Thinking of buying a 1200 GS

[HorneyBiker]

Thinking of upgrade from my suzuki to something a little more premium - more stella less carling. Had a few goes on a GS and am very tempted - much better riding position for a 6 foot 2 guy!

Questions are:

New or Second Hand? If second hand - which dealers are likely to be overpriced -being in London I checked Park Lane BMW and prices seemed a little steep. What are things to watch for that go wrong on trashed bikes. Also is an older different model a good idea?

Insurance - Im 25 - two years no claims - live in a gated development in London. Is insurance still likely to be a killer? What do people normally pay?

Servicing - Im generally bad at servicing my machines but if i plump up the cash for a gs I think Ill be making more of an effort - so what sort of servicing costs/frequencies am I looking at.

First post here -

Cheers

 

[Mel]

Thinking of upgrade from my suzuki to something a little more premium - more stella less carling. Had a few goes on a GS and am very tempted - much better riding position for a 6 foot 2 guy!

Welcome to the world of GS - you've come to theright place for lots of helpful advice that will make your decission nigh on impossible! Her's my penn'rth

I've tried lots over the years and this is the best bike on the road for everything - I mean everything - on the GS you can do it all.

Questions are:

New or Second Hand?

How much have you got to spend - for a £500 deposit and £200 pcm you can have a new one. And you get a full 2 year warranty which you will need.

If second hand - which dealers are likely to be overpriced -being in London I checked Park Lane BMW and prices seemed a little steep.

Look around/phone around - someone will have a bike they want to move quickly. Don't expect to find a bargain - the bikes hold their value.

What are things to watch for that go wrong on trashed bikes.

Same as any bikes if you trash them - some signs should be obvious - cosmetic neglect - lack of service history - illegal tyre wear.

Look out for corrosion on all models - the weather in this country is not kind to alloys and paint.

Also be aware that a lot of guys off-road their GS's - which is absolutely brilliant - but that probably means they've fallen too. If bars and head protectors are fitted then any damage to same is fine - but of not and rocker covers are damaged then beware

Also is an older different model a good idea?

Same as all vehicles - older models have older technology in the build/materials/electrics/finishes. In my experience new models are better.

Insurance - Im 25 - two years no claims - live in a gated development in London. Is insurance still likely to be a killer? What do people normally pay?

Try BMW first off - this is where you will find a bargain if you're buying new.

Servicing - Im generally bad at servicing my machines but if i plump up the cash for a gs I think Ill be making more of an effort - so what sort of servicing costs/frequencies am I looking at.

I spend £500 every 6000 miles and that includes a new set of tyres.

First post here -

Cheers

Cheers and happy GS hunting.....Mel...

 

[HR0]

my 2 penny worth
as an 1150 adventure owner.

only you know what you can afford we cant help there, but you should have more peace of mind buying from a dealer and you should get at least 1 year warranty even 2nd hand.

newer doesn't always mean better and as for technology the wiring on the 1200gs is very diferent to the 1150 which makes life more complicated especially when fitting accessories.................and you will want to fit them believe me.

use the e insurance link above to get a quote 1st.

and test ride a few 12's and 1150's

i went for the 1150 adaventure with all the ali panniers 2nd hand rather than a basic 12 for a bit more money.

but do get 0ne...............if you can

H

 

[nadeem]

There isn't a 'problem' with the 1200's wiring - it has a lightweight Canbus wiring system, most accessories can be fitted without too much hassle - I have two pair of lights, autocom, led indicators, led brake light, etc on mine.

Insurance is surprisingly cheap on the GS - so get some quotes.

If you can afford it - go the new route as second hand bikes are holding their value well.

 

[HorneyBiker]

All sounding promising thus far!!

looking at bmws site - they have a 1200 and a 1200 adventure? Is it cosmetic the difference or is there a performance benfit?

 

[Shep]

looking at bmws site - they have a 1200 and a 1200 adventure? Is it cosmetic the difference or is there a performance benfit?

