What I hate about the new GS (I know I am not the only one)!

Tusky

Registered user
Joined
Aug 15, 2010
Messages
202
Reaction score
0
Location
Surrey / Kent
I hate the new grips and thumb controls. My left hand thumb needs to be one inch longer to operate the controls due to a 20mm wide clicky wheel (sat nav scroller) between the grip and thumb controls. The right hand grip is even worse, as it is spaced out 20mm to match the proportions of the other side.

This meant that for me to operate Enduro Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA) and the Heated Handlebar grips, I had to either let go of the throttle, which is never great on a twin or try and balance a light hold on the grip and cock the wrist sideways with an outstretched thumb...

THIS NEARLY CAUSED A DISASTER !!!

The grip stuck to the glove slightly, causing the bike to excellerate out of control for a second which meant I popped a sideways wheelie in the middle of a residential estate. I managed to bring the GS under control but but it was a real shitter and might explain why there have been a few unexplained offs on this bike. This was also something that had happend to a guy I was chatting with in
Coopers at the end of the day, so I am not alone!

Anyway... slightly sprained thumb later, I took the bike onto my favourite muddy B roads and punished it for being a Cnut...


Do I like the new GS?....... YES

Does it still lead the Adventure Bike Class?...... YES

Would I swap my tractor sounding 09 model for the new GS?..... NO

To be honest once I got on my own GS to ride it home, I kind of like the 100BHP and traction contol with a trottle that I can twist as sharply as I like and wont get me into trouble, as long as the bike is upright at the point of a full twist. I know the new GS, Triumphs, Honda's, Kawasakis and Ducati's have 'rain mode' type options that keep the bike to circa 100 BHP but for the kind of B road twisties and Alpine passes that I like to ride, my trusty GS does it all with no need for the extra ponnies whatsoever :thumb

Oh and at the service.... "your final drive has a little play in it and is making a slight noise"...... So booked it in for a bearing re-build and kinda glad I extended the warranty which will save me £500.00
 
I. Agree.

The placing of the sat nav control wheel seems to be a fabulous example of feature before function.

The placing of this ancillary ( or useless ) control closest to your hand and relegating the essential indicators etc further away seems like an act of abandonment from the ergonomics team.

I won't be buying the nav4 - it simply costs too much. Way too much.
So this wheel thingy will be utterly useless for me..
So much so, that I am getting it removed, so I don't have the long reach to the switches. I don't have massive hands, so it is a bit of a reach for these switches for me.

I love the LC, cannot wait to get mine, but I have to admit, I think the ergonomics tea that designed the switchgear have lost the plot a bit.

My old k1200 and previous r's all had really intuitive switchgear. We will see how I fair with the LC.
 
Mr K said:
Do you have people to dress you?

:blast
Click to expand...

Why, doesn't everyone?
:blagblah

Seriously. That silly satnav wheel is a bad idea.
Putting the least important control as the first thing to hand - yeah, what a great idea!

There's a fine line between progress and bolloxing it up.
Bmw have made a questionable call with the little wheelie satnav thing.
 
Captain Beaky said:
Why, doesn't everyone?
:blagblah

Seriously. That silly satnav wheel is a bad idea.
Putting the least important control as the first thing to hand - yeah, what a great idea!

There's a fine line between progress and bolloxing it up.
Bmw have made a questionable call with the little wheelie satnav thing.
Click to expand...

So, which part/s of the OP do you agree with before adding your own gripes?

It strikes me that you have many gripes with this bike and yet you are going to buy the bike anyway, but you actually want the bike that BMW didn't design. :blast
 
Whilst I like the functionality of the scroll adjustment of the Sat Nav, I totally agree with you Captain :thumb

Now all I would say to people that don't understand what I am concerned about, hold both hands out as if riding your bike then cock your right wrist to the right with your thumb as outstretched as you can.

Now hold that position and twist the throttle.... You will find the following...

1) Fine control dexterity is impeded badly and the twisting action is both uncomfortable and jerky.

2) The grip is held diagonally across the palm and fingers which causes your fingers to drag on the grip especially on the last two fingers on the right (little finger) which can cause the throttle to be caught/dragged right up the rev range, as happened to me.

For good measure, now hold the same position and then cover the break lever with your index and middle finger, which is an advanced riding technique that the police like to see adopted to aid reaction implementation times.

Now if you can do all of that + change the mode setting without either discomfort or impediment of your twist control, then you are a better men than me.....


Or full of shite ;)
 
JayC said:
So, which part/s of the OP do you agree with before adding your own gripes?

It strikes me that you have many gripes with this bike and yet you are going to buy the bike anyway, but you actually want the bike that BMW didn't design. :blast
Click to expand...

Errrr.. Did you actually read the OP?:nenau
This is exactly what the OP was about - the gap between the switchgear and the handgrips, and the reasons behind it.

"the bike that BMW didn't design" you lost me there... If BMW didn't design it then who did? Perhaps nobody did - which is why it's not a great design solution IMHO.


The switchgear is my only gripe.
At least I only count one in there.
I'm buying an LC , cos its a flippin great bike to ride, and a worthy upgrade from my R1200r
If I didn't like it - I wouldn't be buying it ( which is the reason I didn't get a TC).

Some will love it some will hate it. No gs has ever been perfect - from surging engines to evo brakes - they all have their flaws - and they are all great bikes to ride.


Nuff said.
 
I find the buttons on the right-hand side are difficult to operate whilst keeping control of the throttle but since they are the heated grips and the mode button, neither of which requires an urgent press, I don't see this as an issue. The only button on the right that may need urgent operation is the kill switch and that falls right under the thumb. To operate either of the others I just wait until I can roll off the throttle, or I use my left hand to operate them.

