Confession time, I rode a GS and quite like it!
Confession time, I rode a GS and quite like it!
Author
Discussion

gareth h

Original Poster:

4,329 posts

260 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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Forgive me for I have sinned! I was tyre kicking at a BMW dealership and ended up taking a 1250 GS out on a test ride, never ridden one before and it really surprised me, checked the speedo (TFT screen with nice big numbers) a couple of times and was doing 10-15mph more than I thought on a twisty A road, it rolled Into corners nicely, in the dynamic suspension mode ride quality was like a magic carpet, brakes were impressive, the only downside was being 5’8” it was a bit tall, not a problem while I was out, but I can imagine trying to get a foot down if the road dropped away could be embarrassing!
Where do I sign......

fergus

6,430 posts

305 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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gareth h said:
the only downside was being 5’8” it was a bit tall
That's a very tall bike indeed. Did they allow you to get on it via a 1st floor window?

Yours, Mr 6' 6" of Tunbridge Wells

Fish

4,064 posts

312 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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Now go and try a Ducati Multi 1260......

Even better. and lower

Rubin215

4,201 posts

186 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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No harm in liking one.

No harm even in owning one.

Just don't become a tosser...

hehe

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

291 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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Fish said:
Now go and try a Ducati Multi 1260......

Even better. and lower
But it's got a chain yikes


On the subject of height, I can put both feet down on my GS1200 but I find it increasingly difficult to get on and off the thing. I'm a few inches taller than the OP so presumably it's just me. Though I never stand on the footpegs to get on and off, it just doesn't seem secure when it's on the sidestand.

gareth h

Original Poster:

4,329 posts

260 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
quotequote all
fergus said:
gareth h said:
the only downside was being 5’8” it was a bit tall
That's a very tall bike indeed. Did they allow you to get on it via a 1st floor window?

Yours, Mr 6' 6" of Tunbridge Wells
I had my butler give me a leg up

Simes205

5,028 posts

258 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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Once you fit the mandatory addition driving lights it should bring the ride height down! biggrin

smcapstick

67 posts

93 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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I miss my 1150, even though it was incredibly ugly (it was poorly ‘street scramblered’ by the previous owner. I bought it to see what they were like).

On the hunt for another that is standard and tidy. Great bikes, even if they are a prolapse risk every time you try to wrestle it out of the shed.

Unbusy

934 posts

127 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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Isn't there a low seat option on the GS? Or different seat positions? There are on some BMW bikes.

jjones

4,492 posts

223 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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ran a 2005 until it had 72k on the clock and then decided it was time to move it on. Decent workhorse but constant worry of clutch failure or final drive/drive shaft failure meant it had to go.

FazerBoy

1,008 posts

180 months

Wednesday 5th June 2019
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Or perhaps look at the R1250R with the same engine.

I bought one and have just had my running-in service today.

It’s a great all-round bike!

CAPP0

20,881 posts

233 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
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It's the de-facto response to mock and hate any time the GS is mentioned, I guess mainly because of Ewan & Charlie and the resultant wannabe crowd, but having done thousands of miles on one I can only conclude that those responses are from people who've never ridden one. They really are a quite amazing thing to ride, on all terrain and road types. A genuine do-everything bike. My sole criticism would be that they generally need a larger screen but that's easily rectified.

Stig

11,823 posts

314 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
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Great bikes for sure, but please do everyone a favour if you buy one and don't use for communting and therefore blocking filtering for 99% of other riders smile

fergus

6,430 posts

305 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
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jjones said:
ran a 2005 until it had 72k on the clock and then decided it was time to move it on. Decent workhorse but constant worry of clutch failure or final drive/drive shaft failure meant it had to go.
my 05 now has 125k on the clock, and has had 1 replacement driveshaft and 2 second hand final drives fitted, but is still plodding along

anonymous-user

84 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
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Stig said:
Great bikes for sure, but please do everyone a favour if you buy one and don't use for communting and therefore blocking filtering for 99% of other riders smile
I commuted on my adventure for years, never blocked anyone, if you can't filter one maybe you shouldn't be in a bike. The handlebars are still the widest point, same as most bikes

anonymous-user

84 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
quotequote all
gareth h said:
Forgive me for I have sinned! I was tyre kicking at a BMW dealership and ended up taking a 1250 GS out on a test ride, never ridden one before and it really surprised me, checked the speedo (TFT screen with nice big numbers) a couple of times and was doing 10-15mph more than I thought on a twisty A road, it rolled Into corners nicely, in the dynamic suspension mode ride quality was like a magic carpet, brakes were impressive, the only downside was being 5’8” it was a bit tall, not a problem while I was out, but I can imagine trying to get a foot down if the road dropped away could be embarrassing!
Where do I sign......
You're big issue being a smaller rider is if it does start to fall when stationary is you won't stop it.

At 6'3" I couldn't stop my adventure when the stand folded underneath, had to rest it on the engine bars.

Wonderful bikes otherwise.

Biker's Nemesis

41,460 posts

238 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
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I've ridden a few and they're not my bag. A couple of good friends have them and they love them.

I do notice if you catch one up nearly every one seems to try and show you how capable they are on a winding road when all they do is block the road so you can't get by.


OverSteery

3,794 posts

261 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
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keirik said:
Stig said:
Great bikes for sure, but please do everyone a favour if you buy one and don't use for communting and therefore blocking filtering for 99% of other riders smile
I commuted on my adventure for years, never blocked anyone, if you can't filter one maybe you shouldn't be in a bike. The handlebars are still the widest point, same as most bikes
Yup, but the handlebars are wider than most other bikes. biggrin I pull in to let the bikes behind go first.

It's not cool, it doesn't show individuality and it's not good for pub bragging, but the GS is a great bike for people who actually ride their bikes on real roads.

I've done about 130k miles on the 2 I've had and fully expect to buy a 3rd when this one gets near the 100k mark. The Ducati multistrada and big KTM are tempting, but I don't fancy taking either of them to 100k miles bases on what I've seen of my mate's experience of them.


Edited by OverSteery on Thursday 6th June 14:08

black-k1

12,807 posts

259 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
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I'm in the Dolomites on the Old Gits trip at the moment and GSs are like dog st on a Paris pavement, under your feet everywhere!

They may suit some people and they are a very capable bike but they as common as white stilettos in an Essex night club.

Birky_41

4,650 posts

214 months

Thursday 6th June 2019
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black-k1 said:
I'm in the Dolomites on the Old Gits trip at the moment and GSs are like dog st on a Paris pavement, under your feet everywhere!

They may suit some people and they are a very capable bike but they as common as white stilettos in an Essex night club.
I'm an Essex boy and rarely wear such things...

Unless I'm on my gsxr laugh