OT: BMW 1200GS or 1200GSA

[norcalbiker]

Anyone here ride or own or have experience with BMW 1200GS or 1200GSA?
I have been thinking of the new 1200GS with liquid cool.
I commute 100 miles round trip a day and I'm thinking that this maybe the bike for me because I would also like to do a long trip about twice a year.
Would like to hear your input or comment. Good and Bad.

TIA

[Gsinill]

Can't speak to the current model but if I had to ride the my '05 GS 100 miles every day, I would definitely invest in an aftermarket seat (Corbin, Sargent etc.).
Have done several longer trips with the stock one and can tell you it is PITA, literally.
Otherwise a great bike and you will love the versatility.
Performs well on the road and is also fun on gravel or doing some moderate off roading.

[Ken Robb]

the adventure model is modified toward more off-road capability with slightly less for on-road capability.

I am not interested in riding a heavy $20,000 bike on anything more challenging than unpaved roads so I would choose the regular gs.

otoh I rode 50,000+ miles on my R1100r including quite a bit of unpaved roads and had no problems. Since I wasn't bashing over really rough stuff there was no need for a taller more top-heavy bike to gain extra clearance.

My ST3 Ducati is a wonderful sport-tourer but I miss exploring unpaved roads a bit. All street-legal bikes are compromises, I guess. :)



















i

[christian]

It's a 600-lbs dirt bike with a car clutch. I've ridden one, but the only modern boxer I would consider is a R1150RT/R1200RT.

[mistermo]

the adventure model is modified toward more off-road capability with slightly less for on-road capability.



I've had both a R12GS and now an R12GSA, both in the previous, non watercooled version. I respectfully disagree with this sentiment.

Because the GS is lighter, I think that makes it the hands down winner off road. Mind you, neither is a "true" off-road bike.

The GSA, apart from being larger, has a bigger windscreen, and the larger tank makes it a far superior road or highway bike, than the 'little' 12GS. When I had the R12GS, I found turbulence behind semi trucks to be nervous. Not so much with the bigger bike and it's larger windscreen.

IIRC, the big GSA has a longer fork travel which may be what the above poster was referring too.

I know a couple guys who do 100 mile commutes on their GS's. It's the perfect bike for that. Hank has over 500K on his 11GS now.

http://www.motohank.com/Blog_Africa/Blog_Africa.html


On only one occasion, have I ever been able to ride out a tank of gas on the adventure. Therefore, the main selling point: the larger tank, doesn't really matter much. At least to me. But I would enjoy having the lighter bike, especially if going more off-road. If I were to get a water cooled GS, I'd err towards the R12GS, then "farkle" it (modify it) with a bigger screen, better seat, and some crash bars.

My .02

[norcalbiker]

Yeah the more I read about them, the more I'm going toward the GS. I have a 2008 Yamaha FZ1 that have almost 100k miles now. I had a Kawasaki before that gave me like over 80k miles before I went to FZ1. These 2 Japanese bikes never really gave me any trouble whatsoever. Wonder if the BMW is as reliable as the other 2 previous commuter that I have.

[AngryScientist]

there is definitely something to be said about the right tool for the job, and i would love to try out one of these. currently i'm doing a 90 mile RT commute on my little cbr250, and enjoying every mile. poor little engine is strung out doing 8k rpm for 45 minutes on the highway, but fun, none the less!

[Ken Robb]

The latest GS bikes have oilbath clutches rather than the previous dry single disc units. The GSA as I recall had lower ratios in the first couple of gears for off-road crawling, better crash protection, and knobbier tires hence my comment that they were aimed more at off-road riding than the regular GS. They did weigh more and I can see where you could have preferred a GSA as a tourer.

As I said, I found the R1100R preferable for the easy unpaved road riding I wanted to do than either of the GS. I could flat-foot it at a stop and paddle- walk through moderately deep stuff whereas either GS is so tall that I had to decide which foot to plant and lean the bike that way. I had a few proper dual sport bikes with TALL saddles that prevented my getting both feet down but I rode them on really rough stuff where I needed lots of ground clearance. What I would try on a 250-300 pound bike on knobby tires is very different than what I'm willing to risk on a 500-600 pound bike.

