the hunt is on fj 1300 v gs 1200

[minkyhead]

after my well documented breakdowns ive decided to look around at the competition my challenge is to find somthing to rreplace the gs which i would not consider but for its truly awful breakdown record

im thinking maby tiger valedero ktm ?? issues there too i think

so one sunny day out we go with the new o6 fj1300 ..pick the bike up in town ist thing you notice is the weight 260kg but quite high up getting out of the dealer the steering is very restricted too linked brakes make slow speed control a little awkward

build quality is very nice and the motor silky smooth ..only a five speed box but it will pull 5th as sweet as you like from 25mph in top as you move the wight dissapears and it is pretty good in the town envioment

getting out of town the motor pulls well but suprisingly given it only has five gears not as well as the gs from 40mph in fifth

heres one i didnt expect the gs is faster in real world terms ie sensible gear ..harsh acceleration but if you stirr the gearbox the fj will impress ..its pretty dam quick but to out do the gs up to 90 it would have to be dropped one or maby two gears to get past

its strong point however is from about 80 upwards it reall does run away with it from therewhich is nice when the road does not bend to much long sweepers are a absalute dream

things get a little different when th bends tighten it really does show its weifgt as thing get tight the rear supension is harsh even on its softest setting
the electric screen is not good ... may as well not be there when down and is buffeting your head off when full up even with ear plugs it very loud

comfort wise its very good apart from the odd angle of the bars which in fairness can be adjusjted as can seat height

a big dissapointmant is the lack of legroom for the pillion especially as its hanging it hat on the touring peg

big plus after scouring the ownwers site is reliability cant find a refrence to the dreaded b word but it must have happenred sometime to someone ...mustnt it


scores on the doors out of ten
fj1300 ....................gs 1200


build quality 9 .........................9

luggage capacity 9 ...........................7

rider comfort 7 ..........................9

pillion comfort 4............................10

engine 9 ...........................7.

high speed stability 10 .........................8

suspension 7 .........................8.

slow speed control 5 .................. 10

back road romp 7 ...........................10

motorway 10 ..........................7

roll on 9 ...........................10

fast a road 10 ..........................7

tank range 10 ...........................7

fuel econ 9 42 mpg 9 42mpg

reliability 10 japanise 3 dismal

ownership out of warranty 8 .........................0 no way


so there it is no real contest the gs remains a nd the search goes on

the fj on paper ticked a lot of boxes for me but the reality was somewhat dissapointing ..why am i doing this ..bmw have me frightened to book a holiday abroad or nip out for milk without me phone
ownership out of warranty is a joke so what can you do ..

. maby put the fj motor in the gs and that would be intesting only slightly slower in the roll ons but when it clears its throat it really does the job well

it may be another gs ??? dam its good whent its going my heart lies with the gs but my head says i cant risk it anymore ..the battle between heart and mind goes on at least there s no rush

come on honda give these guys a kick up the ass they deserve and make them design out all these recurring faults

something may just blow me skirt up high enughto make the move
there must be somthing new tiger maby capenord v strom valderado ktm any suggestions ???

 

[Stumpy]

I suspect if you had another GS it would be fine as most of them are. However if you have lost faith in the brand then you'll never feel completly secure while riding one esp abroad.

Of the bikes you have mentioned I would chose a Tiger, some of the smoothness of a 4 with some of the character of a twin. More power/performance than a GS(or at least it feels like it). Good comfort,MPG,build quality and great value for money. I know several tiger owners who swear by them and can't understand why we GS owners pay 3-4 k for much the same thing.

I personally chose the GS over the Tiger as, for me, the GS handled better.

Stumpy

 

[minkyhead]

I suspect if you had another GS it would be fine as most of them are. However if you have lost faith in the brand then you'll never feel completly secure while riding one esp abroad.

Of the bikes you have mentioned I would chose a Tiger, some of the smoothness of a 4 with some of the character of a twin. More power/performance than a GS(or at least it feels like it). Good comfort,MPG,build quality and great value for money. I know several tiger owners who swear by them and can't understand why we GS owners pay 3-4 k for much the same thing.

I personally chose the GS over the Tiger as, for me, the GS handled better.

Stumpy

this is me 2nd one stumpy after a prolonged negotiation over the 1st jamming throttles failed brakes clutch ect so you cant say ive not tried

 

[Eastriding2002]

Have you considered the Aprilia Caponord?

Very GS like in most things and a good deal less money.

 

[Pukmeister]

Hi, is the GS sorted now or are you still having breakdowns ??

If it is now sorted, why not get European breakdown cover arranged and head abroad. It doesn't have to be BMW cover after all, and most insurance companies offer breakdown cover at a small extra cost, I know Carole Nash does for one.

So long as you are covered against breakdown and repatriation and your GS has now been fixed, what is there to worry about ??

Or am I simply being too overly optimistic for you ??