The All New LIQUID COOLED R1200GS threadfest

You need to adjust the height, as BMW set them too low at the factory. I, and many others have moved the light up, and it's much better.

From Touratech:

No affilitiation just trying to help.

Is this with the LED lights ? I have the LEDs did not feel range was an issue but more intensity ? I don't ride at night as a rule but on my recent trip spent an hour on the road in the dark, lots of Roos in the area. I felt the max speed for these lights would be around 100 kph , not that I wanted to go faster but for me the lights limited the speed in dark areas.

I agree with your light observation. This is not a hieght adjustment issue (which I have done). Around the city the LED is fine and it gives great daylight presence it just lacks a bit of grunt out in the sticks at night. Anyone got any auxiliary light recommendations including where to attach them?

One of the things that's unique on the LED is the sharp cutoff from lit-to-dark. The lights seem very bright where light is projected, but quickly goes to black when outside the projected area.

Raising my light helped, but the immediate break from lit to black can be disconcerting when you compare to a lesser light that slowly fades from bright to visible to not quite visible to black.

Not sure I follow your comment so this may be tangential. I did figure out that the adjustment of the brake and clutch levers made a huge difference for me. My bike was set up with the indicators at 4 and the levers were way to far away from the grip. I changed them to 1 and immediately noticed a difference. The clutch and brake levers now are like my '10 GS were. Just right.

I actually prefer the levers on different settings (between clutch and brake), but that's just me of course...

Yep, that's on the LED

You guys do know that you have main beam for when you're in the sticks?

Is that with the high-beams on as well or low-beams only?

How does it compare to the previous GS' halogens?

I have every thing on ! There are things out there in the Aussie bush that can jump on you!

I have oredered the very very expensive BMW driving lights , which I hope will give a little more light. I don't ride at night if I can avoid, but the last time was due to a friend setting a Lead Wing down in the wet and by the time we sorted Towing , Ambos and reorganisation the next stop was in the dark.

I aim to be a bit prepared for the unexpected if possible.

The LED is definitely better than the previous GS halogen. At day time it has great presence and at night around town it casts a wider beam and the high beam is as much as you need in a built up area. I don't feel the need for aux lights around town (as I did with the previous GS) Or to give greater road presence. The issue is the high beam out the back of BF! It is at least as good as the previous GS halogen but I feel I want more so I will be adding some flood lights. I don't want to pay for the BMW ones and I don't want cheap Chinese ones so I am looking for Goldilocks?

I'm talking about the axial placement of the levers on the handlebars relative to the grips (brake lever specifically), not the regular 1234 adjustment of the levers for hand size.

BTW, I've also taken a shot at further clutch adjustment. Even at position 1, smallest hand adjustment for the lever, it engages too far out IMHO (YMMV). The clutch lever assembly comes out easily, just remove the bolt/nut holding it on and gently slide it out away from the master cylinder plunger gasket. The outside portion of the plunger is a round-ended rod with grease on it that just sits in a recess in the plunger. This rod is threaded into the cross-collar-nut and has a 2mm allen at the end that makes it seem adjustable, but unfortunately it also seems to be permanently lock-tited, at least I couldn't get it to budge without too much force on such a small piece (want to ask my dealer mechanics about this next time I'm there). For now, I left it alone and resorted to filing off some of the surface at the end of the main adjuster (just push out the brass cylinder that holds the outer lever to the inner one to get to this).

Have we seen some Xenon conversions yet on the wet-head halogens?

A friend mounted the Clearwater Darlas on the stock GS (2013 LC) mounting brackets and is quite happy with them.

Forget the locktite comment above, looked at it again in daylight and there is another 2 mm allen set screw going up; its marked with red paint on the bottom of the assembly. You don't even have to remove the clutch lever to adjust it, just loosen the set screw first from below and then turn the threaded plunger rod out to bring the clutch engagement closer to the bar, then tighten the set screw and you're done.

I'm thinking about starting a separate thread on GS tire prices; I'm still in sticker shock after initial shopping at swmoto. I'm used to paying about $250 or less per set on the Ducati, so $175 for just the front seems like highway robbery.

What model(s) tire are you looking at? What kind of mileage did you get out of the ones on your Ducati?

I am thinking that more manufacturers are going to offer tires in the range we need for our water heads. I would gladly get a set of regular Tourances (not Next or EXP) when my current Tourance Nexts wear out. I like the Nexts ok, but not sure how long they will last.

<table class="datasheet" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="invertColor"><th class="invertColor">Tyres, front</th> <td class="invertColor">120/70 R 19
</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th class="">Tyres, rear</th> <td class="">170/60 R 17</td></tr></tbody></table>

Us:

Does that mean if you were to rate your Ducati in area's where the GS excels in you would deem it "bad" because it didn't do things as well as your GS?

I have always found BMW levers are too far out for my liking. These are better than previous models, but for some reason BMW feel it essential to have long pulls to work clutch and brakes . I don't think my habds are small , long pull on the clutch makes it harder for faster changes , that is if you want to use the clutch.

Muxt admit though the bike improves greatly with miles, the gearbox seems to be getting better in the lower three gears and I just seem to feel more and more confident all round .