1250 v 1200 is it worth it?

stick said:
There is always one who cant help a dig ………...oh well... so I must be as per your observations , perhaps a little presumptuous tho.
The GS is better.
Click to expand...

It's not a dig.

Plenty of times it's about the rider rather than the bike and also the rider's familiarity with the roads as anyone who's experienced a reasonably talented local on a very average bike on those very same Alpine roads will tell ya. That's my excuse anyway:D

Suffice to say I think the ZZR in the right hands is well capable of smoking most things and if he was an ex BSB rider the rest of you must have been prodigiously talented.

The GS, same thing applies but given a well ridden GS and a well ridden ZZR I know which one I'd put my dosh on:thumb2

Spoiler alert: It wouldn't be the GS. Not even a 1250.
 
I find it weird to debate as if the GS/A are close to racing bikes. There have already been named a few faster alternatives, and there are a whole lot more out there.


However, even if the faster bikes will smoke the GS, there is a catch.

-- In order to smoke the GS you have to be willing to bust speedlimits by a hefty margin.

-- You need a road with decent surface with hardly no traffic.


Because, even if the GS is not speed-king, in daily driving it copes well. The engine is very torquey at lower rpms, the riding position and seat height gives the rider a good view of the traffic and the suspension travel is way better than most bikes. Thus, on the roads we find as most fun to ride, these roads are perhaps narrow, bumpy and with restricted view. All these factors handicap lots of the faster bikes.

Comparing the GS to a ZZ1400 or a Hyabusa will be a bit like comparing a Hummer to a Corvette.
 
SE Rider said:
Sorry but isn't that a direct comparison between a GSA and a sports bike???

or are you saying a ZZR1400 is not a sports bike?
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You think a GS is a sports bike... I give up.... :blast
 
So rode a GSA 1250 today and it was fantastic
Problem is I now need to buy one . Wasn’t expecting
It to be so good but it was . Amazing power gearbox
ESA . A lot of fun and made my T max seem like a moped
😎
 
You'll need new front brakes if you do buy one it would appear
 
Edvard Munch said:
It's not a dig.

Plenty of times it's about the rider rather than the bike and also the rider's familiarity with the roads as anyone who's experienced a reasonably talented local on a very average bike on those very same Alpine roads will tell ya. That's my excuse anyway:D

Suffice to say I think the ZZR in the right hands is well capable of smoking most things and if he was an ex BSB rider the rest of you must have been prodigiously talented.

The GS, same thing applies but given a well ridden GS and a well ridden ZZR I know which one I'd put my dosh on:thumb2

Spoiler alert: It wouldn't be the GS. Not even a 1250.
Click to expand...

Point missed from my post , the ZZR got in the way as its heavy , slow to turn and puts its power down on longer stretches. The ZZR in the mountains was a fish out of water and showed ,as said before ,its flaws.
I have followed locals on Spanish roads and have had no issues keeping with them and passing , local knowledge or not , if you read the roads and the conditions well you can still ride to your limits.
The GS on these roads is brilliant , I ride twice a year in Spain / France and ride with different bikes , Multi Strada , KTM , Ducati and the gs is for me the best tool and does not ever find itself out of water.
I agree if you get on the straights the GS has a limit , but be honest any monkey can do 180mph in a straight line , its no skill.
As you say I must be Rossi's trainer lol
He ran an ex BSB bike not BSB rider for the record ( hes dead now ) and was super talented and I learnt a lot off him on and off the track.
 
Anyway after all that I loved my ZZR and wish I hadn't sold it,my GS doesn't give me anywhere close the buzz I used to get when you let rip on the mighty ZZR .Im not fast rider or ride on any mountain roads just normal roads for me most of the time,I also value my life and my wife's and also I'd have no job if I lost my licence.Getting older and having numerous aches and pains moved me on to the GS ,which I do enjoy riding but I would not call it thrilling.
 
Tyzer said:
Anyway after all that I loved my ZZR and wish I hadn't sold it,my GS doesn't give me anywhere close the buzz I used to get when you let rip on the mighty ZZR .Im not fast rider or ride on any mountain roads just normal roads for me most of the time,I also value my life and my wife's and also I'd have no job if I lost my licence.Getting older and having numerous aches and pains moved me on to the GS ,which I do enjoy riding but I would not call it thrilling.
Click to expand...

