Tell me why I shouldn't buy a 1200GS

[PitaNaanRoti]

On my third one.
Will be replacing this one with a pair of the ORS ones now they're back from Portugal.
Will take just about anything you throw at them and brush it off.
Yes they're heavy BUT we have the 690/801 for when we want to play a long way from the road.
Go and do the ORS stuff. You'll open your eyes hugely.
www.offroadskills.com

[Rockburner]

I'm in my fourth Rockster, it's basically the same bike as the 1150GS but without the height.

Yes the BMs have issues, so do every other manufacturer.

As said, try one for a good week or so. Hell, buy one and if you don't like in a month sell it on, you'll get the same money you paid.

[mangocrazy]

As a neutral observer (never owned or ridden a GS) they look huge, unwieldy and bloody heavy in the flesh (or metal, if you prefer), but when I've been out on a run with guys who own them their performance belies their looks. OK, so they all seem to be ridden by ex-plod who have a way of looking like they're out for a bimble while everyone else is struggling to stay in touch, but it does prove they can 'make progress' all right.

My problem with them is a) the weight, b) the overall width, c) the looks and d) the dubious reputation for reliability. A kerb weight of 270kg is way more than I want to wheel about, the width of the things mean they would never get down the alley way in my terraced house, the looks (to my eyes at least) are so deliberately agricultural it's not even funny and wasn't the 1200GS the bike that killed Kevin Ash?

So I'm honestly struggling to understand why they have such a devoted following...

[Mr. Dazzle]

I think they look great, just goes to show beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Hairybiker84]

I've had one, never have another - read my post about the issues on mine. Build and material quality is appalling so, unless you're never going to ride it in the wet, make sure it gets lots of tlc to stop the ally and stain-not-so-less crumbling before your eyes.
Super10 I have now better in every way, and it fits through gaps a lot better (van mirrors excepted).

[Demannu]

So its suck it and see!
I've owned a tele lever before, so know about the foibles.
I, for some perverse reason, really like the 1150 in motorrad colours, but the extra 30kgs puts me off.
I think a visit to a stealership may be in order, just for research purposes.
Apparently the early canbus bikes didn't like people hacking into the loom to fit spotlights and acc plugs, which is what most owners did!
If they did this colour scheme in the 1200 I'd be all over it like a cheap suit

BMW-R1150GS-Right-Side.jpg (85.93 KiB) Viewed 368 times

[Skub]

I've had one, never have another - read my post about the issues on mine. Build and material quality is appalling so, unless you're never going to ride it in the wet, make sure it gets lots of tlc to stop the ally and stain-not-so-less crumbling before your eyes.
Super10 I have now better in every way, and it fits through gaps a lot better (van mirrors excepted).

I think BMW trade on past glories. In the 70s when a Z1 was £1200 an R90S was twice the price. There was some reason for that. The Beemer had much superior build quality to the Kawasaki.

The PR coup that BMW have managed with their modern bikes,is to fool people into thinking that quality still exists,when it clearly does not.
When production numbers went up,build quality correspondingly went down. They now sell an expensive product which is much less reliable than anything Japanese and folk still want to buy it.

Good trick. I wouldn't take one as a gift.

[Hairybiker84]

I think BMW trade on past glories. In the 70s when a Z1 was £1200 an R90S was twice the price. There was some reason for that. The Beemer had much superior build quality to the Kawasaki.

Agreed, I remember a friend having one, definitely superior build - bloody awful to ride though, the torque reaction really took me by surprise when I rode it!

The PR coup that BMW have managed with their modern bikes,is to fool people into thinking that quality still exists,when it clearly does not.
When production numbers went up,build quality correspondingly went down. They now sell an expensive product which is much less reliable than anything Japanese and folk still want to buy it.

Same as the cars, why do people fall for it? Speak to my friendly local garage man about them, and Audi's - deluded! At least they keep him busy! A friend had a one series that the cam chain let go on and wrote it off, what did she do? - Got the BMW garage to give her a derisory sum for the 1 series (which they probably fixed for peanuts) and they did 'me a really good deal' on an X! Says a lot about the clientele

Good trick. I wouldn't take one as a gift.

Another person I know of works in their technical department, forever denying any issues publicly and doing lots of 'sweeping under the carpet'. Tried to sell an X5 or 2 to the local estate so had 2 demos running guests around on a shoot day. We got a lift in it and encouraged the driver to go through the cross-country course water jump - he went in too fast, swamped the engine and we sat their whilst 3" of water seeped it's way into the interior. Bent con rods, bolloxed ECU, £18k apparently to fix, sold it on once fixed to some unsuspecting punter as ex-demo

[Demannu]

Good trick. I wouldn't take one as a gift.

