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The 'Rare Red GS'...







Water cooled!
Wet clutch!
'Normal' indicators.

Hell has truly frozen over!

Gromit wrote:The 'Rare Red GS'...



Water cooled!
Wet clutch!
'Normal' indicators.

Hell has truly frozen over!

Actually it's been melting this week and is a forecasted 18C for Sunday ... given many think of North Wales as Hell

Oh - and before anyone asks, no it isn't mine and no I certainly won't be buying one.

Really didn't like it to be honest.

Fell out of The Ugly Tree and hit every branch on the way down?

Gromit wrote:Oh - and before anyone asks

I really did like it to be honest.

There fixed it for you

And just to smarten it up a little bit more, how about some rim tape Richard



I'll get my coat

el-nicko wrote:Fell out of The Ugly Tree and hit every branch on the way down?

In the flesh I think it looks quite funky and the new gearbox is a revelation (it's now a combined unit with the engine because of the wet clutch). Don't like the FbW throttle though and the handling is just too frisky - feels wrong somehow, and no matter how much I fiddled with the ESA thingy the ride/damping quality was too bouncy.

Don't like the new switchgear - it feels cheap, and the quality of the plastics around fairing/screen is woeful.

It goes well though - reckoned to be itro 115-120bhp according the blurb.

The guy in the shop was obviously keen to sell me a bike, but I had to be honest with him when I took the GS back ie that I didn't like it. He offered me a go on an RT but I declined. Not much point me having one as I rarely/never ride 2-up these days and just want something fun for hooning around on with (hopefully) the odd long trip every now and again.

popsky wrote:

Gromit wrote:Oh - and before anyone asks

I really did like it to be honest.

There fixed it for you

And just to smarten it up a little bit more, how about some rim tape Richard



I'll get my coat

You can really go off people you know

shame, but all new stuff is cheaper and tackier than the old stuff it replaces...

seems like the engine is nice though?

wait for the water cooled R1250R....

Steve1200S wrote:shame, but all new stuff is cheaper and tackier than the old stuff it replaces...

seems like the engine is nice though?

wait for the water cooled R1250R....

That's the thing - a 12GS in basic form is in the region of £12.5k and looking at it closely (and getting a feel of the controls) that's a huge amount of money for what doesn't have a quality feel. My 75k mile old Blackbird feels more solid.

Add the 'usual' stuff ie heated grips and pannier fixings to the GS and before you know it the price is pushing 14k.

I'm keen to try it this year - with a view to changing my 1200Adv next year.

Everyone who has come from the previous GS - sing the praises of the new one - but a newcomer to the type - might not be so sure?

Al

Blackal wrote:I'm keen to try it this year - with a view to changing my 1200Adv next year.

Everyone who has come from the previous GS - sing the praises of the new one - but a newcomer to the type - might not be so sure?

Al

Thing is, each time I've ridden a GS, be it an 1150 as I once owned and then a pre-l/c 12GS it's taken 10 mins or so to get 'into' it and then I've had a ball. This one just didn't push any buttons for me at all. I really wanted to like it, but after an hour I just decided to bring it back - which I did (they were going to let me have bike for a good 2-3 hours).

Usually, whenever I've ridden any Boxer, I've gone away and thought 'hmmm not sure but I'd love to have another go on it' whereas this GS? I've got no desire to ride one again.

I too had a run on the new GS this last weekend, it was a red one as well.

As Richard says, more nimble, bit more power (welcome). Gearbox, clutch much better. Brake feel not as good as existing bike (although they stop well enough). Screen not as good. I actually though the bodywork, such as it is, fitted better than on my current bike (although that's not saying much).

Cost £13.5K + wire wheels + panniers = £15K. That's a lot of money. Given BMW's history with new bike development probably best to wait 6 months or so till they've sorted the inevitable problems. Might be interested then

Cheers

Ian

I once borrowed a 1200RT with ESA. I had it on 2 up sport mode and still thought it pogo'd around too much.

Luckily it's much stiffer on the K1200GT and actually seems to work (and I feel the benefit everyday of 'comfort' on the crappy roads near us, and 'sport' on the dual carrageways and roundabouts near work).

Maybe it was just broke on the RT, but It seems the ESA can be hit and miss depending on model....

Yea, if I was going to spend 15k is on a new bike, a K1600GT without any gizmos would top the list.

[ Brake feel not as good as existing bike (although they stop well enough).

Ian can you remember that junction on the way back to Moffat last year where you tested your brakes?

Steve1200S wrote:I once borrowed a 1200RT with ESA. I had it on 2 up sport mode and still thought it pogo'd around too much.

That's exactly what the GS felt like Steve - it had that BMW 'overspung/underdamped' feel of the old bikes (we're talking pre-Oilhead here). I fiddled with the ESA in all directions but all it seemed to do was make it bounce more - the ride didn't get stiffer (as one would expect with increased damping) but it kicked off bumps too readily rather than smoothing, or riding them out. Getting back on the Blackbird the ride, while stiffer and with less travel, you can feel that rear shock helping the bike, not hindering it.

I got off the GS and noticed the shock is made by Sachs - the last time I had a bike with a Sachs shock was my Aprilia Falco and it was terrible (spoilt an otherwise superb bike in fact).