Two months in and bored of my 1200GS

[Mosdef]

Evening all, I had an ugly but engaging Kawasaki Versys 1000, which was written off while parked (late last year) by an elderly lady with insufficient parking skills.

I got a very generous insurance payout from the driver's insurer and treated myself to a 1 year old R1200GS TE Alpine but I'm coming to the conclusion that it's dull as ditch water.

It's got lots of extras; keyless ride, spoked wheels, heated grips etc etc but it's pretty much characterless and on the way home from work tonight, I finally realised I missed my pig ugly Versys.

Is this a general twin cylinder thing or would a 1200 Multistrada perhaps be a bit more interesting? I'm not obsessed about raw figures but some engagement would be nice and the GS just feels like a big, powerful, manual moped. Maybe it's just a bit too smooth and capable for its own good. I do a fair amount of central London riding and then sporadic weekend rides of say, 150-200 miles and it just feels rather dull. Do I need to give it a bit longer to gel with or should I throw in the towel and get something more exciting (acknowledging I want something upright and haven't come from a line of Blades, ZX10s, Panigales etc).

Edited to add, a while ago I tested the Super Tenere and found that too agricultural / dull, which makes me think it must be a twin thing. The lack of any induction noise and engagement makes the GS just feel like a transport device.

Edited by Mosdef on Thursday 28th April 23:23

[Mosdef]

Time to get a test ride on a KTM and a Multistrada then!

Problem is I'm 6'10 and 20 stone so the GS fits well but in commuting traffic, it's as much fun as a bus, which is not something I felt about my old Versys.

[Mosdef]

I used Dynamic mode but I didn't really find it added any more engagement. I'll give it another try today.

Maybe a sports exhaust might help (I had Akrapovic on my last bike) but the reviews I've read suggest the exhausts don't add much. Anyone else tried that with their GS?

I might have another look at the XR, I didn't find it as comfortable as the GS but perhaps it's time to take one for a ride. Hopefully it's got good knee room!

[Mosdef]

Generally I like to be in the middle of the rev range, which just feels a bit 'meh' on the GS - no induction noise, no real feel of power building with revs, it feels a bit like a diesel most of the time with lots of low end torque but no real excitement in using revs until above 6k rpm, when it's snappier than expected.

Sounds like this could be a twin thing but only a few other test rides will tell. This morning I used Dynamic mode and firmed up the suspension and it was marginally better but I'm still inclined to think it's a bit too refined/efficient at its job at the expense of any kind of excitement. To me, it just doesn't have a lot of character.

When I went on the test ride, I hadn't ridden a bike for two months due to the previous bike being written off, and a blast around country roads near Guildford felt great but having lived with the bike for a couple of months I'm already a bit bored and can't get excited about it.

[Mosdef]

Chainsaw Rebuild said:

I wonder if a KTM might be more invigorating?

Possibly but I hate orange! Churlish and superficial but I can't get on with the looks (even having had a pig ugly Versys!).

[Mosdef]

Off road ability is not of any interest but for comfort/ergonomic/commuting/pillion reasons, I like adventure style bikes. Being very tall and heavy, they seem the right kind of bike for me.

The Triumph is too small and I was never very impressed by the Explorers/Tigers when I sat on them but might need to be a bit more open minded.

[Mosdef]

Harry H said:

Get yourself a ride on an XR. I've just bought one and it's more exciting than a very exciting thing when you want it to be but more than capable of munching motorway miles as well. Serious power starts to kick in around 6K rev's and after 9k it all goes completely metal. So make sure on your test ride you explore the upper reaches of the rev band. The quick shifter is also addictive once you start to play with it the noise is fantastic. Like playing a musical instrument.

Only down side is it makes one ride like a tt everywhere.

I had a GS a couple of bikes ago and I know what you mean about being a bit dull. They do need a bit of time in the saddle to understand them though.

There's a theme developing here - time to head back to the showroom and have a closer look at the XR!

Probably best to take mine out for a proper run this weekend (if it doesn't snow), just in case I'm missing something. I haven't been on the bike just for fun recently, on half decent roads, so maybe that's required.

[Mosdef]

ptj said:

As you liked your Versys so much why not get another?

Looking quite tempting actually, even with the inevitably dreadful residuals!

[Mosdef]

Harry H said:

I doubt you're missing much but the GS can be made to Tango very well. It's a capable bike covering ground efficiently. But the engine is never going the be exciting as where an inline 4 picks up as you start to thrash it the GS flat twin just sort of runs out of puff. It's all about the torque.

I think that's the issue, from a technical point of view, it's an excellent, efficient bike but unless torque really floats your boat, it's never going to really excite. I'll give it a run anyway and then decide whether to book some test rides.

[Mosdef]

SteelerSE said:

Really sorry to hear that Mosdef.

After our discussions about new bikes I thought that you'd get the new (and far better looking) Versys. I do love my Crossrunner but don't think it has the sort of power delivery that you're looking for.

I'd suggest the Crosstourer as being worth a test ride. The engine is amazing and should give you more of what you're looking for. It's also still a physically big bike which should help.

I hope you get this all sorted.

Thanks Steeler, glad to hear you're enjoying your Crossrunner. I had a look at the Crosstourer at around the time you bought your bike and the insurance quote (central London admittedly) was £1,300 pa for TPFT - absolutely nuts! Might have to check that again as I can't believe they're any more prone to being nicked than a GS.

[Mosdef]

Thanks very much for all the suggestions; I had a longer ride in Dynamic mode yesterday and I was definitely slightly happier but also had the Mrs on the back for half the time I was on the bike, so for that chunk of the ride, I wasn't really going for it in any way. For general transport, it's a great bike but doesn't really stir the soul in any way. I'm going to try and track down a GS with a proper exhaust and see if that helps at all (even though the power delivery and engine characteristics won't change, something a bit rortier might add a bit of enjoyment).

Otherwise, it's going to be trade in time and the list of potential replacements seems to be getting longer!

[Mosdef]

jackh707 said:

Try the KTM 1190 adv, not as big and burly as the 1290. Head banging good fun.

I've ridden the versys thou and the GS1200 extensively and the KTM would be my recommendation for your requirements

Thanks Jack, I read a few reviews of the KTM 1190 yesterday and it sounds great (as others on here have also said). Time to find one and give it a try.

[Mosdef]

I think I need to give it a bit more time and see whether I gel with it. The main problem is my choice is fairly limited due to my height, weight and the fact I need to carry a pillion around town fairly often. The GS takes care of these things well (better than the Tracer, Versys 1000 etc) but then so might the KTM 1190 (although the insurance costs on the KTM are absolutely insane - TPFT is the same as fully comp on my GS, which is still around £1.4k per year due to central London parking). A test ride on the KTM will tell!