Why won't my GSA handle?

[Deleted account 211025001]

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I have done 5000 miles and am not impressed that the tyres now resemble a 50 pence piece, especially as I had Trailwings on my Vstrom 650 and got 10,000 miles out of them.
Time for a different tyre!

Yeah, but a Vstrom has half the weight and power of a GS and Deathwings (Trailwings) are made of Bakelite

Andres

 

[Andy B]

Gents,

Thanks for all your comments.

Next move must be to change the back tyre.

Therein lies a whole new issue! What to change it for? Stick with the Battle Wings or enter the mine field of alternatives!!

 

[miked]

I had Battlewings on from new and really liked them until they were worn and I rode in the rain

Same symptoms, bike turned into a pig, especially in the wet.

I swapped them for a set of Conti Trail Attacks and am back to being very happy

The Contis feel very different from the Bridgestones and just seem to want to turn in before I even get to the bend

2500kms so far and still happy

 

[Funners]

Have you fiddled with the suspension at all? I can't remember which way I adjusted mine on the front, BMW suggest 3 clicks for normal roads, I turned it down to 2, which I think is softer but I really can't remember right now (sure someone will!)

Anyway I was having problems with initial turn in at low speeds, changed that and it's much better now. Another thing you can do is up the rebound on the rear, which will jack the bike up a little bit, meaning a steeper steering angle, and so easier turn in again.

I'm really no suspension expert (I can't even remember which way I turned the front spring ), but that seems to have worked for me.

AHhh I hope you mean Pre-load...as all upping the rebound will do is slow the suspension down even more with the potential of using all your travel over a series of bumps as it can't recover before the next hit....
PRE-LOAD.. jacks the bike up....

 

[sherpatensing]

I swapped them for a set of Conti Trail Attacks and am back to being very happy

The Contis feel very different from the Bridgestones and just seem to want to turn in before I even get to the bend

Better still, fit Road Attacks

 

[Flipfly]

Gents,

Thanks for all your comments.

Next move must be to change the back tyre.

Therein lies a whole new issue! What to change it for? Stick with the Battle Wings or enter the mine field of alternatives!!

I don't have a great deal of experience with the 1200, but I can say that Bridgestone Deathwings are the worst tyre you can put on a bike IMHO. I've always liked Tourances, Anakees or the Conti for feel. Tourances probably give the best life, Anakees the best grip and the Contis somewhere in between.

I've ridden a 1200GSA on Tourances and Contis and liked them both, lots of feel and more than enough grip to ride in a spirited fashion IYKWIM

Worth the small extra cost, ust to get rid of those aweful Bridgestones.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

I don't have a great deal of experience with the 1200, but I can say that Bridgestone Deathwings are the worst tyre you can put on a bike IMHO. ..........snip..............
Worth the small extra cost, ust to get rid of those aweful Bridgestones.

Just to avoid a common misunderstanding;

The bakelite tyres (Deathwings) were the old, now discontinued, Trailwings.

The new(ish), fitted as standard to GS's, Bridgestone dual purpose tyre is the Battlewing which is pretty much an 020 with different tread pattern and actually not a bad tyre IMHO.

Andres

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

One problem with changing tyres is that any new, round profile tyre is always going to be better than a squared off tyre. So while switching brands may be a revelation, the chances are that just getting new tyres of the same brand would be equally good.

For every kind of tyre (with the possible exception of Trailwings) someone will post how great they are, and someone else will say how rubbish they are. I don't think there's such a thing as a bad tyre in the same way thatther eused ot be in the 80's and early 90's, so I think it's all about finding one that you're confident in, and sticking with it.

 

[John Armstrong]

Just to avoid a common misunderstanding;

The bakelite tyres (Deathwings) were the old, now discontinued, Trailwings.

The new(ish), fitted as standard to GS's, Bridgestone dual purpose tyre is the Battlewing which is pretty much an 020 with different tread pattern and actually not a bad tyre IMHO.

Andres

Trailwing = sh1te

Battlewing = almost as good all round, as the tourance.