& there aren’t any) I was flicking through bike trader & came across an 08 GS1200 which stirred one’s loins, long story short, bought it, not picking it up for a week cos of holibobs.
what can one expect jumping off an 1150 onto a 1200?

 

[tjmouse]

Congratulations. New bike day is always a good day!

Not ridden an 1150 so can’t do a comparison but I love my 1200, so full of character and lots of grunt.

 

[botus]

its more like a normal bike - much less like a BMW

it handles like a stolen 125 and is the fastest bike out there - they stop like nothing else and as you can see and control it so easily nothing else stands a chance (when you put a set of roadsmart tyres on it... ) - it has almost the perfect performance curve to leave anything for dead with 0% effort - and if it has the later box that works like a honda - where in 6th you can lit the lever to find you were already in 6th (rather than its stiff and you try for another thats not there), its the best box they did, and about 6million times more advanced than the Massey Ferguson one u had in the 1150s

its light years nicer to ride than a new 25k 1250GS

but....
- get on ebay and buy the adventure seat, it will do 1.5hrs pain free vs the 20 mins the lesser one manages
- the adventure screen support bracket is silly money (nasty fakes on ebay these days), but you need it for a ztechnic high screen that transforms the NVH and alzhimers you get from a std screen or even the GSA screen
- if its got ABS and no ESA you can get ASC added by your main dealer for 140 quid - by fitting the commonly available ESA switch gear (Info, ABS and separate ESA button) in place of the 350 quid unobtainable one that shows a separate ASC button and ask they flash the upgrade - but them every ride you must move it to be in S mode or the bikes a stuttering mess...
- if you have TPMS with motoscan you can enable the Tyre temps menus for a bit of extra fun
- two exhaust clamps and a bit of meccano strengthens the tops of the stanchions so the steering responds without lag to your inputs for high speed fun and games
- the brace is essential on road tyres that actually have a connection between the road the tyre
- if no ESA by decent aftermarket shock to take ride comfort up by 100% and speed up by 25%

 

[Littledumptruck]

You might find the seat traps you in one position compared to the 1150. 12 has a U shaped seat base, so if you’re a full sized rider and compress the foam like I use to, you end up stuck in the bottom of the U. I had to modify mine by building the base up with denser rigid foam to create a flatter base area.
lots of other differences, lighter, little bit quicker, assuming its the face lift model its def the last ‘good looking’ gs. Everything after the twin cam just gets busier and busier as they ran out of styling ideas so just kept adding odd bits everywhere.
There are negatives though, so I’d keep the 1150 a while, you wouldn’t be the first to go back.
Paint finish not as good. Canbus wiring.
My mates just bought an 08 too. I was looking for one a couple of years back but ended up on a new SuperTenere for just a couple of grand more.

 

[botus]

My mates just bought an 08 too. I was looking for one a couple of years back but ended up on a new SuperTenere for just a couple of grand more.

the yamaha - is very similar and gets cruise - except for one massive draw back - the things can't stop - massive dive and instability, and thus ties itself in utter knots - so to ride it quickly takes 200% more effort and skill and even so you have to take 30% off the speeds you can safely manage on a GS with zero effort at all

the same pathetic affliction hits the KTM SAT - so whilst mine pushes out another 75BPH and 40 ft lbs more torque than the old GS its far slower in reality - and its bloody dangerous and really draining trying to do anything my GS can

 

[Littledumptruck]

the yamaha - is very similar and gets cruise - expect for one massive draw back - the things can't stop - massive dive and insatbility, so to ride it quickly takes 200% more effort / skill and even so so you have to take 30% off the speeds you can safely manage on a GS

Utter rubbish. Two years and 18k miles since buying mine, it rides just like my old 1150s use to. I ride regularly with newer gs owners, mostly leading and often have to stop for them to catch up. If there’s any issues with handling it’ll be the shock losing its abilities and will need rebuilding or replacing, probably pretty soon.

 

[botus]

Utter rubbish. Two years and 18k miles since buying mine, it rides just like my old 1150s use to. I ride regularly with newer gs owners, mostly leading and often have to stop for them to catch up. If there’s any issues with handling it’ll be the shock losing its abilities and will need rebuilding or replacing, probably pretty soon.

I improved the content of my post between your reply - and added a bit on the same affliction on my KTM

but your point is anecdotal - lots of people on bikes that shouldn't be, and in many cases a FS1E would lead the field against 15 guys I ride with on their 1 ltr bikes

the reality is big suspension 200+kg bikes must be ridden really gently and are just a horrible nuisance - unless its got the funny front suspension of a GS where it will easily and safely out-brake a R1, Fireplace etc. on our nasty roads

 

[fox889]

its more like a normal bike - much less like a BMW

it handles like a stolen 125 and is the fastest bike out there - they stop like nothing else and as you can see and control it so easily nothing else stands a chance (when you put a set of roadsmart tyres on it... ) - it has almost the perfect performance curve to leave anything for dead with 0% effort - and if it has the later box that works like a honda - where in 6th you can lit the lever to find you were already in 6th (rather than its stiff and you try for another thats not there), its the best box they did, and about 6million times more advanced than the Massey Ferguson one u had in the 1150s

its light years nicer to ride than a new 25k 1250GS

but....
- get on ebay and buy the adventure seat, it will do 1.5hrs pain free vs the 20 mins the lesser one manages
- the adventure screen support bracket is silly money (nasty fakes on ebay these days), but you need it for a ztechnic high screen that transforms the NVH and alzhimers you get from a std screen or even the GSA screen
- if its got ABS and no ESA you can get ASC added by your main dealer for 140 quid - by fitting the commonly available ESA switch gear (Info, ABS and separate ESA button) in place of the 350 quid unobtainable one that shows a separate ASC button and ask they flash the upgrade - but them every ride you must move it to be in S mode or the bikes a stuttering mess...
- if you have TPMS with motoscan you can enable the Tyre temps menus for a bit of extra fun
- two exhaust clamps and a bit of meccano strengthens the tops of the stanchions so the steering responds without lag to your inputs for high speed fun and games
- the brace is essential on road tyres that actually have a connection between the road the tyre
- if no ESA by decent aftermarket shock to take ride comfort up by 100% and speed up by 25%

1150 box is a tad agricultural but nice with it has ESA as well.