Just to confuse you as a R1100GS owner that "had" similar things - early years are supposed to have more teething issues while I've seen the early R1100Gs with close to 500 000 miles (!) on the clock engine still all stock! Controversial stuff.

Maybe R1200 owners/gurus can add more input on the model variation throughout the production years.

I forgot to add....
Im 6ft 3in 18 stone so to small a bike wouldnt do......And i suppose im a bit off a show off........so yehh stuff it by the looks off it maybe i should just gel on and buy one....
And i apologise for bringing it up again...i shouldve searched first.....
Thanks for the responces....

I'm 6' 1" and 16 1/2st and tried the Tenere 660! Good fit, reliable, A DARN SITE EASIER TO PICK UP, looks cool and wheelies nicely, tall for the 6 footers, not too common and a chunk cheaper!!!

__________________
Geoffshing

'Security is a product of one's own imagination, it does not exist in nature as a rule, life is either a daring adventure or nothing.'

it's why most of us buy what we do, I think. they are reliable, all modern bikes are very reliable. and the GS has a huge following, and 'club' thing.

as long as you like riding it, it sounds perfect. it's pretty hard to buy a dud bike these days.

I have to agree with most of what Dougie has written, if you really want one then have one if you like it keep it and if you dont you can always try something else. We buy what we want for our own reasons if you think it looks cool then great.

We all have opinions they are not right or wrong just opinions Dougie thinks the Enfield is cool ummmmm

__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

Nowt wrong with that. In the end it's you who has to live with a bike, so, if it makes you happy, go for it.

Internet forums are bursting with people who buy bikes then, possibly for reason already mentioned (they don't live up to personal aspertaions) they get slated for many minor faults and one or two major ones. The truth is, for every one who slates off a bike there will be a 99 people who are very happy. You always here bad stuff, good stuff isn't that interesting is it?

"oh my bike rode from Gib to Aberdeen the other week without a hitch"
isn't anything like as interesting as
"My bl00dy GS was on a recovery truck the whole holiday"

Personaly, I don't care for the BMUU thing, and yes it's down to the image mainly, but tossed in with some horror stories means it's not a bike I'll ever own. But BMUU have sold ALOT of these bikes, can so many people be wrong ?


Really, it's about being happy, being a bloke(or woman/girl) on a bike, and riding it is pretty much all that counts

so true

__________________
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

Why not buy 2 bikes, one for road touring and one for on/off road? That's what I did and still spent less than a GS!. It depends on what type of trip I'm doing. My road bike is a Guzzi 1200 sport and I love it. If you want a big tourer/adventure bike get a test ride on a Stelvio. The engine is a peach. They're as reliable as anything else these days and you won't be following the crowd.

I ride a Goldwing and thats 8k more than a GSA 1200 I have had one and never again........ servicing, special oil, Gold card hammered for £300 on most services... Forget sevice intervals and problems start and thats when a Bmer gets expesive. As for a goldwing service £196 inclueding synthetic oil and filter and only an anual service. Only problem is parts are expensive, but not as pricy as bmer parts. Sorry.... But I do think that every one here will agree on is Its your choice and you should never believe a sales rep. (well not until you see what they ride.... xt600) says it all.. .

Oneworld Biker.
To old to die young. To young to care...

Around the world on a Goldwing and a prayer.

I rode around a fair amount of South America on an 06 R1200GSA that I bought new in Australia. I was two up with my ex, 3 panniers, tank bag and 100 litres of canvas bags. The bike got dropped countless times, once at 100kms per hour on ice and other times low speed dirt stacks due wind, other drivers and me being a bit unco at times. We travelled in a range of conditions; freezing, wet, hot, high altitude and windy for around 25000kms and I don't have a bad thing to say about the bike. It was perfect for the trip we did and I only wished I was a little taller so I didn't drop it as often. I don't criticise other bikes that I don't have experience with and I met guys on transalps, ktm's, teneres etc (no Harleys?) and they all seemed pretty happy with their bikes. The 1200 was a big bike but was very easy to handle once you were rolling due to the low centre of gravity and with a sheepskin the missus and I travelled very comfortably. It had the power to haul us up big hills in Bolivia at 4000+ metres with shit fuel and could eat up kms on a motorway with ease. Take what you read with a pinch of salt especially if the comment is coming from someone who has no experience with the bike they are talking about.
Goodluck with your choice.

