GS Negatives

["Tom Brown" <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

John:
I have an RT.  I've ridden RS's and rented a GS for Edelweiss's "High Alpine
Adventure" last year.   It had a stock windscreen and was a single-plug
1150.   I was quite taken with this bike.  I was surprised at how well the
Metzler Tourance tires on the GS stuck to the asphalt.   A lot of the riding
was on high mountain switchbacks and I'm convinced that this is what the GS
was really made for.  The fact that you can take one out in the dirt doesn't
make them the ideal machine for that...they're really too heavy for such
work, but will do in a pinch.  I had a ball slicing through the Alps,
passing Ducatis, all the super sporty and fast bikes from Japan and most
other styles of bike on this machine.   The riding position and leverage on
the bars is great for tight turns, the engine has gobs of torque for
squirting uphill out of hairpins and the tallness makes for great ground
clearance.

That said, when we did get on the Autobahn for a 45 mile ride, the bike was
just OK at 80 mph +.   It's not dangerous or anything, but it's not really
in it's element there.   The Aeroflow windscreen and front guard protects
pretty well from the wind.  A friend did a 2,000 mile trip with me on
Thanksgiving weekend two years ago on one dressed out like this.   When it
came time for me to trade in my '99RT, I opted for another RT instead of a
GS.  The reasons had to do with the look of the bikes, the comfort and the
type of riding I end up doing the most.  I live in Chicago and I have to
travel a long way to get to GS-optimized roads.   I like to be comfortable
and the RT is also a pretty entertaining ride although it gives up something
in the tight stuff to the GS.   Both are great bikes and the new GS is on my
short list.

I'm not as fearful of the new wiring system as Gary.   I think it will be
worlds more reliable than the current systems.  These have been used on many
high-end cars for many years.   BMW has a lot of experience with these
systems.  The machines we build in my business are much more reliable since
we changed to digital controllers and this type of wiring.  They are
subjected to constant vibration and hostile conditions.  We'll never go back
to the old ways.   The trick for us everyday people is putting mods on the
bike like extra lights and plugs for our gagets.   Hopefully, this will be
accomplished with little drama.

There are other untested components on this bike that I am a bit wary of.
The new trans, the new final drive and the new engine should all be better,
but who really knows until they get a year or two of consumer use?  I think
all the new things on the 1200GS are good ideas and show that BMW isn't
sitting on its collective butt.  I'm pretty excited about this bike.

- -TB

> That new R1200GS looks pretty sweet.
>
> How do people who own a GS feel about the (lack of) wind protection?
> That would seem to be the only area lacking. Are there any other
> aspects about a GS that would bother an RS rider?

A friend of mine who has owned a GS in the past and currently rides an RS,
states that the RS feels more 'planted' in fast corners. This appears to
have
much to do with seating position. After all, on the GS not only is your butt
slightly higher off the ground, but you are in an upright versus crouched
position, and your arms are wide and high in front of you versus low and
tucked in.
Personally, I much prefer the GS seating position, which is why I am on my
third model.

I have resolved the wind issue in two ways. Substitution of the GS mirrors
with those from the K1200RS, and the addition of a Cee Bailey windshield, 4"
taller than stock. This works for my 5'8" anatomy. This same shield may not
work
on the 1200 GS, but I suspect that this company as well as others will have
one or more choices of windshields on the market before many of the bikes
have
been rolled off showroom floors.

For everyday storage, without having to use the side cases, I use the Marsee
Bavarian bag that takes the place of the passenger seat on the R1100 and
R1150GS. Whether or not this same bag will work on the new R1200 is as yet
unknown.
However, I suspect the aftermarket will have that situation resolved in the
near future, and there is always to possibility to use a tank bag.
Gary Prickett

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End of oilheads-digest V1 #90
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