Bmw 1200 Gs And Gsa

[mpetersen]

I had been riding sport tourers (R1100rs and K1200rs) for 12+ years in Canada, and never really enjoyed taking them on long rides. More than 4 or 5 hours in one day became, literally, a pain in the neck (and back). In the last few years, I barely touched my K-bike (only put 4000 Kms on it in a decade).

Then, last August I came across a gently used 1200GS in Bangkok and bought it on the spot. Boy, what an amazing ride. Is it expensive? Yes maybe. Is it worth it? Yes every penny. So much so that I decided today to trade my K bike for a brand new R1200GS Adventure in Canada, and I am absolutely certain that next spring I'll be exploring my own country.

I would love to hear from other people about experiences, and get together for rides. Barcelona BMW often accompanies rides. Last month (November) there were over 60 bikes going from BKK to Umphang (leaving Friday, returning Sunday). My wife jumped on the back of my bike and we just went, with no idea of how we'd enjoy such a long trip in such a short time. We didn't think I would enjoy being on a bike almost 24 hours in just one weekend, but this trip was just such a joy.

There is an impression that BMW riders are "elitists", but I found them all to be down-to-earth, youthful at any age, and adventurous. I would say, in general, BMW riders are "understated", and down to earth.

Mike

[BSJ]

I personally know only one BMW rider. He rides a 650. Maybe if he rode a 1200 he would be less of a cock head....but then again, maybe not!

[villagefarang]

I know a Thai guy who rides a 1200 and he is a really nice guy. Rich a god, but a nice guy.

[mpetersen]

I know a Thai guy who rides a 1200 and he is a really nice guy. Rich a god, but a nice guy.

The 1200 (especially 1200GS) seems to be a big favourite of rich Thai guys! I am always amazed how they handle that huge bike, having to cimb up on the footpeg to get seated!

[nikster]

I know a Thai guy who rides a 1200 and he is a really nice guy. Rich a god, but a nice guy.

The 1200 (especially 1200GS) seems to be a big favourite of rich Thai guys! I am always amazed how they handle that huge bike, having to cimb up on the footpeg to get seated!

Growing up on motorcycles helps...

Going to get one of these in a few years.... so far, the double-the-fair-price thing has put me off. But I plan to be rich by then, so that shouldn't matter.

[m62man]

I bought my first BMW earlier this year and spent just over 2 months touring Europe, doing around 8,000 miles in total. Very comfortable bike to ride, although I suffered a bit from nappy rash due to the plastic seat covers. Have subsequently read that I should have tied a sheepskin to the seat, and I'll try that on my next trip in spring/summer 2010.

This pic was taken on the Cote Savage in Corsica. I had removed the back seat so I could strap on a big kit bag to carry a tent, cooking equipment etc.

Edited December 8, 2009 by m62man

[jackcorbett]

You pay more for a BMW and close by dealerships might be scarce or nonexistent. However, I feel BMW's by far the most innovative company out there and that it also offers a much more well balanced range of products that will satisfy a wider range of drivers. Take a look at the BMW Motorad U.S.A. web site. bmw web site.

Notice that BMW has addressed the legitimate needs of a wide range of motorcyclists with most of its models offering comfortable seating and an upright riding position. There's some top notch touring bikes here all the way up to 1300 cc's. There are sport bike. There's a 175 horsepower 1300 c.c. very quick model that has a dry weight of only 501 pounds. There's an off off road 800 model that weighs just 390 pounds dry. There's even a 650 single cylinder model that tips the scales at just 326 pounds, dry. There are single cylinder models that will be comfortable for fairly long distance, twin cylinder engines and four cylinder models to accommodate a wide range of tastes. And now, a six cylinder that is four inches narrower than any previous 6 cylinder bike. 170 horsepower, 1600 c.c's pictured below. Me---I'd probably spring for a 650 or an 800 c.c. bike. In the U.S. if you buy Honda, you get a Harley Davidson look a like with a low seat, bad view of the road and bars sticking up near the moon or you get a racer styled bike that will give you back trouble for life and while being horrible to drive in town, a great heavy tourer in the form of a Gold Wing hitting the scales at a mere 900 pounds, but if you want an all rounder you can get a 234 c.c. Honda Rebel which will probably not even hit 75 miles per hour.

