I've only just passed my test and I'm looking for a Bike. It has been suggested to me that the BMW R1200GS is too big and too powerful for me as a new rider and that I should get 12 months experience on a smaller more managable bike.

It's also been said that the orientation of the engine makes for a difficult ride, which is made harder by being shaft driven.

Obviously the BMW salesmen feel that these are minor problems that I would overcome quite quickly and are keen for me to take a test drive.

Any opinions would be helpful, thanks.

I would have to agree with the crowd saying to start with something a bit smaller and USED first.There is a very good chance in your first year or so of riding you may tip over your bike....for whatever reason. Parking, backing up,
slick pavement, or God forbid a real crash. If you've done your homework on your learner's bike then you should be past most of this.

Still, the GS, any GS, is a big and very expensive monster to start on.The power is not a worry really but weight, size, height and balance are.

If you're a big guy then it would be easier, but its not at all a learner friendly bike, IMO.

If you like trailies, nakeds or Supermoto type bikes, well, there are tons of
choices out there for you. I would lean towards a 2nd hand (2 to 3 year old)
650 single like a DR650, XT, or Honda XR-L.

If you want more street oriented then maybe a DL650 Vstrom or SV650.

Actually the SV is one of the best all round bikes in the world and makes an
excellent novice bike but is also able to handle track days and VERY spirited
riding. Buy a nice used one. It will give you room to grow.

Here in the US tons of kids get straight on a Hayabusa or ZX14 Ninja and off they go. No restrictions here. Most, actually buy 600cc sports bikes. But those bikes make 120 Hp. Typically, what happens is they crash within a few months (at the most) and never, ever come back to motorcycling. They've scared the crap out themselves. Young guys tend to have more testosterone than brains and certainly lack maturity or experience in this area.

Start small. You can always move up. Survival in the long term is what its
all about.

Patrick

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

If you a beginner, not important how experienced you feel or you are, it kills.
When I got my licence at the age of 32 I thought I can manage and ride 800 kms at the very first day when I got my bike. It was an F 650.
No way, it doesn't work.
You need to get experience by making somu mileage within some certain period. Yeah I think it is true: 12 months.

Start with a smaller one like 400. If you will go for 1200 GS don't go to race bikes.
If you trust yourself too much than go for 600 or 650.

Spend some time on it. And see yourself.

Self confidence is ok but can be dangereous.

Be on the bike and on the road and enjoy.

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"where the traveller goes, nobody knows ! "

I figured that they were right, but it's nice to get it confirmed. I've been offered a kawasaki ER-5, which is the bike I learnt on, so I'll stick with that for 12 months.

Thanks.

As a BMW motorcycle salesman, I'd rather sell you a used F650GS than a new R1200GS.

As others have correctly said, the chances of dropping it in the first year are high, best do this with a cheaper used bike.

You'll also learn more & a quicker pace on a lighter, more manageable bike. There's a chance that buying too big a bike too soon can lead to you feeling intimidated by the sheer size, weight & performance of the larger bikes. End result - you don't ride, sell it sooner rather than later & take a big loss. I've seen it happen.

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

It takes 5 minutes for someone to show you how to operate a motorcycle.
It takes 5 days to run the gauntlet and complete a motorcycle course.
It takes 5 weeks before you can start to become overconfident in your skills.
It takes 5 months(if you're lucky) to completely heal broken bones.
It takes 5 years(through close calls, near misses, your stupidity, the other guys stupidity, expected, unexpected, risktaking, - have I left anything out-) before your brain goes on "Auto Defend". It doesn't take long to aquire the skills necessary to ride. It takes 5 years of experience to aquire the survival skills and "awareness" to keep you out of trouble.
That being said, I would not advise you start out on an R1200GS. It's a great bike down the higway. Maneuvering at slow speeds in tight quarters can get you into trouble on the GS and you need to develop the awareness of what you can and cannot do with the bike at your skill level. It's a whole lotta bike for a beginer to handle. If you get a motorcycle that's too small, you'll become bored with it pretty quick. If you get a motorcycle that's too big, it might get you instead. Try something in the middle range. A 650 was suggested. It's way easier to handle and you take those skills with you when you move up to a bigger two wheeler. The people I ride with that have the better motorcycle "Handling" skills usually started out on smaller displacement bikes and or dirt bikes. Stands to reason ( although some will argue the point). Anyway, whatever you choose, be carefull and enjoy. Best... Smitty

Though beginning with a small and a managable size is ok, there's no rule that the size of the motor increases with experience. After twenty years and 1300s I ended up with a 600 and I am longing for small managable bikes in the city traffic. BMW 1200 is not a problem if you are to hit the road for long distance travels but it will always be a pain under your butt in the city, no matter how experienced rider you are.

cozcan

If you have the money to buy a R1200GS, you can easy buy a F650GS. For traveling alone, it is all you need.

I am riding for more then 30 years on all kind of bikes (have a look at my website) and I am very happy with my F650GS now. The only reason to buy a much bigger bike is for riding with a passenger.
If one of my kids would like to get a bike, I would rather have him or her ride a BMW F650GS then a Jap 600cc sportsbike.

If you buy a used F650GS, you can ride it for two or three years and if you think you need something bigger, go to the BMW dealer and trade it for a 1200.

