Considering a GS....read this

GS is a bit like a swiss army knife (or a leatherman) on two wheels, adaptable and does a pretty good job of most things. Not as focused as that specialist snap-on tool for getting to that awkard fixing on certain vehicles but when the design changes on the vehicle the specialist tool becomes unfashionably redundant. A bit like last years race bike colour scheme or the weight saving of this years model (about 20 grams).
Think I will still be carrying a swiss army knife, saving thousands and letting the extremely talented and highly visible power rangers pass me (occasionally!) - after all they are such ambassadors for motorcycling:aidan
 
Think I will still be carrying a swiss army knife, saving thousands and letting the extremely talented and highly visible power rangers pass me (occasionally!) - after all they are such ambassadors for motorcycling

Bet you wish your wit was as sharp as a Swiss Army Knife.
 
GS is a bit like a swiss army knife (or a leatherman) on two wheels, adaptable and does a pretty good job of most things. Not as focused as that specialist snap-on tool for getting to that awkard fixing on certain vehicles but when the design changes on the vehicle the specialist tool becomes unfashionably redundant. A bit like last years race bike colour scheme or the weight saving of this years model (about 20 grams).
Think I will still be carrying a swiss army knife, saving thousands and letting the extremely talented and highly visible power rangers pass me (occasionally!) - after all they are such ambassadors for motorcycling:aidan

as ive only had the gs less than 6 months and still finding its good n bad points.
i recon for an all year round bike the gs is the best multy pourpose bike ive ridden so far. (like my leatherman tool 12 yrs old n still gion strong)
ive riden gixers for many years , ran a bandit 1200 streetfighter through winter (not fun in snow/ice):blast
i find the gs (mine r1100gs) give me a feeling of confidence wen riding in bad conditions .
just this morning i was on a road which two cars had slid off the road with black ice, riding steady the gs stopped shine side up ,even wen the front end went away in the icy conditions .
i dont know if its the offroad heritage and riding position it just feels solid and planted on the road (all probably fall off tmorra now:D)
ive had a few enduros n dirt bikes , but they wer not up to high road speeds n milage unlike the gs.:thumb
the weight takes a bit gettin used to especialy after light gixers , i sat on me mates bandit 1200 other day n it felt like a 500cc toy bike.
i found the gs is a good scratcher for a uge enduro, even with baggs on:eek:

my 1st experiance with a gs was 5 or 6 years ago , out ridin with two guys on mbws on a gs the other a brick (i think?) i was on my gsxr750wp flat bar fighter , with a lady passenger (good grip on her):D:D
we went to helmsly n i thought bmw, wer in for a boarin ride now ! ( usual thinkin on folk then) as we rode on i foud the bms wer tramming on and i had to pick up the pace. hmm . so wen we got near helmsly (familar teritory) i gunned the gixer , n bugger me the gs was still infront twisty bends n all.
i kept up for a few miles just keepin sumat in reserve (thinkin of me passenger ov course) . i saw me chance a long sweeper bang , down shift a gear n passed the gs at 140 ish , ha got him, but not for long he was up me arse like a stink on a fart!!!!
later we exchanged respects ( turns out he was an x fireblade rider n he hurt his back , the gs was the only bike he could ride n still have fun:thumb)

we went on our seperate way. my passenger had wrist ache tho ( forgot she was on the back ha,ha.)
as i was riding back (n playin tigg with other plastic rockets) my thoughs wer still on the gs n how well it performed under an experienced scratcher!!

yers later i saw long way round n ther the gs was in the spot light again . i was impressed with its off road capabilities as well.

i was a hard core gixer chop fighter rider to the bone n never would of thought of riding a bmw back then.
old man digger06 bought one n he rode it to scottland n said it was a geat bike . that was it my mind was made up.

am now a proud owner of a 1100gs n plannin me 1st trip round europe
to me the gs is a "xl600, bandit 1200, rf900" all in one , sorted:cool:
ugg ( life story to follow ,, not:p)
 

Bet you wish your wit was as sharp as a Swiss Army Knife.


