Hi Bruce,
Thanks for the link, I'm printing them out now.
Hmm, how am I finding the GS, well to be honest, I could sell it as easy as keep it.
I'm used too much lighter bikes and aren't really a lover of heavier bikes. I'm committed to giving myself at least a month with it, to see if I get used to it, so hopefully I will.
I decided to go for a GS as one has always been on the "wish list" and I need something I can ride, park and forget. My last few bikes have been maintenance intensive supermotos. After these type bikes I find the GS very heavy and slow steering. Plus whilst it goes when you wind it up, it’s not as responsive as I'm used to. Other things like the long travel gear change and clonky gears and general heaviness of controls are all against it for me too.
I know I'm not comparing like for like here. In fact I'm not even trying to make actual comparisons, more just recognising the differences I'm facing with the bike after what I've been used to. I think the GS is a good bike out of town. But as a city commuter in every day heavy traffic it just doesn't cut it for me. I don’t feel safe on it as its slow to react if a car cuts in front of me etc.
With the GS I have to think about corners. With my KTM I could just chuck it over and change line mid corner, several times if needed! With the GS I feel pretty committed to the line. I find there is little feedback through the telelever set up compared to a "normal" front end, but I am assured you get used to it and in a lot of cases people prefer the telelever set up once they have got used to it?
I've seen enough people chucking GS's round corners to know that the bike is a very capable bike and I'm no racer anyway. So I have to give myself time with the bike and let it, or hope that it does, grow on me. I suspect it will grow on me and I'll actually get to like it. It’s a much more relaxed bike to ride than my other bikes. I think that if I did get rid of it, it'll be because it’s just too heavy as a city commuter for my liking and not because of any of the other things I'm currently finding with it.
Just read that back through and I don’t half go on don’t I
Anyway, before the rest of the site has me hung, drawn and quartered, I thought I’d better clarify that I’m talking about me adjusting to a much larger and heavier bike than I’m used to and not criticizing the GS as a bike directly, if you see what I mean.
How are you finding your GS Bruce and what did you ride before?
Best,
Dave.
I thought I'd ask which workshop manual is the best one to get for an 1100GS?
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