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Gremlin's Tall Stories

Test Ride: 2010 R1200GS (21/12/2010)

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11am, Tuesday morning. Amazingly, its not raining. I say this because the last couple of days have been utter shite, storm like rain bringing down trees etc.

It's handy its not raining, as I've popped along to Experience Motorcycles in Kingsland to test ride their 2010 R1200GS demo, as arranged on Saturday, when I had a little Q&A session with them. Of course, no test ride is complete without taking along someone completely insane, to make you appear normal, so I brought along the very best (or is that worst?)... gijoe. No evil plans to get him off his jap bikes and on to some european machinery... noooo, never

The F800GS is more of an off-road bike than the R1200GS, sporting rim sizes more in line with gravel bikes, but the engine is more revvy than the R1200, which has a lot of low down grunt. The R1200 is more suited to roads (due to bulk and tyres), but can do off road if you asked it to. The low down grunt and low speed stability of the R1200 is very useful for off road and negotiating tight turns.

He passes this off as being preparation for riding around the world, and he wants a bike that can do that. Of course, with his current mileage, he'd be lucky before he gets around NZ before he's too old, but I digress. He fancies a F800GS, and while I have my beady eyes firmly fixed on the R1200GS Adventure, Experience doesn't have a demo of it. They do have the more "normal" model, the GS, which will have to do. I say "normal" because there aren't many bikes that have 33L tanks with a 600km+ range... stock. Extra lights are also specially certified as they come fitted from factory.

The extra weight and suspension travel will no doubt affect handling, not to mention the 30kg wet weight difference (metal crash bars and extra fuel mostly) but at least it gives me an idea.

With lives signed over, a $2500 excess if we were incapable of returning them shiny, and we were off down the road. With Experience in Kingsland, gijoe and I decided to run up to Kaukapakapa and back. I would have preferred an overnight or weekend demo, but couldn't due to insurance purposes (50km... whats that?). Gijoe seemed to take to his bike like a duck to water and off he went. I got my first taste of BMW style indicators. Three buttons for Left, Right, Cancel (and Left and Right together for hazards) is more complicated in my books than one multi function, but then I've had nothing else all my riding life (over 5.5 years).

With the first left duly noted with the horn (awesome, I can draw attention to my idiocy) and more wobbling while swearing at the missing indicators, I prompted screwed up the cancel of the left turn I had eventually found. Gijoe was almost out of sight while I was trying to focus on the road and find the myriad of buttons. Still struggling with the indicators, I found ESA instead, and found 3 modes, Comfort, Normal and Sport. They work on the fly, so I could feel the difference as I played with them.

Just before the motorway I catch up to the F800GS, who promptly notes its a fun bike, with the grin evident from beneath the helmet. More indicator stuff ups and wobbling (the bike takes a little getting used to) and we're cruising down the motorway. With a slightly calmer environment I can focus on the engine, and the chore of straight lines (which I do a lot of). The engine is awesome. Making approx 105hp (around the same as my KTM 990 SM), its almost 200cc larger, so the torque somewhat resembles a line. This means it trundles happily in 5th or 6th at 110kph, no chopping of gears to overtake and seemingly little speed creep.

The screen doesn't fit me. At 6'3, I'd either need to be some form of giant, or a midget (which wouldn't make sense with the high seat height and large nature of the bike) but I'm getting a lot of buffeting. The adventure has a larger screen, so lets hope it suits me better. The demo is a full spec, with onboard computer (for temperature, range calculations, tyre pressure sensors, oil check and fuel consumption), Traction and Stability control and ESA. Yeah, so it has a few toys. The centre stand lever also gets in the way of those with decent sized left feet. Your foot slides in behind the stand, but it means you can't shift your foot from side to side at all.

I enjoy the toys until the end of the North Western Motorway, impressed by the torque available from 3k. Very smooth, almost defying belief. Roll on is smooth, but building confidently, meaning license loss is a careless twist away. It doesn't have the rapid throttle response or leap of the KTM but speed still builds quickly enough, all in top gear of course.

