So, talk me out of buying a new GSA....

[Zookman]

I should add though, seeing as i've just realised you're talking about a new one..... I dont know anyone with the new water cooled GS.
Maybe they're better now.

[ChasF]

As usual on a forum you'll get posts from people that's never owned one telling you how crap they are.

How right you are
Opinions with no substance.
Or this is the best when there are many they have never tried.
Good job the ill informed are educated enough to see through it.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and the thread title is something of an open door for all the BMW haters to vent their spleen and regurgitate all the internet reliability stuff that has already posted a dozen times. Personally, I've test ridden every model of 1200 as they become available and they are all OK to ride but too much like the rest for my taste. My main reason for not owning one is no desire to become one of the herd - it's worse than hardly herding where at least some of the bikes are individualised.

[MarkN]

I'm now on my 4th bike in the GS range. I've owned an 1150 GS, an 1150GSA and two 1200GSA. My last one caught fire but my dealer repaired it under warranty, bought it back from me and sold me the new one.

I've had a few niggles with all my BMWs but I've had full service and back up from my dealer and have never worried about my bike.

I ride them a lot, and do about 15,000 miles a year, so, at some point things might go wrong. My current GSA has covered 30,000 miles now and it's never had any trouble at all.

I've also owned a KTM 990 Adv and had a lot of issues with that bike, although many of the issues I had were fixed in later models. KTM always got them fixed but I was left stranded beside the road on one or two occasions, that's never happened on a BMW.

One thing that lots of people say is that BMWs are expensive but, you get great service from their dealers and from BMW themselves and they'll (generally) look after you. So you'll get your money's worth in back-up.

I would have no problem at all buying a BMW, especially one from CW Motorcycles in Dorchester. (thumbs)

[waynecoluk]

Thanks guys you've made my decision a lot easier.....
I'm not thinking of getting rid of the versus because it's ugly. It's just the current deal on the GSA is very good and ends in the next month. I admit I am slightly nervous about the supposed problems with the GS but it seems there are as many people who haven't had problems that have.
Everyone who says about following the herd this doesn't bother me. Do I not buy something which is apparently the best at what it does because other people have them? That's like saying I wouldn't buy a bmw 3 series car because they are too popular. Not a valid excuse imo.

[Trev]

In the spirit of trying to talk you out of it as you asked .......

For the same reason I never bought a 3 or 5 series BM as a company car, every buggers got 'em and many 'cos they're supposed to be a 'real drivers car' even though a tiny proportion of owners use them as such

Just saying, hope that helps :whistle:

[fullerton]

does it matter if every bugger has one, i dont actually know in the living flesh anyone who has had any problems and my mates have very high mileage bikes.

if they where as shite as people make out know one would bye them,

ps you cant actually say any of them (ad bikes) are good looking compared to the likes of say 916, aprilla factory rsv etc

steve

[DaveCon]

Queueing up at ferry ports the 1100/1200GS's are the single most popular bike. That means there might be four or five of the 20/30 bikes waiting, there's such a large variation of bikes. Travelling around UK and Europe, BMW are the single most popular make except where Harleys are popular. (As far as I have seen anyway). Causes a lot of inverted snobbery ("oh, a BMW eh")

If you want to be slightly different but still want a BMW, have a look at the 800GS, I've got one and only saw one other in two weeks/2000 miles. A couple of times I got the "Oh, BMW eh? Oh but it's the 800 is it?" :huh:

[Alan29]

Queueing up at ferry ports the 1100/1200GS's are the single most popular bike. That means there might be four or five of the 20/30 bikes waiting, there's such a large variation of bikes. Travelling around UK and Europe, BMW are the single most popular make except where Harleys are popular. (As far as I have seen anyway). Causes a lot of inverted snobbery ("oh, a BMW eh")

If you want to be slightly different but still want a BMW, have a look at the 800GS, I've got one and only saw one other in two weeks/2000 miles. A couple of times I got the "Oh, BMW eh? Oh but it's the 800 is it?" :huh:

Yep.
At Bilbao last week it was all GSs, a couple of Triumph Exploders and us on my DL650.
I was afraid they wouldn't let me on the boat, but my wife got a big red crayon and wrote GS on the side of the bike. So all was well.
Seriously we spent a week in the Pyrenees on it - flawless. And somehow we managed to get to all the places the GSs did - must have been by magic or something.

[Roy C.]

AS Alan29 says DL650 is a great bike and as is obvious to everyone who see's one the prettiest bike ever made. :laugh:

[steve172]

BMW vs KTM...

I have a KTM teeheehee

If you want a GSA, go and get one!