To sell or to keep thats is the question??

What they all said. Can you back it into the garage? I wouldn't fancy pushing or lifting mine. I have the lowered seat and its much better in traffic. I find it better balanced than the F800GS because the weight is lower down. I find it agricultural, both engine and gearbox, and the gearing not ideal (2006 GSA), but love riding it - only had mine a few months, and commute into London every day.:thumb2
 
Get a turn table, stand the bike on the centre stand on the turn table, then spin the bike around.

Personally I just pick my GSA up above my head and carry it out of my garage. But I'm a bear, and thats what bears do.


Ive got one of these but never used it (because I'm a bear)...

LS-PNM-2.jpg
 
Well it's a bit like doing Bikesafe/Rospa/IAM training - you don't know what you don't know until someone tells you.

I'm still learning, aren't you????
 
I usually phone Charley Boorman to push mine in and I occasionally get Ewan McGregor to wheel it out.
Mind you, I was once rammed side on by an old woman in a Micra who shoved me up and over a 10 inch kerb on to a steep grass verge and I still never dropped my fully laden 1200 GSA. Maybe I'm just awesome!
 
DervMan said:
How about rotating the bike on the side stand while it's in the garage then simply drive up the slope. Works for me...

Here's an example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhpeeEjheEE

I do it the from the other side, but you get the gist.
Click to expand...
a fully fuelled adventure is a big bike to do that with if you are not confident. Most of the examples I've seen/done that manoeuvre with have been low/light sports bikes. Be careful out there.
Alan R
 
I went on a one day enduro course which was invaluable in getting to know how to lift a fallen bike, walking alongside the bike using clutch and throttle to control breaking and also how you can manoeuvre a bike using the left bar and one hande on the rear such as a grab handle. Takes confidence and practise which ultimately allows you to walk round your bike when it is not on any stands.

Once you master it you will never paddle a bike in and out of awkward spaces again.

If you do not believe it is possible go down to your local bike show room and watch them put the bikes in and out onto the forecourt. I was at Bahnstormer once and it was amazing including going up and down ramps.

Good luck but I would not sell if you enjoy riding the bike. Always something to learn on a bike which his one of the attractions.
 
That is good advice which I will definitely take.When the chap from the dealer delivered the bike ( 2007 GSA with panniers ) he single handed wheel it down the ramp of his van and pushed it using the technique mentioned before of using just the left handlebar and side bar by seat., up the slight ramp incline and into my garage, yet he was only about 5ft 6inch, - he said they were too big for him to ride! Suppose that confirms the message its about confidence and technique which I have to learn... oh well £500 notes to book a two day BMW off Road Skills Course, or does anybody know of a local bike trainer in Birmingham who could impart this knowledge!!:thumb2
 
Project System said:
That is good advice which I will definitely take.When the chap from the dealer delivered the bike ( 2007 GSA with panniers ) he single handed wheel it down the ramp of his van and pushed it using the technique mentioned before of using just the left handlebar and side bar by seat., up the slight ramp incline and into my garage, yet he was only about 5ft 6inch, - he said they were too big for him to ride! Suppose that confirms the message its about confidence and technique which I have to learn... oh well £500 notes to book a two day BMW off Road Skills Course, or does anybody know of a local bike trainer in Birmingham who could impart this knowledge!!:thumb2
Click to expand...

Contact Skygod on this forum (works at Adventure Bike Warehouse, Manchester), he does off roading courses in the Peak District using his bikes, keep meaning to do one myself and the BMW course is on my 'do do' list as well.
 
Jersey_GS said:
Why not level your garage floor and get trolley stand so you can rotate it once in, My neighbour does exactly that.

I push my GSA into the garage and reverse it out but I never move the bike unless I am sitting on it much less chance of dropping it.

However I have dropped it on a number of occasions but I have never considered changing it because of that.
Click to expand...

Ive dropped mine a few times and suggest at least gaff taping some split car heater hose around the crash bars. It wont save anything in a proper crash but it will protect the metal in a car park falling over.

I found out the hard way that pushing the bike forwards holding the handlebars (my usual way in the past) is risky to say the least. You can't see what the wheels might bump into and if the bike is leaning just a little away from you it can go down like a lead brick and catapult you with it.

I find the safest and easiest is to push the bike backwards with the side stand down. Left hand on LH handlebar and right hand on top box or pillion handle. I keep it leaving slightly towards me. If a wheel bumps anything the slight lean will make the bike drop towards me. In the worst case with brick end or small child (joke) it will drop onto the side stand. If there is any sort of slope I put it into gear and use the clutch as a brake.

I almost never paddle the bike backwards. (1) because my legs are barely long enough so I can't make much progress and (2) because if it falls I risk getting trapped. One exception is where there is a gentle downslope so the bike can roll easily and all I have to do is maintain balance.

In the garage the small stand trolleys are handy because the bike is so well balanced, but the longer trays that carry both wheels are 100% better. The whole rig spins around effortlessly.

Where there is no space to spin the bike inside the garage, do the turn outside or just use my pushing backwards method and drive it the other way.

My recent bikes have been MZ 250 (almost downhill pushbike weight), Yamaha Diversion 600 (<200kg and low so no big deal). Suzuki GT750A (scary to drop a classic like that), Diversion 900 250kg (quite low but taught me how to manhandle heavy bikes). Now the GSA heavy and tall but much more stable at low speed than any of the others.
 
When pulling the bike backwards, stick your hip into the seat and use that to push, only using the handlebars to steer and steady the bike.

Don't brim the tank unless out on a long journey.

If possible, leave the side stand down? That'll cut the odds of embarrassment by 50% ... unless you trip over it :blast
 
Feck me, what a load of old wimmin

It's a motorbike, FFS

Just push it about or buy a smaller one
 
Neil A said:
Feck me, what an arse!

It's a forum, FFS

Just give some useful advice or go onto another site :D
Click to expand...

Lol.........

If you're not tall enough for the GSA, why the feck did you buy it?:blast

Buy the GS which is smaller and lighter, surely:D
 
I'm 5' 7" with a 29" inside leg. I ride a GS but would like a new GSA and I did feel stretched when I had a sit at the dealers. I'm not put off though and have booked a test ride in a weeks time. I tend to use left bar and rear grab handle for manouvering about but I haven't got the extra weight of a GSA.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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