Jump to content

My 1250 GS


Bungleaio
 Share

Recommended Posts

Being relatively new to riding and not actually really needing a bike it’s taken me a few years to actually work our what I want to use a bike for. I’ve found that I don’t really go for quick blasts for an hour or so. It tends to be either all day rides or longer trips of at least one night away quite often camping.


In the (almost) 3 years since passing my test I briefly had an MT07 which I only had briefly before getting offered a fantastic deal on a street triple RS. I covered about 14k miles in 18 months on this bike and loved it but it’s quite small for me and didn’t offer much in the way of all day comfort. Servicing was fairly pricey too. I paid not far off £1000 in routine servicing whilst I owned it. Fantastic bike though and for short rides it was a lovey thing.


The Z1000sx took my fancy as it was a similar power to weight as the street but offers a lot more touring capacity. I could only get a couple of short test rides on them but it get good and I fitted on the bike a lot more comfortably. Again a great bike but there was a few bits that I couldn’t get on with, the LCD display was near enough invisible in the sunlight being grey characters on a black background. The seat was also massively uncomfortable after about an hours riding. The main thing though was I never quite gelled with it, it didn’t like cross winds and would easily be blown about. It was a good bike and they are very common for good reason but for me it just didn’t feel right.


Thoughts moved onto potential replacements and the only thing that I really fancied trying was the GS.


I booked an appointment with my local dealer. The bloke I’d spoken to arrange it was away so someone else was going to check my license and give me the keys. When I arrived I waited 10 minutes then he came over to reception and told the lady he was too busy so someone else would have to deal with me. I gave them another 20 minutes and no one had spoken to me since I’d arrived so I walked out.


I went to the next dealer and they couldn’t have been better they had given me the keys to their demo bike within 10 minutes of me just turning up out of the blue. They said no ones booked on it so take out for a couple of hours.


I didn’t really know where I was so set a random route on the calimoto app and set off. I covered all kinds of road, single track, country lanes, residential, town centre and motorway. I loved it. When I returned to the dealer they asked when I might be looking to buy a new bike. I said I’d do it today if the deal was right. They looked at what was available (bmw were offering extra trade in on stock vehicles) found what I had in mind and gave me the list price. I asked if there was any discounts available, no sir, no discount on bmw. I knew this wasn’t necessarily right as the first garage had already given me the numbers they would sell me one for if the test ride went well.


I left the dealer and said I’d have a think about it. I didn’t really want to go back to the first place due to their attitude but I wasn’t going to pay full whack either.


A couple of days later I remembered the IAM (I did the training and passed the test last year) has some affiliate discounts so I had a look to see what was available, one of them being BMW so I gave them a call to see what they could do. They offered a very attractive price along with a great trade in price on the Z. That was it for me the deal was done.


The deal with the IAM is directly with bmw and the only dealership they have in the uk was Park Lane in central London so I went down there last week to pick it up. Riding or driving in London isn’t something that I’m afraid of but it’s not something that I actively choose to do but for the discount it wasn’t something that I would pass on.


 

1194038611_WhatsAppImage2020-09-09at20_26_58.thumb.jpeg.706d91a972ca3277f8c0572de26eec35.jpeg

 


Being park lane there’s no forecourt, you have to park on the pavement outside. It felt wrong but it’s what they told me to do.


There she is, R1250 GS TE. The only options being the sos button that I wanted along with the vario luggage. The bike also turned up with the factory alarm and comfort seat which I didn’t ask for so they discounted those off the cost meaning I got those for free.


 

2023780261_WhatsAppImage2020-09-09at20_27_27.thumb.jpeg.b59279ca262fc9a6ddcdda1d8de7f784.jpeg

 


The handover was very comprehensive and took quite a while, there is a fair bit of tech onboard and everything was explained to me.


It was rolled out of the showroom and off I went into rush hour London traffic on the biggest bike I’ve ever ridden, I didn’t do any filtering!