We wind our way off the NW, onto SH16, through the road works, and I noticed gijoe is testing throttle response, as he suddenly accelerates, then slows, caught by traffic. I find out later that he was simply struggling with the indicators, and when he tried to get the indicator he got a handful of throttle instead

The R1200 is comfortable at any speed. 60kph is fine in 4th gear, so I find myself changing gear very little. Makes it easier on the gearbox, and it seems gijoe is definitely rowing his gearbox a lot more. Turning onto Old North Rd, I try a handful of throttle for the first time to see if she bites like the KTM. She sorta does for a second or two and I think excellent, before a big cut to engine power. Puzzled as hell, I'm not even at redline, and did I see orange on the dash? Another crack, and I find out about traction control. Heh, never ridden a bike with it before, its an ever present nanny, that is deciding that the front lifting is not in my best interests, so cuts in. I always thought the front lifting was something to be encouraged, but I guess not

The shaft drive is different, having never ridden a bike with it before, but I can feel the twists and motion as I accelerate and brake, but only at the lower speeds and navigating intersections. Out on the open road, the R1200 hides its weight well. Comfort suspension was too soft, letting the bike wobble and gyrate in interesting ways. Normal was nice, and when I tried sport it was definitely for smooth roads, as the bumps of Old North upset it a bit.

Toto has ridden the R1200GS, and hated it. He reported it had horrible handling through corners and wanted to stand up too much. Gijoe was also playing the insane rider on that ride and commented that little Toto didn't seem to be having a lot of fun on the bike, and declined an offer to ride it back

Conversely, I didn't have the same problems as Toto. I did miss the engine braking of my KTM, as I have grown lazy, and I am used to piling into corners, shut the throttle enough to slow down and then open the throttle again. This certainly didn't work on the BMW, as there was much less engine braking, so braking had to be more conventional. It's a little less fun, but safer and probably quicker. With the Telelever front end, the front dives very little under braking, which keeps the rear in better contact with the ground. The bike seems almost nervous turning into corners, a little unstable. There was no tendancy to stand up, but it didn't tip into corners with predictable fashion either. Gijoe also noticed this.

Exiting corners was a different kettle of fish. Regardless of gear, the torque fired you out of corners with disdain. The more throttle you gave it, the more it seemed to lean into the corner, and I found myself wondering just how much faster I could have accelerated, as I didn't seem to be anywhere near the limits. Gijoe noticed this in the form of me disappearing into the distance, despite his best attempts with the gearbox and throttle. No matter what he did, he couldn't stay with me out of corners. He later said he was using anything from 3rd-6th, while I was usually in 5th or 6th and casually rolling it on.

Reaching Kaukapakapa I turned into the open car park, where gijoe instantly decided he needed to ride through a strip of planting, just because he could. A bit of gravel was easy for him and I tried a couple of full lock turns and was surprised to find the bike extremely well balanced, barely above idle and at full lock. Normally it takes a little while to get used to the bike before you can manage it, but the R1200 made it a piece of cake.

A quick natter, an examination of the feed me hole on each bike (long narrow neck into the tanks) and we headed back to Kingsland via the same route. I still found the indicators a bit difficult to get used to when overtaking cars, as I am rather pedantic about using them, but it was starting to get easier. Being confident into tight downhill corners showed the bike could handle very well, and still wasn't feeling like its wet weight of 229kg (although the tank was getting low).

I eventually found the 2 trip meters via a button on the dash (instead of the Info button the left bar), which I had been hunting for, and shortly after that, the motorcycle was most informative, flashing a FUEL! sign on the dash, as I was now on reserve, and it was estimating my range before empty. It starts around 78-80km. Just before reaching the shop I finally did what I believe all experience once or twice. I kicked the boxer cylinder with my shin while coming to a stop.

Returning to the shop, another full lock slow speed turn, slightly uneven ground and the bike was still very well balanced. I was then introduced to the full extent of the ESA adjustment. On the fly, you have 3 modes, Comfort, Normal and Sport (pretty self explanatory). Stop the bike, and more can be adjusted.
- Each of the 3 modes has soft, medium and hard (self explanatory)
- The weight can be adjusted in the form of rider, rider with luggage or two riders (didn't see if there was a 4th, 2 riders with luggage - but it sounds likely)
- Terrain can be set as small bumps or large ones, this alters the ride height and suspension
- Didn't see them, but was told Traction was adjustable, from nanny to off (and in between, couple of inches or a foot) on the front and likewise on the rear for letting the rear step out.
- The handlebar mounts can be rotated around to push the bars an inch further forward, but I don't think I would want them further forward than the stock position

Someone else do the math, but thats a lot of easy adjustments without knowing the ins and outs of suspension (which I can't even begin to claim).

