I'm an FJR fan and have a shiny new one in the garage but must have a spin on a GS one day to see what captivates so many people. Spain for me this coming summer but I can commend Germany for your next euro trip. Fantastic! I enjoyed the France videos because they bring back memories on these dreary winter days. Soon be summer 😀
I love the FJR too, although I've never ridden one. To me it looks like a touring bike should look. I think you'll find the GS experience completely different after that turbine smooth machine....not sure whether you will like it or not - but defo worth a go!
TheMissendenFlyer Sheffield, but it might give me an excuse to see an area I've never visited. Plenty of spare time as I'm also on a sabbatical of sorts.
Have been looking forward to this review which didn't disappoint - as running costs go didn't think that was at all bad.Thanks for this, and all the other vids TMF - best of the seasons greeting to you.
Thank you Gary, only another 12 months until the next edition!! ;0) Thanks for watching and have a great Christmas/Holiday/Winterval or whatever yourself :0)
Glad to hear your still enjoying it! I can see myself going back to one sometime - as much as I like the R1200R Sport I have at present. Have a good one. Regards, Jon.
Hey mate. Watching your channel all the way from Australia. Just want to say i love it. All your videos are extremly informative and i love the depth of your reviews and instructional videos. The quality of the vids is also amazing. Real easy watching. Good on ya! Keep up the good work.
Thank you Udarni, glad you appreciate my efforts - I love making them and whilst people like you keep watching I'll keep making 'em! Will you be eating your turkey on the beach this year? (I love that idea).....
TheMissendenFlyer Hehe not quiet, we have 40 degree day to look forward to here tomorrow. Might have to be an indoors affair unfortunately. The hot weather dpes have its up sides though, cant complain too much. Hope you have a good christmas mate!!
Happy holidays to the Missenden Flyer ! Good review of the GS. Your site is consistently the best MC site on RU-vid. The museum bits were excellent. If you are ever in SW usa, be sure and stop by New Mexico and I'll show you some excellent rides. Sincerely, Eric 2016 R1200RT
Hi TMF, great review mate. I own the same bike and experienced the same thing with the rear breaks.. I just wanted to mention that I was amazed to hear that in the UK one pays around 85 quid for the road tax!! WTF?!?! It's a bike not a truck.. Here in Holland I pay monthly only 15 euro's for the road tax.. What a rip off! Any way keep on riding, and next time your in the area of The Hague come over for a beer!
Yes another example of rip off Britain eh!! If you have a small car you can be road tax exempt....go figure!! I used to work in The Hague, had some serious nights on Kwak....memories fading.....but it was messy so may have to skip that offer!! Thanks all the same ;0)
I think with 'linked' breaks is just the distribution might be more bias on the back. Then again if you think about it you have 4 pads up front stopping the front wheel, while the back has two pads stopping the back wheel. Or the drive wheel might just use more stopping power and you can't exactly just full on stop the back without it flinging you off the bike either. So a fair few things to think about
Yeah loving it....I enjoy riding other stuff too but when I get back on the GS I remember why they are so highly regarded.....they are just so darn good!
Hey , You've got a nice channel . Well my next bike is going to be R1200GS , Ive been so much fascinated with this bike since a long time . However Its one of the costliest bikes in my country due to 130% taxes here it costs whooping 33,000 pounds !! Nice videos , Keep them coming . //
The maintenance costs seem very reasonable to me. Of course, the actual cost of ownership (leaving aside fuel) would also include the annual depreciation which, again, on these bikes seems to compare well with others. Oh, and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours!
Good point Len, I did forget to factor in depreciation, and as you say the residuals on BMWs is actually pretty good. Thanks for watching once again and all the best to you and yours for Christmas and the New Year....TMF
Camping, who mentioned camping? There are an abundance of hotels, Reindls hotel is booked ready. We will stay in hotels going down following the Romische route and returning via the B500 through the Black Forest.
Another good video TMF. A friend of mine has a VFR800F on a 15 plate and has just experienced a punctured radiator. My local Honda dealer has quoted him £475 just for a new rad. As I have the same bike I think I'll be fitting a radiator guard. The joys of biking eh ! Thanks for posting this video, I enjoyed :)
Well there you go eh! Bad news for your pal, I wonder if the BMW ones would cost more (rhetorical question!!). Thanks for watching and stopping by once again - TMF
Interesting review again. I reported temperature fluctuation to dealer at it's recent first service, they said it was normal but couldn't explain why. I changed both tyres at the service with 6,700 miles on the clock, both had plenty of tread but were shot in respect of handling! my GSA service was £503.00 including tyres, I was expecting nearer £600 so was chuffed with that. I traded in my mkii for the GSA and they took off £400 in part exchange as it had a smashed headlight!! but I still wouldn't bother with a cover.