It was 100 miles to get home which left me with 500 to go until the running in service is due. I've got it booked in at the end of the month and I've got a few bits going on most weekends but I'd got a couple of days available. I put some engine bars on along with a mudsling and fender extender. Filled the cases with camping things and beer, strapped my tent and chair to the back, booked a couple of sites in wales and off I went.


 

75887206_WhatsAppImage2020-09-09at20_29.48(1).thumb.jpeg.29d8b3d4de1b8518156cdbf3c99de75f.jpeg

 


I was away for 3 days and covered 500 miles in comfort and without issue even though it was sometimes bright sunshine and other times very heavy rain. I rode on lovely smooth tarmac, freshly recovered in new chipings road, even on a gravel road that I wouldn't want to take my car down. It handled everything perfectly.


 

514332191_WhatsAppImage2020-09-09at20_29.48(2).thumb.jpeg.b8f2be011034164d5f47c2c24c4bf057.jpeg

 

 

1375887836_WhatsAppImage2020-09-09at20_29.48(3).thumb.jpeg.cbede9b065cc8a4ebf7f3772815a32a1.jpeg

 


Even though I was running it in and couldn't use the full rev range it still has a fantastic amount of power even when it is fully loaded. it inspires confidence on the corners and seems to be the perfect all rounder.


There are only two things that are slight downsides, one I'll get used to the other I don't really care about. Firstly there's no doubting that this is a heavy bike, it's only really noticeable at very slow speed and will be something that I'll just get used to. The other thing is that most other riders seem to ignore me and don't nod back, strange behavoir but I don't care what other people think.


Overall I'm thrilled with the new bike and I'm hoping to keep this one for a fair while.


She now sits in the garage for the next couple of weeks until I take her for the 1st service then I'll have a think about where we'll go next. I've got insurance for use for work so there will hopefully be the oppertunity for a few midweek trips too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You’ll soon get used to the attitude you get from other bikers. It’s always been the same. I got it in the late 90s when I got my first. Though the look of shock I used to get when I took off my helmet and they realised I was ‘only’ a 30 something was always amusing. Never mind eh. I’ve sat and watched the GS turn from an oddball and rather rare bike to what it is now. On my tour I would guess 3 out of every 5 bikes I’ve seen have been BMWs, aside from in Italy where they seem to be mad about Triumphs, so many of them. Almost outnumbering the GS. You’ll have great fun with that bike. They ARE great bikes, see what happens while the warranty and other benefits are in play. Hopefully you’ve got a good one and any teething problems will be speedily dealt with, that’s if you have any problems. Many never do. (Though those who do always scream the loudest)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

@Slowlycatchymonkey :wink:

 

Thanks for that. Great write up. The BMW dealer I was talking to said ask anyone who’s rude about them if they’ve ever ridden one. And yes some people have had bad experiences but mostly the sneers seem to come from people who’ve never owned a BMW.


I spent about 6 months trying and failing to explain to my other half why he needs a different bike for touring, not that he couldn’t do it on a low rider but it just wasn’t the best tool for the job. Eventually I hit the right spot when I said, so you’ll be happy leaving all that shiny chrome out in the rain will you?

Three days later he said “I’ve found a bike” and bought without much thought his winter/touring/I’m not fussed what happens to this bike.

It’s not a GS it’s an F800GT. Since May he’s ridden the Harley twice. He still loves the Harley but the proof of the pudding...


Anyhow is there an update? How are you getting on with it a couple of months down the track?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice write-up - I really enjoyed that, and the bike looks lovely. I wouldn't spare a thought to the attitude of others, either... they're superb bikes and I'd love one as an option for longer rides.


One thing I would say is that I'm not that impressed with the BMW dealer experience compared to (say) Triumph. With BMW I felt like I was just another customer; with Triumph, I've always felt like I was part of the family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Slowlycatchymonkey :wink:

 

Thanks for that. Great write up. The BMW dealer I was talking to said ask anyone who’s rude about them if they’ve ever ridden one. And yes some people have had bad experiences but mostly the sneers seem to come from people who’ve never owned a BMW.