I never rode a GS that I didn't like going back to a R80 G/S but I have never owned one-------yet. :)

[gearguywb]

I have a '13 air cooled GSA and really like it...but I would not have been upset with a GS either.

I do like the larger tank of the GSA. Riding a couple of weeks ago (3 bikes), the guy on the GS about ran out of fuel.

If cash were an issue I would go GS. If you are going to farkle it out, and like the bigger tank (and can handle the weight) go GSA

[norcalbiker]

I have a '13 air cooled GSA and really like it...but I would not have been upset with a GS either.

I do like the larger tank of the GSA. Riding a couple of weeks ago (3 bikes), the guy on the GS about ran out of fuel.

If cash were an issue I would go GS. If you are going to farkle it out, and like the bigger tank (and can handle the weight) go GSA

Cash is not an issue. I just thought that the GSA are too big for everyday commute with lots of traffic.

[malcolm]

I've put a few miles on both and both are very nice on the road. I think the GSA is an inch or two taller and holds about 3 gallons more fuel and of course weighs more. I had to tip toe touch on it pretty similar to my KTM690, so it's tall. I agree with the saddle change if you are doing multi hundred mile days. Several folks make aftermarket saddles the corbins are quite nice.

Dual sport wise they both are much more slanted to the hwy/dirt road side of things. After having said that it's up to your skill, I've seen guys that could put those things in places you wouldn't believe. I'm a pretty good off road motorcyclist and they are just too much for me on anything approaching even moderate difficulty, even the 800 is a pig. I could go places on my 690KTM I couldn't even get close to on the 1200 BMW, but you pay for it on the road

[Gsinill]

I know you were asking about the GSs but given what you are planning to use it for and $$ is not an issue, did you ever look into a K1600 GT(L)?
A few years back I was very close to pull the trigger since I had plans to go on a few fairly long trips with my wife.
Never pulled it off since I changed jobs with lots of travel and less time.

Based on their looks, I initially didn't consider them since I thought they might be too big and heavy until I read reviews were they were raving about their handling.
Test drove the GT and liked it a lot.

[Gummee]

Cash is not an issue. I just thought that the GSA are too big for everyday commute. Especially from Fairfield to San Francisco Financial district with lots of traffic.

Having commuted on my GS-Adv for years, I'll disagree with this.

Those AL bags are a little wide for close lane-sharing, but otherwise its a great platform: you sit up high enough to see over most stuff, you've got great maneuverability, and that big ole gas tank means fewer fill-ups.

The weight difference everyone keeps mentioning is appx 50#. Add to the stock GS all the stuff that comes stock on the GS-Adv and the difference is the big tank. That *may* account for an extra 10#.

You really can't go wrong either way 'cause if you don't like it one way, there's parts available to turn it into the other one.

I bought my GS-Adv from Sandia in ABQ. Rode it home to Denver. Got there. Found out the now ex- was at her 'rent's outside Cheyenne, so I kept going. I'd filled up just inside the S. CO border and filled up again just south of Cheyenne. While you don't *have* to fill up the big tank, its nice to know its available when you need it.

M

[gearguywb]

Cash is not an issue. I just thought that the GSA are too big for everyday commute. Especially from Fairfield to San Francisco Financial district with lots of traffic.

GSA is an awesome commuter. If you are a lane splitter leave the side boxes off.

[Gummee]

GSA is an awesome commuter. If you are a lane splitter leave the side boxes off.

The side boxes're still narrower than the bars.

Not by much...

M

[bluesea]

Not the 1200, but still a Beemer. The R Nine T is on my short list for the inevitable upgrade. Always loved boxers.

http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/bike/urban/rninet/rninet_overview.html

[stephenmarklay]

I have ridden them both a fair amount. I like the GSA hands down. It looks as big as a school bus but it strips away 100 pounds instantly and you forget about the size. It feels more balanced than the GS too. This may be subjective or maybe not. Both Fully loaded the GSA is a a better deal.

It is a little taller than the GS and it cannot be had in a factory low version so for some the GS is a better fit.

The heavier flywheel, slightly taller suspension with slightly different swing arm angles does make the bike feel different than the GS.