But wait a minute....after searching Honda's web site I found a more all around kind of machine. It's 680 c'c's. and it costs $10,000. And it weighs 562 pounds fueled up so maybe dry it will weigh in at that 175 horsepower 1300 c.c. BMW's weight. If I lived in the U.S. again and had a BMW dealer close by, I'd go with BMW and wouldn't even look at companies such as Honda.

Edited December 8, 2009 by jackcorbett

[PeaceBlondie]

I gave up on BMW in 1988, when they hadn't mastered shaft drive after 60 years. Underpowered, expensive, elitist. My mechanic loaned me one for the weekend. I lived at the edge of world-class hilly roads where the overheating K1 overheated on its anemic North American debut. Drove it home and skipped the hills. Bought new 1982 Suzuki GS850G at a fraction of BMW price instead, with good shaft drive, etc.

I'm glad to hear BMW made it to this century.

[mpetersen]

I bought my first BMW earlier this year and spent just over 2 months touring Europe, doing around 8,000 miles in total. Very comfortable bike to ride, although I suffered a bit from nappy rash due to the plastic seat covers. Have subsequently read that I should have tied a sheepskin to the seat, and I'll try that on my next trip in spring/summer 2010.

This pic was taken on the Cote Savage in Corsica. I had removed the back seat so I could strap on a big kit bag to carry a tent, cooking equipment etc.

Ikea sheepskins work well. In Thai traffic (polution), you'll have to shampoo it every 20 riding hours or so.

mike

[Travelmate]

1150GS better than the latest incarnation 1200GS which is nothing sort of diabolical in terms of reliability and costs trying to keep it roadworthy.

Check out the Bee Em forum for disgruntled owners.

Enjoy it while it last.

[submaniac]

My mechanic loaned me one for the weekend. I lived at the edge of world-class hilly roads where the overheating K1 overheated on its anemic North American debut.

BMW K1? Now you're bringing back memories. I remember I was in Junior high school when it came out, and remembered I wanted one really badly from the pictures and articles in the motorcycle magazines. Back then, I thought it was stunning looking...like a space ship. Looking at pictures now, I'm like...what were they (and me) thinking?

Edited December 10, 2009 by submaniac

[BigBikeBKK]

My mechanic loaned me one for the weekend. I lived at the edge of world-class hilly roads where the overheating K1 overheated on its anemic North American debut.

BMW K1? Now you're bringing back memories. I remember I was in Junior high school when it came out, and remembered I wanted one really badly from the pictures and articles in the motorcycle magazines. Back then, I thought it was stunning looking...like a space ship. Looking at pictures now, I'm like...what were they (and me) thinking?

Wow I used to think it was awesome too... Was it really that ugly?!?!

[jackcorbett]

BMW K1? Now you're bringing back memories. I remember I was in Junior high school when it came out, and remembered I wanted one really badly from the pictures and articles in the motorcycle magazines. Back then, I thought it was stunning looking...like a space ship. Looking at pictures now, I'm like...what were they (and me) thinking?

Like you, I thought the BMW K bikes were the cat's meow and then I bought one. This is the exact one I bought, even the same color--blue.

When I had it I test drove a Japanese bike that had even more horsepower than my 1985 K 100 RS had but I had the feeling of not being in control. The Japanese bike (it was a Honda) simply did not begin to match up to the BMW as to brakes and handling. One day I took it up to 212 kilometers per hour but had to back the BMW down as both an overpass I was approaching on a superhighway overpass and a side road was rapidly loomed ahead of me. Almost any car coming up the side road would have pulled in front of me after its driver vastly underestimated my speed. The frontage road was also far from being smooth. With full luggage on board I took my wife and I up to Chicago in 2.5 hours, a trip that normally takes 4 hours. A Camaro started to screw with us at close to 100 miles an hour but I blew him off.