I spent about 6 months trying and failing to explain to my other half why he needs a different bike for touring, not that he couldn’t do it on a low rider but it just wasn’t the best tool for the job. Eventually I hit the right spot when I said, so you’ll be happy leaving all that shiny chrome out in the rain will you?

Three days later he said “I’ve found a bike” and bought without much thought his winter/touring/I’m not fussed what happens to this bike.

It’s not a GS it’s an F800GT. Since May he’s ridden the Harley twice. He still loves the Harley but the proof of the pudding...


Anyhow is there an update? How are you getting on with it a couple of months down the track?

 

It's nice to have a few different bikes, not something I can do at the moment but the GS is a fabulous all rounder so I'm far from complaining.


There's not much to update on really, I took it for its first service a few weeks ago and went on a run out after then. I've also had another couple of rides out on it but only for a couple of hours and now she's parked in the garage for lockdown. I did suffer a puncture but I noticed the screw in my tyre when doing pre ride checks so I plugged it myself before going out, I'm not a massive fan of plugging tyres but I didn't want to scrap a tyre that had only 700 miles on it.


I've changed the screen to an MRA vario one as I was getting an annoying buffeting on my head, this has made a big difference, I've also added a camera system to the bike which records front and rear purely for use as a dashcam. I'm hoping I'll never really need it but after I was pushed over last December it's nice to have something there.


I don't think there will be much action for her over the next couple of months but once spring rolls around again I hope to get out and camp as much as possible. This year has been a poor effort on the camping front but I've still managed 5 trips away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice write-up - I really enjoyed that, and the bike looks lovely. I wouldn't spare a thought to the attitude of others, either... they're superb bikes and I'd love one as an option for longer rides.


One thing I would say is that I'm not that impressed with the BMW dealer experience compared to (say) Triumph. With BMW I felt like I was just another customer; with Triumph, I've always felt like I was part of the family.

 

Thank you, I don't care about other peoples thoughts but it is an odd attitude that others take to the GS.


I live 10 minutes from the Triumph factory so will always be swayed towards them but I went to look at a GS at the local dealer which is in the same network as the Triumph one that I got my street from and they had a shocking attitude. I've had a bad experience with my local car BMW dealer too though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice write-up - I really enjoyed that, and the bike looks lovely. I wouldn't spare a thought to the attitude of others, either... they're superb bikes and I'd love one as an option for longer rides.


One thing I would say is that I'm not that impressed with the BMW dealer experience compared to (say) Triumph. With BMW I felt like I was just another customer; with Triumph, I've always felt like I was part of the family.

 

Depends on the particular dealership. The Bristol BMW motorrad are a waste of space, unhelpful to the extent I went in ready to part with my cash and left to look elsewhere. A friend of mine didn’t really believe me, went in there to buy a bike a couple of years later and ended up tearing them to shreds, they were so rude.

The Dorchester BMW dealer CW Motorcyles (not now exclusively BMW so they can only sell used BMW’s) couldn’t have been better, helpful, friendly, fitted my bike out with all the extras with no charge and gave me by far the best deal of all four dealers I was going between.


Contrasting the Triumph dealer Wellington Taunton which I may have been unlucky in but the woman who I asked a couple of questions about the bike was so miserable in my direction I didn’t even proceed with a test ride, I went to Fowler’s in Bristol instead, who were like Folwers are- layed back to horizontal!


So brands can state what they expect from their dealers but just as with a franchise it’s down to the person who owns the dealership what experience you’re going to have.


I won’t even start on the Mercedes commercial dealer in Gloucestershire, just don’t go there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Welcome to The Motorbike Forum.

    Sign in or register an account to join in.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy Guidelines We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Please Sign In or Sign Up