Since i got the GS about 5 weeks ago my life has been hectic... Work, health problems, girls, moved house, lost my internet connection at home, was to busy at work to surf.... as of now i am back.... afterhours anyway :biggrin: :biggrin:
So i got my R1200GS... :biggrin: I love the way that name rolls over my tongue.. O0
I've been having a few PM about: "Cappie hoe is die bike man?" seems like there is lots of interest. Therefore i think i should write a little report.
Here goes:
I picked the bike up on a Friday and with the help of Operator i got it properly insured with many of the extras, i now sleep well at night.
The next day me and Red Tiger left for the Geo Braai. The bike handled well on tar. I kept it slow not to over cook the corners. Gravel was another storie.... I really struggled to put the power down. Red Tiger also on a 1150GSA adjusted my suspension for me and of a sudden i had lotsa traction without deflating the tires. Next problem how do i brake this beast on gravel. Almost saw my arse on gravel. Overcooked a corner 200m from the Fish River Sun. Eish almost big damage.
Tip from Cappie to all GS novices...... Figure out how to stop the beast before you hit the throttle on dirt
I returned home a bit disappointed.... will i ever be able to ride this bike on gravel like i rode my 650? :-[
I then turned to the forum professionals, i have faith in you guys. :biggrin: I posted my "ABS on or off on Gravel" thread. It caused lots of problems on the forum but i got my answer in the end.
I practiced the new braking technique... was firstly a bit nervous about using the front brake but after some practice i realised that this is the way to go.
After the Geobraai i did some shorter rides.
Last weekend me and GreenMamba left for long distance loop of gravel to the Buff rally.
Once again the tar part was just lovely... sometimes cruising up to 170km/h fully loaded. :mwink:
When i got to gravel i made sure i had the correct suspension settings, ABS was off ready to hit the gravel.
My my this was the most fun i had ever on gravel, with the braking sorted my confidence was back and i was soon hanging the back out wide in corners. The 1200cc power is just awesome on gravel. Although one has lots of power it is very controllable. The throttle on the F800GS is much more direct and difficult to control. The 1200 throttle is just right. Even with the slightest twitch of the throttle in third gear there is proper wheel spin from the rear. I love the power.
We proceded to the buff and got home on the Sunday afternoon having a great weekend.
I'm going to try and report on specific areas of the bike:
Engine
The engine is great, mine is still tight according to the men in the know. It delivers great torque all through the rev range. Come to speak of it i never really use the upper rev range. I ride it low and use the torque... lazy as i am. So far i am pretty please with the economy.
One up 18 - 20km/l
Two up with luggage 14 - 16km/l
The engine will also propel the bike with great acceleration. Diced a E46 BMW M3 the other day... needless to say i left him behind. :ricky:
Gearbox
My gearbox is very smooth, maybe it will get rougher with age. Dunno. With the gearbox i have one complaint. The first gear is to long/fast. I think i will struggle in technical stuff. :-[
Driveshaft
New to me. I love it. No oil, no cleaning, no dirty rim, just change oil every 10 000km... Very smooth and no noise.
Brakes
The brakes are fantastic. The sound from the servo motor makes one a bit nervous. The ABS works well. Turn it off on gravel. Two finger braking is easy. Would be nice to have the short levers :
Suspension
I love the suspension. (The only reason i sold the Funduro. I did not like the suspension.) The GS suspension is adjustable front and rear. I still need to play with the front suspension. Mine is set to the middle setting. The rear suspension is very easy to set up. Damping is all the way in and one turn back.
The preload you adjust by load.
One up: set to normal. (Think it is 10 clicks to hard)
One up + luggage. (10 clicks higher than normal)
Two up + luggage. (Full preload)
Two up with the correct settings the bike runs completely level. Does not sag at all with the pillion.
The suspension handles gravel highways extremely well and this is where i would be riding most of the time... :thumleft:
On the road it also great... no complaints. :thumleft:
Wheels
Spoked wheels with tubeless tires..... best thing since sliced cheese :biggrin: and the look great too.
Comfort
Can only be better on a GSA. My bike offer pretty good wind protection, so much that i actually drop the screen to cool down on hot days. Side winds still bother a bit, but overall wind protection is great compared to a 650 anyway. The seat is comfy. I am still thinking about lowering the seat but to trade comfort for the lower seat is a big decision The handle bars are well mounted, controls are well placed. Foot positioning is good. I can stand and operate the gears.
Weight
I say: "What weight?" The bike is only heavy while pushing it or dropping it. So don't drop and don't push... :imaposer:
No serious the bike is well balanced, does not feel heavy at all. Go try it.
Size
People will all be asking: "Is the bike not to big for you?" I then reply: "Don't you think your bike is too small?"
Soon after mouning the bike you get used to the size and i love riding a big bike. It comes with more comfort, more speed and power.
Sure i need that lowered seat. I only have my toes touching the ground. At this moment it does not bother me mush because the bike does not feel heavy.
BMW luggage
The BMW luggage that came with the bike is great. It makes traveling so much better knowing that your stuff is locked away when you are chilling at the pub or have brekkie at the Wimpy. The boxes are also pretty dust proof. Clothes stay clean and fresh. The boxes does not make gravel riding more difficult. I find that the panniers add to the weight and makes the ride smoother. Expensive but worth it IMHO... i would like aluminum boxes though :-\
My overall impression
I love the bike. Hope we can spend many years together unless i get an itch to buy an ADV. :
After riding this i realised it will never be possible to compare my bike to one of those orange bikes.... its just not the same.... Orange is good at what it does and the Glow in the dark GS is good at what it does...
Over and out....
