Change to GS?

[MIKE46]

I have had my 1200R for six years,46.000 miles on the clock, no problems with it but I fancy a change and am thinking about a 1200GS.

Any comments from anyone who has ridden both would be appreciated.

[angellr]

I have had my 1200R for six years,46.000 miles on the clock, no problems with it but I fancy a change and am thinking about a 1200GS.

Any comments from anyone who has ridden both would be appreciated.

Only you will be able to understand if the GS is for you or not. Have ridden both, prefer the Roadster. Go take a test ride and see for yourself.

[deilenberger]

+1 with Bob.. but that's a lotta $$$ if you're not going to use it extensively off-road..

[Woland]

I've ridden both, prefer the R at this point but could see myself on a GSA in the future. Its taller, heavier and not as inspiring. On the other hand it has much better windprotection, its taller (with me being 6'4" thats a good thing) and a slightly more upright and relaxed riding position, wider bars and a much larger tank (GSA).

The one thing I like about BMW bikes, unless you buy new which I would never do, is that they dont depreciate as bad as cars. I've never been much for clinging to one thing for very long and changing bikes is fun. There's no reason not to change bikes once in a while and try something new.

Arrange a test ride and see if you like it

[mogu83]

I would keep the R and pick up a 650GS or a KLR if you want to experience off road riding. I would have one or the other in the garage today except for the fact that I suffer from a serious lack of control when it comes to dirt (or dirt type) bikes. After a few 'incidents' riding in the dirt in my early fifties SWMBO strongly recommended that I stay out of the woods on a motorcycle. Seeing that in over forty years of marriage she has never involved herself with my motorcycle addiction I figured she might have a point.
The R1200R easily handles all my dirt road needs with few problems, and they could be corrected with a tire change.

[BoxerSteve]

I have both an '08 R1200R and a '12 GS I bought new a couple months ago. For now anyway, I'm trying to sell the R but so far no joy. I got the GS because the R is too cramped for me to ride for very long. I love the GS! But I still love the R too and wish I could afford to keep both bikes.

Things I like better about the GS:
For a tall guy like me, it is far more comfortable as it has more legroom. It offers better weather protection and is quieter on the highway. It is much better for longer rides. The wife also finds it much more comfortable.
It rides better, probably due to new suspension components. It has ESA which is nice, until it breaks outside of warranty that is! The ESA is very nice though for quickly changing suspension settings without having to get off the bike.
It does better off pavement. Yes the R can do some off pavement work but it's not made for it. The oil cooler on the R is in a vulnerable location for off pavement stuff. The wide bars on the GS give nice leverage for low speed work in the dirt.
The factory windshield gives better weather protection and is much quieter than the aftermarket barn door Z-Technic windshield that came on the R when I bought it. The GS offers weather protection for your legs too, to an extent. The GS handguards are nice too. I rode to work today in about 38 degrees and was not cold, and I don't have any heated gear either. I would have froze my butt off on the R this morning.
Since it's kind of a tall bike you get a commanding view of the road from the saddle.
The ABS can be turned off.
The headlight is easily adjustable and has a quick adjustment for riding two up so one doesn't blind oncoming traffic in this case.
Better lighting for night riding.

Things I like better about the R:
Lighter, easier to deal with, easier to park and manage at low speeds. Though the GS does pretty well at lower speeds, much better than I would have thought for it's size and weight.
Runs better, it's like a Mustang - a bit temperamental and has a more sensitive throttle, but it gets up and MOVES when you get on the gas. OK it's no Yamaha R1 and the front wheel doesn't try to come off the ground. But it's got plenty of power for me.
One can see the time and the temperature at the same time - on the GS it's one or the other and I am always hitting the Info button repeatedly to show the other one. What were they thinking when they took this away on the GS? Probably cost savings, that way there only needs to be one button on the instrument panel instead of two.
Better MPG, more range, it can go 200-220 miles before needing a fillup. The GS fuel warning light comes on after about 150 miles or so. The R gets 50 MPG pretty much all the time; the GS gets 50 only on the highway, around town it's about 42 or so. The GS is not broken in yet though.
The GS is ridiculously overpriced. So is the R but not quite as badly.

I hope this helps. A test ride is great, but as you no doubt already know, one has to ride a bike for a while before one really gets to know it. The more I ride my GS, the better I like it.

Still love the R though.

[Jed]

I actually went to the dealer wanting to buy a GS. I took it out on a longish test drive and liked it. I was ready to buy. In an effort to "seal the deal" and "cover my bases", I took a R12R out for a short ride just to clear any doubt about getting the R12GS over the R12R.

30 seconds into my R12R test ride I knew I had found the bike I wanted. I kept riding for another 10 minutes but I was sold within the first 30 seconds. Immediately upon my return to the dealer I gave them a deposit on a R12R.

