The Big Black Bus

[KungFooBob]

280721034_4973009952734493_4279825521535567342_n.jpg (878.24 KiB) Viewed 852 times

Just ridden it home.

I like it.

I bought it blind, it's not in as good nick as some of the others I looked at the same age/miles (but still better than the ones in the local BMW stealership), but it was a grand cheaper and had all the boxes (which would have cost me a good £600 2nd hand), so I'm reasonably happy.

The worse bit a some flakey engine paint around the intakes where it looks like some pooled water has sat, I might be able to touch it up, but if I leave it then it means I won't get too prissy about keeping it nice (if that makes sense).

With the seat in the high position and the ESA set for a pillion, I can only just touch the floor with both feet (and I'm 6"3'), so it's gonna stay on rider only for now. Fiddled with the ESA and the rider modes and couldn't tell too much difference so left it in dynamic.

It had a brand new pair of Bridgestone A41's fitted, so I took it easy for the first 15 seconds. They felt good, suspension is plush enough without feeling remote. Chicken strips almost gone just on the 35 miles home.

Seat comfy. The adjustable screen could do with going up about 2 inches to stop my Tour-X4 whistling (stops if I duck slightly).

The Quickshifter is ok going up, takes a bit of force to get it to snick in, the down shifts are BRILLIANT!

Close throttle, start braking, knock it down a few times without clutch and it just sorts it all out, it blips 'just' enough, you don't even notice it blipping unless you're watching the tacho.

It started raining just as I got it in the garage, I'll have a proper play tomorrow, take the wife for a spin and see what she thinks.

[Yorick]

What engine?

Why the huge beak?

[KungFooBob]

What engine?

Why the huge beak?

It's a 1200 Boxer, but the later watercooled one but not the newer 1250.

It's a GS, they have to have a beak, it's the LAW!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The bravest animals in the land
Were Captain Beaky, and his band

[Asian Boss]

Don't worry about all that engine paint and panniers bollocks, get it up on t'back wheel.

[KungFooBob]

Don't worry about all that engine paint and panniers bollocks, get it up on t'back wheel.

It does pop up in 2nd without too much effort, I wasn't trying too hard cos, new bike and that. I reckon with a bit of clutch it might even come up in 3rd.

[Skub]

The black goes some way to disguise the homliness.

[KungFooBob]

Just been reading the paperwork, I could report Rite Bike to the ICO I know all there is to know about the previous owner.

Geoff bought it as an approved used bike from BMW Guildford October 2019 with 13,500 on the clock, for £11,908... including MotoGP Paint Protection, a Tank bag and gap insurance.

He had it serviced, new battery and new tyres at 14,000 miles in March 2021... £875.89!

Then had it service April 2022 (last month) at 15,815... £425.24.

[Count Steer]

Rather like that in black. Gives it a slightly evil air - a touch of the Vaders

Is that the standard seat? It looks lower than I'd expect

[KungFooBob]

Oh, I banged a shin on on the engine bar when I put my foot down once and it hurt, need to watch out for that.

[KungFooBob]

Rather like that in black. Gives it a slightly evil air - a touch of the Vaders

Is that the standard seat? It looks lower than I'd expect

That was before I put it in the high position.

It's a Triple Black Special Edition...

Black Rims
Black Engine/Drive/Forks
Black fully painted bodywork (rather than just the middle section of tank being painted, the whole thing is).

[Count Steer]

Rather like that in black. Gives it a slightly evil air - a touch of the Vaders

Is that the standard seat? It looks lower than I'd expect

That was before I put it in the high position.

It's a Triple Black Special Edition...

Black Rims
Black Engine/Drive/Forks
Black fully painted bodywork (rather than just the middle section of tank being painted, the whole thing is).

'It's so... black!" said Ford Prefect. "You can hardly make out its shape... light just seems to fall into it!"

The seat looks lower than the low settings on the older versions, maybe it's the photo angle or they jiggled the geometry to accommodate the not so long of leg. Did you ride it home on the low setting?

[KungFooBob]

I did ride it home on the low, I was so excited I forgot to check before I set off.

[Count Steer]

I did ride it home on the low, I was so excited I forgot to check before I set off.

Be interesting to see what happens with the whistling lid when you sit higher. The screen/airflow thing can be a bit weird position-wise but they've obviously changed the screen design a fair bit over time so maybe not so any more.

[KungFooBob]

It's not the stock screen, it should be clear. No idea if it's bigger/smaller than the stock one.

My Varadero had an aftermarket screen with an adjustable wing on it that worked well.

Also, the switch gear (just) touches the tank on full lock, so I think the bars have been moved lower in the clamps previously.

[Dodgy69]

Try upshifts at varying loads, some work better when giving it a proper handful.

[KungFooBob]

I've always done clutch less upshifts, remembering not to close the throttle on the GS is the hard part. The gearbox is certainly on the more clunky side compared to Japanese bikes, my ancient GSXR1100 is very slick.

[Mr. Dazzle]

You can't have a beemer and a merc in the same household!

[weeksy]

I've always done clutch less upshifts, remembering not to close the throttle on the GS is the hard part. The gearbox is certainly on the more clunky side compared to Japanese bikes, my ancient GSXR1100 is very slick.

Character... keep saying it...

I'll be saying it 50 times later with the false neutrals

[MingtheMerciless]

OMG the weeds in the block paving and I'm not even going to start on the fence.

I'd need a step ladder or some sort of convoluted thunderbirds-esque arriving in the seat mechanism to sit on that.

I like the way the spokes attach at the edge of the rim and not in the centre.