Checking the fuel consumption, it hadn't changed since leaving the shop, 5.2L per 100km.

So, the most important question once a lot of words have been carefully typed out (to avoid spelling errors of course). Would I buy one?

Well... in a word, no. Not the R1200GS. Since I already own the KTM 990 SM, the bike is reasonably similar, similar tank size, but the GS will definitely go further on each fill. The KTM is a smaller bike in terms of rider comfort, and not the best for 2 normal sized people, whereas the GS has a bit more space. The KTM bars are much closer to you as well, but it all adds up to a sporty package, that outperforms the GS in my view. The cost to switch bikes is also a factor.

However, as I mentioned in the beginning, I'm looking at the adventure. So would I switch to the adventure from the KTM? I think so. The alternator is the same as the GS at 720W, but the crash bars provide excellent mounts for extra lighting, a plus for me as I ride at night a lot. A 33L fuel tank, with a range of over 600km is a major plus when comparing to other bikes. Gas in the country at night, especially in the South Island is very few and far between, and I'm capable of riding 400+km without a break, and doing that several times over. Additionally, the freedom to explore whatever road, not worrying about gas is priceless.

I wouldn't recommend taking the adventure into rough stuff, fully fueled if you were under 6 foot, as its going to be a heavy beast, but running the fuel out on the road shouldn't present problems? (well, I bloody hope not).

All in all, an excellent ride. I can see why there are so many BMW's at the endurance events like the Grand Challenge and TT2000.

I guess you want a pic, but as usual, I prefer to ride, so a standard net pic of the colour etc I rode will have to suffice: http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/...200_GS%205.jpg

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Comments

  1. EJK's Avatar
    Nice detailed review. Enjoyed reading it thanks.
  2. Devil's Avatar
    You get used to the indicators very quickly, and then you realise how much sense they make. I dont have any trouble switching back to normal indicators.

    Re: Fuel consumption, did you reset it before you left? Because if you dont manually reset it, it'll of course be an average consumption since it was last reset, which could have been 10,000km ago!

    Corner entry: A lot of people subconsciously have their inputs tuned to the expectation of the steering geometry steeping as the front is loaded up under decelleration. The lack of dive can confuse people initially and make it feel like it's understeering or standing up. There's a simple solution to this, it's called - 'You're doing it wrong.'
  3. Squiggles's Avatar
    Why the swap? (Couldnt see a blog post on it). Have you run out of power with your accessories on the 990? Or is the main reason fuel range?
  4. Gremlin's Avatar
    mmm, good point re fuel consumption... no idea how to reset. Bike had done a total of low 2000km.

    Squiggles:
    I haven't swapped yet, but I am definitely trying to sort it. Experience won't trade the KTM as they are trying to clear the floor for 2011 models. Mount Motorcycles will trade (and they have a R1200GSA demo) but have offered 4 figures as a trade value, unseen. Speaking to salesmen, mates etc, its probably worth $12k (high mileage has taken a toll value wise) as a good buy, but of course, its what someone else will buy it for. Even the demo R1200GSA is $35.5k, so its an expensive swap.

