Greetings all, On Saturday, I'm taking a demo 07 1200GS out for a test ride. I'm a sport bike rider, last two bikes were a Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird and YZF600 before that. The Blackbird I bought new, took a demo for a test ride, loved it, bought it, almost regretted it since. Hence, I'm looking at something different... Now I ask those in the know, what should I be expecting... Its an 07, so the servo brake 'differences' I wont have to worry about, but being my first boxer, are vibrations normal, etc etc... The Blackbird pulled like a freight train, but corners like a cow Anyways, just pooling my thoughts. Cheers Ben
Make sure it is a long ride and you will appreciate it more as the miles pile up. A trip around the block esp. in the city will do nothing for you. It's not that the GS is a better motorcycle than most it's that it is more versatile than most. For me, switching to a GS from my ZX10R I could still enjoy fast road riding while being incredibly comfortable. Handling on the road was very good and the level of concentration and the amount of license breaking antics required to get the best out of a GS was significantly less than any supersport. A Blackbird is an amazing machine but its best in the high end where it really shines. A GS shines at more sensible speeds. This pretty much applies to most adventure bikes.
If you are coming from a Blackbird you'll be comparing apples and oranges. The GS will seem very tall when you get on it. Once underway you feel like you are high in the seat and sitting straight up. Now the fun begins...suddenly you'll get the feeling that you are riding a big dirt bike and you'll be saying to yourself "man this thing is really nimble". You'll be surprised at the responsiveness from the engine but don't expect Blackbird rocket power. At 100 hp the GS has everything it needs to tour or climb a mountain pass. There's nothing that rides like a GS and it's easy to fall in love with it! Just be ready... because if you get the bug...and you probably will... be ready to deal...you won't regret it! I'm on my 2nd GSA and I can't think of any bike I have enjoyed more. I've owned 36 bikes over 46 years of riding. The GS is the best bike I've ever owned, hands down. I look forward to riding to work every day on my GSA. Gosh ,I'm a poet and don't know-it, a rhyme every time, Ha! Ha! Goodluck! Ron Ray
I know how you feel about the Blackbird. I had a 954 and an RC-51 and was looking at uber-tourers before I made the leap to the GSAdv. Like Warden said, make sure it's a long ride in varying conditions. To be honest, I had hyped up the GS in my mind so much that when I went for a short test ride I felt a let-down. I decided it wasn't the bike for me and passed. A year later, something just kept bugging me about the GSAdv. I went to another shop and took a test ride again. This one was longer and included twists, bumps, traffic, etc... This time I was floored. I could not believe how much I loved the bike and decided I had to have one. To be sure though, my wife and I tried just about everything BMW had to offer two-up. Again, the GSAdv was amazing. Try both the GS and the GSAdv. People have their favorites for different reasons and just because you like one it doesn't mean the other one will feel the same to you. Personally, I think you'll love the bike. It's the first bike I've ever owned that I didn't have any desire to start shopping for something else a year later.
If it's an 07, it does not have "servo" brakes, it might have semi integral ABS (i.e. brake lever brakes both wheels, brake pedal does only the rear, not to be confused with Honda's "linked", which will not allow you to brake the rear without also braking some of the front. If there's no ABS button on the left controls, then the bike has no ABS and has regular brakes. The last year for servo assisted brakes on the GS was 06.
For me, the bike is like a good wine. It gets better with age. The first time I rode mine I wondered if I had made the correct decision. Over the months I have loved it more and more. You will likely feel some vibration, these engines take quite a while to break in. It doesn't have a lot of pull until you get over 3000 rpms. You sit up very high and the bike feels incredibly well-balanced. You will notice that the wide bars give you great leverage for curves and quick turns.
I didn't really like my early model 12GS after the test ride, it idled poorly, the shocks were stiff, and the front brakes howled. I bought it anyway because beemers are notorious for all the above until broken in. The idle smoothed out once i adjusted the valves myself, a TSB took care of the brakes, and oil consumption pretty much stopped around 8k. 50k later its the most reliable bike i've owned. I just spent my first $ for out of warranty repair last week though; $66 to replace the 3+ yo battery. The sneaky thing is that it never feels fast until you look for your buddies in the mirror and have to wait 5 minutes or so for them to catch up. Bottom line: don't base your decision soley on the test drive, it definitely takes a while to get broken in.
