RE: New Bike Itch

["Minor, Bob" <Bminor@xxxxxxxx>]

I'm getting more and more sold on a GS myself.  At the moment I have an
RS (mileage eater) and an F650 (commuter and errand bike) and am
thinking that an R12GS could do it all.  Anybody have any experience
with the low seat?  

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Marco S Hyman
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 1:36 PM
To: oilheads@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: New Bike Itch 


Tom (and the group :-)

Great write up on the new bikes.   I just got back from the dealer where
I put about 50 miles, mostly on SF Bay Area twisties, on a R12GS.   That
thing is almost K bike smooth!

 > tour with a new GS.    I can tell you that you'll be instantly
impressed with
 > the GS when you ride it.  The handling, chassis, ride and engine
response are
 > startlingly good.   A few days with it and you feel like superman.
After
 > 10,000 miles, the bikes just get better.

I hope you're right, because I left a deposit!   I rode to the dealer on
my old R69S.   What a difference 40 years makes.

I love the GS riding position, the low weight, the handling, the brakes
(much less touchy than my RT).   The only thing that didn't compare was
the RID replacement.   A second trip odometer is great, but the screen
was hard to read on some lighting conditions.

 > I got the RT because I live in Chicago and we have long transits to
get to the
 > good roads.   We also do at least two really long trips each year,
one begins
 > the day after Thanksgiving, so good weather protection is a real
plus.

I rarely do long freeway stretches where the RT would be better for me.
I went from the LT to the RT 4 years ago for just that reason.  The
curve of the tank panels and the little screen is probably all the
protection
I need, also.   I found that on my RT I tend to put the windshield
*down* in bad weather so air flow blows the rain drop from my helmet.

 > Looking at pricing, my RT cost me in the low 18s out the door

Which is about what the GS will cost me out the door with bags, bag
liners, and heated grips (I'm a wimp).   I've never added aux lighting
to a bike because I don't ride that much at night.   On long trips I
like to start as sun up and run until about 4PM or so, giving me
time to swim or soak in a hot tub before dinner.   If camping stopping
at 4PM or so gives me lots of time to set up camp.

 > incredibly comfortable.   (Hint: Try putting the front part of the
seat on the
 > high setting and the rear on the low setting.)   Bill set his like
this and

I'll try that.   The saddle was hard, compared to the Sargent I have on
my RT, but better than the RT stock saddle.   We'll see if I decide to
go after-market or not.

 > The RT has 10 more HP than the GS.  There's a real rush of power at
6,000 RPMs

The extra horsepower is nice, but 85% of my riding is in 2nd - 4th gear
on the twisties and back roads.   I suppose that I might go a few MPH
slower on that long stretch in the Panamint valley on the way to Death
Valley.   That's OK.   Because now I'll have the bike that I'll feel
more comfortable with on some of those "almost a road" DV trails.

 > one, just be prepared to upgrade it continually.  The GS catalog from
Tourtech  > is around 200 pages!

Ouch!  Just what I need, a second catalog of goodies.  I already get in
trouble reading the Rider Wearhouse catalog.

// marc

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