+1 that sums it up nicely

__________________
Thomas

"Hey, ...I'm just ridin' shotgun"

It is a good , solid bike with an engine that has evolved for many years.
37,000 miles on the clock, fabulously looked after- only 2 fuel pump controllers fried- and 2 rear seals- hardly what I call a problem bike- they are great 'tractors' with ooomph!
Speak to actual owners who are living with them daily to get an unbiased opinion.
As to 'worth it' - that will always be down to personal perception and expectation so cannot be generalised -
I'd say yes but then I own one-

__________________
I do not list my vehicles or the places I have travelled to nor do I live my life seeking validation from others.

+1 spot on

__________________
Thomas

"Hey, ...I'm just ridin' shotgun"

How very true! Most of what I read before I bought my GSA was hearsay. There's also a very biased attitude towards BMWs on this forums based largely on the buzz that Ewan and Charlie have created doing their LWR and LWD movies. I always wonder what would've happened if they would've done the trip on KTMs...

Anyhow, as an actual 2009 GSA owner who bought his in November 2009 (because I did not want the 2010 engine) and with 11.000kms on it already it I can share what little experience I already have.

Why did I buy this bike and not one that costs half as much?
When you're travelling two up there's one thing more important than anything else. I call it rule #1: keep the pillion happy. You can have the best bike ever, one that never breaks, is light as a feather and reliable as a Russian tank but the joy you will have on any given trip is reciprocally proportional to how miserable your pillion is. Personally if it was for me we wouldn't be riding anything larger than a 600cc single like the Tenere. Infact that's what I've had before I bought the GSA. However, my wife was not too happy with it because of limited space due to a rather short(ish) seat. We did a lot of research, rode a bunch of bikes and eventuelly both concluded that we both felt most comfortable on the 1200 GS, especially my wife. She simply loved the space she has in the back, key for long distance riding, without feeling disconnected from me. We ended up buying the GSA because the GS felt too small for me (6'2") and lacked a bunch of extras that the GSA comes with by default, like decent crash bars, engine guard, rack, additional headlights, spoked wheels, etc.

Am I happy with it?
Short answer yes, long answer yes, but... after 11.000 kms including a 8.000km trip through the UK on- and offroad with my wife and full gear I absolutely LOVE that bike. Sure, it's about as big as the Arc de Triomphe but as soon as you get going it feels surprisingly light and handy. I did hairpin turns with it in the Alps in which a Yamaha XJ900 Diversion and a KTM 950 Adventure had to reverse and take it in two turns! Fuel economy is amazing for a bike that size - I manage 4.5l/100kms (52 mpg) solo and 4.9l/100kms (48 mpg) two-up fully loaded. The 'but' part of my statement above is rust: it's already taking overhand, especially around the crash bars and pillion hand rails. I am a bit worried about the fact that if the bike breaks I won't be able to fix it myself. However, the 2008/2009 model is supposed to be the most reliable one and I'm hoping for the best. The truth is that every new bike you buy has more technology and electronics built-in than the moonlander so it's not a problem specific to BMW. I did the research on that topic and was shocked. The only way to escape is is getting a used bike between five to ten years old but that'll only buy you some time. Eventually, a few years from now we'll either all end up with computers that happen to have a motorcycle attached to them or we'll all start buying Royal Indians. Let's face it, that's what's going to happen.

Would I buy it again?
Too early to tell. If BMW continues to blame me for the rust (first time I tried I was told it was totally my fault, I should be cleaning and polishing it more often...) I might even return the current one and demand my money back. Don't get me wrong the bike is great but I'm not willing to pay for a piece of rust that already started to flourish after a month! If it's true that you get what you pay for then this is just bollocks. I've already asked a lawyer (always good to have one in your family ) and was advised to not let go and get that fixed or replaced.

What else would I get?
Well, that's the problem - there isn't much left that wouldn't violate rule #1 (keep the pillion happy!) but that would also be capable of going offroad. Yamaha has already recalled all first generation Super Teneres (in Germany at least) and is replacing most of them with revised editions because there's just way too many things that went wrong. The Super Tenere is also heavier than the GS/GSA and has just as much electronical bits and gadgets built-in. The 660cc Tenere violates rule #1, so does the Transalp and the F 800 GS. We've tried half a dozen bikes that are all absolutely perfect for going solo but completely inept for taking a passenger.

__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!"