" 'Truly a great bike' Sounds like truly a crap bike to me"
It depends on your previous ownership / dealership experiences. Anything that has been even remotely suspect on this bike has been rectified under warranty without so much as a quibble or complaint from my dealers or BMW. Try getting that from other marques.
As for being a crap bike, if this machine is crap then god knows what my Yamaha sportsbike must be classified as. My next sportsbike will probably be a BMW K1200S to complement my GS, if my licence can handle it.
23 brand new bikes and the only problems, other than a leaking fork seal on a VFR, have been with the three new BMW's. One was so bad I got my money back. The problems with the other two, an RT and the current 1200GS have, so far, been fairly minor. I suppose I should have learned my lesson but, I do like them, they have a character that most other bikes don't. For the money, however IMHO, they should be ultra reliable as well. It's all well and good that the dealer rectifies any faults under warranty but, thats of little comfort when your late for work two days running, as happened with the 650 Dakar, when the bike breaks down. IMHO the elements that go into making a 'Truly great bike' must include being great bike but, also of no lesser importance, reliablilty, otherwise it's crap.
Glad to here some positive stories on the 1200gs. I expect delivery of mine in the next couple of weeks but since i placed my order i have seen nothing but horror stories. Hopefully mine will be one of the good one's. RBB with ABS
Glad to here some positive stories on the 1200gs. I expect delivery of mine in the next couple of weeks but since i placed my order i have seen nothing but horror stories. Hopefully mine will be one of the good one's. RBB with ABS
4,500+ miles and only the dodgy brake servo gubbins.
That said, it is by miles the best bike I have ever ridden: The number of times I've uttered the words "I've not been here before" on this bike as oppossed to any other only serves to illustrate what a consumate mile-eating armchair the GS12 is.
Although I've had one or two problems (alternator failure, immobiliser malfunction, squeeky brakes) a 160 mile ride last Saturday reminded me why I never regret buying my GS.
Travelling down the A39 to Minehead with the wife on the back and in a 30 limit, a Ducati 748 overtakes me doing about 50 and then slows down. Then I remember something I had said about the GS after my test ride on one last may, and that was that down a twisty country road I reckoned the GS could stick with the sportiest of bikes. This was the first time that I had the opportunity to prove it.
So we hit the national speed limit sign and both the Duke and I give it some. For the next 15 miles I'm right up his Termignoni pipes, the only time he can pull away from me is on the occassional straight. By the next series of bends I'm up his chuff again. As I pull up in Minehead to wait for my mate on his Harley, I'm like a little school kid again, grinning from ear to ear with the wife giving me that 'boys will be boys' look. Bloody great.
So there you have it, sportsbike matching performance with touring bike comfort and luggage. Here's to a great summer!