owner's forum new 1200 GSA

[norbert and francoise]

Hi everybody,

Would like to open this tread as a short forum to all of you who took delivery or have driven the new BMW GS 1200 Adventure. Please feel free to post asap your first ride feelings and thoughts.
Also, if some of you guys have already ideas and/or expereince about aftermarket equipement (panniers, protections etc) for the new 1200 GSA please share.

I just got delivery of mine : chassis nr 92053. I ordered it in december 05 (Belgium), without being able to see or test the bike. I will post my impression tonight after my first 200 km.
I know guys, there will be a lot of jaleous - Grant was the first already (lol)- but remember, there must be always someone to start with, isn't it ? So, leave this tread/forum to the guys who have driven the new Adventure, thanks.

Norbert

[swe12adv]

Did you enjoy your first trip?

Mine is #91429 Alpine white/ red with all extras except fog lights.
I´m very happy with the bike, first BMW I own.

I will buy some bags for it soon, have not decided yet but will probably
get the BMW alu panniers.

[norbert and francoise]

Hi folks, here I am back ...

Well honestly its a really a great bike !!!

Not only "great" because of the seat hight, but once you got a bit used to the weight distribution, its really quick on dirt, quicker then my old 100 GS and better than the standard 12GS, it still handles superbly on paved roads (as a 12GS), drives like a bicycle in town (incredible well balanced, even better than 12GS : cfr geometry) ... and is as well weather protected on highways (150 km/h) as was my 1150 RT, and way better a 1200 GS. Just the hands are a bit more exposed to rain than on RT.

So, this bike not only replaces efficiently both my 100 GS and 1150 RT, but it add new ways to (fast) off road .

Yes, there it is ... the negative point. I found after this first 300 km (220 paved and 80 off road) that the first gear ratio is too high . I must check figures, but I could not see any changes compared to 1200GS which I used extensively on a tour of Taiwan in jan 05 with the local BMW club (hello guys down there ... I am Thierry's father !). On this tour I also shared a 1150 GS, which is way behind the 1200GS ...

I am tall, 1m90 and real long legs, but still, that's first time I am so high seated that I nearly make it with my feet flat on the ground ... but once driving even on soft or muddy its great until you can keep some pace, but once things come down you will remember how "high" you are driving...

After all on this bike I can drive upright, where on my 100GS, or even on the 1200GS or 1150 GS, I am cramped in between upright and seating position, and together with the better suspension geometry you can really go for "trialling", just that dammed too high first gear ...

On the first ride, suspension showed hard, but although weighing 100 kg, I soften it to the lowest and found it ok. So loading capacity will be really high off road. But small guys ...

My new 1200 GSA has Tourance tires, which seems after this first driving experience to be a very good compromise, even in muddy situation its acceptable. Only on real slopes it shows signs of loosing grip. But there you will find the bike has a too high first gear ratio and a bit lesser grip ... will help not slip to much the clutch.

Whats so nice is the great tank ... Tonight, I still got 242 km range in the tank after 300 km ! And this enlarged tank does not at all affect the driving position. Also, the handlebar is much better than on the GS 1200 which I found to low ( my son added some Touratech risers on his 12GS which enhanced the driving position).

And this GSA is also really fast, I did not notice big diff with the 1200 GS on accelerations. Engine delivers real bursts of power on all gears like the 1200 GS. Much prettier than 1150 RT !

Well honestly, this will be a bike like the 80/100 GS for the next generations of RTW drivers, but still much prettier on normal paved roads. Yes, I know, some of you will say, its too high tech for RTW, too ... (blabla) but remember when BMW came up with the first 80 GS in the 80's (I was driving a 90/6 ), people where saying exactly the same , and stiil the 80 GS became one of the best RTW bike.

For long off raod touring the 12GSA is well protected, but still would benefit of an engine guard extension (exhaust) and certainly of a real mudguard before back suspension and battery !!! I dont understand why BMW do not supply such basic protection on such a good bike!

I tried the additional headlights at night on off road, and they will offer some options for night driving in Africa ...

