1150gs 1stgear & 6th gear QUESTION

I hope to purchase an 1150 gs to replace my 1100 and my question is.

Many people who ride the 1150 say they jumps out of 6th gear and that first gear
is too fast (as the final drive ratio has changed from the 1100) .
As I tend to do a lot of commuting a fast first gear may not be appreciated.
I see that the adventure has solved these problems, however they are a bit too
Expensive at the moment.
Any comments would be appreciated.

REGARDS
MIKE

Famous ???

Mike,
Are you the famous broadcaster Mike Murphy here in Eire ?
he he. I put 12,000 miles up on my GS commuting around Dublin in the last year and had no problems with hopping out of either gear. Also i have the E 6th gear ..... the "long" overdrive and dont find a problem with it or first gear for commuting. Just buy and ride the bike.

PS If you are in ireland mine is for sale

no bother to you

no bother to a man like you mike
go on dont take a cold stagger ------ just buy it!

Mike,

I've never found 1st Gear a problem but you'll have to test ride one on your route to really find out.

Yes, mine will jump out of 6th gear but only if I'm a) thashing it and b) I'm sloppy with the change.

Just buy it!

Martyn

Mike.
I'm a recent convert to the 1150GS from a F650..
First on the F650 was very low (probably too low) and a huge jump to second so I really noticed the difference when I got the R1150..
The Driving test in Ireland requires you to ride beside the examiner at walking pace.. Fine on the 650 but you'd be doing a lot of clutch slipping on the 1150.
You will find that the gears are higher than you'd need for city riding. I'll also take tight corners in first. As I said, I'm only new to the 1150 but this was the first thing that struck me. .. I Just found myself slipping the clutch a lot more than I'd prefer.
I saw a thread giving info how to change the final drive to one from a R850 to give lower ratios but I probably won't go down this road quite yet..

As for jumping out of gears.. Hasn't happened me, but I do get a few "false neutrals".. F650 was the same. You just have to make sure you don't give a half arsed click of the gear pedal..

To be honest the only thing I'm gonna change about the bike is visability. Mrs AuldGranny (or your typical Taxi driver) just don't seem to percieve a difference between some little knacker on a moped and me on my Panzer sized GS at night.
Used to have Blue LED's on the old bike (I know..a bit boy racer-ish) but they were the difference between a taxi pulling from a side street without warning and him pausing to see where those blue lights are coming from..
Unless you're driving a white Pan Yurpeen with dayglo stickers and blue lights you are invisable (or expendable) in Dublin.
I got some tiny Ring 55Watt spots and I'm gonna machine a bracket to mount then under the beak..
If you're in Dublin, I'll be the one lit up like a christmas tree, slipping my clutch.. But I still don't regret buying it!!


PS.. When I say "driving test" it turned out to be a typical example of an Irish solution to an Irish problem.
3 times around the block in a housing estate clockwise, 3 times anti clockwise, emergency stop (from 8mph!) and riding at walking pace. Didn't see one moving car during the whole test (and this is in Dublin!!).The examiner said he has never riden a Bike in his life so followed me in his car and basically said to me that he would never fail a serious biker like myself.. He only fails the boy racer types wearing a tshirt and jeans and anyone on a bike with whose mirrors are smaller than a 5p piece..