It is - are you offended by my analagy?

I was not implying any superiority of the GS over any other manufacturer; merely that most sports bike riders seem to have an uber competitive streak/ lack of confidence in trying to compare their machine against any other car or bike.

This is not just my opinion or the majority of tossers on this site but also the motorcycling press. When was the last time you saw lots of race reps with serious mileage on them.

Horses for courses - I have had race reps, enjoyed them and if funds, garage space etc were not a problem I may have another - for the occasional track day. I just can't see the attractiion anymore for UK roads.

ANY two wheel transport will always bring a smile to my face, so chiil out guy, no need to take things personally and if you do want a battle of wits - BRING SOME AMMUNITION!:stopbeing:dabone
 
Offended by your 'analagy', I take it you mean analogy, no not offended, just not prepared to read crap like that and let it go unmentioned. Your generalisation about sportsbike riders epitomises for me that certain element in the biking fraternity who have closed minds and very open mouths. As for the biking press, do me a favour, do you seriously expect me to believe anything they say.
 
most experiance ive had with sports riders is they like to ride the bikes to use em for what they wer built for (thrashin the nadds off em) wots the point in a bike that does 180mph n got 170 bhp on back wheel n not usin it???
thats the weekend warriors,
the lads i see though the week and who ride to work are not always out to beat foggy n every other rider on the road. they maintain there bikes , or just trade em in nxt year for the newer modle. these are the lads who have ridden for years and know there limits, and ive rode with a few good lads !!:thumb

a streetfighter by descripion is a sports bike wi all the crapp taken off, usualy in a crash ! plastic is bloody expensive!!!:D

ive seen many rider go beyond there limits (mesen included) ,the thing i find with sport race reps is that the bike is always better than the rider , and alot of lads who rode say an old gs1000 or quacka 1100 are used to less power and porer handling than the newer bikes , they ride them the same and usualy end up in the ditch!:augie

ive had lads n lasses follow me down roads which wer very twisty , not even looking ahead and reading the road , cuming off n smashin themselfs n the bike .:eek:

its not what ye ride , its how ye ride :cool:
ugg
 
most experiance ive had with sports riders is they like to ride the bikes to use em for what they wer built for (thrashin the nadds off em) wots the point in a bike that does 180mph n got 170 bhp on back wheel n not usin it???
thats the weekend warriors,
the lads i see though the week and who ride to work are not always out to beat foggy n every other rider on the road. they maintain there bikes , or just trade em in nxt year for the newer modle. these are the lads who have ridden for years and know there limits, and ive rode with a few good lads !!:thumb

a streetfighter by descripion is a sports bike wi all the crapp taken off, usualy in a crash ! plastic is bloody expensive!!!:D

ive seen many rider go beyond there limits (mesen included) ,the thing i find with sport race reps is that the bike is always better than the rider , and alot of lads who rode say an old gs1000 or quacka 1100 are used to less power and porer handling than the newer bikes , they ride them the same and usualy end up in the ditch!:augie

ive had lads n lasses follow me down roads which wer very twisty , not even looking ahead and reading the road , cuming off n smashin themselfs n the bike .:eek:

its not what ye ride , its how ye ride :cool:
ugg

Spot on mate, you put it a lot better than I could, and more entertainingly:thumb
 
Just had to say that I bought my first GS (1150 9500mls on clock) on Saturday, Ive just turned 650 miles on it tonight coming home from work. I think Ive found the perfect bike for me! I leave the wilts/Berks area at about 7.30pm and ride B roads and C roads for 98 miles to my mome in Dorset. My last every day bike was a 955 Daytona which was great but not when you are as cold and wet as the road and tyres are! I'm so relaxed that I dont finish up with eyes on stalks, or suffering from nervous exhaustion as I walk through the door. I'm not peering in the gloom for gravel, shiny tar joint strips or middle of the road mud banks. My corners are not square in the last half of the trip. And my hands are warm Ha! The GS is the 25th bike I've owned, there must be a lesson there somewhere?
 