Voilà, hope some of you folks, will also post your "first driving impressions" of this superbike! That will help some of you to make their desicion between a GSA and a KTM ...

Kind regards

Norbert

[norbert and francoise]

hey swe12add,

I got the other colour scheme ...
and I am also wondering which panier option to choose.

Let us have your driving impressions.

Norbert

[John Ferris]

Some friends went riding in Northern Nevada yesterday and I heard that of the four bikes, 3-1200GS's and 1- 1150GS that with thunder storms and flooding roads the only bike that did not stall out going through several water crossings was the 1150GS. The question came up, has the air intake chainged on the 1200GS ?

[simmo]

" After all on this bike I can drive upright, where on my 100GS, or even on the 1200GS or 1150 GS, I am cramped in between upright and seating position, and together with the better suspension geometry you can really go for "trialling", just that dammed too high first gear ..."

Thats why BMW will soon reinvent chain drive as they did forks for the HP2

[smitty]

I just got a chance to check out the new GSA and I'll say she's real sweet! I bought an R1200GS back in november and love the bike. Just got back from Madagascar two days ago and am leaving May 1st for Alaska via New York, then Deadwood, South Dakota, Calgary, and finally Anchorage. I haven't figured a route back to Texas yet but I'm going to try swapping a mate's job for passage down to Seattle via a shipping company I used to work for. Spent 49 days dockside in Toamasina, Madagascar discharging humanitarian aid. My second time there. It's quite inexpensive and the locals are very friendly. You can rent a MAK (Chinese) 125cc enduro there for $100 USD for two weeks. Not bad. 5 bucks will get you a decent Hotel for the night. Food and is also cheap. There are plenty of women and they are extremely friendly from a merchant seamens perspective. The crime rate is like zero. I guess I've gotten off the topic but just wanted to throw that in! I noticed the expanded windsceen on the GSA and would like to hear some comments on it. I assume it would fit on the GS which could stand some improvement. Anyone in the area of my route get back to me. I'm buying the !

[norbert and francoise]

Hi Smitty,

nice place Texas, spent some time over there early in 1999 - 2004, my children and grandchildren were living there , great place for bikingTexas, although bit to flat ... prefer NM and AR ...
You right to say the GS1200 is a great bike, my son had one in Taiwan, its a totally diff bike than the GS1100 or 1150 ... and to me, the Adventure has given the 12GS what most travellers like you were missing on the GS12.
The new screen in combination with the small side deflectors and the large tank, gives a much better weather protection. Its like on a RT., but bit lesser aerodynamic, so I guess mileage at higher speeds (90 mph) will be lower than on RT. On the computer I had nearly 10l/100 km for steady 150/160 and around 6,5 l/100 km for steady 120/130 km/h, which is more than on my 1150. Honestly I dont care ... ansd it will certainly reducing by 20 % after the bike is riding in.
Since i am tall, I have already made a mod to the screen holders: I cut away the fingers on the 2 pads cause they did not allow to use full adjustable angle of the screen adjustment . Wonder why BMW made that part like that ... nevertheless screen is about 2 inch higher now without hardly any more turbulences.
Will do more little mods, and have already ordered some extra protection from Touratech.

Norbert

[swe12adv]

Norbert, I also thought about why BMW made the windshield adjustments "not fully adjustable". I will do that mod also.

Read this and the linked thread about the BMW alu cases:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134398

My bagmounts was included with my bike when delivered. In Sweden these
bagmounts are included at all bikes (standard equipment). My understanding is that it´s not the bagmounts (frames) that are the problem. It´s the fasteners and locks at the bags that has a faulty design.
I wil not buy the BMW cases until this is resolved. If it takes to long time, I will buy the TT Zegas instead.

The bike itself is just what I wanted, I think it´s great and handles well.
It doesn´t feel that heavy that it looks. I really like the high speed comfort,
the comfort and handling on gravel roads.

Everywhere I stop there is someone who wants to chat about the bike and give "a thumb up" for the bike.