+1.. my reasons and thoughts exactly :)
 
stick said:
Point missed from my post , the ZZR got in the way as its heavy , slow to turn and puts its power down on longer stretches. The ZZR in the mountains was a fish out of water and showed ,as said before ,its flaws.
I have followed locals on Spanish roads and have had no issues keeping with them and passing , local knowledge or not , if you read the roads and the conditions well you can still ride to your limits.
The GS on these roads is brilliant , I ride twice a year in Spain / France and ride with different bikes , Multi Strada , KTM , Ducati and the gs is for me the best tool and does not ever find itself out of water.
I agree if you get on the straights the GS has a limit , but be honest any monkey can do 180mph in a straight line , its no skill.
As you say I must be Rossi's trainer lol
He ran an ex BSB bike not BSB rider for the record ( hes dead now ) and was super talented and I learnt a lot off him on and off the track.
Click to expand...

Fair play. An ex BSB bike wouldn't make me any faster either.

TBF doing 180mph in a straight line might be easy but doing 180mph in a straight line consistently and living long enough to pick up your pension isn't.

Not disputing the capabilities of the GS btw, spesch now it has a few more ponies (even before tbh) and I'm not that enamoured of the ZZR, which is still much handier in skilled hands than you seem to suggest and, BTW that's what you were stating, so I'll bow out at this stage and leave you and the rest of your Marvel Avengers crew to continue chewing up and spitting out all those local continental types on your jollies.
 
Edvard Munch said:
Fair play. An ex BSB bike wouldn't make me any faster either.

TBF doing 180mph in a straight line might be easy but doing 180mph in a straight line consistently and living long enough to pick up your pension isn't.

Not disputing the capabilities of the GS btw, spesch now it has a few more ponies (even before tbh) and I'm not that enamoured of the ZZR, which is still much handier in skilled hands than you seem to suggest and, BTW that's what you were stating, so I'll bow out at this stage and leave you and the rest of your Marvel Avengers crew to continue chewing up and spitting out all those local continental types on your jollies.
Click to expand...

Bye xx
 
I fractured my neck a few years ago , on an enduro , so now riding in the sport position is not possible due to the nature of the injury .
 
stick said:
I have the older version ,along with R6 R1 GSXR 1000 Ducati 996 , multi strada , KTM along with many other bikes why.
Click to expand...

Because it's a nice bike to throw around :)
 
SE Rider said:
Er, no I think if you read it correctly i'm suggesting you're comparing the GSA with a ZZR1400 (the ZZR being the sports bike)..... Keep up old chap!
Click to expand...

Sport tourer I'd say.... anyway, in the right hands, a fantastic bit of kit all the same.
 
Took a R1250 GSA demo bike out today (with every toy fitted) , quite interesting :

1. The new engine feels smoother than either of the 1200 LC bikes I've owned (and numerous ones I've ridden) and definitely has a bit extra oomph between 2500 and 4500 revs which is delivered in a more linear manner. It is , however, more sanitised and less rorty than the older bikes.

2. The ESA on the new bike is a huge improvement over the utter crap fitted to my own 2014 bike (and the 2015/2016/2017 models I have ridden) and a slight improvement to that of a 2018 model R1200GSA Dynamic ESA bike I've tried.

3. The claimed better gearbox is a huge improvement over the earlier LC models but in comparison with my 2018 model it feels exactly the same .............. the GSAP is the same gimmicky crap that you can easily beat with smooth gearchanges

4. THe TFT screen seems to have been improved and is clearer than that of the 2018 TFT equipped model I tried out when they were released.

The rest of the bike is ergonomically the same as the 2014 bike I owned.

After the test I rode my own bike a 2017 registered (2018 ) model Basic around the same route and to be honest I still think the non ESA suspension has more feel to it and is slightly more comfortable

Would I be changing my bike ?

If I owned a 2014/15 model GSA ESA I would just to get the better gearbox and vastly improved ESA.

If I owned a 2016/2017 ESA bike I might for the better ESA.

If I owned a 2018 Dynamic ESA non TFT bike I might if I really wanted TFT.

If I owned a 2018 Dynamic ESA TFT bike .............. not worth it .

As the owner of a 2018 model Basic with a load of options that I want and non of the stuff I do not ie SOS, keyless .................. I might think about it a couple of years time (probably non ESA) but for the minute no.

Oops forgot to mention the front brake calipers , they weren't leaking and worked well but IMHO with less feel to them than the previous Brembos
 
Well after starting this thread and trying the demonstrator 1250gsa I plumped for an unregistered 2018 1200gsa rally TE and apart from a little mid range power it feels exactly the same to me. Happy boy and saved some cash to.
 

