Well yesterday I started late at work, 11:30, weather was clear and sunny, fairly warm (for december) so out she came. Got cramp in my leg when I got on it Not use to being in a riding position for so long. Enjoyed the ride to work, every time I ride it after a break I forget how mental it is, once I've got the tyres warm and I open it up it just flies up the road On the way home I met a nice little S3, had a little play off a couple of sets of lights, it sounded lush (from what I could hear)

Well yesterday I started late at work, 11:30, weather was clear and sunny, fairly warm (for december) so out she came. Got cramp in my leg when I got on it Not use to being in a riding position for so long. Enjoyed the ride to work, every time I ride it after a break I forget how mental it is, once I've got the tyres warm and I open it up it just flies up the road On the way home I met a nice little S3, had a little play off a couple of sets of lights, it sounded lush (from what I could hear)

Hahaa. I know what you mean there. Even when youre going steady it just seems effortless to get moving compared to a car.

Then i get back in the car n its urghh. Whys nothing happening n im having to change gear so much

I chose it's registration number         :beer:   

So go on then tell us what you are getting.

Well worth the money the way he does it but of course it is a franchise so not everyone will have the same standards.

Nothing, but booked our local guy to come and do my mates bike and mine next weekend.

So go on then tell us what you are getting.

Sorry to say it's not a Triumph... 1200GS TE in red with lowered suspension for the vertically challenged

Sorry to say it's not a Triumph... 1200GS TE in red with lowered suspension for the vertically challenged

Im sure youll love it

My dads got the 1200gsa Twin cam, every option on it.. And loves it

Proper mile muncher. 1000mile days no hassle, he just moans whe gets there and has to stop.

But he doesnt do short rides. Just tours, and it ticks every box.

Thanks, I'm sure I will.  As I'm a short arse and this is my 1st bike for a few years like the Explorer the GSA is a bit too big for me, so I've gone for the girly version. Fender extender and hugger already here waiting to be fitted as is the vario luggage and an optimate. Engine bars on order too and Cardo scala Q3 multipack arrived yesterday so I can hear the Sat nav and SWMBO arguing!. Plan is to get it delivered next week as I can't get to the dealers easily and get the ACF50 out, then it's a case of waiting for a few dry salt free days......

Sorry to say it's not a Triumph... 1200GS TE in red with lowered suspension for the vertically challenged

Out of interest, as you're vertically challenged, why didn't you go for the R or RS instead of the GS?

It is OK Ade everyone doesn't HAVE to ride a Triumph.  Other makes are available.  Last night I went to the RATS Christmas do and one of them has a 1200 BMW of some sort (you can tell how much interest I have) and another has just bought a Harley.  Both are made welcome and still come put on rides although obviously we will have to slow down for the Harley fella and just take the 'p' out of the BMW owner.

 

I did try a BM once, honest!  I just cannot get my head around the Boxer engine and OK it may well be much smoother than it was in the days gone by when I last rode one (R45) but it just doesn't do it for me.  Other than that the bike is very much like the Explorer so what is not to like?

 

I can honestly say that the Explorer for me is the best bike I have ridden and suits me at my age brilliantly.  It does all I need of it, can hustle along or plod whichever is the flavour of the day and the riding position is comfortable even if the seat isn't quite as much.  Some of the RATS went to the bike show and were trying all the bikes for size and I had no interest in going at all.  To me some of them look great but a lot look alike.  I fully expect the TEX to be my last bike (unless I buy a second one) and I cannot see me changing it.  All I need to do now is ensure next year that we both get out on it a lot more.  I haven't even used the panniers yet FFS!

 

As for being a shortarse.  I may have mentioned this before but many years ago when the Honda CBX1000 came out and the Kawasaki Z1300 there was a guy in town who had them both and he could 'just' touch the floor with the tip of one foot!  Brave or stupid who knows but he bought what he wanted not what most would have considered sensible.