The R12GS is a great bike, but it just doesn't stand up to the R12R on the road. I agree with everything BoxerSteve wrote but I'm not really interested in the off-road capability of the GS and I'm not as tall as Steve. @ 6'1" 225# the R12R is perfect for road work. A screen would be great on the highway @ 90 mph, but I'd hate it once the speeds get down below 60 mph. I ride about 12K miles a year, 50% highway & 50% back roads. I haven't done any long distance touring, for that I would consider a bigger windscreen.

cheers,

[BoxerSteve]

I remembered another consideration of the GS over the R: it is probably easier to re-sell the GS as they are quite a bit more popular. It's kind of hard to sell an R1200R as they were / are not big sellers for BMW and the price for an R is rather steep.

My local BMW dealer doesn't have a single R1200R on the showroom floor. They have a half dozen GS's.

To some people though that could be a good thing - who wants to be riding the same bike as every other Tom dingle & Harry?

[deilenberger]

I remembered another consideration of the GS over the R: it is probably easier to re-sell the GS as they are quite a bit more popular. It's kind of hard to sell an R1200R as they were / are not big sellers for BMW and the price for an R is rather steep.

My local BMW dealer doesn't have a single R1200R on the showroom floor. They have a half dozen GS's.

To some people though that could be a good thing - who wants to be riding the same bike as every other Tom ---- & Harry?

Steve,

Actually - your local dealer probably has problems keeping the R12R in stock. Our local dealer had sold more R1200R's then GS's over the past year, which is why there are GS's in his showroom and no R's.. he has problems getting enough allocation on the R12Rs to keep one in stock. If you count the number of R12R's in our local club now and compare it to GS's.. R12R's easily outnumber the GS crowd when it comes to Hexheads.

And of course it doesn't hurt that the owner of the local dealership is now riding an R1200R.. and loves it.

[MIKE46]

Thanks for the responses, I have seen the light and have today ordered a new R1200R Classic with all the bells and whistles!

[MIKE46]

Thanks for the responses, I have seen the light and have today ordered a new R1200R Classic with all the bells and whistles!

[Las]

Wise choice. Enjoy.

[Acpantera]

I have purchased the R1150R in 2001 and then the R1200R in 2007(very happy with both). I am waiting to see and purchase the next generation roadster. The only thing that might sway me to a GS is, if the next roadster does not have the telever front end for some silly reason or if they make the riding position more sporty/cramped. I have rode the GS before and I must say that the roomier seating is nice, but the larger/heavier feel would take a little getting used too. Electronic cuise and shift assist are also on my wish list for the new roadster.

[MrPMS]

For what its worth, I was just in Europe spending 8 days walking all over Paris and Milan. My informal survey found the R12R outnumbering the GS by about 4:1 which surprised me, given the amount of hype surrounding the latter. Also, for us smaller older guys (5-8, 155, 70) I find the R12R much lighter, lower, more manageable, and better looking.

[Karamazov]

For what its worth, I was just in Europe spending 8 days walking all over Paris and Milan. My informal survey found the R12R outnumbering the GS by about 4:1 which surprised me

Naked/Standards do very well in Europe in general. I think their idea of a what a basic motorcycle should look like is very different from ours. I suppose it has something to do with the evolution of the cruiser in the U.S. and the deviation from the "sit up and beg" style of riding.

There are actually a lot of bikes in the class that don't even get imported to the U.S. - some of them are best sellers in Europe.

[Catchina]

For what its worth, I was just in Europe spending 8 days walking all over Paris and Milan. My informal survey found the R12R outnumbering the GS by about 4:1 which surprised me

Naked/Standards do very well in Europe in general. I think their idea of a what a basic motorcycle should look like is very different from ours. I suppose it has something to do with the evolution of the cruiser in the U.S. and the deviation from the "sit up and beg" style of riding.

There are actually a lot of bikes in the class that don't even get imported to the U.S. - some of them are best sellers in Europe.

The Honda Hornet is one of them.

[Jed]

That Hornet is such a handsome bike !! I'd buy it.

[objectuser]

I have a 2009 R and a 2009 GS.

The R is so much fun, just a joy to ride. I initially setup the R totally wrong (for me), with a screen, risers and a touring seat. I was wanting it to be something its not. As it comes from the factory, though, it's an amazing machine.

The GS is fun and comfortable. Not as much fun as the R, but much more comfortable. I can't handle the R for very long because of the forward riding position. But the GS is all day comfortable, which, for me, the R is not. I know a lot of people on this board can ride the R all day long, however, so don't just take my word for it in terms of comfort. I'm tall and don't have great muscle structure. YMMV.

These are great machines. I try to ride each as often as I can.

[Dr. Strangelove]

To some people though that could be a good thing - who wants to be riding the same bike as every other Tom ---- & Harry?

who's ---- ?

[angellr]

To some people though that could be a good thing - who wants to be riding the same bike as every other Tom ---- & Harry?

who's ---- ?

Gotta love the board's censor ...