At 504 pounds dry that BMW felt very compact. There wasn't a day I drove it when I did not take it up to 100 miles an hour and anything less than 80 felt slow. It's still an absolutely gorgeous machine even today in my eyes although the engine appears very Teutonic. But that depends on how one looks at it. This bike was not good in town however. The narrow handle bars did not lend to flickability. In fact, aside from a couple of spills on dirt bikes I've dropped just two bikes, my old 350 CB Honda taking a turn too fast when I first owned it and this BMW, ironically in a motorcycle safety class. I was hung over and had to do some low speed maneuvers between cones and the like. At an almost dead stop the bike started to go over and the narrow bars did not give me the leverage I needed to overcome that. Even those driving Harleys with their much wider bars found such low speed maneuvers to be more easily managed than I found this BMW.

Several times I had electronic failures with this bike. Once or twice the electronic controlled fuel pump failed and I had to have BMW motorad come out. The bike had a high speed tingle that could be felt in the bars at all rpm levels. My old BMW 650 R-65 with its horizonal twin engine was far superior vibration wise. Between 60 and 70 miles an hour there was a significant vibration in 5th gear. But it was glassy smooth say at 58 miles an hour and anything above 70 miles an hour. Back then the K 100 RS sold for $7000 new but I bought mine slightly used for around $4800 with only 5000 miles on the odometer. I did have the transmission go out but BMW covered that on the 3 year warranty which had transferred over to me.

Meanwhile I had been reading that high speed engine vibrations were normal for this particular model in this year range. I'd think BMW improve this over the years. Back then the Germans were not too strong in the electronics department, a fact that I verified with German cars which both my dad and I owned. Compared to the 650 twin I had, this BMW relied a lot on sophisticated electronics starting with fuel injection whereas my 650 had carburetors. Although I'm not mechanically inclined I could do about all maintenance on the 650 myself which offered quick access to the battery, spark plugs the engine's timing and so on.

But when that K100 RS machine came out at $7000 I thought it was the most stunning design I'd ever seen on a bike. And although this bike was not a good in town bike, when it came to driving fast on the highway I don't think there was a Japanese bike that could compare. Except for that high speed tingle in the bars, that bike was very comfortable at high speeds (eg, that 2.5 hour jaunt to Chicago that normally takes 4 hours even included a five minute break to get the tingling out of my fingers) and if I recall back then the bike would get from zero to one hundred miles an hour in 7 seconds and back to zero very quickly while feeling entirely safe as I did so. 1985 BMW K-100 RS specifications

Edited December 10, 2009 by jackcorbett

[mpetersen]

1150GS better than the latest incarnation 1200GS which is nothing sort of diabolical in terms of reliability and costs trying to keep it roadworthy.

Check out the Bee Em forum for disgruntled owners.

Enjoy it while it last.

some of it might have to do with the ever-increasing complex electronic systems. I think the engine and transmission on the 1200GS/GSA is great. I also love the safety systems (ABS and ASC) and the ESA on the newer incarnations. Anything that gives me a little extra margin of error to keep me alive is well worth it.

I haven't honestly owned either the 2005 GS or the 2009 GSA long enough to make a statement on long-term reliability, but I have faith in the BMW GS franchise and, yea, I do expect to pay a little more for maintenance than I would on a "simpler" bike.

The 1150GS looks cooler than the 1200GS, but the late-model 1200GSAs surely are a nice looking machine.

m

[Thaifan2]

I am a poor mans bmw owner . Over the years i have owned in this order a 750/5 R , a 650 R, and a 800RT .All bikes were bought 2 nd hand ( over 8 years old) ,and all servicing done by myself .I also worked for a year in the BMW Berlin factory in 1977 .I have BMW in the blood ,and would love to find an old R26 from the 50s in Thailand to ride and as a hobby .Anyone know of one please PM me .