I must be the only person that didn’t like a test ride of the R1200GSA LC!

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Having decided I need to get back into gs’s again, went and test rode a 2018 Triple Black at Vines. Despite an hour and a half of dual carriageway, fast A-Road and country lanes and trying to fall in love with it, just left me cold. Found the handling on the Anakees anything but reassuring and couldn’t wait to get off it in the end.

I’d lined up the sale and was really looking forward to being back in the GSA club but left the dealers feeling pretty dejected actually!

Anybody else have a similar experience or am I the only person in the biking world to not fall head over heals for the LC?!:blast
 
not test ridden a LC, not even seen a 1250 yet..Can't / don't want the insurance premiums /hassle/ theft potential in London so I am probably even less inclined than you...
 
adventuredon said:
not test ridden a LC, not even seen a 1250 yet..Can't / don't want the insurance premiums /hassle/ theft potential in London so I am probably even less inclined than you...
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I'm looking at stretching my budget at the moment for a 1250 - had a couple of 1200 LC's and (for me) a big step forward over a hexhead.

My insurance is upwards of £2k following the theft of my '63 plate TE - even with protected NCB.

Quoted £7,400 for a Rallye - only one company would quote... Not buying one of those.
 
How many miles did it have on it ? The tyres go off at 5000 miles , really affect the handling / noisy crap grip/ confidence . Try a new 1250 and see . I had a terrible experience when my tyres went off on a 2014 WC on the NC500. Changed the tyres when I got home and it was night and day
 
Robbo1200ADV said:
How many miles did it have on it ? The tyres go off at 5000 miles , really affect the handling / noisy crap grip/ confidence . Try a new 1250 and see . I had a terrible experience when my tyres went off on a 2014 WC on the NC500. Changed the tyres when I got home and it was night and day
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+1 on that if they are squared off they are a nightmare, but when new are pretty much OK, as Robbo says test another bike, and then go back to the dealer and tell him you will have it if he puts new Roadtec 01 on.........:D or something else you like.
 
Ive never riden an LC of any description, my last bmw was a 90th anni GSA 2013. Ive bought a 1250 without ever having done anything other than sit on it in the dealership. That was enough to convince me. :bounce1:green gri:D
 
Could be the tyres I guess.

Might be that you weren't feeling it on the day.

Could be that you really don't like it.

I guess you don't have to get something you don't like just to be back in a 'club';)

Plenty of other really great bikes that you might make you feel the luuurve:thumb2
 
Decompressing said:
Having decided I need to get back into gs’s again, went and test rode a 2018 Triple Black at Vines. Despite an hour and a half of dual carriageway, fast A-Road and country lanes and trying to fall in love with it, just left me cold. Found the handling on the Anakees anything but reassuring and couldn’t wait to get off it in the end.

I’d lined up the sale and was really looking forward to being back in the GSA club but left the dealers feeling pretty dejected actually!

Anybody else have a similar experience or am I the only person in the biking world to not fall head over heels for the LC?!:blast
Click to expand...

Not an ADV but a 1200 LC and I couldn't live with that gearbox. Lots of power compared to pre LC but tbh, I've fallen out of affection for BMW's ( my 57 plate 1200 excepted ). The faults reported on here, the flaking paint etc, on a 17? Grand motorcycle not acceptable to me.

Tried a Super Tenere last weekend and looking on the forums they don't appear to suffer many issues. Reliability and build quality generally excellent ( they are still built at the factory in Japan along with FJR's and R1's ).
I will be changing later this year or early next. BHP and Torque more than enough for me.
 
Mr Bean said:
I'm looking at stretching my budget at the moment for a 1250 - had a couple of 1200 LC's and (for me) a big step forward over a hexhead.

My insurance is upwards of £2k following the theft of my '63 plate TE - even with protected NCB.

Quoted £7,400 for a Rallye - only one company would quote... Not buying one of those.
Click to expand...
Good lord how can anyone afford to pay that for a GS, glad I live in the middle ish lol I pay £280 for the 1250 Exclusive.
 
I briefly owned a 2014 model a few years ago and sold it quite quickly. I was hoping the improvements to 2018 might be enough to persuade me but I was waiting for that grin on the face moment, but it never came. I don’t remember the handling being so bad on the 2014 model, and yes, it could have been the tyres (although they looked ok as you’d expect with only 3000 miles) but it just felt really twitchy, nervous at any speed.

Didn’t have that lovely floaty plush feeling that my previous 2009 model had when you selected ‘comfort’ and it stuck to the road like shit to a blanket (on Tourances).
 
10tenmen said:
Good lord how can anyone afford to pay that for a GS, glad I live in the middle ish lol I pay £280 for the 1250 Exclusive.
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My last one before the recent accident was £1,500 for a '67 plate TE, it hurts like hell. Until a few years ago my '63 plate TE cost only £350 - one word describes the cost. Theft.
 
I bought my 2017 BMW R1200GSA Triple Black blind.

I'd never sat on one, never rode one, never even had a BMW Bike before.

Collection day arrived and I rode it home, and hated every mile. Piece of crap, rattly, too tall, too heavy, sounded like a bag of bolts in a washing machine.

Now I think its probably the best bike I've ever had !!!

Good job I never test rode it, or I'd never have bought one.
 
Warlord said:
I bought my 2017 BMW R1200GSA Triple Black blind.

I'd never sat on one, never rode one, never even had a BMW Bike before.

Collection day arrived and I rode it home, and hated every mile. Piece of crap, rattly, too tall, too heavy, sounded like a bag of bolts in a washing machine.

Now I think its probably the best bike I've ever

Good job I never test rode it, or I'd never have bought one.
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So what changed your opinion and how quickly?!
 
Robbo1200ADV said:
How many miles did it have on it ? The tyres go off at 5000 miles , really affect the handling / noisy crap grip/ confidence . Try a new 1250 and see . I had a terrible experience when my tyres went off on a 2014 WC on the NC500. Changed the tyres when I got home and it was night and day
Click to expand...

Go off at 5000 miles? 2500 miles and replace at 4000 has been my experience.
 
Decompressing said:
So what changed your opinion and how quickly?!
Click to expand...

Took me about 6 months to gel with it.

What sold it to me was its versatility. Comfortable, good weather protection, quick in the twisties, pack tons of stuff onto it, great slow riding, great long distances, easy handling, all the gadgets on it, and gadgets and farkles you can bolt onto it.

It grew and grew on me. Now I love it, such a good bike.
 
Basically, whatever riding mood you're in, you can grab the BMW keys and just go.

Very good.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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