Read this

..............
The roads are full of useless newbie/born again/deluded sports bikes owners - it's your ability that kept you ahead of the 'Blade, not the ability of your GS.

Whatever modern bike I've ridden, I've always stuffed 99.9% of the sportsbike riders I've come across on the twisties, whether it's on my dog slow R850R, my wobbly Aprilia Caponord, my VFR's or my K1200S.However, I have no doubt whatsoever that the same rider would be much quicker on a 'Blade than he would be on a GS on any road other than an extremely bumpy, twisty backroad in the Dales or Highland etc. - it's horses for courses. The GS is far too softly spung and under damped as standard to provide any serious competition. :thumb

Hallelujah someone talking sense at last. Why oh why are so many GS/BMW owners so sanctimonious / up there own asses ? "I was riding my GS with the missus on the back embarrassing Blade riders" Oh please have a word with yourself.

From experience I have ridden with Sunday morning fair weathered "Blade/sport bike riders" and yes they hold you up in the twisties, not cos there bikes are less capable than a lardy 1150GS but because they are inexperienced. So your an advanced rider wowwee heres a Blue Peter Badge, you should be able to ride rings around a less experienced rider. Are you saying that if he was on an 1150GS he would have left you for dead? er no I don't think so.

The GS on the other hand IS a very capable machine to a certain extent, and has very forgivable characteristics that quite honestly often make the rider look better than they actually are. I am not putting all GS riders in this bracket cos I know plenty that are superb riders on any machine.

Now before the GS owners that I am referring to barrage me with me fatwas (is that how you spell it) I own a GS and have covered many thousands of miles on it, continental trips etc but I also own a Ducati and a Hayabusa. I love riding them all for different reasons and ride the ass of every one of them. But I will say this, apart from the really bumpy back roads my sports bikes are quicker than my GS. I am not pretentious enough to brag about how experienced or good a rider I think I am, (in fact I even have a bit of paper somewhere that says I'm entitled to cheaper insurance cos I did an extra course) but I would say I am at least average and can reasonably handle a bike.

I have seen this "other bike bashing" happen on sport bike sites against the BMWobbleyou brigade, and even the Ducati owners, it really p*sses me off. A person riding a bike, any make of bike regardless of talent is a BIKER....yes they are all bikers. We should be supporting all bikers regardless of what they ride. Of course we still need to rip the hell out of Harley owners :ymca2er I'm only joking but seriously friendly banter/mickey taking is great but slagging them off cos they don't conform to your way of thinking imho sucks.

For the record the only type of bikers I don't condone are the lunatic street racers.

Sorry that's my rant over:beerjug:
 
I am thinking of getting an 1150GS. Always had sports bikes, but need someting more comfortable for touring. Needs to be interesting, reliable, comfortable and fun to ride. Seems like te GS fits te bill. Found this on Youtube and I'm definitely converted now !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Cu8BZJ_hw&feature=related

I think this pretty much closes the GS handling debate. If your not on a track you may as well spend your money on training to become a better rider.
Must admit though, I love the feeling of brute acceleration you get from a really powerful sports bike !
 
A friend of mine is a caravanner. I've heard him and other caravanners having similar discussions about the 'idiots' who use this and that type of caravan. A bit like this thread.

I've just bout a new GSA and it's wonderful! The VFR 800 I traded in was also wonderful - I wouldn't change back for anything but that's only because the GSA is easily the better bike for me. I certainly don't havie anything against Harley, sportsbike or scooter riders - I just think they may be missing out on a better riding experience. (forget the scooters - they aren't really bikes)

Anyone can ride like a tosser but we shouldn't stereotype riders of other types of bike. Just pity them for their arthritis and high insurance premiums while we whaft along like King of the Road! Lets save the criticism for car drivers who present the (by far) greatest danger to us (especially Corsa's driven by 19 year old lads).

Steve
 
Sorry second paragraph above should read:

I've just bought a new GSA .....

