Whilst its good .... is that really the best?

keithquad

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Hi

Not wishing to be too challenging here....
I test rode a 2013 LC Yesterday;
Good: very impressed with the balance, agility, different settings which I felt did make difference on bumpy terrain (road), acceleration through all rev range, screen...... felt & looked great.

Not so good: 1st gear - PANTS'!
You sit at traffic lights & feel a complete knob as the bike jurkes forwards. Seems slightly more 'subtle' when you put it in 2nd before 1st. Is that what people who own these are finding?
All other gear selection is fine. So in part, having upgraded (if we are to believe all the marketing ['sh_t] the gearbox is really that good!?

I did wonder if it was as a consequence of the the clutch lever being adjusted to the minimum span, however it didnt make a difference having changed it several times.

SO.... I'm potentially interested in buying said machine......
1. is this first gear selection normal
2. are there selecting alternatives
3. what is the 'marked' difference of a 2013 to that of 2014

Being lazy here rather than surfing through all threads, what additional lights have people put on these & approx cost vs BMW.

Cheers for assistance.
 
How long did you have it for?

It's a GS 'thing'........you have to have a good few hours (or more) to start to appreciate them, or accept them, as they are.

That said, the gearboxes crunch on the new models does seem to be a sticking point for many......compared to many other new tech bikes, it does seem to be accepted as shyte, verging on 'IT'S WRONG, GIMME A NEW BIKE!' (which I suspect is mostly the shout from people who have come from other makes, but :nenau)





PS don't be lazy......ALL THE INFO YOU COULD DESIRE IS AVAILABLE WITH ONE QUICK SEARCH. :thumb2
 
The first gear experience is pretty "normal"...especially when hot; some owners find little techniques to ameliorate it. I give a very tiny blip on the throttle, clutch held in of course, and it pops in nicely. I do find the gearbox the worst part of the bike overall, though, but you get used to it and compensate.

It improves with mileage on many of them.... not so good when new.

But it is part of the bike.
 
I have a 2014 with 8500 miles on it It sometimes crunches into 1st but no worse than other bikes I've owned. Other than that the gearchanges are pretty slick. The clutch takes a little adapting to but as with any bike you have to remember to adapt to it, it won't adapt to you! Work with it, once you accept that it's a different machine to most other bikes the rewards are awesome!
 
lc

the gsa lc i got the loan of the other day had the gear lever far too low in relation to the pegs, made for a lot of missed gears. s great bike otherwise.
 
I've just spent all day on mine, covered over 300 miles on a real mix of roads, and the bike performed flawlessly (as it bloody well should :rob:D). Not one bad gear change, no clunks into first, and the more miles under its belt, the better it performs.:beerjug:

Take a 2014 out for the day (not just an hour), as there is a noticeable difference between that and the 13, and if it's as good as mine, you'll love it.:thumb

Re the lights, I've got the LED, and the BMW LED spots, and now they are adjusted to the correct level, are excellent, and cars now notice me a lot more than before they were adjusted properly.:clap
 
Needs a lot of time and miles to adjust to this bike, mine is a 2014 model and for the first few thousand miles I considered swapping it for a Suzuki Vstrom. Noisy engine, not much torque when setting off etc. However as the miles piled up the negatives became less, the bike stronger and a lot of the noises have gone. I think BMW set the valves a bit loose knowing they will bed in within a few thousand miles, at 6500 its purring. I do tend to change gear more than the old model just to get the explosive surge out of bends. Its showing a lot of wear on the left footrest rubber so I'm obviously moving my foot much more than previously.
Alongside the feel good factor of riding the bike there are other factors to consider. A regular 63 mpg for mixed riding. Tyres look good for 9000+ miles. Uses no oil and the servicing is not too dear. Disk pad wear has been an issue for some but mine still look good. Screen is OK and many options are available.
The bike has a few niggles and silly design faults, the cost cutting by BMW is showing in the quality of some components.
I once marked this bike 7/10 but now give it 9/10 and rising. I'm loving it :thumby:
 
:D

I'll do two rear tyres in your 9,000 miles .....
 
09 GS1200 on Tourance tyres were good for 12000 miles, I don't mind flat spots on the tyres and I run them down towards the legal minimum.
This tyre is due for replacement, but was still well above the legal minimum.
20130622_073658.jpg


This is the tyre I was brought up on, so as you see the profile dose not phase me at all.
0000-Avon-SM-Mark-II-Rear-Tire---.jpg
 
as a package , its an awesome bike. The handling on small twisty backroads is beyond words.

.
 
no. haha.

have had a few bikes over the years. This is the best by quite a margin.

if the new RT's handling is anything like the water GS/GSA , it will be THE sports tourer to get.

.
 
jags said:
the gsa lc i got the loan of the other day had the gear lever far too low in relation to the pegs, made for a lot of missed gears. s great bike otherwise.
Click to expand...

The gear lever height is an extremely simple task to adjust, slack off the two 10mm nuts on the link rod and rotate the turnbuckle to get the lever exactly just where you want it, less than a 5 minute job!
 
batman1 said:
The gear lever height is an extremely simple task to adjust, slack off the two 10mm nuts on the link rod and rotate the turnbuckle to get the lever exactly just where you want it, less than a 5 minute job!
Click to expand...
aye even a thick jock like me knows that but not my bike and i only did 75mls on it. maybe it suited the guy who rides it most of the time.
 
Just a thought...

If the only "bad" bit is the first gear selection, then the bike must be pretty darn good.
 
pistole said:
as a package , its an awesome bike. The handling on small twisty backroads is beyond words.

.
Click to expand...

This may not impress some people, but I'm in love with the motor on my 2014 GS TE, but I think it's steering is a noticeably slower than my GSA Twin Cam was and apart from it's lack of mass compared to the GSA, the handling is not any better. I'm basing this on only having mine since Saturday, putting a few miles on it on Sunday and riding it up to Inverness for work via some fairly decent roads.

I love the motor, that's the big draw for me, and on Saturday the rain was pretty heavy and rain mode worked very well, as dynamic or road reduce the amount of rotation needed for throttle increments (a sensation you don't get on a cable operated system) so would have had the Traction control kicking in.

So in summary, it's a great all rounder, with a peach of an engine, but handling wise not the "revelation" some are stating. I'm a pure roadie, so feel well enough qualified to make that statement.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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