 

Hope you have a great time with the new beast but I am not holding my breath for the days without salt on the roads hence the All Year Biker treatment for me.  If it is dry today I may be out on it apart from I have had toothache (hot and cold sensitive) for days and the last couple it has been a nightmare.  Dentist in the morning and I am unsure if great gobs of cold air being forced into the filling will be a lot if fun.

I did try a BM once, honest! I just cannot get my head around the Boxer engine and OK it may well be much smoother than it was in the days gone by when I last rode one (R45) but it just doesn't do it for me. Other than that the bike is very much like the Explorer so what is not to like?

If the R45 is the last one you tried then you need to try a newer one.

I have an R65 of similar vintage as the R45, and that's much much better with about twice the power. The R45 was basically a tiddler for learners in Germany.

I recently traded my Triumph Tiger 1050 for an R1200R, simply because the BMW was more manageable, significantly more torquey at normal road speeds and hugely better on the brakes.

And quite a bit more economical.

But apart from that the Triumph was fine ;-)

It 'may' have been a R65 you know how time affects the memory!  It was a marked Police bike and it was sh1te!!!  No I did test one of the Gs1200s when I bought the VFR800 three years ago but just couldn't get on with it.

Out of interest, as you're vertically challenged, why didn't you go for the R or RS instead of the GS?

 

Good question..... My last bike was a 1150R which I really liked, but I fancied something different with a bit more weather protection, plus I just don't like the look of the R1200R-the headlight is well.....plus it's got to be excellent/comfortable 2 up as I want to tour on it. I know the R1200R will do this but the GS will do it better (IMO)

 

I had a go on the R1200RS before the GS. with everything in road mode I found it uncomfortable, I slid around on the seat a lot and it was to wristy for my old bones but it was really fun to ride for an old to55er like me and the engine had so much torque too - really suited to making progress at below silly speeds IMO- it's probably better suited to:

 

Someone younger than me

Someone more taller than me

Someone more heavier than me

Someone who's not been without a bike for a few years

 

I.E. just about everyone else!

 

But the GS has the same engine....

 

In blue an white the RS looks epic - I loved the look (Again JMHO) but wifey didn't fancy the pillion position when we sat on one in the dealers after the test rides - again cause I'm small reaching for the bars left her feeling she was sitting too high up (all done solo as no dealers by me allow pillions on the back) so that was that....

It is OK Ade everyone doesn't HAVE to ride a Triumph.  Other makes are available.  Last night I went to the RATS Christmas do and one of them has a 1200 BMW of some sort (you can tell how much interest I have) and another has just bought a Harley.  Both are made welcome and still come put on rides although obviously we will have to slow down for the Harley fella and just take the 'p' out of the BMW owner.

 

I did try a BM once, honest!  I just cannot get my head around the Boxer engine and OK it may well be much smoother than it was in the days gone by when I last rode one (R45) but it just doesn't do it for me.  Other than that the bike is very much like the Explorer so what is not to like?

 

I can honestly say that the Explorer for me is the best bike I have ridden and suits me at my age brilliantly.  It does all I need of it, can hustle along or plod whichever is the flavour of the day and the riding position is comfortable even if the seat isn't quite as much.  Some of the RATS went to the bike show and were trying all the bikes for size and I had no interest in going at all.  To me some of them look great but a lot look alike.  I fully expect the TEX to be my last bike (unless I buy a second one) and I cannot see me changing it.  All I need to do now is ensure next year that we both get out on it a lot more.  I haven't even used the panniers yet FFS!

 

As for being a shortarse.  I may have mentioned this before but many years ago when the Honda CBX1000 came out and the Kawasaki Z1300 there was a guy in town who had them both and he could 'just' touch the floor with the tip of one foot!  Brave or stupid who knows but he bought what he wanted not what most would have considered sensible.