(This spillchicker's fill of shot)
 
Just my 2 pence worth

The GS is a capable bike be it 1100, 1150 or 1200 but having had sportsbikes and GSs the times do not lie, R1 0-100 sub 5.5 seconds, 1200GS 0-100 sub 10 seconds.

In the real world the broad spread of torque on the GS enables a good rider to make adequate progress, whilst not making it look hard.

On sportsbikes - like the R1, the mapped fuel injection profile means the power and low down torque, plus gearing for 185 mph means you have to be in the right gear, and then by moving about on the bike, really adequate progress can be made.

For the same effort, the GS is a more capable tool for covering distances at adequate speeds. :beerjug:
 
Just my 2 pence worth

The GS is a capable bike be it 1100, 1150 or 1200 but having had sportsbikes and GSs the times do not lie, R1 0-100 sub 5.5 seconds, 1200GS 0-100 sub 10 seconds.

In the real world the broad spread of torque on the GS enables a good rider to make adequate progress, whilst not making it look hard.

On sportsbikes - like the R1, the mapped fuel injection profile means the power and low down torque, plus gearing for 185 mph means you have to be in the right gear, and then by moving about on the bike, really adequate progress can be made.

For the same effort, the GS is a more capable tool for covering distances at adequate speeds. :beerjug:

How dare you forget about the little 650!!!!

On the right road, the little 650 would run rings around an 1150. It would have to be small back road, but I'm really impressed with mine. I have an 1150 too so I'm not talking out of my arse either.

The GS is the GS and I agree that a sportsbike well ridden will eat the GS alive, until it gets bumpy and wet. Still would own a sportsbike now though, I wouldn't trust myself and fear I would be riding far too quick. In the real world the GS is quick enough and I've only met a few people who can honestly ride the wheels off of one.

For my money, a CBR600 would be the fastest bike point to point, in the sportsbike class, on anything other than big flat out roads.
 
How dare you forget about the little 650!!!!

On the right road, the little 650 would run rings around an 1150. It would have to be small back road, but I'm really impressed with mine. I have an 1150 too so I'm not talking out of my arse either.

The GS is the GS and I agree that a sportsbike well ridden will eat the GS alive, until it gets bumpy and wet. Still would own a sportsbike now though, I wouldn't trust myself and fear I would be riding far too quick. In the real world the GS is quick enough and I've only met a few people who can honestly ride the wheels off of one.

For my money, a CBR600 would be the fastest bike point to point, in the sportsbike class, on anything other than big flat out roads.


I agree, I've also had a '01 F650GS and found it fantastic but not good for loaded riding, also a '99 1150 before the 1200, tho' Im not a slim chap so the poor 650 did have a lump to lug around before I even put my luggage on it
:beerjug:
 
reassure me

I've just ordered a brand new GS 1200, wanted an adventure but the wait was silly. Anyway the chances of actually going off road are about the same as most 4 x 4 drivers. I'm a bit apprehensive about biking again, but took a test drive and that was that. All the forums suggest I've done the right thing. I live in he northern Highlands of Scotland, so we've got some pretty amazing roads. Any tips from you guys???:eek:onyack
 
"...I'm a bit apprehensive about biking again,..." by all means be apprehensive ....at first; You will find that it is a very easy bike to ride and you will soon feel very much at home on it; I have been 'biking' for.....well, quite a long time and this 1200GS which I have had for approaching four years (my eigth BMW) is the best bike I have ever ridden and I almost wish there was something better - but I have not yet found it. (Oh, I have had NO faults with it.)
 
I've just ordered a brand new GS 1200, wanted an adventure but the wait was silly. Anyway the chances of actually going off road are about the same as most 4 x 4 drivers. I'm a bit apprehensive about biking again, but took a test drive and that was that. All the forums suggest I've done the right thing. I live in he northern Highlands of Scotland, so we've got some pretty amazing roads. Any tips from you guys???:eek:onyack

1. Watch out for sheep

2. Keep Forry away from them

3. Go to Gathering of the Clans and the pairty on Skye:D

4. Enjoy:thumb2
 


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