Pointless electronics

[JayC]

Ummmmmmm

I don't get it! I thought it was a cracking bike. My demo bike had a clutch as light as a feather and the modulation between drive and clutch in / out was silky silky smooth.
I also found the fly by wire throttle fine Yes it's very sensitive in Dynamic mode, and kicks in quickly (which it's supposed to do), but if you're hooning and want that point.. squirt .. off.. turn .. then, well that's want you want isn't it?? It's what I want! And if I'm not in the mood, I'll just stick it in Road mode.

And then there are the variations that you can over-ride - just 'cos you (one - not you Flip ) stick it in Dynamic, it doesn't mean that you can't also, at the flick of a switch, soften the damping a bit - you don't have to ride it in 'hard'.

So I don't agree with the 'the bike decides not you'. I can over rule or at least alter pretty much anything if I chose to

JB complains that the GS is too much of a road bike now.

It's a feckin' brilliant road bike now And it'll still do all the off road stuff you want (look at the thing being thrashed off road in the pro mo vid, look at Pavey in Wales..).

I dunno what yer all complaining about

Biking, how you ride, how you use yer throttle, whether you get caught speeding or not, how smoothly you use yer throttle .... That's in yer head, not the bit between yer legs ...

Sounds like a load of bollocks to me!

 

[Flipfly]

Ummmmmmm

I don't get it! I thought it was a cracking bike. My demo bike had a clutch as light as a feather and the modulation between drive and clutch in / out was silky silky smooth.
I also found the fly by wire throttle fine Yes it's very sensitive in Dynamic mode, and kicks in quickly (which it's supposed to do), but if you're hooning and want that point.. squirt .. off.. turn .. then, well that's want you want isn't it?? It's what I want! And if I'm not in the mood, I'll just stick it in Road mode.

And then there are the variations that you can over-ride - just 'cos you (one - not you Flip ) stick it in Dynamic, it doesn't mean that you can't also, at the flick of a switch, soften the damping a bit - you don't have to ride it in 'hard'.

So I don't agree with the 'the bike decides not you'. I can over rule or at least alter pretty much anything if I chose to

JB complains that the GS is too much of a road bike now.

It's a feckin' brilliant road bike now And it'll still do all the off road stuff you want (look at the thing being thrashed off road in the pro mo vid, look at Pavey in Wales..).

I dunno what yer all complaining about

Biking, how you ride, how you use yer throttle, whether you get caught speeding or not, how smoothly you use yer throttle .... That's in yer head, not the bit between yer legs ...

Each to their own Giles.

It's not a great bike imho, it's a collection of acronyms that are supposed to make the bike faster and safer. The fastest bike I've ridden was close on 200bhp and had no traction control, it didn't need it either because it was easily controlled through a well designed and executed throttle. It was fuel injected, but incredibly smooth, so it begs the question why the new gs needs all this shite
Enduro mode was great with no inteference.

It would be nice if bm offered the bike without all the esa/asc/blah blah blah. Smooth enduro mode throttle and the option of full and 100bhp. I actually might be tempted then.

It's all a bit too complicated for my addled old brain

 

[Giles]

Ha ha ... well I'm probably not too far behind you ..

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

.... It's all a bit too complicated for my addled old brain

There you have it folks.... by his own admission it seems that during Flip's epic sub 100 mile test ride, the only problem was with the 'nut' that connected the handlebars to the seat

 

[Nutty]

Ummmmmmm

I don't get it! I thought it was a cracking bike. My demo bike had a clutch as light as a feather and the modulation between drive and clutch in / out was silky silky smooth.
I also found the fly by wire throttle fine Yes it's very sensitive in Dynamic mode, and kicks in quickly (which it's supposed to do), but if you're hooning and want that point.. squirt .. off.. turn .. then, well that's want you want isn't it?? It's what I want! And if I'm not in the mood, I'll just stick it in Road mode.

And then there are the variations that you can over-ride - just 'cos you (one - not you Flip ) stick it in Dynamic, it doesn't mean that you can't also, at the flick of a switch, soften the damping a bit - you don't have to ride it in 'hard'.

So I don't agree with the 'the bike decides not you'. I can over rule or at least alter pretty much anything if I chose to

JB complains that the GS is too much of a road bike now.

It's a feckin' brilliant road bike now And it'll still do all the off road stuff you want (look at the thing being thrashed off road in the pro mo vid, look at Pavey in Wales..).

