Which GS?

[geoham]

I have to agree on the loaded with electronics and most of them are nice to have and do help when riding. Problem is when they go wrong and that usually means expensive repair bills.

[ChasF]

All this talk of too complicated to fix in the middle of no where is all dependant on you level of mechanical competence,
If you don't know one end of a spanner from another then it'll not matter what your on when you break down.
If your a mechanical god that can rebuild a blown up motor at the side of the road with no more than a couple of twigs and chewing gum then you'll usually manage to sort something and may even have the kit with you to read the errors etc.

However I've found over the years that most breakdowns are still usually simple broken wires or blocked filters etc.

Steve

I agree that 95+% of breakdowns are the usual old thing, mostly punctures or fuel blockages. Electrical faults are often just that - a broken wire or bad connection can often manifest as a duff ecu or suchlike. Hydraulic clutches are a pain but it's easy enough to carry new seals and slave cylinder, chains are another weak spot but the faults that occur when the electronics that are fitted to solve a first world issue (immobilisers and alarms etc.) go wrong in Mongolia you would just wish you'd chosen a nice simple old school bike.

[SteveW]

Come-on......old simple bikes are sacks of shit.
Dull as dishwater. Back in the day, Everytime a manufacturer tried to inject a bit of performance into a motorcycle they became delicate, expensive and unreliable. Why ride a ditch pump with wheels?
I prefer somthing modern with some creature comforts, a bit of performance, decent brakes and handling.
In 1964 my parents bought their first tele. It was Black and White, it took Three minutes to warm up, it had two channels and the picture was fuzzy, if it broke down, a bloke in a Brown smock from radio rentals came out and changed a valve.

[ChasF]

Your choice, and I agree with you that for touring in Europe or N. America, some modern bikes offer better performance and comfort. I'm justifying my assertion that they don't make good Overlanders. A lot of these bikes are bought by riders who don't go far anyway but just like to think that they have the most rugged bike available and they could set off round the World just put their stuff in the panniers. The marketeers are well aware that their products will rarely be tested to the limit and that gizmos and fancy dashboards sell bikes.

[SteveW]

Overlander? I travel "Overland" on my bike every time I visit my Sister in Leigh.
But I know what you mean, we're all dreamers to an extent.
There's a rich vein of inverted snobbery to be found in the guy riding his old simple bike on The A56 past Williams Motorrad's shiney showroom in Manchester.....as he mutters to himself I could fix this at the side of the road in Outer Mongolia.
Big deal, I get a coffee and free biscuits when I take my GS in for a service!

[frenchy3]

My Harley Davidson MT350 was as tough as it gets and i did many trips on it. There were three of us on the same bikes and between us we carried enough spares,tools,tubes,brake pads bulbs etc to cover most eventualities. We rarely needed anything but were confident we could manage most roadside repairs. The MT was electric and kickstart and could operate without any charge in the battery in an emergency. We also had a very good knowledge of every part of the bike. I have to say if my BMW F800gs broke down anywhere i wouldn,t have a chance of fixing it and would have to have european recovery. You cannot even start the bike on a flat battery and it would take me about half an hour to get to the spark plugs! I know modern bikes are very reliable and the likelyhood of having to resort to any repairs are slim but i have little confidence undertaking major trips on modern bikes. It is a strage paradox as i would not think twice of doing a similar thing in a modern car.

[ChasF]

Yes, aside from all the partsthat cannot be repaired, or even indetified as faulty, at the roadside, most modern bikes fight back when trying to do simple repairs or servicing. They are pretty reliable but that only lulls you into a false sense of security!

[robson]

Yes, aside from all the partsthat cannot be repaired, or even indetified as faulty, at the roadside, most modern bikes fight back when trying to do simple repairs or servicing. They are pretty reliable but that only lulls you into a false sense of security!

exactly, if I were riding any desert on GS I would be sh#$%ing in my pants and praying bike won't break. On the other hand when you rich you can have satellite phone and arrange helicopter recovery...but still the trip would be ruined and you could have to wait long for help.

[geoham]

Yes, aside from all the partsthat cannot be repaired, or even indetified as faulty, at the roadside,

exactly, if I were riding any desert on GS I would be sh#$%ing in my pants and praying bike won't break. On the other hand when you rich you can have satellite phone and arrange helicopter recovery...but still the trip would be ruined and you could have to wait long for help.

Have you had many problems on the GS your riding or have had in the past robson?

Feel I have to ask so I can keep an eye out for them and it's always good to get the info from the guys who have own and ridden GS's!

[SteveW]

Yes, aside from all the partsthat cannot be repaired, or even indetified as faulty, at the roadside, most modern bikes fight back when trying to do simple repairs or servicing. They are pretty reliable but that only lulls you into a false sense of security!

exactly, if I were riding any desert on GS I would be sh#$%ing in my pants and praying bike won't break. On the other hand when you rich you can have satellite phone and arrange helicopter recovery...but still the trip would be ruined and you could have to wait long for help.

Hey robson.....here's your worst nightmare, my GS in a desert I was having the time of my life....you're a wee bit too timid for this Adventure thing.

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