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Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a BMW R1200GS

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

I would not recommend jumping onto a big bike straight away, chances are that you will have some form of accident, even if it just the bike falling off the side stand (we have all done it!).

I would also be wary of leaping onto a sports 600 as these are very fast and not very forgiving to any errors a novice may make.

I would get something like a GT550 or GPZ500 ER500 for the following reasons: All these bikes are cheap to buy and repair, all very reliable esp. the GT550, all are capable machines that will allow you to develop your road skills, good economy for fuel, cheaper insurance ect.

With the money you save over a new Beemer treat yourself to an advanced riding course (lowers insurance again) and an off road school to further improve your skills. Also invest in the best leathers, lid, boots and gloves that you can afford.

Give it a couple of years and then think about a big bike. You may not be the coolest kid on the block but you are less likely to end up in a bad way. Ride safe and enjoy!

Max66

I passed my bike test in November last year, at the ripe old age of 38. My first bike is an XRV750 Africa Twin. You can pick them up for anything upwards of £1000 in the UK.

I've ridden all through the winter, and now summer, been on the motorway, off-road, and a little long distance stuff too. I can't fault it. It's certainly fast enough, but maybe not enough to have you wrapped around a tree. It's not a small bike, but it's not a huge lumbering monster either.

Anyway.. another model to consider

Something to be said 4 learning on a 2nd hand bike! After very prowdly buying a new f650GS Dakar, i wrote it off 3 months later. End of dream...? Now iv got same bike but much cheaper 2nd hand in good nick. Feels much better making those stupid little mistakes (which us beginers are likely to make) on cheaper bike. Same thrills less stress!

Happy hunting

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that the size of the bike or engine does not matter when you start riding. The only downside of the R1200GS is that it's expensive if you drop it and you're much more likely to drop a bike in your first year.

Other than that I don't think it makes any difference. Bigger bikes are easier to see. It's no faster than than a 600, low speed manouvering is good and the throttle is not binary - you can ride as slow and safe as you like. The relaxed riding position encourages a more sedate ride than a sports bike. The high seating position gives good visibility. It's much less tiring on longer rides than almost any other bike I've ridden.

Your safety is down to how you ride, not what you ride. You definitely get safer over the first few years but the choice of bike isn't a factor.

steve

You've made some good points but I don't agree. Bike and engine size does matter. It is not the ONLY factor overall to be sure, but it IS a factor. To say "it does not matter" is an overstatement IMO.

Ask any of the many motorcycle training experts there in the UK. The
psychological aspect is critical here. The GS is a very tall, very awkard bike to a begginer, particularly true if the new rider is under about 6' tall. I've been riding 40 plus years, am only 5'7" and the GS intimidates me, and I ain't no shrinking violet.

Once again, an over statement. True, the bike is not the ONLY factor, but it must be considered in the mix of ALL the other factors a new rider faces. The BMW is an awkward beast by anyone's accounting. From the Bass-akwards Teutonic insprired switchgear (horn/turn signal placement) to the cyclinders that newbies whack their shins on. Once moving the bike rides beautifully and your earlier points are good (tall, good view, visible, easy to steer in traffic and so on).

But a 530 lb. bike with a 35" seat height may not be the most newbie friendly
ride to start on. Riders come in all shapes and sizes. I'd have to say MOST new riders I've dealt with would be scared off by a big GS. Why ruin someones' first motorcycle experience getting them hurt, humiliated costing them some serious money? THESE factors have to be considered too.

Patrick

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

Yours is the same question I've asked myself a lot over the last 6 months. For what it's worth here is my perspective. I hope it helps.

I had a bike around 15 years ago and I'm now 38. So I guess I categorise myself as the typical 'Born again' candidate. I want to get back on a bike and the GS1200 is the one I've chosen to buy. I can't really rationalise it - it's big, it's heavy and I'm new to the experience of two wheels again. But I personally don't see the point in buying a V Strom 650 (my other possible choice), which is probably equally as heavy and wasting money on a trade-in in 12 months.

But I'm honest with myself and in lots of ways ways it doesn't make any sense. I don't want to drop it, or worse fall off it. So I went to the BMW rider school in South Wales and took a refresher. Nice guys down there and above all else honest. My instructor and colleagues of his have given me the confidence to think my decision is the right one for me at least. I spent the second day of a two day course on a GS1200 which I found as easy to ride if not easier than the GS650 the previous day. I certainly enjoyed the experience more on the bigger bike. My instructor who's a qualified ex-police rider felt the GS1200 would be a good choice for me and he didn't have any sale to make.

I'm tall enough to handle the bike a little easier and confident of riding it. The course certainly helped and I can recommend it without question. It's your call at the end of the day but I don't think it's a black and white issue.

Good luck with your choice

I figure if you have to ask anybody what the right bike is that you aren't ready and haven't done enough research yet. Whether or not a particular bike is right for you isn't up to someone else to decide. On the flip side, telling someone that a bike is tall, or heavy, has a learning curve, and is gonna get dropped in the first year is useful information.

I did go with a VStrom 650 and could have bought two of them for the price of a 1200GS in the US. No regrets at all here. I'd still like to have a 1200GS, but I won't be giving up the VStrom to get one.