Right,I like mine because it does everything i want in a bike,when i got my first one in 2005 my friend thought id gone nuts but he was soon eating his words,got an 07GSA now and i cant see me changing for ages,im 52 and still get a massive buzz on my GS.So after this ramble the upshot is that to me my bit of german engineering has SOUL. (God willing itll run for ever)
Why do you love your GS1200?
- Thread starter MisterB
- Start date
MisterB
Registered user
I don't own one (yet...) but even after my couple of test rides I know what you mean. I've tested the CBF1000 and whilst the engine and gearbox on that bike is just soooo smooth it definitely felt like it was lacking in character to me. The GS on the other hand rumbled, shook and vibrated but somehow it just felt right in doing that
I was very tempted by the 54 plate I tested but I've been put off by the potential for huge bills, so I either wait till I can get an 08MY GS or I go down the Tiger 1050 route. I think deep down I already know which way I'd prefer to go...
araspitfire
Registered user
I really can't say.... but there is something.
I lost mine in a fire a year and a half ago... And it looks like it started the fire... A good excuse to look elsewhere you might think.
We all got paid out with our insurance and one friend bought a WC... the other a 2007 GS (even though I suggested quite strongly that he might want to look to the next year and loose the servo brakes). Last friend was on the phone as we drove by taxi away from Dubrovnik locking down another Blackbird.
I took my time deciding.. I rode other bikes.. I wasn't going to buy a WC without riding it, and the same went for all the GS clones that were announced last year.
I liked the hour I spent on each of the other bikes.. (Honda Crosstourer, Yamaha Super Tenerer, BMW F800GS) Each time I said.. I could own this.
In the end, I rode a GSA twincam and my mind went click.
Sorta like coming home. So I bought the 90th Aniversary GSA and am loving it.
My wife made me put linked smoke alarms in the Garage...
Al...
I lost mine in a fire a year and a half ago... And it looks like it started the fire... A good excuse to look elsewhere you might think.
We all got paid out with our insurance and one friend bought a WC... the other a 2007 GS (even though I suggested quite strongly that he might want to look to the next year and loose the servo brakes). Last friend was on the phone as we drove by taxi away from Dubrovnik locking down another Blackbird.
I took my time deciding.. I rode other bikes.. I wasn't going to buy a WC without riding it, and the same went for all the GS clones that were announced last year.
I liked the hour I spent on each of the other bikes.. (Honda Crosstourer, Yamaha Super Tenerer, BMW F800GS) Each time I said.. I could own this.
In the end, I rode a GSA twincam and my mind went click.
Sorta like coming home. So I bought the 90th Aniversary GSA and am loving it.
My wife made me put linked smoke alarms in the Garage...
Al...
Any suspicion on what caught fire on the bike, eg short across the battery by the metal underseat adjusting bar, chafed wiring loom, faulty optimate ???
Road presence
Easy to ride slow
Easy to ride fast
More than 300 miles on one tank
Ability to ride round the outside of sports bike on corners
Riding position
Luggage capacity
Reliability (40000 miles without missing a beat)
Bahnstormers (best Bike dealer I have ever found)
Optional extra's (almost unlimited, I have lots)
Height (can see over most cars=safety)
Respect from most other bike riders
Shaft
Servo assisted ABS
Number plate (obviously specific to my bike, but you did say "what do you like about your GS")
Fuel economy
Ugliness
Weather protection
Grin factor
Easy to ride slow
Easy to ride fast
More than 300 miles on one tank
Ability to ride round the outside of sports bike on corners
Riding position
Luggage capacity
Reliability (40000 miles without missing a beat)
Bahnstormers (best Bike dealer I have ever found)
Optional extra's (almost unlimited, I have lots)
Height (can see over most cars=safety)
Respect from most other bike riders
Shaft
Servo assisted ABS
Number plate (obviously specific to my bike, but you did say "what do you like about your GS")
Fuel economy
Ugliness
Weather protection
Grin factor
Ive now had 3 R1200GS' over the last few years. I work in London and commute from Cambridgeshire 3-4 days a week. Ive had all sorts of bikes over the years and love my Guzzis and Harleys (which are locked away until the sun is out), but I absolutely have to be somewhere, in any type of weather, then its still the GSA, complete with the full Mcgregor kit. It gets me into town with the minimum fuss, carrying boots, hard hat, drawings etc in any weather and (mostly) dry, with warm hands. I even carry a spare open face lid to put on once I get to the North Circular... It looks great and taxis get out of the way. Its also big enough for me as I'm 20 stone!
I must be doing something right, as probably half of the bikes I see in London on the winter commute are BMW's, most of which seem to be GS's....
I must be doing something right, as probably half of the bikes I see in London on the winter commute are BMW's, most of which seem to be GS's....
Lots of +1
to previous posts
It does a fair bit everything you can want from a bike and it's well enough built to take a bit of a hammering. So it is always myself that sets the limits.
Forgot to say .......even SHE said she likes it and wants to keep it !
to previous postsIt does a fair bit everything you can want from a bike and it's well enough built to take a bit of a hammering. So it is always myself that sets the limits.
Forgot to say .......even SHE said she likes it and wants to keep it !
araspitfire
Registered user
No idea... the Croatian Police had a good long look.. decided it was accedental, most likely "electrical".. Everything in the middle.. was surrounded by plastic, thus hard to tell what was the cause.. (defo not Optimate, we were on a trip)
The day leading to the overnight fire was an amazing day of serious wet (inches deep often).. in Bosnia (with the possibility of picking up something conductive off the road??) We walked past the locked garage 2 or 3 hours after they were parked up without noticing anything.. got woke up at dawn by the fire crew putting it all out.. (6 bikes in a 2 car garage) All my mods were protected by fuses, but if wires got pinched.. (BMW were the last to lift the tank) maybe they could get hot enough to melt the tank, then start a fire... dunno...
Hijack warning:
Nunkie
Registered user
Nunkie
Registered user
Dahoum has it spot on, mines 10 years old too and taken me across 3 continents as well as to Tesco.
100% reliable so far, quirky and a perfect tool; as in it just 'does it', whatever 'it' happens to be (off road, tour, scratch, shopping, commute.........) Obviously most bikes can do all of that but very few can do all of them well - a true all Jack of all trades that is close to being a 'master' in most of the categories you can throw at it.
It's the longest I've ever kept a bike and having had an itch this autumn I test rode a few bikes I thought might replace it.......guess what, I've still got it
If I could fault one thing is it's lack of character, it's too good a bike to have character............
Andres
Did you say "lack of character" ? What ? No way is there a lack of character.
Incidentally, love your ACAB !
Nunkie
Registered user
Absolutely 100%. That's why we love our Gee Esses !
Bendy toy
Registered user
They also crash well. I've just dropped my adventure on a muddy lane at low speed. It's still mud caked but looks like only damage is a scarred end on a crash bar and scratch on the head protector.
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