Disclaimer: If you have any problems with my report? Keep it to yourself, i don't give a shit what you think anyway :thumleft:
O0
So i got my R1200GS... :biggrin: I love the way that name rolls over my tongue.. O0
I've been having a few PM about: "Cappie hoe is die bike man?" seems like there is lots of interest. Therefore i think i should write a little report.
Here goes:
I picked the bike up on a Friday and with the help of Operator i got it properly insured with many of the extras, i now sleep well at night.
The next day me and Red Tiger left for the Geo Braai. The bike handled well on tar. I kept it slow not to over cook the corners. Gravel was another storie.... I really struggled to put the power down. Red Tiger also on a 1150GSA adjusted my suspension for me and of a sudden i had lotsa traction without deflating the tires. Next problem how do i brake this beast on gravel. Almost saw my arse on gravel. Overcooked a corner 200m from the Fish River Sun. Eish almost big damage.
Tip from Cappie to all GS novices...... Figure out how to stop the beast before you hit the throttle on dirt
I returned home a bit disappointed.... will i ever be able to ride this bike on gravel like i rode my 650? :-[
I then turned to the forum professionals, i have faith in you guys. :biggrin: I posted my "ABS on or off on Gravel" thread. It caused lots of problems on the forum but i got my answer in the end.
I practiced the new braking technique... was firstly a bit nervous about using the front brake but after some practice i realised that this is the way to go.
After the Geobraai i did some shorter rides.
Last weekend me and GreenMamba left for long distance loop of gravel to the Buff rally.
Once again the tar part was just lovely... sometimes cruising up to 170km/h fully loaded. :mwink:
When i got to gravel i made sure i had the correct suspension settings, ABS was off ready to hit the gravel.
My my this was the most fun i had ever on gravel, with the braking sorted my confidence was back and i was soon hanging the back out wide in corners. The 1200cc power is just awesome on gravel. Although one has lots of power it is very controllable. The throttle on the F800GS is much more direct and difficult to control. The 1200 throttle is just right. Even with the slightest twitch of the throttle in third gear there is proper wheel spin from the rear. I love the power.
We proceded to the buff and got home on the Sunday afternoon having a great weekend.
I'm going to try and report on specific areas of the bike:
Engine
The engine is great, mine is still tight according to the men in the know. It delivers great torque all through the rev range. Come to speak of it i never really use the upper rev range. I ride it low and use the torque... lazy as i am. So far i am pretty please with the economy.
One up 18 - 20km/l
Two up with luggage 14 - 16km/l
The engine will also propel the bike with great acceleration. Diced a E46 BMW M3 the other day... needless to say i left him behind. :ricky:
Gearbox
My gearbox is very smooth, maybe it will get rougher with age. Dunno. With the gearbox i have one complaint. The first gear is to long/fast. I think i will struggle in technical stuff. :-[
Driveshaft
New to me. I love it. No oil, no cleaning, no dirty rim, just change oil every 10 000km... Very smooth and no noise.
Brakes
The brakes are fantastic. The sound from the servo motor makes one a bit nervous. The ABS works well. Turn it off on gravel. Two finger braking is easy. Would be nice to have the short levers :
Suspension
I love the suspension. (The only reason i sold the Funduro. I did not like the suspension.) The GS suspension is adjustable front and rear. I still need to play with the front suspension. Mine is set to the middle setting. The rear suspension is very easy to set up. Damping is all the way in and one turn back.
The preload you adjust by load.
One up: set to normal. (Think it is 10 clicks to hard)
One up + luggage. (10 clicks higher than normal)
Two up + luggage. (Full preload)
Two up with the correct settings the bike runs completely level. Does not sag at all with the pillion.
The suspension handles gravel highways extremely well and this is where i would be riding most of the time... :thumleft:
On the road it also great... no complaints. :thumleft:
Wheels
Spoked wheels with tubeless tires..... best thing since sliced cheese :biggrin: and the look great too.
Comfort
Can only be better on a GSA. My bike offer pretty good wind protection, so much that i actually drop the screen to cool down on hot days. Side winds still bother a bit, but overall wind protection is great compared to a 650 anyway. The seat is comfy. I am still thinking about lowering the seat but to trade comfort for the lower seat is a big decision
The handle bars are well mounted, controls are well placed. Foot positioning is good. I can stand and operate the gears.Weight
I say: "What weight?" The bike is only heavy while pushing it or dropping it. So don't drop and don't push... :imaposer:
No serious the bike is well balanced, does not feel heavy at all. Go try it.
Size
People will all be asking: "Is the bike not to big for you?" I then reply: "Don't you think your bike is too small?"
Soon after mouning the bike you get used to the size and i love riding a big bike. It comes with more comfort, more speed and power.
Sure i need that lowered seat. I only have my toes touching the ground. At this moment it does not bother me mush because the bike does not feel heavy.
BMW luggage
The BMW luggage that came with the bike is great. It makes traveling so much better knowing that your stuff is locked away when you are chilling at the pub or have brekkie at the Wimpy. The boxes are also pretty dust proof. Clothes stay clean and fresh. The boxes does not make gravel riding more difficult. I find that the panniers add to the weight and makes the ride smoother. Expensive but worth it IMHO... i would like aluminum boxes though :-\
My overall impression
I love the bike. Hope we can spend many years together unless i get an itch to buy an ADV. :
After riding this i realised it will never be possible to compare my bike to one of those orange bikes.... its just not the same.... Orange is good at what it does and the Glow in the dark GS is good at what it does...
Over and out....
Disclaimer: If you have any problems with my report? Keep it to yourself, i don't give a shit what you think anyway :thumleft:
O0