I dunno what yer all complaining about

Biking, how you ride, how you use yer throttle, whether you get caught speeding or not, how smoothly you use yer throttle .... That's in yer head, not the bit between yer legs ...

Well said that man Some of the die hard 11xx owners had decided they wouldn't like it before they'd even ridden it, just read their posts.

Can't please everyone I guess, but 3500 miles in, and I can't fault mine.

 

[David Nimrod]

The point is that the R100GS is capable of many things, small roads, fast sweeping bends, long journeys (like my ride to Istanbul), weekends away, tricky off road riding, anything at all really...

And there's no electronics on it

Fixed it for you!

 

[JayC]

Well said that man Some of the die hard 11xx owners had decided they wouldn't like it before they'd even ridden it, just read their posts.

Can't please everyone I guess, but 3500 miles in, and I can't fault mine.

A hole in one!

 

[Wreford Miles]

Saw one today at Columbia Road market... Mrs Miles and I had sauntered in on the 1150

You can't deny it's a good looking bit of kit that looks very well thought through and has made the previous model look dated very quickly.

The owner seem a decent bloke to, which initially surprised me, until I noticed he had spec'd wire wheels

I suppose modern tech will use electronic throttles and if you've got that you can have modes and if you're going to have them I imagine you want people to feel a difference - maybe creating one ( a mode ) that resembles a very well set up throttle would make the rest seem pointless so they've not programmed that one

 

[Flipfly]

Saw one today at Columbia Road market... Mrs Miles and I had sauntered in on the 1150

You can't deny it's a good looking bit of kit that looks very well thought through and has made the previous model look dated very quickly.

The owner seem a decent bloke to, which initially surprised me, until I noticed he had spec'd wire wheels

I suppose modern tech will use electronic throttles and if you've got that you can have modes and if you're going to have them I imagine you want people to feel a difference - maybe creating one ( a mode ) that resembles a very well set up throttle would make the rest seem pointless so they've not programmed that one

There's logic in that. What some describe as instant throttle, I would describe as a poorly set up throttle. I quite enjoyed the enduro mode, but what's the point of all the gizmos if you have to turn them off for the bike to behave properly

As for you BHT, the day I need a computer to tell me how to control a bike will be the day I give up riding, especially when it's 120bhp or whatever the lc produces. Feck me, it's not a powerhouse is it. I've ridden far more powerful bikes without the nanny software and I'm still here to tell the story
It's quick for a gs, but in the grand scheme of things it's still only as powerful as a modern 600. I can handle a bit of air under the front wheel without the need to poo.

I did get a little flap from the bars at around 85ish in enduro mode. Came out of the bend and hit a little crest which lifted the front whilst still cranked over a bit. A little headshake and it was all in line, so the stability issues are bollocks imho. Having said that, if the nanny computer had come in and shut the throttle off and then wacked it back on as the wheel touched down, who knows? The bike is stable, the electronics aren't imho.

 

[Giles]

Saw one today at Columbia Road market... ........

Oooo, I was up there last week - had lunch in that busy pub (can't remember it's name). All very notting hill / three weddings and a funeral ..

 

[Jumblemo]

Gotta love the way this bike still gets under the skin of the pipe and slippers brigade. Jealous and irritated to the point of constant whining. Love it :-D

 

[Flipfly]

Gotta love the way this bike still gets under the skin of the pipe and slippers brigade. Jealous and irritated to the point of constant whining. Love it :-D

Having ridden one now I can honestly say I couldn't be more jealous if you had a penis shaped wart on your forehead

 

[Jumblemo]

Having ridden one now I can honestly say I couldn't be more jealous if you had a penis shaped wart on your forehead

I do feel you protest too much.

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

.... It's all a bit too complicated for my addled old brain

.... the day I need a computer to tell me how to control a bike will be the day I give up riding....

There you go again.... it sounds like it's all down your addled old brain not being able to cope with advancing technology

ABS ad ASC can be turned off you know

I still find it odd that for someone who is so against this latest model, you spend an awful lot of time in here. If you don't like it that's fine everyone has a choice, but why feel the need to belittle those that do.

 

[Jumblemo]

There you go again.... it sounds like it's all down your addled old brain not being able to cope with advancing technology

ABS ad ASC can be turned off you know

I still find it odd that for someone who is so against this latest model, you spend an awful lot of time in here. If you don't like it that's fine everyone has a choice, but why feel the need to belittle those that do.