First they get you with a wurthers, treated with a special, psychotropic agent. Then with a grip of your arm, they activate you!
I did 20k trouble free miles on my last BMW, all I had to fix were the paralever pivot bearing ( twice) as they dont like to be wheelied that much.
My current Yamaha has reqd a new speedo with less than 5k on it (out of warranty of course), so it happens to the best of them.
As for corrosion, I fitted a fenda-extenda, and that put a stop to the front engine cover issues.
HB wasnt happy with many things about his bike, but poor headlight, easily sorted, uncomfy seat!
If the clutch went at sub 40k, then I would hazard a guess it had been green laned early in its life as well.
Not defending BMW, but if people are willing to buy a 'premium' product, then more power to their elbow. Apple have created an entire company doing that!

[Skub]

Not defending BMW, but if people are willing to buy a 'premium' product, then more power to their elbow. Apple have created an entire company doing that!

Yep,it's a cool trick.

Still,nothing ventured,nothing gained,I sincerely hope all goes well forya if you plump for a GS. I'm sure they can't all be bad.

Can they?

At least there'll be a thread.

[Hairybiker84]

Good trick. I wouldn't take one as a gift.

First they get you with a wurthers, treated with a special, psychotropic agent. Then with a grip of your arm, they activate you!
I did 20k trouble free miles on my last BMW, all I had to fix were the paralever pivot bearing ( twice) as they dont like to be wheelied that much.
My current Yamaha has reqd a new speedo with less than 5k on it (out of warranty of course), so it happens to the best of them.
As for corrosion, I fitted a fenda-extenda, and that put a stop to the front engine cover issues.
HB wasnt happy with many things about his bike, but poor headlight, easily sorted, uncomfy seat!
If the clutch went at sub 40k, then I would hazard a guess it had been green laned early in its life as well.
Not defending BMW, but if people are willing to buy a 'premium' product, then more power to their elbow. Apple have created an entire company doing that!

Clutch had to be changed, it wasn't worn out it was slipping under hard acceleration and when under load pulling away. No oil contamination either, go figure.

[Count Steer]

So, to summarise. Taking out the people that have never owned a GS, inc. those that never would, a few people have had one and have had problems/wouldn't have another and others have had one or more and either still have one and/or would have another. Some people think they're ugly, some don't. They're too slow/fast enough. They aren't the quality build they used to be (what is?). They're too expensive/they hold their value. Like other types of bike there's some 'baggage' about the 'type of people that ride them/how they're used'.

Conclusion: have one, live with it a while and decide for yourself You may have to grow a beard and apply 'wee de Cologne'.

PS I wouldn't worry too much about the weight of the 1150. I'm not exactly the Hulk and it only ever bothered me when hoiking it about on the drive to wheel it backwards into the garage and, tbh, that's just balance and technique as demonstrated by the chaps at the local dealers when wheeling stock out every morning in a rather balletic fashion. That and the more adventurous off-tarmac excursions show up the weight but on the move it just feels planted.

[Bigjawa]

Good trick. I wouldn't take one as a gift.

First they get you with a wurthers, treated with a special, psychotropic agent. Then with a grip of your arm, they activate you!
I did 20k trouble free miles on my last BMW, all I had to fix were the paralever pivot bearing ( twice) as they dont like to be wheelied that much.
My current Yamaha has reqd a new speedo with less than 5k on it (out of warranty of course), so it happens to the best of them.
As for corrosion, I fitted a fenda-extenda, and that put a stop to the front engine cover issues.
HB wasnt happy with many things about his bike, but poor headlight, easily sorted, uncomfy seat!
If the clutch went at sub 40k, then I would hazard a guess it had been green laned early in its life as well.
Not defending BMW, but if people are willing to buy a 'premium' product, then more power to their elbow. Apple have created an entire company doing that!

Clutch had to be changed, it wasn't worn out it was slipping under hard acceleration and when under load pulling away. No oil contamination either, go figure.

p

Simple.

Take a normal car clutch, say a Focus. The linings on the clutch plate are usually between 3.2 and 3.6mm thick when new, on a BMW bike, they're about 2.8mm when new. The clutch is small too. You're putting 90 odd bhp through a clutch smaller than one for a Fiat Panda 750.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I'm in my fourth Rockster, it's basically the same bike as the 1150GS but without the height.

Yes the BMs have issues, so do every other manufacturer.

As said, try one for a good week or so. Hell, buy one and if you don't like in a month sell it on, you'll get the same money you paid.

I've had Suzukis and Yamahas under warranty, no claims so far.

