Ditto. The number of times I've been to bike meets where several GS riders have come in with full alloy panniers fitted (?) plus every touratech add on, including alloy tool boxes, bike fronts festooned with blackpool illuminations, when for most, it was a 10 or 20 mile ride out is a bit funny. Mandatory BMW branded clothing etc. I got speaking to one as I was interested in buying a GSA at the time, and asked about reliability, to which he responded "it took me around the Arctic circle, so no problems there" only to become red faced when I said "what, at 30 to 40mph the whole way round on billiard smooth roads for 150 mile stops between hotels?". There's a lot of BS acted out with some riders, but plenty, like a mate local to me just uses his and keeps each bike for at least 40K miles before changing them, and quietly goes off on his tod all across Europe with no sat nav, intercom, Christmas tree decorations or obligatory uniform. You get the same BS with sports bike riders though, in a different way. It takes all sorts but the GS remains a pretty decent all round platform for any motorcyclist. Not a reflection of the bike, just some riders.
My first proper bike was an RD400 and when out riding - other bikers seldom studied bike looking for ad-ons etc, but simply asked where I’d come from and where going
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