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Alex · April 11th, 2020, 09:49 AM

The GS is nowhere near that heavy. The 2006 was 440 lbs dry, with full fluids and a full tank it's still going to barely touch 500 lbs. But while that generation GS is much smoother than the earlier 1100s/1150s, it's still the early days of the 1200 motor - and it is not anything like the newer generation watercooled BMW twins. I've had many versions of each (in the GS's mechanical twin, the RT), from each of these generations except for the very current, and it gets faster and smoother by large increments each time.

I agree with Pat - compared to what you may be used to, it may feel like a tractor. But the lower-frequency vibes of a twin tend to grow on you much more than the high-frequency vibes of a 4. It feels more like confirmation that it's running, rather than something that makes riding long-distances tiring. I've done countless 1000+ mile days on BMW twins, and they are essentially made for it.

Something that I never got used to in all the GS's I've ridden, is a very different front end feel from a more traditional bike. Part of it is due to the suspension setup and geometry, part of it is due to the 19" front wheel instead of the 17", and part of it is due to the height. It always feels to me that there is a dead spot when tipping the bike over into a turn, that you need to just trust and get past until it's fully leaned over, when it feels OK again. Other BMWs with the standard 17" fronts don't give me that feeling - if you're riding a bunch to figure out what you like - try them all! This vagueness of feeling is clearly not a limit of the bike's capability, I've been all-out at my limits on much more capable bikes following even older GS's through the corners, and a skilled pilot will still be able to go incredibly swiftly (for street speeds) in any conditions, and do it comfortably on a GS, or most other BMW twins.

April 11th, 2020, 09:49 AM	#7
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	The GS is nowhere near that heavy. The 2006 was 440 lbs dry, with full fluids and a full tank it's still going to barely touch 500 lbs. But while that generation GS is much smoother than the earlier 1100s/1150s, it's still the early days of the 1200 motor - and it is not anything like the newer generation watercooled BMW twins. I've had many versions of each (in the GS's mechanical twin, the RT), from each of these generations except for the very current, and it gets faster and smoother by large increments each time. I agree with Pat - compared to what you may be used to, it may feel like a tractor. But the lower-frequency vibes of a twin tend to grow on you much more than the high-frequency vibes of a 4. It feels more like confirmation that it's running, rather than something that makes riding long-distances tiring. I've done countless 1000+ mile days on BMW twins, and they are essentially made for it. Something that I never got used to in all the GS's I've ridden, is a very different front end feel from a more traditional bike. Part of it is due to the suspension setup and geometry, part of it is due to the 19" front wheel instead of the 17", and part of it is due to the height. It always feels to me that there is a dead spot when tipping the bike over into a turn, that you need to just trust and get past until it's fully leaned over, when it feels OK again. Other BMWs with the standard 17" fronts don't give me that feeling - if you're riding a bunch to figure out what you like - try them all! This vagueness of feeling is clearly not a limit of the bike's capability, I've been all-out at my limits on much more capable bikes following even older GS's through the corners, and a skilled pilot will still be able to go incredibly swiftly (for street speeds) in any conditions, and do it comfortably on a GS, or most other BMW twins. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)