Unbiased Opinions?

[brummy bloke]

There's all the obvious stuff you'll be told like they're heavier and slower than the modern GS's and that is true, but they feel much more substantial than the newer bikes and seem to be better built from better materials. Maybe it's time you test rode another then free yourself from the ratrace of ever newer bikes.

when I started road riding back in 1983,my dear old dad passed on to me his riding gear.a pair of gauntlets,the kind you might see falcon handlers using and belstaff cackmaster jacket.it weighed a ton and kept out none of the winteriness.Heavier and older aint always better,wish it was,I'm quite elderly and fat

 

[waynecoluk]

Ive had my new 2016 GSA since JUne and have done 3500 miles with no issues. Its my first BMW and so far very happy. I previously had a Multistrada 1200 which I bought new in 2011 and had nothing but problems with it until the engine blew up at 14k miles...I know about unreliability, so im happy as Larry with the GSA.

 

[Nutty]

You asked for unbiased opinions, well people either love em or knock em ! so a truly unbiased opinion is difficult to find.

Me. I love em, I'm on my 5th GSA the last 2 have been WC and yes there's the occasional niggle but for me it does the job I want my bike to do, and THAT is what it comes down to, after all you wouldn't buy a 2 seat sports car to carry around the missus, kids, the dog and your camping gear !
Each model has been an improvement on the last and I'd say my current bike is the best I've ever owned.

I ride mine quickly sometimes, I commute on it sometimes and I've toured Europe on it too.
Over the last few years I've been knocked off by numpty car driver and the engine/tank bars protected me from injury. I dropped it on a round about on diesel and it came away almost unscathed (engine bars again) on both occasions I rode the bike home with the only lasting damage being to my pride.

The KTM and Ducati have more power and they both look great but they would take back towards sports bike performance and the likelihood of loosing my licence rather quickly. My lack of will power would be my undoing.

So basically, it won't turn like an R1, it won't go like a Ninja and it probably won't stop as well either, but I can load it up with all I need, I can go where I want, I can do it as fast as I am comfortable with and pretty much go further than anything else I can sling a leg over.

What else can I say, it ticks ALL the boxes for me.

Martin

That sums it up nicely. It's not always about the fastest, otherwise we'd all be riding R1's etc.

 

[littleade]

I tried a number of bikes before I bought my 2016 GS-An Explorer,800 tiger xrx, and a R1200RS and for me the GS was the best bike for what I wanted (one bike to do everything road wise) I've since tried a R1200R and although it was a great bike I still preferred the GS because it just does everything so well. It's not perfect but there again what bike is?

The problem is as a nation we prefer the under dog so because of its success and a general dislike of BM's anyway many riders hate the bike even though they've never ridden one. It's my 1st GS and is unlikely to be my last.

 

[Biot]

I've come from an issue riddled Multistrada sport touring; which I loved when it wasn't in local dealers being repaired. To a GS LC which has just had a new engine fitted. Both dealers have been fine but it was Ducati UK that let me down. Far better customer support from BMW. Put 28,000 miles on the Multley, 18,000 miles so far on the GS. Miss the engine of the Ducati, but that's about it. Will see what next year's GS is like before I get something else.

 

[Wapping]

My unbiased opinion: I undertook test rides on the WC 1200 GS, twice, each time on extended rides. It was and I assume still is, horrible.

 

[Nutty]

My unbiased opinion: I undertook test rides on the WC 1200 GS, twice, each time on extended rides. It was and I assume still is, horrible.

Hundreds of thousands of people obviously don't find it horrible.

 

[MickTheSaw]

On my 2nd LC,had 4 gsa and now a GS,love em flirted with a XR for 3 months loved it but the suspension killed it for me and crap lights.
Tried a Multi this week also a big no for me too many issues.The lc GS or GSA is only what I'd consider if I was buying again.
Someone once said to me "it makes an ordinary rider in to a good rider and a good rider in to a bloody good one"
I think he was right, but everyones different
Mts

 

[mrtee43]

My unbiased opinion: I undertook test rides on the WC 1200 GS, twice, each time on extended rides. It was and I assume still is, horrible.

What was it for you, that made it "horrible" ?

 

[phillh]

I went to Brands Hatch yesterday on my 2014 LC GSA. Ride home included riding on
saturated grass and gravel, filtering through aprox 10 miles of almost static traffic and
absolutely torrential rain coming through Essex on the M25.