    Reasons for changing are:
    - Ride in late February called the TT2000 in the South Island. I'm going to try for the basic route (2000km) plus all add-ons (approx 1300km) in the time that most will do the basic 2000km. This means up to 3300km in 40 hours, so the gear has to be right up there in performance. As the KTM currently stands, I would need the seat custom done, as even the SMT seat I got can't manage 40 hours (well - not many seats are designed to anyway), and a custom fuel tank, as even the extra 11L isn't enough for the night time between Queenstown and the east coast (no gas between them for the whole night). ie, more money to be spent, still not going to be perfect. I figure that at this point, I may as well start with a better base (and even the GSA will be altered in some ways). The only downside is that besides the big rides like TT2000, Grand Challenge etc, its going to be a massive overkill of a bike for fun rides to Kaiaua. It will be capable of 3 and a bit rides to Kaiaua and back, without a fuel stop...
    - The KTM has a max output of 450W at 6000rpm, and I don't even ride it that high in the revs. It can handle what I currently have, but not much more (I've asked the shop the load figures for a base model, but its not the kind of figures KTM knows, or expects people to ask). The BMW, at 720W, will allow for all current accessories, no problem, and extra lights. It comes with extra driving lights, I'll upgrade the low and high beam and also fit fog lamps as well.
    - The KTM sports a 19L fuel tank standard, which gets it further than sports bikes, but I laugh at KTM's marketing saying its for touring. It will do about 250, maybe a bit more excluding reserve, which I don't call touring. The BMW is better on gas and has about 29L before reserve. This means I don't need an extra tank (which I've used on the KTM), which means 2 to fill and extra complexity (aka, more to go wrong). Devil reckons he has done 600km or more? (a bit into reserve tho) 2up and with luggage. I've gone worldwide asking for a larger tank on the SM, nothing exists, only for the 990 Adventure, which is too dirt biased. 95% of my riding is probably road, but I do enjoy exploring forests, hence why a full dressed tourer is not an option.

    Don't get me wrong, the KTM is a great bike, but my riding has morphed massively since having a sportsbike, and the KTM is no longer the best option for such long distances in short times. I do worry about handling on the BMW, as the KTM is brilliant, which makes the long distances in short times easy... but useless if you have run out of gas.
  5. raftn's Avatar
    Great read, I always enjoy your blogs and informed comments. Keep us updated on how you get on as I am very interested.
  6. Devil's Avatar
    Re: reserve. You kind of forget about the concept of reserve. I've found the range to empty selection on the computer to be very accurate. I ignore the fuel warning entirely and rely on the range.
  7. Squiggles's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Gremlin
    long response
    What do ya think of the Super Tenere? Looks to be somewhere between the ktm and the beemer but perhaps a bit more cost effective? I always thought the r1200gsa would be the best but the more I looked into it the more perculiarities and horror stories became apparent A would you trade your GS for a S10 thread Can't wait for some longer term reviews to surface.
  8. Gremlin's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Squiggles
    What do ya think of the Super Tenere? Looks to be somewhere between the ktm and the beemer but perhaps a bit more cost effective? I always thought the r1200gsa would be the best but the more I looked into it the more perculiarities and horror stories became apparent
    I don't know the ins and outs of the Tenere, but its to be compared to the R1200GS, not the GSA. As I said before, I wouldn't buy the GS, as its too similar to the KTM, which is already a great bike. I would also consider the new Multistrada, but again, only a 20L tank. If I could get a larger fuel tank for it, I think it would be my number one choice, as its more road biased and runs normal street rim sizes. Anything with a fuel tank below 25L is not even going to be considered, for me. As it is, with mods to the KTM, with both fuel tanks, it holds 30L, which I've got used to.

    If I was shopping between GS and Tenere, at least the BMW is a known quantity, with the Tenere being a bit new. Both shaft drive, so low maintenance, but as always, its about the riding you will do. The GS has got more options available, things like ESA, tyre pressure monitoring (it tells you the actual pressure of each tyre) etc etc. More stuff to go wrong, but seeing that stuff on the fly may be wanted? The BMW's seem to be pot luck. You either get a great one, with bullet proof reliability, or you have no end of horrors. For this reason, I would look at a 2nd hand one for a better idea. However, I have a reputation of breaking things (and no-one else has ever had problems yada yada), so if I presume I will break something, I'd rather have the two year warranty from new, as then I don't get the bill. One thing appears for certain, is that when something DOES go wrong, its going to cost heaps to fix.

    Add on parts, the options are far greater on the GSA, than the Tenere, with plenty of advice and tips, companies making various parts etc, which makes certain stuff very easy.
  9. BMWST?'s Avatar
    i think the superten sounds like a great bike but has "ONLY" a 24 l tank.Would a big tank for 950 superenduro fit the sm???
  10. Gremlin's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by BMWST?
    Would a big tank for 950 superenduro fit the sm???
    Well, I know the seat from a 950 sm doesn't fit the 990 sm, and the adventure tank doesn't fit, and from a quick talk, the se tank wouldn't fit.

    so probably not