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Neil W said:
Took a R1250 GSA demo bike out today (with every toy fitted) , quite interesting :

1. The new engine feels smoother than either of the 1200 LC bikes I've owned (and numerous ones I've ridden) and definitely has a bit extra oomph between 2500 and 4500 revs which is delivered in a more linear manner. It is , however, more sanitised and less rorty than the older bikes.

2. The ESA on the new bike is a huge improvement over the utter crap fitted to my own 2014 bike (and the 2015/2016/2017 models I have ridden) and a slight improvement to that of a 2018 model R1200GSA Dynamic ESA bike I've tried.

3. The claimed better gearbox is a huge improvement over the earlier LC models but in comparison with my 2018 model it feels exactly the same .............. the GSAP is the same gimmicky crap that you can easily beat with smooth gearchanges

4. THe TFT screen seems to have been improved and is clearer than that of the 2018 TFT equipped model I tried out when they were released.

The rest of the bike is ergonomically the same as the 2014 bike I owned.

After the test I rode my own bike a 2017 registered (2018 ) model Basic around the same route and to be honest I still think the non ESA suspension has more feel to it and is slightly more comfortable

Would I be changing my bike ?

If I owned a 2014/15 model GSA ESA I would just to get the better gearbox and vastly improved ESA.

If I owned a 2016/2017 ESA bike I might for the better ESA.

If I owned a 2018 Dynamic ESA non TFT bike I might if I really wanted TFT.

If I owned a 2018 Dynamic ESA TFT bike .............. not worth it .

As the owner of a 2018 model Basic with a load of options that I want and non of the stuff I do not ie SOS, keyless .................. I might think about it a couple of years time (probably non ESA) but for the minute no.

Oops forgot to mention the front brake calipers , they weren't leaking and worked well but IMHO with less feel to them than the previous Brembos
Click to expand...

I’m on my third WC currently a 2018 and after test riding the 1250 yesterday I pretty well came to the same conclusion.

Although I did find the suspension on the 1250 felt the same as the 2018.
 
Neil W said:
Took a R1250 GSA demo bike out today (with every toy fitted) , quite interesting :

1. The new engine feels smoother than either of the 1200 LC bikes I've owned (and numerous ones I've ridden) and definitely has a bit extra oomph between 2500 and 4500 revs which is delivered in a more linear manner. It is , however, more sanitised and less rorty than the older bikes.

2. The ESA on the new bike is a huge improvement over the utter crap fitted to my own 2014 bike (and the 2015/2016/2017 models I have ridden) and a slight improvement to that of a 2018 model R1200GSA Dynamic ESA bike I've tried.

3. The claimed better gearbox is a huge improvement over the earlier LC models but in comparison with my 2018 model it feels exactly the same .............. the GSAP is the same gimmicky crap that you can easily beat with smooth gearchanges

4. THe TFT screen seems to have been improved and is clearer than that of the 2018 TFT equipped model I tried out when they were released.

The rest of the bike is ergonomically the same as the 2014 bike I owned.

After the test I rode my own bike a 2017 registered (2018 ) model Basic around the same route and to be honest I still think the non ESA suspension has more feel to it and is slightly more comfortable

Would I be changing my bike ?

If I owned a 2014/15 model GSA ESA I would just to get the better gearbox and vastly improved ESA.

If I owned a 2016/2017 ESA bike I might for the better ESA.

If I owned a 2018 Dynamic ESA non TFT bike I might if I really wanted TFT.

If I owned a 2018 Dynamic ESA TFT bike .............. not worth it .

As the owner of a 2018 model Basic with a load of options that I want and non of the stuff I do not ie SOS, keyless .................. I might think about it a couple of years time (probably non ESA) but for the minute no.

Oops forgot to mention the front brake calipers , they weren't leaking and worked well but IMHO with less feel to them than the previous Brembos
Click to expand...


Hi Neil, I agree with most of the above (having gone from 2017 GSA ESA > 2017.5 GS ESA (long story) > 2019 GSA 'base' (no ESA), but so far (playing with the manual pre-load and damping adjustments at the rear end) I can't say I prefer the 'feel' of the non ESA suspension compared to the sublime ride of the ESA on my 2 previous GSs. It's been a while, but I even (possibly) think the ride on my pre ESA 2004 GS might have been better (but that's probably a bit of rose tinted glasses talking - and also the higher mileage of that one bedding it all in etc). How do you have your non ESA set up currently and what is it that you prefer about it over ESA? Is there any adjustment on the non ESA front end on these?
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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