Help Please :)

Not to be a contrarian but do not buy a small bike with a view to getting a bigger one.

Utter waste of time.

If you want a 12 get one.

I’ve had an 800 too and I found the 12 much easier to ride and manage

Saves pissing about

Just ride it in a manner commensurate with how you feel with it, load carried etc etc.

Utter waste of time going small if you want to end up big, as it were.

Just my thoughts.

The throttle goes both ways.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
MartinK said:
Agree here, the 800 is a tried and tested high-mileage machine (some on here with ~150k miles)

The 850 has had issues, and is a Chinese engine rather than the trusted 800 (much tried and tested Rotax)

I have a F650GS (800 Twin) and a R1200GS. Love them both. On small lanes the 800 is much less intimidating! The 1200 crosses countries 2-up with luggage, with ease.
Click to expand...

Plus the 850 (GSA) is hideous to look at.A low mileage used 800 GS or GSA would be much better .

You can get a mint bike for way under £4K.

S92GS said:
Not to be a contrarian but do not buy a small bike with a view to getting a bigger one.

Utter waste of time.

If you want a 12 get one.

I’ve had an 800 too and I found the 12 much easier to ride and manage

Saves pissing about

Just ride it in a manner commensurate with how you feel with it, load carried etc etc.

Utter waste of time going small if you want to end up big, as it were.

Just my thoughts.

The throttle goes both ways.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Agreed as well.A mate got a 1200 as his first ever bike and he soon got used to it.Personally I’d rather a nice 800 than a 1200 having had both, especially if the OP isn’t taking a pillion.
 
My first bike was a Yamaha Diversion 600. I had it for a couple of months, and couldn’t wait to get rid of it, as it was shit. And heavy. I then got a 1200GS, which was lighter, and easier to ride. And pick up. :D
 
The Nutty KTMer said:
My first bike was a Yamaha Diversion 600. I had it for a couple of months, and couldn’t wait to get rid of it, as it was shit. And heavy. I then got a 1200GS, which was lighter, and easier to ride. And pick up. :D
Click to expand...

I suppose one advantage of the boxer is that, as long as you have head protectors, they don’t get hurt much when you drop them compared to a faired bike

And they are easy to pick up as they sit on the pot and don’t go right down

I know this to be true :cool:
 
Re the 1200GS being too big as a first bike - It isn't.
If you go for a smaller bike you will quickly be looking to upgrade and taking into account the cost to change, then overall it will cost you more than just going for a 1200GS from the off.

I passed my test just over 2 years ago (aged 50) and went straight for a new 1200GS Rallye with all the extras. The bike gets ridden a lot (non commuter) including 2 Spanish/Portugal tours. Current mileage 17000.

As with all bikes you need to respect the throttle. It twists both fast-ways and slow-ways.
 
Only thing I'd say about a GS1200 being a first bike is it's size and I don't mean it's engine capacity. It takes a few years to learn to not drop your bike a thing you only gain through experience and when I say dropping I don't mean crashing I mean genuinely mean dropping it.

We have all been there and I bet those of us who have a lot more experience don't drop our bikes as much as those who are new and a 1200 GS is a big heavy bike but as for riding it as your first bike through your test, nae bother, easy bike to ride, handles great, superb engine braking, comfy and goes like stink but stops well also.
 
Well, every one is of course entitled to their opinion, and long may that be the case.


My experience coaching is that I see a number of newish riders that just don't know how to .... muscle a bike about. To have complete control of its inertia and it's momentum. (Both slow speed manoeuvring in traffic and high speed corner work out on the open road). It manifests itself in a tense upper body and often quite stiff in the arms. There's no Samba going on in the riders torso, there's no weight displacement, there's no lightness of touch in hands and floppy arms. First spot of rain or a damp road and all those tensions grow and get even stiffer!

You've all seen an expert in something, making it look easy, weather its sport, like a tennis player bouncing a ball up with his raquet, a chef with a knife, a bricky and his perfect mortar placement off his trowel .... and conversely, you've all seen somebody who's clearly new at something, and you see that awkwardness and tightness in ... trowel and cement, mountain bike over tree roots ...

Yes, some of that is just practise and time, but the process of muscle memory and feel will come to you more quickly on an easy tool to master. Then you take that process to a bigger and heavier tool.


Its not a big deal! The most important factor here is the OP's enjoyment of biking, his travels, his adventures and his life ahead of him on two wheels! (which includes of course his safety).

But if he's asking advice, that's mine! Go and get an F800 GS and learn to master it by the scruff of its neck so that you can do anything on it!

Ive seen the guys who have gone straight to 1200's. And it shown within 30 seconds!!

:thumb2
 
Giles said:
Well, every one is of course entitled to their opinion, and long may that be the case.