Yep, they've optimised the performance on the Adv 1200, made it heavier and taller, and a bit more expensive, i think they have looked at the amount your wallets going to be lighter after you have bought one then added that weight to the bike (approx 30 kilos ) The extra weight is to make sure they slow down the standard 1200's superior performance(yellow models only) so that the 1150 riders don't get to scared when they have to trade up.

Shep

 

[HorneyBiker]

Do yellow models have superior performance?

is the extra weight from all the boxes?

 

[nadeem]

The adventure has a bigger tank for longer range (standard will do 170-200 miles) and various other changes - new screen, new panniers (optional extra), etc - there are non available till later in the year in any case...

 

[mort77uk]

Insurance - click on the e-bike link at the top of the page and get an on-line quote. This will probably be the cheapest quote you will get and will therefore give you a good starting point for shopping around.

As far as buying the bike - keep an eye on Ebay as this will give you a good idea of realistic second-hand values. You can usually pick up a 2004 bike for around 7k.

 

[redcastle]

Do yellow models have superior performance?

No question, mines yellow and its too fast so im having it done blue to slow it down a bit.

 

[Shep]

Do yellow models have superior performance?

is the extra weight from all the boxes?

I added extra yellow bits to mine, it does 1/2 an hour in 20 minutes now

 

[Emperor]

Do yellow models have superior performance?

is the extra weight from all the boxes?

Yellow looks shit and the wannabe's buy it cos its called desert yellow. Theres no decnt colours. Go unique, only a couple of bits of plastic to paint

 

[GSmonkey]

My 2p'th. Forget the 12Adventure, its a tarts bike. Pick up a nice low mileage 12GS private and save some £'s. The BMW *is* top notch and will sort out any problems with the bike. For servicing in the London area I choose Vines of Guildford.

Good luck.

 

[Dan Glibitz]

No question, mines yellow and its too fast so im having it done blue to slow it down a bit.

Interesting, you're having your 12 painted in blue.

I've just got mine, it's in yellow and I've not ridden it yet but it's sitting in the garage, doing 38mph!

I'm also having mine painted blue. what kind of blue are you doing it?

I mocked up some pictures if you're interested . . http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64359

 

[snoopy]

Of course people bought the 12 because it's lighter. BMW took the spoked wheels off the 1150, fanny'd with the design, upped the cylinder size (cause large is always better) and charged a bit more. Now they put the spokes back on, fanny with the design a bit more and charge another increase. Hook line and sinker!

 

[Civey.D]

GIRLS BIKES

Forget the 1200's Adv or not there for tarts with no balls , if you've got the balls go for the 1150Adv a real mans bike

 

[Bigtwin]

Forget the 1200's Adv or not there for tarts with no balls , if you've got the balls go for the 1150Adv a real mans bike

Uh-huh - truth.

 

[ricochet]

The debate on which is the better GS bike, the 1150 or the 1200, will never be resolved to the satisfaction of either party. I believe like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder. However, I also went through the same experience when I decided to add another BMW in my stable of R12C Monatauk and a Piaggio X9. Between the 1150GS and the 1200, both of which I test rode, I believe the 12 is the better bike both in power and gearing. Although I find the 12's first gear still to be tall, the 1150's was taller. Both I found both to be lacking in smoothness in shifting of gears. But what held me then from going for the 12 was my desire for a lower first gear and my harrowing experience of being blown by a sidewind I encountered which had me pushed two lanes away from my initial path. So much for its the much advertised weight advantage.

Then I got the chance to test ride the 1150GS Adv. At first it felt heavy, but it soon became a strenght of the bike as I found it very stable and planted. Second, the gearing is excellent. It felt even smoother than the 12's and has good power distribution in all gear levels. And talking about looks, whenever I ride with the 12's and we stop, say for petrol, the people around would give me compliment on how good my bike looks while almost always ignore the rest.