May I suggest it's because this bike REALLY pisses them off. Look at it from their position. Sitting happy with a bike that had its merits and was ok as far as it's the Adventure sector goes. And then comes along a bike that moves the needle and also attracts buyers from across the biking spectrum.

Most owners of the prior model will just welcome the new interest and get on with their biking, a few will trade up. But, there's a bitter few, no names, who just can't help feeling intense irritation and so spend an unhealthy amount of time trying to find a reason to claim the old model is superior. Strongest one so far seems to be indicator switch gear...

 

[Engineer]

Traction control in dynamic mode

Even on a dry sunny day it kicks in at the merest wiff of a wheely So turn it off and all your left with is the snatchy fly by wire throttle

Road mode does seem any different to dynamic imho

Best mode is enduro mode for me, but then it limits power to the same as the old bike


Any chance of a combo of enduro throttle and full power with the traction turned down to 2 please

Should have bought the version without all the electronic gizmos it's just as easy to ride without all the 'modes' TC dynamic suspension, LED lights etc.

 

[Engineer]

I doubt it

The infamous bmw surge is back with a vengence unless it's in enduro mode. I'm sure it's down to the sensitivity of the fbw throttle and not a fueling issue, but it's annoying. The traction control is over nannying and is either on or off, clutch is grabby, engine won't pull off in second unless you slip the grabby clutch (not a good look when the traction control kicks in also). I ended up looking a total twat at the traffic light when I tried a get away in second. At least I understand why bmw made the gear indicator so big
It handles well enough, but in hard setting the suspension is too firm and I'm a fat fook
The engine is strong, but it's lost alot of character imho. Feckin hard to keep in the speed limits which ain't a good thing either

Mine doesn't surge at all

 

[Engineer]

Each to their own Giles.

It's not a great bike imho, it's a collection of acronyms that are supposed to make the bike faster and safer. The fastest bike I've ridden was close on 200bhp and had no traction control, it didn't need it either because it was easily controlled through a well designed and executed throttle. It was fuel injected, but incredibly smooth, so it begs the question why the new gs needs all this shite
Enduro mode was great with no inteference.

It would be nice if bm offered the bike without all the esa/asc/blah blah blah. Smooth enduro mode throttle and the option of full and 100bhp. I actually might be tempted then.

It's all a bit too complicated for my addled old brain

Once again, if the electronics is all to much for you then you can buy one without it - by all means knock the fancy electronics as unnecessary if you can't get your head around it but the bike underneath all that stuff is still the best 1200 to date by a very long way

 

[Yellow Peril]

Once again, if the electronics is all to much for you then you can buy one without it - by all means knock the fancy electronics as unnecessary if you can't get your head around it but the bike underneath all that stuff is still the best 1200 to date by a very long way

As a point of interest where in the spectrum of modes is your bike? As you are the only one that appears to have a more standard bike?

Have you test ridden the ones with the fancy electronics? How do they compare?

Looking towards the new ADV when it appears...

 

[Beemerman59]

May I suggest it's because this bike REALLY pisses them off. Look at it from their position. Sitting happy with a bike that had its merits and was ok as far as it's the Adventure sector goes. And then comes along a bike that moves the needle and also attracts buyers from across the biking spectrum.

Most owners of the prior model will just welcome the new interest and get on with their biking, a few will trade up. But, there's a bitter few, no names, who just can't help feeling intense irritation and so spend an unhealthy amount of time trying to find a reason to claim the old model is superior. Strongest one so far seems to be indicator switch gear...

I don't see anyone getting pissed off here at all. Its a new bike and people are giving their opinions on it. That's all - opinions. They're not being critical of you so don't take it personally or feel you have to justify your buying decisions. I don't think any GS is better than any other GS - they mean different things to different people and each is great in its own way. What's better for you is worse for someone else. Since you don't have any history of GS's prior to March this year (or BMW's for that matter) or the people who buy and ride them, you could help yourself by being a bit more openminded about things in general and maybe accept sometimes that others have a different view on things than you do.

For myself, I've got a bit more life to get out of my Hexhead GSA just yet. Mine's got all the bells and whistles that you can get on an '08. One thing that has taught me is which one's to go for if and when I buy an LC. I'm waiting for the GSA version and some history on reliability and the practicalities of self service which is important to me. Having just had a weekend away with some friends on sportsbike's I know for sure my wheezy lump with a remap and open headers doesn't need any more power so that's not a buying decision for me. In my mind the increase in statistical power the LC has over previous generations is a distraction...it means very little on the roads, as you use whatever you have in whatever way you want.