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Going on the wild side

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Goose11 
#1 ·
Hi, after nearly 10 years of riding & 101.000 km with my RT - she decided to repay me with nearly €5000 worth of repair bills.
  • Final drive bearings shot
  • Rear ESA Suspension leaking - Front one also needing something
  • Brake discs front and rear worn, as well as tyres worn out.
It was decided to be beyond economic repair and to start looking at replacing the poor wee beastie.

Due to my expectations, the costs between RT& GSA are negligible. So it looks like I will be going for the better riding position of a GSA.

Can anyone (Capt Davis perhaps) give me an overview of what to expect when making the switch? Anything to be aware of etc?

Obviously, before I make the final jump I will request a test drive. So that "She" can test the rear passenger position.

Are there any suggestions regarding the panniers / topbox? in terms of pannier liners, storage, etc. For the topbox, I am favouring the larger GIVI alu box, rather than the standard BMW small box. Does any of the members have opinions on the GIVI box?

Thanks
Sleuth
 
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#2 · (Edited)
2015 rt to a 2019 gs here.

So much more comfortable for me. 500 mile day was easy and I could have done another few hundred had it been required.

Came with the bmw comfort seat and it is worth the $100 upcharge. No need to change. One of the few bikes I have ever had where I didn't need to work on the seat.

I have changed the windshield and currently have a tourtech 18 1/2" (probably about the same as the stock gsa windshield). It is just about perfect. Tried the vstream 19 1/2" and it was good but at 65+mph there was a thumping on the helmet. The extra inch of height was also something I really didn't like. The tourtech looks more like the stock and works great.

Wife likes the gs seat better as she no longer looks directly at the back of my head and said it felt like more of her own space. Think because it's up a bit more.

I went with the givi monokey trekker cases. 52 top and 33/46 sides. Didn't like the contorted shapes of the bmw boxes on the exhaust side and most of the "I'm going on safari down the interstate" type top boxes are to small to be of much use to me. I like to put a helmet in them occasionally. Another reason for them is the quick release mounting brackets for the side cases. I only have them on for trips. No scaffolding if no boxes. Another kind of cool thing is if I ever want to have a smaller top box for some odd reason, the cases are all interchangeable on the mounts. I can put the 33 on the top box location. They are side load but I just don't see that as a big deal. I had the 56 liter givi outback top box ordered but decided it was just a bit too large to run by itself looks wise although the side case brackets would always need to be on the bike so i would probably leave the cases on. If you want the metal box look the givis are nice for sure.

Other than that, I was a bit surprised with the heat off the motor. Had the plastics behind it on the rt so didn't really get any. The gsa does sit higher due to a longer suspension travel and I do miss the extra gallon of fuel although I'm now on the same schedule as my ducati riding buddy. Think the gsa has 7 gallons? That would be great.

No regrets at all. It has also been really fun doing more exploring vs. the a to b riding. Find ourselves on many dirt and gravel roads now. I will still stand there and say "I wish I had my dirt bike here" but as I get more comfortable I will end up taking those routes on the gs. It is a very different animal than my woods bike. I'm not quite ready for just pin the throttle and see what happens on it yet.
 

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#4 · (Edited)
A have news for you GS's slowly became mainstream to the point the new models are not much more than Suburbans with lift up suspensions and tall wheels.. (far from the Raw Land cruiser they use to be)

the still fun and the ergonomics fit a wide spread of sizes, but the over complexity is kind of killing them if you really pretend to ride them hard..

Ps: for some reason they usual hold their value much better than the other models..
 
#5 ·
Spent 4 days in Colorado riding my 2019 like a dirtbike and it's everything it's supposed to be. Guess you don't have one. I get the same "that's a pretty clean gs" comment from other non owners just because I like to wash it every now and then. When I offer to meet them anywhere they want to go on whatever their offroad bike may be, they usually start making other jokes. Everyone is a cynic when they just feel the need to flap their jaws.
 
#6 ·
Still have my '15 RTW but I have some friends in Arizona that I ride with and with the warmer temps down there I bought a new non-current '18 GSA to get more airflow and have the option of riding a little dirt.

Had a '07 GSA that also was a great bike but this '18 GSA is a few steps above that and my RT. I'm 6'1" and I fit so much better on a GSA which was why I was able to comfortably ride 4,100 miles this summer from Phoenix to Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and back to Phoenix. The trans is sooo much better on the GSA and the new TFT display is unbelievable. Installed an aftermarket screen and have a very quiet pocket of air with no helmet buffeting while still getting airflow to my arms and shoulders. Also installed a GIVI v47 top box (same one I have on the RT) and soft panniers - to reduce the chance of a broken ankle.

When I get back on the RT it feels really small and compact but still fun to ride - it's also my commuter. I am fortunate to have two great bikes to ride and each one has it's advantages but if it came down to a one bike only decision the GSA would win.
 

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#7 ·
Thanks for all the comments.

We did consider soft panniers, but then that would mean dragging them in mucky into the hotel. (I really do not do the tent thing.)

Update:
I have ordered the GSA, due to be delivered end Jan 2020.

Eventually, I went with the Standard BMW top box otherwise, it would make open / closing the panniers difficult.

I also have the SW Motech tank fitted so I will be ready for a tank bag.

While I had discounted the black boxes, "She" decided they looked better than the Alu ones - so we went with them. I also added the Wunderlich seats as the standard ones are not very nice!
 
#8 ·
Jesse Luggage is a good option for a GS. I've always wanted a set of bags big enough to leave the top box empty, moving the weight lower and further forward, and so I can put helmet(s), gloves and such in the top box at stops. Maybe even the tank bag in the box as well. I like to make thieves at least bring some tools and spend some time before they steal my stuff.
 
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