/Mattias

[norbert and francoise]

Hi Matt,

I told my dealer , but he answered that BMW does not want to release any bagmounts anymore ... cant really understand.
They told me that they can have the bags in 2 days, but that there is no "fixed delay" for the bagmunts.
How did you feel the 12GSA off road ?
Do you also be a bit frustrated by the too long ratio on first gear ?
I think BMW have done it purposedly, to avoid undesired "wheelings" ... lots of torque, high handlebar position etc
Remember being in Taiwan with my son's GS12 (with handlebar risers) at a red light, full loaded with my wife in the back ... wanted to show some local Honda driver how quick the GS12 was ... it ended up in a long unvolontair wheeling ... wife wasn't really happy, have to say !
So probably BMW is taking care in advance of wife's backseat stress

norbert

[swe12adv]

hehe, unvolontair wheeling..... does that exists...
Well, I have not done any real off road riding yet, just gravel roads.
On gravel roads I think the 12GSA perfoms well and have no issues with the
gearing there. In what offroad conditions are you thinking about?
Singel tracks, steep hills, deep sand?
Only real offroad I have tested so far is some deep sand at a beach.
That was just a short test so I can´t say if it was god or bad, and I prefer
knobbies in conditions like that but I could manage
the sand pretty god (more throttle :-).
BTW I did some single track down to the beach with ruts and stuff like that,
but that was no problemas at all. I have to take some more time to explore
the offroad abilities of the Adventure.

[norbert and francoise]

He Matt,
Hello all,

As a general information to future GSA buyers, I checked out the overall first gear ratio for both 12 GS and 12GSA in the tech. doc:

GS / GSA
primary drive: 1,882 / 1,823
first gear : 2,277 / 2,277
final drive : 2,82 / 2,8

conclusion: almost identical, and , for the tires are identical (2 m circumference), this gives a theoretical speed of 9,95 km/h at 1000rpm in first gear.

To be sure my bikes complain the technical specs, I tested the speed in first gear and got close to 20 km/h at 2000 rpm, which is identical.

So no difference between the GSA and GS concerning gear ratio.

Norbert

[norbert and francoise]

erratum

GS / GSA
primary drive: 1,882 / 1,823
first gear : 2,277 / 2,277
final drive : 2,82 / 2,82

[ThierryGS]

Hello,

I am Norbert's son, I had the great pleasure to test ride his new GS adv.
I waited this moment since the release of the pictures last year. I am just back from Taiwan where I owned a GS 1200 (2004 model), drove about 25.000km (including offroad)on this beautifull Island. I have always been very happy about the new GS, great bike!

Afther the short test ride (also offroad), I could definitively enjoy (compared to the GS 1200):
1) the better suspention and higher clearance
2) the pilot's comfort in rain and wind protection, amazing
3) in offroad, the suspention feels much better and great pilot position (with the large foodpeg, one long seat and upright position)

I only hope that the new cross spoke wheels are better than the one on the GS 1200. On my GS 1200 I kept my aluminium wheels, as many friends in Taiwan complained about their spoke wheels. (bended and gave vibrations above 100km/h). If one day the battery should go flat, I also hope that the new alternator is enough to keep the bike running afther starting it with jumping cables (because the servo break ask soo much power!).

It is a wonderfull bike.

Since my father got it, I feel like he is 10 years younger

Cheers,

Thierry

[colebatch]

Have had a 1200 GSA for a month now and agree with all the posts above .... the problem with the gearbox is not just that it is the same gearbox and gearbox ratios that are in the GS, its far worse and far more lazy of BMW than that.

"clearly a road gearbox rather than a 'go anywhere' gearbox ... as you can determine from looking at the gear box ratios of the R1200GS, R1200GSA, R1200R, R1200RT, R1200S, and R1200ST .... all identical set of 6 ratios. Why spend money developing a purpose built gearbox when you can just drop in the bog stock gearbox eh?"

I agree that the first gear ratio is way too tall and am currently exploring ways to get a different set of first gear cogs in there.

I understand BMW development team of 400 people is already flat out putting out half a dozen new bikes a year, but how long would it have taken them to put together a proper set of gear ratios so that the bike actually does what it says its designed for - to go anywhere?