Well I've been gone and done it!!

[madmax]

Hi Boys N Girlz, not posted for a while, but been reading your letters and views on various GS models,
Had a ride out today and ended up at Southport BMW, had a chat and a coffee, test rode an '06 GS1200 ADV.
And that was that, deal shook on, paperwork done, collecting friday / saturday.
I was very happy with my GS850 until throwing a leg over the 1200, but after spending a little over an hour in the saddle, it just had to be mine, & it is.

 

[Chunk]

Nice one

Congratulations on a dam good choice...was it the slightly faster red and white one or the silver

Had mine 18 months and never regretted it.

 

[WEE BOAB]

Congrats on the new bike, should have got an 1150 though .......

 

[Frankers]

Exciting news!!

I picked up an 07 GSA 3 weeks ago and very pleased with it. Put the seat up to the highest last night and enjoying the ride even more.

 

[quarryman]

Must be the sales patter at Southport - I walked out with my 1150 on saturday Loving it more everytime I look at it out of the kitchen window (while the wind howls and the rain falls).

 

[ts2]

Hi Boys N Girlz, not posted for a while, but been reading your letters and views on various GS models,
Had a ride out today and ended up at Southport BMW, had a chat and a coffee, test rode an '06 GS1200 ADV.
And that was that, deal shook on, paperwork done, collecting friday / saturday.
I was very happy with my GS850 until throwing a leg over the 1200, but after spending a little over an hour in the saddle, it just had to be mine, & it is.

Great news, I bought an 06 GSA on Sat too. Must be something in the air? I've only put 150 miles on it though, and it'll take me a while to stop trying to thrash the poor thing like my old GSXR. Nice comfy ride once I added a bit more dampening and preload (I was getting carsick (well travelsick)) with the wallowing before that).

I like it more with every ride.

TobyS

 

[Frankers]

Nice comfy ride once I added a bit more dampening and preload (I was getting carsick (well travelsick)) with the wallowing before that).

Toby - are you happy to advise about dampening and preload? I picked up my 07GSA 3 weeks ago and was wondering about hardening the ride up a bit, but do not want to muck around with the settings as I've never done it before. Is it simply a matter of playing around with it or do you need to know what you are doing?

Cheers

Frankers

 

[ts2]

Don't trust me I'm a Doctor!

Toby - are you happy to advise about dampening and preload?
Frankers

I'll have to admit that I only understand suspension in a pub way, ie take it with a pinch of salt. I just about understood it on my old GSXR (I even got taken to Maxton to sort the suspension out by Ride Magazine), but the GSXR had compression dampening adjustment. The GS/GSA don't seem to have this, so you're stuck with dampening and preload.

There are some good sites about setting up sports bike suspension, but this sort of bike is totally new to me.

I can tell you my current settings, but they're still fairly soft, but then the GSA will never be as taught as a GSXR.

I've put the front preload from position 2 to 3. I added 5 clicks to rear preload and rear dampening is now 0.75 turns out, rather than 1.5

The main thing I learnt from Maxton is that on my old bike (hopefully it'll translate) the compression and rebound adjustment didn't do much for many turns, then had a massive effect over the last turn/turn and a half. It was something to do with the way the dampening works (cone going into a conical hole, and most turns the flow rate is the same, while the reduction in flow only kicks in right near the end).

Not sure this helps. I guess the real answer is don't trust me, and just have a play with it, see how it feels.
I'd advise doing a long ish circuit, change the settings, then ride the same circuit and see how it feels, ie does it feel better in corners you struggled with? Is is more stable etc?
I plan on doing this once the weather improves.

TobyS

 

[ts2]

Just searched some previous threads. I might have been a little hasty in changing the front preload. I'll probably put it back to position 2 (of 5 on my bike).

Other than that just tinker and see how it feels. As many other threads point out, whats right for one person can feel all wrong for another.

TS

 

[Frankers]

Thanks TS - I'll think on it!