My experience coaching is that I see a number of newish riders that just don't know how to .... muscle a bike about. To have complete control of its inertia and it's momentum. (Both slow speed manoeuvring in traffic and high speed corner work out on the open road). It manifests itself in a tense upper body and often quite stiff in the arms. There's no Samba going on in the riders torso, there's no weight displacement, there's no lightness of touch in hands and floppy arms. First spot of rain or a damp road and all those tensions grow and get even stiffer!

You've all seen an expert in something, making it look easy, weather its sport, like a tennis player bouncing a ball up with his raquet, a chef with a knife, a bricky and his perfect mortar placement off his trowel .... and conversely, you've all seen somebody who's clearly new at something, and you see that awkwardness and tightness in ... trowel and cement, mountain bike over tree roots ...

Yes, some of that is just practise and time, but the process of muscle memory and feel will come to you more quickly on an easy tool to master. Then you take that process to a bigger and heavier tool.


Its not a big deal! The most important factor here is the OP's enjoyment of biking, his travels, his adventures and his life ahead of him on two wheels! (which includes of course his safety).

But if he's asking advice, that's mine! Go and get an F800 GS and learn to master it by the scruff of its neck so that you can do anything on it!

Ive seen the guys who have gone straight to 1200's. And it shown within 30 seconds!!

:thumb2
Click to expand...

Wise words, Great Master.
 
Arsey said:
Wise words, Great Master.
Click to expand...

It would be like learning to fly a plane ...... in a 737 .... :D

You'll never be a crop sprayer ....... !!
 
Giles said:
It would be like learning to fly a plane ...... in a 737 .... :D

You'll never be a crop sprayer ....... !!
Click to expand...

Absolutely.

That’s why I suggested a GS800 earlier on in the thread,having owned many bikes,but a tenth of your experience and professional knowledge .
The OP would manage just fine on a 1200 but a lighter slightly smaller bike would be much more beneficial ,yet he wouldn’t need to move up,especially if not taking a pillion and the kitchen sink along for the ride.

But you can bet he’ll get a 1200....:)
 
Arsey said:
Absolutely.

That’s why I suggested a GS800 earlier on in the thread,having owned many bikes,but a tenth of your experience and professional knowledge .
The OP would manage just fine on a 1200 but a lighter slightly smaller bike would be much more beneficial ,yet he wouldn’t need to move up,especially if not taking a pillion and the kitchen sink along for the ride.

But you can bet he’ll get a 1200....:)
Click to expand...

another take on it, if op hasn't a pillion passenger try a vstrom 650.;)
 
Go for the lighter bike. I ride a GS1200 but on a recent trip in Morocco I rode the lighter F800 GS for 10 days and I was mighty impressed at how capable the machine was. I have read opinions where they reckon that the lighter bike is just as capable as the bigger bike for all but two up touring.
 
Myate bought an Africa Twin having never ridden a bike before passing his test last summer, we were in the Alps in September.
 
I’ll have you know I’m currently in a suite in Car Vegas having just requalified

So I’ve paid nothing and I’m surrounded by minging women.

Oh and my nuts are still Scrambler damage free




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
S92GS said:
I’ll have you know I’m currently in a suite in Car Vegas having just requalified

So I’ve paid nothing and I’m surrounded by minging women.

Oh and my nuts are still Scrambler damage free




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Excellent !
 
First bike choice for me would be a Honda Transalp. That was the bike that taught me how to ride properly. Seriously thats the bike id have for a first.
 
IMHO - The F800gs is physicality taller than the 12 and harder to wheel around when fully loaded unless you are over 6 foot. The 21 inch front wheel feels like one and the handling will take a bit of getting used to coming from a school roadster.
The 12 has a much lower COG and much more rider friendly 19 inch front wheel.

Looking at what Giles said - my wife was one of 5 friends who all passed their tests at the same time (20 years ago). She bought a £200 sh*tter and road that for 6 months before buying a cheapish 600 Bandit. Kept that for 2 years then went on to 900 - she’s rides a 1200 Lc now.
All her contemporaries went straight to big bikes either to appease their partners or keep up with their mates. Of the class of 99 only 1 is still riding motorcycles

Definitely a 12 :D
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Stolen GS1150 - replace with what?
Replies
17
Views
856
lewishamlad
What to buy.. Please help?!
2
Replies
23
Views
2,545
beemerboy9
Hartley
R1300/1400 GS wish list?
2 3
Replies
45
Views
5,547
stickywicket
stickywicket
Davey B
Somme and Western Front. Sept 2023
2
Replies
24
Views
1,513
Posh Pete
Posh Pete
Nando654321
Need a £3k do it all fun commuter - thinking 1150GS!
2 3
Replies
40
Views
9,161
Nando654321
Nando654321


Back
Top Bottom