Good fun and the bike never missed a beat.

LED headlight and the spots make filtering easier and safer.

 

[gateway77]

My unbiased opinion is you should ride whatever makes you smile.
Now on my 4th GS and have ridden lots of others along the way.
The new LC makes me grin time after time.

 

[Giles]

My opinion ... and it is genuinely unbiassed - I don't care what I ride, I just want a good bike in my garage ..

Had a TC GSA from new, and it was a very nice bike. Did absolutely loads on it from long distance european touring, to some fairly hard going off roading on it. Other than blowing a front shock on it, great bike.

<a href="https://gileslamb.smugmug.com/Bike/i-Wv53Mhg/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Bike/i-Wv53Mhg/0/L/994-2%20%282%29-L.jpg" alt=""></a>

<a href="https://gileslamb.smugmug.com/Bike/i-HB4cMDw/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Bike/i-HB4cMDw/1/M/XSP_2484-M.jpg" alt=""></a>


Traded it in for a 13 plate LC GS and initially loved it, but very quickly I grew to absolutely hate it! The gear box on it was quite simply put, atrocious. After 18 months I got rid of it for another brand of bike with which I'm delighted.

My Job bike is a 2016 LC RT. The gear box ?? Awful !! It's going back to BMW under warranty and hopefully they're going to put one of their 'new design' 2017 gear boxes in it.


There are many things the GS is brilliant at. The boxer engine is great (if slightly underpowered compared to the opposition), the telelever front end is superb, the ergonomics and the controls are nicely put together, the panniers blow my KTM ones out the water etc etc. But I won't by another LC boxer until they properly revise their clutch / gear transmission.

 

[Engineer]

The original 2013 LC gearbox was clunky because of a little too much clutch drag, it has improved since then and is now better but still clunks into 1st like many wet clutch chain drive bikes from all manufacturers. Once the correct technique of changing gear is mastered for this bike it is a non issue, just blip on down changes and on up changes just dip the clutch with fast changes. If you do lazy changes you will get clunkiness - after all one is supposed to adapt your machine's characteristics to get the best out of it and it is worth putting in a bit of effort.

 

[Giles]

Sigh .... Thanks for the lesson in how to change gear on a motorcycle after riding professionally for over 20 years (and after ditching the Pan Europeans, the last ten on Boxers ...)

The gear box on the LC boxer is appalling, but I'm sure you're right ... I guess I'm just not doing it properly ...

 

[andylel]

 

[Zx9man]

 

[tanneman]

The gearbox shift is crap. Most noticeable from neutral to 1st. Good news is that the new gearbox on the 17 models is a revelation and much smoother. Got to give it to Giles. The KTM gearbox is as slick as can be. The BM being a shaft driven bike will have a heavier shift.

The problem with switching manufacturer is the trade in price for your current steed so the sums has to add up or be prepared to lose more money on trade in at a rival manufacturer.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[Engineer]

Sigh .... Thanks for the lesson in how to change gear on a motorcycle after riding professionally for over 20 years (and after ditching the Pan Europeans, the last ten on Boxers ...)

The gear box on the LC boxer is appalling, but I'm sure you're right ... I guess I'm just not doing it properly ...

BMW have sold something like 100,000+ or some such silly number of these bikes - you and a few others can't get on with them but the rest of the World can - go figure.

 

[mrtee43]

My Sept 2013 clunks into first. To me that's a given on all wet clutch bikes, or at least the ones I have owned in the past. I honestly don't know what people are talking about when they say the gearbox is shit. I bow to Giles obvious knowledge and experience but I agree with Engineer. Upshifts and especially downshifts can be almost imperceptable with a bit of rev matching. There is a video on Youtube with a guy riding a Suzuki GSXR down the Route Napoleon somewhere.

Now, Suzuki are renowned for making sweet gearboxes but to watch this guy just banging down the gears without an ounce of technique or mechanical sympathy would just make you wince and if you didn't know any better, you would say "What a shit gearbox" If the gearbox on the new one is far, far better than mine is now then it must be bloody brilliant.

 

[ymfb]

I own a 2016 GSA and since March covered 8000 miles and believe its one of the best bikes I have ever had. I owned a 2014 multistrada before and liked it a lot, but it was not as comfortable and had a chain drive.