Confederate Hellcat. To hell with the rest.
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Confederate Hellcat. To hell with the rest.
I know the GS brand is a legend, but why the effin hell are they so needlessly big and heavy????????????
Just to throw my .02 into this discussion...
I wouldn't be looking at anything 1200cc. Unless you are going cross country, I feel as though the weight and cost are unnecessary. Look at something like a nice Tiger 800. It will cover all of your bases from commuting to ripping along backroads, while also being able to handle the occasional dirt road and sport tours. If I could do it all over again, I would have kept my Tiger and just revalved the suspension instead of getting the Multistrada.
Stay away from anything with complicated electronics. Bigger and more luxurious does not always mean better.
Wirelessly posted
Regarding the 2010 vs older many ppl feel the 08-09 was the best of the r1200gs's. I've got a full pipe and pc3 with a custom map and the thing is really woken up.
If you are ponying up for a 2010 you may as well go the distance for a liquid cooled 14.
:lurk:
How dare you consider ridding yourself of the V-Strom, the most perfect motorcycle ever invented.
But yeah.
Like I said in my email the other day, I think Dana may be onto something with that Tiger 1050. Wish they'ed bring that Tiger 'Sport' into the US. Really can't understand why they don't. Market it as a sport touring offering.
Incidentally: After I brought my Bandit out of the shed in 2010 and put it back on the road I ran into a guy with a Tiger 1050 at the local burrito joint. His Tiger introduced me to the very concept of an 'adventure' bike. I had never really noticed them before that. A year later I was on the hunt for a 'strom. Partly because there was no way in hell I could afford a Tiger 1050.
On the other hand. If you are considering BMW R bikes, why not the R1200RT. Or even an R1150RT. I think they can be setup to handle crappy pavement almost as well as the GS'es can. (Buy used, upgrade the suspenders right away.) The RTs seem a little more common and a little less popular. My read on this is that
On a related subject. What's wrong with owning a garage full of toys like that? Is it really that hard?
'Cause I'm kinda sorta working on emulating you poly-bike types these days.
I'd love to have a second bike...
iv'e had a few bikes in my time.
while i agree its down on power. i like 160 hp at the rear tire. top speed is kinda low (about 135 loaded)
the gsa doesn't feel heavy to me on pavement even when loaded. the thing feels skinny and nimble in the twisties.
it rock solid in the wet, wind or on a long haul. has enough wattage to run daytime driving lights and heated gear.
if your doing a lot of rough off road i don't think you can get anything better than a ktm950se
as it is i don't have as much time to ride as i have in the past and will be selling a few bikes (including my 08 gsa)
the new ktm adventure looks interesting
I've never had any problems at all with my Tiger 800, and the only thing I ever expect to do with it is to upgrade the forks and the rear shock/spring assembly. The OE suspension isn't bad at all, I just know it could be better.
I've added OEM accessories including heated grips, auxiliary lights, panniers, top box, tank bag and tall windscreen, and plan of their engine protection bars. The only non-OE part so far is the GPS mount I made and will perhaps get BarkBusters over the handgrips.
I absolutely LOVE the triple cylinder engine!
OK what Multistrada year did you have and what electronic problems did you have?
I've had 8 bikes, 5 with carbs and 3 with FI. I had the Bing carbs on the BMW R65 rebuilt twice and kit took the dealer a week to get the bike running right. The Suzuki GS carb synch was a PITA. The KLR650 wouldn't start if left in the rain. The Honda has a replacement carb, I had to clean it once already and about to have to do it again. Only carved bike I didn't have any problems with was the HD Roadster.
Problems with the three FI bikes? None.
People seem to complain about EFI pro forma because they don't understand how they work, but almost all the problems people seem to have are with electric fuel pumps at 40K plus miles. I'll take the improved reliability, higher performance, better cold starting and easier tuning over carbs any day.
He's not complaining about EFI. He's complaining about the other electronics bolted onto his Multi. It is a very, very sophisticated motorcycle. And some of that sophistication has proven to be somewhat problematic.
Just out of curiosity what do you find lacking in the strom that makes you want to get another adv bike? Ive always seen the strom's as a capable adv bike, granted you have the smaller motor. Generally if you don't like something on those bikes you can simply change it.
I've never really understood the fascination with BMW's anyway. I've had a few but get rid of them quickly. Too much refinement in them for me honestly. Overly complex and heavy is the result in my book. I prefer a simpler bike like the strom which is a very capable bike on its own.
Of course you may just be looking for a change too.
I absolutely fell in love with the GS1200 when I was out in Washington state and put on 1000 miles. Big/Heavy but once rolling it is a dream come true. I actually liked this bike over the ST1300 that I put 1400 miles on.
Loved the no diving front end!!!!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/DSCN5644.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...N5636CLOUD.jpg
No shit. I know I post whore sometimes. But geezus.. that post wasn't one of 'em.
And I sure as fuck wasn't defending either Triumph or Ducati. Two brands I've never owned. Jeff's repeated dealer visits have probably turned me off to Ducati permanently. It has also revealed the downside of electro-magically adjustable suspension. Pass.
The Vstrom suspension will never be the GS's suspension. It just can't be. I've had it done up. It lacks the travel and the completely different design which makes the GS such a smooth ride.
Clayton,
Looking at your stable and knowing you a little bit it seems that you like your bikes to have character.
I rented a GS1200 in Germany for a weekend and put a decent amount of kilometers on it. The bike was very capable for the many different types of roads we were on. Once the ride was over I had enjoyed myself the entire time but got to thinking and realized that though the bike did everything we threw at it well it was very bland in the way that it went about doing it.
I can understand the allure of a bike that just does everything and does it well but there is a good chance that bike will not have any sort of character to it.
Just another opinion,
Joel
i would love a new multi, or even an explorer. i rode bruces GS12 for a few miles but the fog was so thick i wasnt comfortable riding it at all so i really didnt get a feel for it. the GS8 interests me but i digress. it will be a while before a new bike is in my future. ill wait for Kenn to get sick of his explorer and buy it on the cheap