I have to agree with most. I own an 1150GS and the first time I rode one I hated it. It isn't fast, it does vibrate, and you just don't understand what all the fuss is......... until you pile up some miles. I bought the GS about a year later, and I would say its my favorite bike I've ever owned. I have put 20,000 miles on her and it faster than I thought, it handles as well as anything I've ever ridden, and it has been completely dependable. Its also easy to work on. I do like the 1150 better than the 1200 but thats just my warped opinion. You will not be diappointed.
if your looking for a great bike for all around riding, bring your check book with you. It will carve up the twisties real nice as well as take you on a 800 mile ride for lunch while having go "over" the mountain on a fairly rough road. the vibes are (edited) NOT (edited) that bad, then again, I rode harleys for years, but I came off a K1200LT for the last 150k miles to the R1200GSA if your looking for a race bike, ride the K1200s or K1200GT Tom
(Going by my own testride:) - take a deep breath, then sign a paper stating that in case of damage, the first $1500 are on you. - get on bike, ride away (after tapping for first gear twice) and be scared by all the vibratin' going on - be impressed with riding position and the control the wide handlebar gives you (compared to sporty I-4s) - appreciate towering over cars and even some SUVs - struggle with the %$^%%$ handlebar controls layout - enjoy not looking like a dog humping a football (compared to sporty I-4s) ..and it only gets better once you actually own one...
You will either love or hate the riding position (sit-up-and-beg) and the same for the boxer motor. However, if you take a long enough test ride you will really begin to appreciate both the engine and the seating position. The low end torque lets you ride the bike very differently than your sport bikes and so does the sit up straight and see the whole world riding position. I find most people who test ride the GS are ready for the type of change the bike brings with it and really end up enjoying the test ride.
Also came from a 2002 Blackbird (and K1200S) to the 2007 GSA. You'll be underwhelmed by the Boxer motor at first, especially on a test ride - you just won't have enough time to appreciate all the finer points of the bike. What makes the GS so good is the sum of its parts is greater than the individual parts, and that is difficult to appreciate on a test ride. You will eventually fall in love with the handling, the comfort, and the incredible versatility of the bike, but that takes some time. If you are ready for something different (you can still get plenty of speeding tickets on the GS, believe me), give the GS a try. I doubt you will be disappointed. Most people become fanatics about them, for good reason. This is a proven motorcycle - it has stood the test of time!
Thank you folks for the feedback. I know that moving from the Warp 7 mile eater that is the Blackbird to the Mach .8 short cut machine will be a weird step. I certainly won't be comparing the two bikes, and honestly, there are days I just love the Blackbird for what it does, but with the back the way it is, and the really wanting to get off the beaten track, its just not the bike to do it. I'll certainly be taking one for a decent spin, might even try to find some dirt Things like vibrations etc, as long as I know they're relative to the breed, and not the specific bike, then I can handle them. Anyways, back to work, gotta get some reports out.
On my test ride, there were 2 things that I noticed right off. First, the vibes we no where near as bad as I thought they would be, and they were also "funky". On other twins, you feel the vibes kind of take you up and down (a bit like a pogo stick...go ride a Buell Ulysses and you'll know what I mean). On the GS, you definitely feel the vibes/motions, but they're going side-to-side. They're not "bad", just "different". But hey, "they all do that".... Second, TORQUE!! I'm a torque-a-holic (no, I don't go to the meetings...I like my addiction ), and the rumor of monster torque is what brought me to the GS. In 2 blocks, I was hooked. It makes useable torque from the second you push the starter. Absolutely amazing, and exactly what I was looking for. And as others have said, it was the most expensive test ride I've ever been on....2 months after my test ride, I had a Granite Gray beastie of my own in the garage. -NoVector
I need to get out more, that's the first I've seen that.. Like the others have said, give yourself a longer ride and you'll be breaking into your piggy bank to get one.