Off road its a big bike with a lot of bike in front of you. My 800gs is a better dirt bike but no where near as a capable road bike. On road I have jumped railroad tracks and landing was well composed :)

I really like my 800GS. Its a fun bike to scoot around, hit some dirt or whatever. However, every time I get on the GSA I think GAWD what a fantastic bike.

Its actually so much better than most bikes its astonishing to me.

[mistermo]

Not the 1200, but still a Beemer. The R Nine T is on my short list for the inevitable upgrade. Always loved boxers.

http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/bike/urban/rninet/rninet_overview.html

Actually, it is a R1200, just not a GS, nor with the water cooled motor. I read about this bike earlier today for the first time. It's pretty amazing what they came up with here. If I won the lotto....

"The 9T is one of the most exciting bikes to come out of Germany since the Mega Moto. With a HP frame, latest airhead overhead cam motor and S1000RR forks and brakes, this bike works."

[Gummee]

The 6th day I owned my GS-Adv I was out riding with a buddy in CO. We'd gone from Denver to Steamboat to see a buddy of his and were on the way back.

Pulled over for a natural break and I got to looking at the GPS

Hey! This little squiggly line is where we are. It looks like it connects to where we wanna be...

Let's go THIS WAY! (pointing down the dirt road we'd stopped on)

Coupla miles later, we get to a stream crossing.

I stand up on the pegs approaching the stream and tried to see the shallow way over.

As I entered the stream it got deeper.

...and deeper...

...and then I stopped! Hit a rock just wrong.

I felt the bike going over in the current and all of a sudden I had a submarine on my hands! Got the bike picked up pretty quickly, but all I could do was hold it up against the current as my buddy took pics. (ADVRider style ya know)

He hopped off and helped me push my bike thru the water to the other side.

Then HE proceeds to cross the creek (in the shallow section I'd missed) and I take the pics. He made QUITE the bow wave with his 1150GS lemme tell ya.

He'd *almost* made it to the other side when the water he was kicking up got into his intake. So I waded into the water and helped him to the bank where we both proceeded to remove spark plugs and get the water out of our engines.

As we had $35000 of German bikes in bits on the side of the trail, a dood in a
just about clapped out' old F250 came thru the creek. Stopped and asked us if we were OK. With the assurances that we were, he went off down the 'road.'

Water out of the bikes, we continued up to where the road we came off T-ed and went our merry way back to Denver.

When I took the bike in for its 600mi service, I got a note on the ticket telling me to lay off the power washer. Had to smile about that one.

So... the BIG up side to (older) boxer BMWs is how easy they are to work on. Two wrenches and you can adjust the valves. The only 'tricky' part is syncing the TBs. ...and even that's not real tough.

M

[Ken Robb]

True. I did all the routine maintenance on my R1100R. I even did a full service demonstration for the local BMWMC Club which they video taped for the use of members who wanted to do their own bikes. I am NOT a very good mechanic but those bikes are really easy to do.

[norcalbiker]

Pulled the trigger on GS. Wow what a bike. :banana:

[bluesea]

Good choice!

[HenryA]

I recently spent some time on my cousins GS. It's about as nice a bike as anyone could want. I liken it to 300 lb. defensive tackle who's taken ballet lessons for several years and gotten pretty good at it. Really a big bike until it gets moving, then particularly graceful and athletic. And very fast for a big boy. Hard to think of a nicer way to spend an hour commute twice a day.

Don't see any reason to buy the GSA for your purpose. But I've never ridden one. Only thing I think otherwise is that if it were me doing stop and go traffic I'd consider a smaller lighter bike. Maybe the 800GS or similar. But if it's just a straight up ride on un obstructed roads I'd go big.

[stephenmarklay]

Pulled the trigger on GS. Wow what a bike. :banana:

Congrats. No doubt its a great bike.

[HenryA]

Oh cool!

I posted without reading the whole thread.
Enjoy the bike and let us know how it goes.

[Gummee]

You can turn a GS into a GS-Adv with the addition of shocks (needed at appx 30-35k), spoked wheels, and the big tank.

