Yesterday went to the local dealer's open day as I've been doing for many years. Missed out last year moaning about BMW's dull range of new models but this year, with a different head on and better weather, we decided we could spare an hour and a half. The test rides are guided half hour group rides. The dealer is on the edge of the town (Moto Passion at Perigueux), so most of the route is on country roads and the Gendarmes dropped in to say they'd be going somewhere else over the weekend so these runs are fairly quick affairs.
We tested a 1200GS, then a 1200RT and then a 700GS. Wifey didn't like the high pillion seat on the GS from the moment she got on it. At first I had the bike in 'Road' mode and it felt pretty flat, I even had the throttle on the backstop a couple of times pulling up hills in 3rd, also didn't like the funny shaped screen which was at just the wrong height for me. Overall and as ever with modern BMs I was generally impressed with the stability and brakes. The guide switched it over to 'Dynamic' mode at the turn round point and the bikes performance was transformed. Other thoughts; found the gear change clunkier than expected (probably because the bike only had a couple of hundred miles on it and I liked the bark from the exhaust. I liked it more than any 1200GS I ridden in the past.
Set off on the RT in Dynamic mode but found the thing steered like a bus (compared to the GS) going around the roundabouts. The pillion seat was a great improvement, so I'm told. The screen is huge making trying to gauge your speed difficult with shocking results when I did actually look at the speedo - at one point I was doing 170kmh just as we entered a 70 zone as I was being egged on by the lad on the S1000R in front of me. Overall quite liked it and it was definitely wifey's favorite
The 700GS felt a bit toy like after the other two monsters. In this company I really had to wring it's next to keep up with the group, even the lady on the NineT was cracking along at 150 plus a lot of the time. Not a bike for me but a great little commuter.
What I knew before yesterday: I'm not looking for a new bike, I don't have the time to make much use of it. I may be interested in a recent bike but not sure what. The previous models of 1200GS that I've ridden have left me cold, 1200RTs are OK but a bit too big and bulky for my liking, the K1300GT was too fast for me which is why I didn't test the 1600 yesterday. I previously tested a 800GS but after the ponderous RT and found the 21" front wheel made the front end feel a bit twitchy - this is probably something I'd get used to and I'm now thinking I should have tested the 800GSadv.
What I learned from yesterday: I might be tempted to buy a new model but it won't be a 700GS or any other naked model. As I tend to keep bikes a long time the depreciation isn't so much of an issue if only I could find the right bike for me. Must get my finger out and go and test ride the Stelvio.
We tested a 1200GS, then a 1200RT and then a 700GS. Wifey didn't like the high pillion seat on the GS from the moment she got on it. At first I had the bike in 'Road' mode and it felt pretty flat, I even had the throttle on the backstop a couple of times pulling up hills in 3rd, also didn't like the funny shaped screen which was at just the wrong height for me. Overall and as ever with modern BMs I was generally impressed with the stability and brakes. The guide switched it over to 'Dynamic' mode at the turn round point and the bikes performance was transformed. Other thoughts; found the gear change clunkier than expected (probably because the bike only had a couple of hundred miles on it and I liked the bark from the exhaust. I liked it more than any 1200GS I ridden in the past.
Set off on the RT in Dynamic mode but found the thing steered like a bus (compared to the GS) going around the roundabouts. The pillion seat was a great improvement, so I'm told. The screen is huge making trying to gauge your speed difficult with shocking results when I did actually look at the speedo - at one point I was doing 170kmh just as we entered a 70 zone as I was being egged on by the lad on the S1000R in front of me. Overall quite liked it and it was definitely wifey's favorite
The 700GS felt a bit toy like after the other two monsters. In this company I really had to wring it's next to keep up with the group, even the lady on the NineT was cracking along at 150 plus a lot of the time. Not a bike for me but a great little commuter.
What I knew before yesterday: I'm not looking for a new bike, I don't have the time to make much use of it. I may be interested in a recent bike but not sure what. The previous models of 1200GS that I've ridden have left me cold, 1200RTs are OK but a bit too big and bulky for my liking, the K1300GT was too fast for me which is why I didn't test the 1600 yesterday. I previously tested a 800GS but after the ponderous RT and found the 21" front wheel made the front end feel a bit twitchy - this is probably something I'd get used to and I'm now thinking I should have tested the 800GSadv.
What I learned from yesterday: I might be tempted to buy a new model but it won't be a 700GS or any other naked model. As I tend to keep bikes a long time the depreciation isn't so much of an issue if only I could find the right bike for me. Must get my finger out and go and test ride the Stelvio.
