I did the same, flew down to the Western Cape on a Saturday morning, picked up my 07' BMW r1200gs with 25000km's at webuycars, I immediately started my way back to Pretoria, arrived Monday morning (workers holiday) very tired, very happy in Pretoria, the BMW purred liked a kitten all the way home, I'll do it in heartbeat again, best way to start a new relationship with a motorcycle
I purchased the same model GSA New. It's now on 148,000 miles....they are amazing motorcycles. The best of 58 bikes I've owned in many years of riding. Enjoy the Adv😊
Congrats on the bike. As someone who loves long distance drives/ rides and also rides (I daily a 2018 Africa Twin) long distances frequently, i love the feeling when you're about to leave, when you're first setting off, when you're exhausted and don't think you'll last much longer, but your machine just keeps eating the miles, and when you're close to your destination. I moved from Los Angeles to Dallas a few years ago, and try to get "back home" (LA) once a year by hook or crook. yes, i loaded my bike to the hilt and rode when I moved. My few tips for long distance rides: - Leave super early in the morning. If you leave at 2:00 AM and stop for breakfast at 10:00 AM you've done 8 hours of riding already, and you've still got almost the whole day to ride. - Ear plugs are a must. As are sunglasses. - Hydrate and bio (toilet) break when you stop for gas (petrol) to maximise your "on the road time." Get off the bike and walk around, stomp your feet, do jumping jacks, get the blood flowing. Gas, pee, bottle of water shouldn't take much more than about 5 minutes. - Wear good (adaptable) gear. Check weather when you stop for gas & gear up before you hit the rain so you don't have to stop. - Stand up frequently. I generally play music through bluetooth ear buds and once an hour i'll try to stand on the pegs for an entire song. - Keep snacks handy (pockets or tank bag) so you can munch on something while on the move. Nuts, hard candy, biltong, etc. - Don't eat heavy foods when you stop to eat. - Keep one or two more pairs of gloves in your panniers. - Take ibuprofen (cafenol) before you need it. - Stop and get rest if you're exhausted. You need to keep your wits about you on the bike, no use riding fatigued. Keep the sunny side up. I long to come back home and ride through the continent. if I retire in a few years i'm going to do exactly that!
Once, I was traveling in the south of my country (Argentina) and had a problem with the clutch, which delayed me due to repairs. The bike, a TTR125 modified for street use, was ready on Saturday at 4 PM, and I had to be at work at 8 AM on Monday, 1600 km away (Bariloche - Buenos Aires). I left and rode all night at 80 km/h until 3 AM when I stopped, slept on the side of the road, and set off again at 6 AM. I got home at 1 AM on Monday, completely cramped and exhausted. I was younger and could do these things; today, I don't think it's possible, and I would ask for another day off to travel more relaxed. These experiences help form a bond with the bike, and what better way to do it than how you did, covering 2000 km in 2 days.
The 1200 GS's are still very capable bikes. I'm in the trade and still sell a lot of them. 10 years ago I rode from mid France back to the north West of the UK in 1 day on a GS, 750 miles and 18 hours, the bike didn't miss a beat.
By the way, I rode all bikes from 125cc scooters to 1600cc monsters and yet I always end up riding on a 2005 or 2006 BMW GS. Iconic bike, in my opinion. Years back, I had a 2006 and the shaft said that's it, I ain't going any further. I took the baby to my mechanic and he said I have a shaft from a model built for touring which would fit nicely on my gs. I don't remember the model name. I said do it. He put the shaft on and I clocked 260 km on my bike. The speedometer would hit the max and was stopped there by the pin. I know the speed as I have seen it on my phone. Wild days. This was around 2018.
I had one 2006 model ,rode from the UK to Nigeria 7000miles in two weeks adventure ,no breakdown except one rear tire change ,I don't i ride that much feels strong no stress .
Looking forward to some videos on your bmw,i finally got my xr650l been breaking it in, thinking about a Clark bigger gas tank ,I want to find a bigger gas tank that I don't have to modify anything on the motorcycle,,,stay safe.
Hey Michael. Thanks! Congrats on the XRL and enjoy! With a big tank that's going to be an awesome travel bike. I tried to buy back my old XRL, but got this GSA for the same price. Cheers and happy riding!
I watch this video, start following your clip . I own 2008 gs that i bought with 78k. Now she is 91k busy enjoy her . Any advice on mechanical i will appreciate it.
Thanks for watching the channel. Please let me know if you have any questions. So far, I've gone through the following preventative maintenance: spark plugs, valve clearance, telelever ball joint boot, both drive shaft boots (mine wasn't fitting properly), removed drive shaft to lube splines, flushed brake fluid, oil and filter change, air filter. So far so good.
Sometimes I go from Switzerland to Eastern Germany with my 2007 1200GS, 800 km in 7 hours and I wear padded underwear like the professional cyclists. helps enormously. in addition, you can still drive as fast as you can on many routes in Germany, so I drive long distances at 160, 180. sometimes even 200 for a short time, but that's no fun. but 2000km in 2 days. Respect!!!!
I could manage 2k in 4 days.......but it would take me another 4 to recover. Lol. Small tip.I find it's better not to sit down when I take breaks from riding the bike.
Hi I have a car of the same model and model as yours in Taiwan.I have some questions about you owning it for 17 years Is there any problem with the condition of the car?And how many kilometers have you driven so far?
LOL staying awake wasn't the biggest challenge. Sitting for that long with a heavy backpack on my shoulders was! But I'd do it again. For some weird reason I just love driving or riding for long hours.
Great job after the third day you will get stronger, I rode 8,500 miles and 31 states in 31 days before I get to old and say I should have done it, have a miracle filled day, Mark
Nice of mom to hold the camera. 😂. I guess we’ll get the kms on the clock in the next video. Do you choose to live so far away from Cape Town for the climate/flora/fauna or job or what?
LOL yes, camera mom. 76000km after this trip. More on the niggles in the next vid ;) We used to live in Stellenbosch, but the lifestyle here is so chill. I actually miss the cold weather sometimes.
17 years old but how many kilometers did it ride? I have a 2008 1200 GSA with 86.000 km on it. I will ride it until it can‘t no more. I love the bike, it's made for me!
I am 6’ and it is perfect for me. If you can ride, I would not worry about the seat height. The low center of gravity helps a lot with low speed balance
