what GS to go for

[romlin]

Was thinking of maybe getting a GS at some Pont this year. I have a FZ6 the now. Don’t really know what gs would suit me best. I am 21 and have been riding for 2years. Me problem is I thingk the F650 GS don’t have as much power as I what I want. The F800 gs I and know if that might be too much to the off road side. The R1200 I thingk mite be a bit big and heavy. I say all this without ridden any of them yet. Will be doing something about that over the next couple of months. Most of my riding is going out runs with my mates at the weekend. Plus I do one bike trip a year and a couple of weekend away over the year. Any one got any thots on what bike mite is best for my needs

 

[Rasher]

Any of them

Assuming your stable at a crawl they all shed weight on the move.

I have only ridden the 12 and have no intention of doing proper off-road riding, so for me the 12 is best as it has more power and carries two in comfort.

I guess if you wanna get into mud the 800 would be better, I understand the 650 is the same bike just a bit lower with less power, so the easy option for newbies but less offroad than the 800.

You may find insurance quotes have a large effect on your decisions!

 

[v8legend]

If you're young (which you are) , or even young at heart, then the F800GS is probably the best choice. It's as quick as the 1200 if you're prepared to work for it, and quicker than the 650. If you plan on going off-road, then again the 800 makes more sense.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

yes I think you better look at insurance quotes before you get your heart set on anything. I think a 1200 at 21 would be eye watering to insure.

 

[romlin]

There is not that much deferens in the Insurance for the R1200gs and my FZ6 fazer. It is a bit more but the bike is worth more. So that is not that great a problem

 

[simmo50]

i was going into bmw for a 1200 adventure, until i actually stood next to it and realised i would need to carry a step, and a few more pounds to keep it upright, being only 5ft 7. this seems to be the main issue for most people i think.

the salesman then pointed me to the 650. which felt like a bmx to me, although felt very light , probably cos i could put my feet down (probably too much) i think thats why girls like them ( my opinion) and the wheels looked a bit scootery.

he then pointed me to the f800 gs, same power, as 1200 (or near enough) not quite as bulky, looks amazing, you can get just as many toys for it, not as common as 1200s either. ive ridden sports bikes for years, and can quite honestly say nothing has given me more pleasure in riding ,or even just going into the garage to look at it than any other bike i have owned

hope this helps

 

[STUBBS]

try the rest of the gs range

 

[Stretchamus]

try the rest of the gs range

+1 and welcome to the Forum

Best regards Stretch

 

[romlin]

i will sort out some test rides when the weather starts to get beter.

 

[metropolis2k]

I think they're all very different beasts and it might be that you find one you get on with particularly well or none of them are quite right. In your position I'd also be tempted to consider the F800S or the F800ST if you're not interested in going off-road and the R1200R if you like the boxer but want something a bit lighter / smaller than the GS.

 

[romlin]

I am looking at other bikes as well as the GS. It might be that I have watched the long way round to many time and the idler seems good but in the end it is not really the bike I need or want right now. Have just started looking in to changing the bike.

 

[kazntone]

I have the F800GS and my wife the F650GS Twin, and they are both great fun to ride.

The 650 is still quick off the mark and very easy to ride, my wifes bike before this was a Ducatti Multistrada 1000DS. She thought she would miss the 1000cc engine, but the 800cc twin is very capable and puts a smile on her face every time she rides it. (or is that the vide from the engine?)

She has had the GS for 6 months now and would not swap it for a gold pig, the fuel consumption is unbelievable.

The press always tell you its a good starter bike for a new rider, this is true but if you have been riding longer its surprising what it can do with a experienced rider on-board.

Enjoy whatever you decide to buy.

 

[pnewm]

I've just traded in my 1200GS for a new 650GS. Had a test ride with my missus on the back on Saturday and did the deal. As everyone else has said, it depends on what you want out of your bike - it goes fast enough for my liking, the engine feels perky enough and the handling was spot on. I'm sure you could do some light off-road stuff if you could be bothered to change the tyres ... Have fun with the test rides!

 

[snerkler]

You need to test them and make you're own mind up. Make sure you take the 1200 out for a few hours as the boxer engine is a bit weird at first, and you'll probably hate it. It doesn't take long to grow on you. Don't worry about stepping up to a 1200, the GS's aren't very quick, they just give you a lot of grunt
Also don't worry too much about the weight, unless you're planning on a lot of heavy off-road. The only time you notice the weight is pushing the bike, and lifting it off it's sidestand. Obviously if you're going to go off-road a 1200's pretty heavy to pick up when you drop it.