i have a 2001 1150gs and the surging only started after it had been in for its 6000mile service - at high speeds it is not noticable but in the lower gears it is a pain in the ass.

i have a house in the north of england where the roads are great for recreational riding - the surging is not noticeable as your generally accelerating thru the problem.
but when i got a job in the south east of england 18 months ago(shite roads, heavy traffic etc)i brought the bike down and have done approx 350miles since - driving on a constant throttle and up and down thru the low gears it is a pain.
my dealer suggested one of the problems is that they run lean to pass emissions tests but removing the yellow gizmo in the fuse box can help (richens the mixture), ididnt notice a vast difference.

i will ask them to pay particular attention to the throttle set up on the next service.

if your buying it for recreational riding on good open roads then there are few bikes around that are better, handling is excelent especially two up with luggage.

if your buying it as a workhorse(for which bmws use to be famed) in not such a fun environment dont bother get a jap bike they are still the most reliable bikes available.

also dont just test ride the dealers demo bike with a couple of thousand miles on it ask to test drive one of the used bikes in the showroom, this will give you a better idea of what the bike will feel like in a years time.

also dont expect a bmw to be problem free either however the dealers are very good generally.

having said all that im still going to india and beyond on it with the wife next year

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Richard and Gunac
London