 

Hope you have a great time with the new beast but I am not holding my breath for the days without salt on the roads hence the All Year Biker treatment for me.  If it is dry today I may be out on it apart from I have had toothache (hot and cold sensitive) for days and the last couple it has been a nightmare.  Dentist in the morning and I am unsure if great gobs of cold air being forced into the filling will be a lot if fun.

 

Cheers Chris. Thing is I really wanted a Trumpet. I had a go on an XCX with Trailquest and it was such a sorted bike off road and during the bumbling we did around the lanes I was convinced either the XRX or Explorer would end up in my garage. I liked the look of them and the dealers were very friendly and helpful-what wasn't there not to like. But on the test rides I didn't gell with either for different reasons. In the end the TEX was just too big for me to manage confidently, the suspension didn't suit my weight and again the TEX got the thumbs down from SWMBO as a potential pillion.

 

The GS on the other hand was lighter, had a lower COG and has far better brakes and suspension but the colour options were not as good plus of course it's far more expensive in TE version than the MY2016 TEX. Triumph seem to have addressed the brakes and suspension with next years models-they even now have a low option, but the bods on the stand were muting 16k for the top XRT version which is GSA plus bells and whistles territory so it'll be interesting to see what sales are like if they are around the 15-16k mark for the MY2017.

 

Mine should be delivered this week (partly so I can ACF50 it before it gets dirty and also I can't get a lift as SWMBO is at work all week) and will probably sit in the garage for some time waiting for a nice dry salt free day but ho hum it has to be registered before end of December to get my free Nav5 satnav/display thingy that's £600 if you have to buy it separately.

 

Feel free to take the p1ss out of the Beemer rider, we don't mind... the Harley rider on the other hand deserves more sympathy.

 

Good luck at the dentist....

With the colder mornings and nights here I finally bought a heated waistcoat to go under the rukka gear, got it wired in yesterday so it's a quick plug n go.

Cannot believe how quickly it heats up and how hot it gets. 4 heat settings so will definitely be nice n snug every day.

Looking forward to trying it tomorrow ! Bring on the frost lol

it's probably better suited to:

 

Someone younger than me

Someone more taller than me

Someone more heavier than me

Someone who's not been without a bike for a few years

 

I.E. just about everyone else!

 

 

As I'm...

50

27" inside leg

89Kg

and have ridden without a break for 34 years

 

How well I fit your criteria..?

As I'm...

50

27" inside leg

89Kg

and have ridden without a break for 34 years

 

How well I fit your criteria..?

Pass

Fail

Pass

Pass

 

You got 75%.....well done!

If the R45 is the last one you tried then you need to try a newer one.

I have an R65 of similar vintage as the R45, and that's much much better with about twice the power. The R45 was basically a tiddler for learners in Germany.

I recently traded my Triumph Tiger 1050 for an R1200R, simply because the BMW was more manageable, significantly more torquey at normal road speeds and hugely better on the brakes.

And quite a bit more economical.

But apart from that the Triumph was fine ;-)

 

 

yeah we've got an R45. Got less than 10k on the clock. like a new'un. But it is abit slow.. haha 

 

There were thoughts of changing the heads to the R65 ones.. not supposed to be much of a job.. but it might be better to keep it original 

 

Completely different to the newer boxer twins though. 

I think that the TEX has one fault and that it is top heavy.  So much so that at times  I  struggle  to move it about when trying to park.  I am 6' 2" and am pushing 15 stone so not a small bloke and I have been close to dropping it a couple of times when it has got the better of me trying to manoeuvre in small places.  On the move it is fine so I can understand someone on the titchy side being a bit nervous.

I think that the TEX has one fault and that it is top heavy.  So much so that at times  I  struggle  to move it about when trying to park.  I am 6' 2" and am pushing 15 stone so not a small bloke and I have been close to dropping it a couple of times when it has got the better of me trying to manoeuvre in small places.  On the move it is fine so I can understand someone on the titchy side being a bit nervous.

same thing my dad says about his GSA, hes a similar size to you aswel by the sounds of it. 

