Thinking that a 1200GS may be a good option

Looking to rationalise my vehicles and make a few changes just for the sake of it.

Really hoping to have some more time for bike trips over the next couple of years and with my current selection of older bikes I’m finding that there is always something that needs attending to which often puts a damper on a quick trip out just because it’s a sunny day.

So, not being keen on having a large underused investment sitting in the garage and taking a realistic view on how many miles it will actually do - currently do about 5k miles p.a., I think I will be looking for something low mileage for around £7k - £11k. But which one is best, what do I need and what is low mileage?

I will definitely need full luggage.

I’ll be buying in the UK because it is virtually impossible to find a low mileage bike here.

What can I get, what should I get? Most reliable, GS or GSA or something else?

Really need some input here. Looking around I think my budget will stretch to a 2014 - 2016 LC but still would like opinions on pre LC bikes, GS or GSA, options, extras etc.

ChasF said:

Looking to rationalise my vehicles and make a few changes just for the sake of it.

Really hoping to have some more time for bike trips over the next couple of years and with my current selection of older bikes I’m finding that there is always something that needs attending to which often puts a damper on a quick trip out just because it’s a sunny day.

So, not being keen on having a large underused investment sitting in the garage and taking a realistic view on how many miles it will actually do - currently do about 5k miles p.a., I think I will be looking for something low mileage for around £7k - £11k. But which one is best, what do I need and what is low mileage?

I will definitely need full luggage.

I’ll be buying in the UK because it is virtually impossible to find a low mileage bike here.

What can I get, what should I get? Most reliable, GS or GSA or something else?

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Personally, I have no expert knowledge you understand , I think the more you use vehicles the more reliable they are and I think this goes more so with BMW bikes. All the high mileage riders I know- I do approx 20K miles a year, so not really high - seem to have less problems than low mileage users.
If I did 5k miles a year I’d be more inclined to go for a Jap bike such as an S10 or VStrom.

It’s an opinion, even if it’s not worth much - good luck with your choice.
Oh if you do go for a GS - test ride an LC and twin cam if you can very different in lots of ways.

gspod said:

Personally, I have no expert knowledge you understand , I think the more you use vehicles the more reliable they are and I think this goes more so with BMW bikes. All the high mileage riders I know- I do approx 20K miles a year, so not really high - seem to have less problems than low mileage users.
If I did 5k miles a year I’d be more inclined to go for a Jap bike such as an S10 or VStrom.

It’s an opinion, even if it’s not worth much - good luck with your choice.
Oh if you do go for a GS - test ride an LC and twin cam if you can very different in lots of ways.

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Thanks for your reply. I think I’ve had a brief test ride on every model since 2004. Impressions are probably a bit blurred now but I was impressed with the twin cam, seemed to be a real motorbike. The LC models not so much, fiddling about with modes, I remember the bike was in Rain mode? and I was thinking it was gutless, at the turn round point the BM chap showed me how to switch to dynamic and as I pulled away I nearly dumped the wife on the tarmac

Hoping to up the yearly mileage to 10k+ may even tackle another overland challenge but that’ll be on an airhead.

Owned (but ridden lots more) boxers for the last 20 years. As above lots of variables about your question make it tricky to answer definitively. But my feelings are that the AC 05 GS I had was a superb bike, it was a Swiss Army knife of a bike and was dead easy to ride..... pootling around town, going shopping or being a hooligan. However the only thing that constantly annoyed me was that it didn’t have CC and it was undertyred. I just then and still now don’t prefer the GSA as it feels bulky and having lots more fuel is great if you can stand riding that long without a break, but can’t and don’t really want to.
The 1st gen LC really unsettled me and actually put me off BMs for sometime. The later ones were good but they aren’t as sweet to ride as the 1250, it is like that fist AC 1200 but everything just more..... smoother, (a lot) more torque, quick but sure footed handling. Finally enough tyres.

So IMHO go for as later 1200 GS as you can with your money, GSA is pretty much the same but eaten too many KFCs and McDs.....

I still regard the twin cam the best of the lot, my WC lasted 2 months before I went back to a TC, had 7 x TC's and 1 x SC and I'd never have another LC...unless it was free!

As previously said, the only way you'll know it to test ride the TC and WC back to back, and make sure you get a god couple of hours (min) on each.

If it was my money I'd get the latest (2013) TC I could find.

Thanks for the replies. It’s beginning to look as if the twin cam is ticking more boxes. Most gizmos pass me by as what I’ve never had I won’t miss. More hp is appealing but, for me, direct connection to the engine without any electronic interference is more important.