If you're not planning on going off-road, the crash bars aren't necessary, but cylinder head protection is. AMHIK

All are parts that are available. Either thru the classifieds at ADVRider.com or the BMWR big list or ebay or...

M

[mistermo]

Pulled the trigger on GS. Wow what a bike. :banana:

Good call. And this comes from a GSA owner!

Next step, join the advrider.com forum. It's the best forum on the internet, with apologies to present company.

[norcalbiker]

You can turn a GS into a GS-Adv with the addition of shocks (needed at appx 30-35k), spoked wheels, and the big tank.

If you're not planning on going off-road, the crash bars aren't necessary, but cylinder head protection is. AMHIK

All are parts that are available. Either thru the classifieds at ADVRider.com or the BMWR big list or ebay or...

M

Good call. And this comes from a GSA owner!

Next step, join the advrider.com forum. It's the best forum on the internet, with apologies to present company.

Thanks for the forums tip.

Here she is.

[norcalbiker]

Congrats. No doubt its a great bike.

Thanks!!!

[christian]

Next step, join the advrider.com forum. It's the best forum on the internet, with apologies to present company.
When you consider you, me, Gummee, OBD, etc., no apology is needed. There's many of us there.

Oh, and nice bike!

[norcalbiker]

Good choice!

Thanks!:)

[bluesea]

Actually, it is a R1200, just not a GS, nor with the water cooled motor. I read about this bike earlier today for the first time. It's pretty amazing what they came up with here. If I won the lotto....

"The 9T is one of the most exciting bikes to come out of Germany since the Mega Moto. With a HP frame, latest airhead overhead cam motor and S1000RR forks and brakes, this bike works."



For some reason I'd attached to the idea (don't know where it came from) that it was a 700. :rolleyes:

[HenryA]

Oh man, what a nice bike.

[brando]

Nice bike! Love to hear more about it after you've shaken it out.

[norcalbiker]

Nice bike! Love to hear more about it after you've shaken it out.

I now have over 3k miles on this bike and I am still loving it. My only regrets on this bike is I should have done it a long time ago.

[11.4]

A cycling forum. A motorcycle thread. A BMW thread gets more posts than a thread about a Moots RSL. Is this bad?

[malcolm]

A cycling forum. A motorcycle thread. A BMW thread gets more posts than a thread about a Moots RSL. Is this bad?

course not that's one nice GS

[norcalbiker]

A cycling forum. A motorcycle thread. A BMW thread gets more posts than a thread about a Moots RSL. Is this bad?

No. They both have 2 wheels. :p

[norcalbiker]

A cycling forum. A motorcycle thread. A BMW thread gets more posts than a thread about a Moots RSL. Is this bad?

course not that's one nice GS

Thank you!

[HenryA]

Green with envy.
Glad you like it.

[bluesea]

Besides, norcalbiker already has an RSL. :banana:

[norcalbiker]

Green with envy.
Glad you like it.

I'm not sure if you're referring to the grass on the background. Not my yard but mine is not too far from being brown as well. We are having drought here in Northern CA so we are trying to cut back on water usage.

[HenryA]

I'm not sure if you're referring to the grass on the background. Not my yard but mine is not too far from being brown as well. We are having drought here in Northern CA so we are trying to cut back on water usage.

Oh no, its the bike.

[stephenmarklay]

My passion is for two wheels. I love bikes period. And you sir have one of, if not THE, nicest production bike in the world.

Like I said I prefer the GSA but it is splitting hairs big time.

[arazate]

Sweet!!!! Congrats! I have 2011 GSA and I'm a former GS owner....both are equally outstanding. Enjoy and be safe. - AJ

[norcalbiker]

Besides, norcalbiker already has an RSL. :banana:

Yeah baby!:banana:




What's RSL? :rolleyes:

[norcalbiker]

Oh no, its the bike.

Got it!

[norcalbiker]

My passion is for two wheels. I love bikes period. And you sir have one of, if not THE, nicest production bike in the world.

Like I said I prefer the GSA but it is splitting hairs big time.

Sweet!!!! Congrats! I have 2011 GSA and I'm a former GS owner....both are equally outstanding. Enjoy and be safe. - AJ

Thanks!

[wallymann]

disregard...saw you got the GS...good on ya!