 

especially with 33 litres of fuel in and fully loaded with luggage. 

yeah we've got an R45. Got less than 10k on the clock. like a new'un. But it is abit slow.. haha

There were thoughts of changing the heads to the R65 ones.. not supposed to be much of a job.. but it might be better to keep it original

Completely different to the newer boxer twins though.

Oh God yes.

My R65 has only 11,000 miles, and it's the later lighter crank model. The crank/rods/pistons have been dynamically balanced which has made it a lot smoother. It's also been fitted with the BMW RS fairing kit which I think it's tweaked for the R45/R65, the OEM (Krauser) pannier kit and a twin disk conversion.

It's not a bad bike. OK, it's not a new BMW, but it's nice.

Oh God yes.

My R65 has only 11,000 miles, and it's the later lighter crank model. The crank/rods/pistons have been dynamically balanced which has made it a lot smoother. It's also been fitted with the BMW RS fairing kit which I think it's tweaked for the R45/R65, the OEM (Krauser) pannier kit and a twin disk conversion.

It's not a bad bike. OK, it's not a new BMW, but it's nice.

 

 

sounds good . 

 

yeah ours would be alright if it wasnt about 30bhp. 

 

not sure why my father even bought it tbh... it serves no purpose haha. just one of those things. 

 

it might go if he eventually finds a mint CBX1000 or cx500. but hes really picky, it needs to be 100% right. been to look at a few n he just finds stuff wrong with em. 'ooh that parts off a B and that other parts off an A'. means nout to me really haha 

I think that the TEX has one fault and that it is top heavy.  So much so that at times  I  struggle  to move it about when trying to park.  I am 6' 2" and am pushing 15 stone so not a small bloke and I have been close to dropping it a couple of times when it has got the better of me trying to manoeuvre in small places.  On the move it is fine so I can understand someone on the titchy side being a bit nervous.

Spot on Chris...This was the biggest issue for me if you pardon the pun. At 5'7 and under 11 stone I ain't no Mr powerhouse! On the BMW outdoor stand at the show (where they were  promoting the outdoor centre in South Wales) under tuition I was able to hold on to a GS that was in gear and on full lock by standing clear of the bike and just holding 1 handlebar grip balancing it while stationary and pulling and pushing it towards it's tipping point without any drama. I then walked all round the bike, again just holding on to things like the rear carrier, opposite handlebar then the frontal area around the headlight. I was even able to find it's point of balance and it just stood there for a few seconds and you could hold it at it's point of balance as long as you like just holding on to the flap that covers the keyhole on the petrol tank. I wouldn't have the confidence to try that with the TEX. Pity I'm such a short arse....

Well I suspect I could do that with the TEX but it just needs to go that one degree too far and it is all over!  Literally!!!! 

 

As I say it has only caught me out a couple of times and thankfully my wife was close by to come and push me back to the balancing point.  I have read a lot on the TEX forum about riders dropping theirs at slow junctions and the like because they have let the revs drop too much and down it goes.  That to me is just bad riding and can and should be easily avoided  by anyone who has half a brain. 

 

If you let the revs drop on any bike when it needs them to counteract the force of gravity then you really shouldn't be riding.  OK once maybe but never twice and really by the time you get around to riding one of these beasts you should know that. 

 

One of the times I nearly dropped it was backing it out of the shed on the ramp.  I had positioned the ramp wrong and couldn't get the nearside mirror past the door.  So I started to lean to my left to move the mirror around the door but unfortunately that took the bike to the point of no return and even my size I could not hold it up and because I had no room left on the offside I could not move my weight over there to compensate.  Luckily as I say the wife was close by and able to push against me while I backed it out.  I have to say it does make me nervous when manoeuvring in tight spaces but at least I am aware of the problem and that means I know when enough is enough.

Bought my Street Triple R an Arrow Lowboy system for Crimbo @ 20% discount

Happy daze are here again!