[Count Steer]

First they get you with a wurthers, treated with a special, psychotropic agent. Then with a grip of your arm, they activate you!
I did 20k trouble free miles on my last BMW, all I had to fix were the paralever pivot bearing ( twice) as they dont like to be wheelied that much.
My current Yamaha has reqd a new speedo with less than 5k on it (out of warranty of course), so it happens to the best of them.
As for corrosion, I fitted a fenda-extenda, and that put a stop to the front engine cover issues.
HB wasnt happy with many things about his bike, but poor headlight, easily sorted, uncomfy seat!
If the clutch went at sub 40k, then I would hazard a guess it had been green laned early in its life as well.
Not defending BMW, but if people are willing to buy a 'premium' product, then more power to their elbow. Apple have created an entire company doing that!

Clutch had to be changed, it wasn't worn out it was slipping under hard acceleration and when under load pulling away. No oil contamination either, go figure.

p

Simple.

Take a normal car clutch, say a Focus. The linings on the clutch plate are usually between 3.2 and 3.6mm thick when new, on a BMW bike, they're about 2.8mm when new. The clutch is small too. You're putting 90 odd bhp through a clutch smaller than one for a Fiat Panda 750.

A 1980 Panda 750 weighs 715kg (without 4 passengers), a 1200GS Adv weighs 250kg (wet, without 2 passengers) admittedly the Panda has about 35bhp so you may need to ride the clutch a bit to get it rolling.

[Bigjawa]

Clutch had to be changed, it wasn't worn out it was slipping under hard acceleration and when under load pulling away. No oil contamination either, go figure.

p

Simple.

Take a normal car clutch, say a Focus. The linings on the clutch plate are usually between 3.2 and 3.6mm thick when new, on a BMW bike, they're about 2.8mm when new. The clutch is small too. You're putting 90 odd bhp through a clutch smaller than one for a Fiat Panda 750.

A 1980 Panda 750 weighs 715kg (without 4 passengers), a 1200GS Adv weighs 250kg (wet, without 2 passengers) admittedly the Panda has about 35bhp so you may need to ride the clutch a bit to get it rolling.

Panda does about 22 mph flat out in first, GS should do something like 60?

[Hairybiker84]

I'm in my fourth Rockster, it's basically the same bike as the 1150GS but without the height.

Yes the BMs have issues, so do every other manufacturer.

As said, try one for a good week or so. Hell, buy one and if you don't like in a month sell it on, you'll get the same money you paid.

I've had Suzukis and Yamahas under warranty, no claims so far.

Unfortunately the GS was out of warranty so I had to pay to fix everything myself. The K1200s before it was in warranty - new clutch due to judder, new front suspension forks assembly (whatever they're called) replaced because the dealer managed to shear a bolt off fitting a front tyre, warranty issue with bolts holding the brake caliper halves together corroding (never resolved because they were prepared to supply me with new bolts but not the torque to tighten them to), warranty issue with fasteners holding petrol cap assembly to tank, eventually rejected because it was 'down to something I washed it with' despite me providing photographs of 2 other bikes with similar issues. Eventually got rid of it after my mates one had the rear suspension collapse at 3 figure speed.

[Demannu]

And after all that grief, you STILL bought another BM!

[Skub]

Unfortunately the GS was out of warranty so I had to pay to fix everything myself. The K1200s before it was in warranty - new clutch due to judder, new front suspension forks assembly (whatever they're called) replaced because the dealer managed to shear a bolt off fitting a front tyre, warranty issue with bolts holding the brake caliper halves together corroding (never resolved because they were prepared to supply me with new bolts but not the torque to tighten them to), warranty issue with fasteners holding petrol cap assembly to tank, eventually rejected because it was 'down to something I washed it with' despite me providing photographs of 2 other bikes with similar issues. Eventually got rid of it after my mates one had the rear suspension collapse at 3 figure speed.

And after all that grief, you STILL bought another BM!

First they get you with a wurthers, treated with a special, psychotropic agent. Then with a grip of your arm, they activate you!

You were right.

[Bigyin]

and wasn't the 1200GS the bike that killed Kevin Ash?

I seriously doubt you can blame a model of bike for the death of a journalist on a press launch of a new model. I know a few other journos on the launch said they didnt see what happened as it was on a dusty off road section but they all survived.

I will add that one of the reasons i didnt take the deal i was offered on a GS1200 LC engined model was the complete bollocks i was told by the sales bloke when i asked about warranty work and problems. I was told there were no issues at all yet i knew of 2 owners who currently had claims going through that dealer for flaking engine paint on new bikes (cant repaint so new engine job and well documented on UKGSer) and another who had a gearbox issue. If they had been honest i might have taken a punt. When i went to Ducati an hour later i got no bullshit and a promise to resolve any issues i had with their second hand bike i was buying. They did as well and have looked after me well 5 years on and on the 2nd Ducati i bought from them