I do agree that the left-hand indicator can be a stretch but nothing to keep me awake at night.

On the subject of niggles, cancelling the cruise control smoothly is not easy. I would prefer it if when rolling the throttle forward cause a more gradual deceleration rather than an immediate disengage. If I wanted a sudden deceleration I would be applying the brakes to cancel, but if i am closing on something then it would be nice to roll the throttle forward and then on again to catch the bike at a slightly reduced speed. The technique I use at the moment is to roll on and then touch the clutch to disengage. (BMW if you are listening) I am sure a software update could give a smoother disengage.
 
Captain Beaky said:
"the bike that BMW didn't design" you lost me there... If BMW didn't design it then who did? Perhaps nobody did - which is why it's not a great design solution IMHO.


The switchgear is my only gripe.
At least I only count one in there.
I'm buying an LC , cos its a flippin great bike to ride, and a worthy upgrade from my R1200r
If I didn't like it - I wouldn't be buying it ( which is the reason I didn't get a TC).

.
Click to expand...

Made perfect sense to me!

You want the bike to have been designed differently to what it has been, therefore you actually want the bike that hasn't been designed but will settle for the one that has. Simples.

How can it be a great bike to ride if you have difficulty in riding it smoothly?
 
JayC said:
Made perfect sense to me!

You want the bike to have been designed differently to what it has been, therefore you actually want the bike that hasn't been designed but will settle for the one that has. Simples.

How can it be a great bike to ride if you have difficulty in riding it smoothly?
Click to expand...

Love mine, but then I had the common sense to buy one that I could reach all of the controls on - :rolleyes:
 
If you don't like the satnav wheel control have it removed before delivery. Job done.

Next pointless whine?
 
On the subject of niggles, cancelling the cruise control smoothly is not easy. I would prefer it if when rolling the throttle forward cause a more gradual deceleration rather than an immediate disengage. If I wanted a sudden deceleration I would be applying the brakes to cancel, but if i am closing on something then it would be nice to roll the throttle forward and then on again to catch the bike at a slightly reduced speed. The technique I use at the moment is to roll on and then touch the clutch to disengage. (BMW if you are listening) I am sure a software update could give a smoother disengage.[/QUOTE]

If you roll the throttle off it does disengage too harshly, but if you flick the switch off on the left you can control the deceleration more smoothly. It's a pity BMW didn't think through the roll-off feature. If you needed to slow quickly, touching the brake should give the instant disengagement and roll-off should be gradual.
 
Tusky said:
Whilst I like the functionality of the scroll adjustment of the Sat Nav, I totally agree with you Captain :thumb

Now all I would say to people that don't understand what I am concerned about, hold both hands out as if riding your bike then cock your right wrist to the right with your thumb as outstretched as you can.

Now hold that position and twist the throttle.... You will find the following...

1) Fine control dexterity is impeded badly and the twisting action is both uncomfortable and jerky.

2) The grip is held diagonally across the palm and fingers which causes your fingers to drag on the grip especially on the last two fingers on the right (little finger) which can cause the throttle to be caught/dragged right up the rev range, as happened to me.

For good measure, now hold the same position and then cover the break lever with your index and middle finger, which is an advanced riding technique that the police like to see adopted to aid reaction implementation times.

Now if you can do all of that + change the mode setting without either discomfort or impediment of your twist control, then you are a better men than me.....


Or full of shite ;)
Click to expand...

I just use my index finger to operate these two buttons.:rob

GS_or_bust said:
On the subject of niggles, cancelling the cruise control smoothly is not easy. I would prefer it if when rolling the throttle forward cause a more gradual deceleration rather than an immediate disengage. If I wanted a sudden deceleration I would be applying the brakes to cancel, but if i am closing on something then it would be nice to roll the throttle forward and then on again to catch the bike at a slightly reduced speed. The technique I use at the moment is to roll on and then touch the clutch to disengage. (BMW if you are listening) I am sure a software update could give a smoother disengage.
Click to expand...

Yep, I find that annoying too, but have got used to it now. As you say, a software update will probably resolve this.:rob
 
drinkingparrothead said:
Shame it didn't then we wouldn't have to put up with another pointless rant :tears
Click to expand...


PDiddy said:
and you have hit the nail on the head, will these fuckers ever stop - :nenau and perhaps this is the only thing I don't like about the bike, the other fuckin owners - :blagblah
Click to expand...


You wait all day for a TWAT to come along and the two turn up at once! :blagblah

:stopbeing

I don't see a rant and if you took your head out of your arses and read what I put, neither would you!

IMO it is a safety issue..... I love pretty well every other aspect of the new GS regarding aesthetics and performance but I have never encountered this problem before on my R1200GS or any other bike I have every ridden for that matter.
 
Tusky said:
You wait all day for a TWAT to come along and the two turn up at once! :blagblah

:stopbeing

I don't see a rant and if you took your head out of your arses and read what I put, neither would you!

IMO it is a safety issue..... I love pretty well every other aspect of the new GS regarding aesthetics and performance but I have never encountered this problem before on my R1200GS or any other bike I have every ridden for that matter.
Click to expand...

To be fair, I didn't favour the new switchgear (too many buttons) - however I didn't find it particularly dangerous or unsafe

I gave up with the indicator switch, resorting to hand signals to warn other road users of my direction intentions

Hand signals were a refreshing change, I could get to like using them again

I'd like a no frills 'Engineer' edition of the new GS WC
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top Bottom