Anybody Have Experience with BMW R 1200 GS or GSA?

[Mike Ellis]

I have been looking at motorcycles lately, spurred by the intense loathing that I feel when filling up my daily driver dually to the tune of almost $150. The big BMW dual sports really grab my interest, they have plenty of power and enough beef to handle my manly frame :-laf but I haven't run across anyone with actual experience with them.



I also like their F650 but it seems a bit small for me, so I figured F800 at a minimum and the 1200 if it is a pretty decent bike.

 

[MMichaels]

About bmw's 1200GS/Adventure

Great motorcycles, excellent for riding on the street because you sit taller and can usually see over traffic. Also fine for dirt road work. But...



If you're planning to do any serious off-road riding, you'll want something else. These bikes are heavy and have long wheelbases. I don't do that kind of riding, so I'm perfectly happy with mine. Hardcore riders will do much better with the 650.



Another thing: Seat height is considerable on these 1200s, with the Adventure model being about 34. 5 inches. I have 33-inch inseams, so I went to an aftermarket suspension setup that brings the seat height down to about 31. 5.

Quality-wise, these bikes are absolutely outstanding...

 

[Skydiver]

I've been reading a lot about all kinds of cycles in the last month. Gas too high $$.

BMW MOA - Powered by vBulletin

There are other forums out there.

I think ABS should be on all bikes over 200cc. At least an option.

 

[HBarlow]

Mike,



I've been looking at the BMW R1200 touring bike also. I visited a BMW cycle shop in San Diego a couple months ago and looked a couple over. I've never ridden a BMW but they are reportedly fantastic machines that endure like our Cummins engines.



If it wasn't for my companion and favorite child, Gertrude, a 6 year old female German Shepherd, who has traveled 49 states and most of the Canadian provinces with me to the tune of about 450,000 miles since I adopted her, I would probably own one already. I wouldn't know how to explain to Gertrude that she has to stay at home in the backyard while I travel on a motorcycle.



It is probably best that I don't buy one.

 

[Mike Ellis]

HBarlow,



Check out this thread from the Adventure bikes forum - it is about a guy with a BMW 1200 who takes his dog all over the USA with him - has a nifty looking BMW sidecar that the dog "owns".



"The Oasis of my Soul" one year later - ADVrider

 

[Gaylord]

Hi Mike



I've had a motorcycle, currently two, that I have used since I was 14. I'm 66.



I have a BMW K1200RS and a Yamaha FJR1300A.



I raced D-37 (Southern CA) desert from 1964 to 1975. I now prefer street riding.



I prefer the liquid cooled engines to the air & oil cooler engines for their longevity. This is not to diss the air heads and the oil heads, as they are excellent engines, it's just my preference.



Now to the GS. The GS is NOT a dual sport bike. It can be ridden on a dirt road, as can any street bike, but is in NO WAY a suitable dirt machine.



I spend my retirement riding to BMW Rallies and the GS is a popular bike, used mainly for street riding. I has a high center of gravity, a high seat height and a long wheel base... . which makes slow speed (parking lot) maneuvers difficult..... especially for inexperienced riders.



You do not say if this is your first bike or if you have been absent from riding for some time. If so you MUST take a beginning rider's course from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Techniques do change over the years. I would not consider the GS a suitable bike for a beginner or for someone absent from riding for a long time.



As to the Yamaha and the BMW... . I wanted to try the darling of the Iron Butt Riders, the FJR, and have found it to be a very excellent bike. There are things I like and dislike about each, but I find myself riding the FJR more than the BMW. I prefer the low speed handling of the FJR, but the BMW is definately smoother, high speed is a push.



There just isn't any one machine that can do everything well..... especially dual sports... they are loaded with design compromises.



HTH

 

[Mike Ellis]

Hi Gaylord, I appreciate your comments sir.



I have a lot of time in the seat on various enduros and dirt bikes back in the 70's and 80's, much less time on the street so I was planning to take the motorcycle safety courses. They are highly recommended by seasoned riders.



When I was younger I was a daredevil and really into high-speed riding and tomfoolery. Lucky I didn't kill myself a few times. As I've gotten older and heavier, I've slowed down in a lot of ways. If I get another bike, I want to be able to traverse easy trails and fire roads to get to the back country - no delusions of rocketing up mountain goat trails on a 500 pound bike.



Indeed, one of the last times I did any extensive riding was on a 4-stroke Kawasaki dirt bike in the Red River NM area. I took my time loafing along on the jeep trails, and had a heck of a good time looking at the scenery and enjoying a leisurely ride where before I would have returned to camp wringing wet with sweat and flush with adrenaline, but not much memory of anything outside the confines of the trail.



A leisurely pace suits me fine nowadays. "Built for comfort, not for speed" :-laf

 

[HBarlow]

Mike,



The photo of the dog in his (or her) private side car made me chuckle. In order to ride a motorcycle again I'd have to have a rig like that to please Gertrude but I'm afraid a sidecar would defeat the pleasures of owning and riding again.

 

[HBarlow]

Gaylord,



Your comments about the BMW R series above were excellent advice from a man who owns one and understands the challenges they present to someone like me who you correctly described.



I am probably only a few months younger than you and my motorcycle experience is limited to some casual riding on a Honda 450 twin in the early '70s and about 15,000 miles on a Yamaha XS1100 in the early '80s. I haven't ridden one since.



The wisest decision I could probably make about motorcycles at my present age would be to dream on but stay away from dealerships but, if I should be unable to shake the lust for another one, I'd appreciate your expert advice.



I'm 65, 6' 1" and about 190# but not as strong as I was a few years ago and certainly not a skilled rider now. If I owned a motorcycle I would use it for long trips and weekend cruises. What would you recommend I consider?



I have noticed that some really fine, modern new mid-sized to large Hondas, Yamahas, Kawasakis, and Suzukis can be bought very reasonably from internet m/c dealers.

 

[SBall]

Mike,

My ol BMW R75/5 (1973 vintage) has accumulated a whole lot of miles and has been a dependable rig. It now sits in my basement in semi-retirement as I contemplate a new bike. Obviously BMW has been my first choice and I recently test rode both the R1200GS and the R1200RT since 99% of my riding is on the road. The GS immediately struck me as a more agile platform than the RT on secondary roads. It left me with the impression that this would offer more fun factor than it's road-oriented brother. The windshield offered decent protection and little buffeting at "legal" speeds. As MMichaels said, seat height is an issue for many folks. The GS was a perfect fit for me while the GS Adventure was way too tall. There are shock retrofits to lower the Adventure but they're super expensive and push the price of an already pricy machine even higher.



I'd have a new BMW in my garage today if I didn't have reservations about a few things, (besides the price). For one, I'm uncomfortable with the number of reports regarding final drive failures with the new BMWs. You don't have to search hard to find discussions on the various forums out there. This is almost like the 53 block issue with some Cummins engines in that there are a small percentage of failures, but word gets out fast over the internet. You should be aware of it though.



While you could accuse me of being a BMW loyalist, one bike that keeps drawing my interest is the Suzuki 650 Vstrom. It doesn't have some of the nice stuff the GS has, but it is a whole lot less $$$$$. Suzuki is apparently having trouble supplying dealers with the ABS version though.



Another reason I haven't rushed to the motorcycle dealer is my fond memory of dealing with the heat of the summer while riding in my black Belstaff. It was hot enough up here in the Northeast. I can't imagine how hot it would be in Texas! (I won't ride in shorts and sandals). Even if I had a new BMW GS, in that heat I'd probably still reach for the keys to my old Miata with air conditioning when things get really hot.