newbie with questions.

Hello from Gloucester.

Currently riding a BMW K1600GT SE.................. Looking to change in March, as the warranty runs out on the 'K', and I'm scared of the thing going BANG ! and emptying my bank account.

So here I am wondering what to buy. Thinking I don't want another tourer (This is my third), I've done the sports bikes, nakeds, and I'm thinking about something a bit different.

I tried a air cooled GS around a year ago and hated the thing. Tried a new water cooled one last Sunday, and totally enjoyed it. Better gear box, seat height suits my 30" inside leg, and it doesn't shake/vibrate anything like the older one I tried.

the question is ..........Luggage. I'm not keen on the BMW stuff. I'd rather have panniers that open at the top, plus I like the look of the SW Motech type ones. Givi Outback ones look quite good too. My question is......... Is there any difference between the 2013 and 2014 Liquid cooled GS's. Or will 2013 luggage fit a 2014 ?

Looking at the Givi stainless engine protection bars too, as they are considerably cheaper than the BMW ones. Are they ok ?............ Any known problems with any of the kit I'm looking to nail on my new bike ?

Cheers

Pete.

Anyone out there who knows............................ ?

If it helps, I'm not a great fan of the BMW box's either, plastic or alloy. The advantage of the Givi stuff is that you can generally take it with you to your next bike, or, as I do can use it on both my bikes, my boxes are the Trekker.

I don't have any experience of the Givi luggage, but there are loads of other brands of luggage for the LC GS. Touratech, Hepco & Becker, Rugged Roads, are a few. Have a look on here to see what others are using http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=880211

Re the engine bars, its a similar story with those. I have the BMW bars, but they are expensive, and don't offer as much protection as others. SW Motech seem to get good reviews. There are several threads on this site about engine bars, just do a search in the watercooled section here
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?506-1200-GS-Watercooled

And, if you do end up getting a new GS, try and ignore the negativity on the forums, as most of the people that slate it have either never ridden one, or only taken one for a short test ride. Its a cracking bike, and if you want something fun, you'll love it.

Greetings & salutations, welcome to the site....

I've got BMW boxes and engine bars and they've performed superbly; however, there are plenty of alternatives in the market.....

The Nutty GSER said:

And, if you do end up getting a new GS, try and ignore the negativity on the forums, as most of the people that slate it have either never ridden one, or only taken one for a short test ride. Its a cracking bike, and if you want something fun, you'll love it.

Click to expand...

I'm slowly being pulled towards the GS, and further away from the Explorer. As for negativity, I find a lot of people only join forums to vent their anger when something goes wrong. And it's understandable when they have forked out there hard earned cash.

Being a Mod on another biking forum, I see it a lot, and it can cause some grief at times.

I just need to beat my local dealer down a bit more, and I'm in ! !

Thanks all who contributed about the Pannier manufacturer's....... Trying to find some that are shaped around the exhaust now.