+V8_P38a Thanks V8_P38a interesting that you saw temperature fluctuation too, my bike still does it a little so I guess they do "all do that"! Sounds like you got quite a good deal on the tyres + service......will be interesting to see how much it costs to have that headlight put right!
Thank you. Very encouraging to watch your review. I am leaning that way. Selling my KTM 690 Enduro. 2014. Great bike all around but I want to do some 9hr days too. Would keep it if I could afford two bikes.
Great video and a fab bike as we well know - all personal of course. Planning to take the GSA on the NC500 at the end of May; might see you up there. Cheers, Andy
+Andrew Tofts Thanks Andy....and thanks for the reminder, I must get some decent trips in the diary this year....fail to plan, plan to fail and all that......
Hi TMF. I've just taken delivery of a 2016 Triple Black after doing 15k on my nearly two year old GS. The only difference seems to be it's a lot smoother overall and the gearbox is excellent. To be honest they weren't a problem in the first place but time and miles on the new one will tell. Also I'm getting used to the keyless ignition. Cheers.
Love your videos. I bought the 2016 GS1200 te last October. Best bike ive owned. It is however, going in for £7k of warranty work on the engine casings (new engine) as they were severely corroded after 600miles. Other than that, I'm looking forward to some good trips later in the year
Good to hear. :) Personally no, not really not far off those prices myself as I always do a big service when I get a bike and add aftermarket stuff so it's usually a big 4 figure hit, was it a major service carried out this year on yours or just a routine service? If it was a routine service I would say its a wee bit on the higher side, did you use a main dealer this year still?
Another good vid. I know you love the bike but I bet you will not be doing a 4 year review. You have given a couple of hints as to a change - GSA maybe. Wow, awesome condition for 3 years old as well
Nice vid again mate, I'm sorely tempted to swap the Explorer for a new GS, you're vids aren't helping my bank balance!!!! If you fancy a tour in Spain, why not come away with us at ChickenStrips next year? Let me know if you fancy it😜
Now that does sound tempting Brucey!! Let me check out the dates...now I've ditched the day job finances may be an issue but I'm sure I could learn a lot from the long distance master...have you ridden a new GS by the way???
TheMissendenFlyer Nope never ridden one but a lot of lads at work have them, some have even had the Explorer, and all seem to prefer the GS. Going to do a test ride on one and decide from there. Drop me a line to info@teapotone.com and I'll give you some info re a tour that may help make your mind up 👍
Great stuff TMF, it's always fascinating to hear true running costs. For such a simple engine BMW seem to charge a lot for routine servicing, would you consider getting it serviced somewhere else to save a few bob? Also be good to see how you apply the ACF treatment.... Thanks for sharing.
Yes in fact I will probably use my local man Nigel at Mototune in Chesham for the service next year, bet you it's oodles less than BMW charge (now it's well clear of warranty). You mean you didn't see my ACF50 video?? Shame on you DM >> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6viSTMBnL_M.html . I must say I am disappointed, I thought you had watched ALL my videos ;0)
Hi,me again,re service costs at Cotswold Motorrad,I forgot a very important point,your bike like mine is now three years old,which is good because this qualifies you for 20% off servicing costs.All you have to do is log onto their site and join the servicing club,it's free and your bike details will be on their system so every time you have work carried out on the bike,the 20% off,is automatically applied to the final bill,that's why my major service only cost £235 inc vat. Oh,lest I forget,older bikes get 30% off. Shame all BMW dealers don't do the same sort of deals.
Wow...15,000 miles. Hardly broke in. My 2014 R1200GSAW has 84,000 miles. 1) Don't remove radiator guards. Your bike is liquid cooled. It runs between 185-215 degrees. Even stopped in traffic, the radiator fan with lower the temperature back to 190. 2) Good choice on Conti Trail Attacks. Best GS road tire 3) Never change exhaust. The ECU is tuned to that exhaust 4) Buy a GS911 and service your own bike.
@@TheMissendenFlyer Yes....it was very good. I average about 30,000 miles a year on my four BMWs with a combined mileage of 570,000 miles. I don't leave home without my GS911.
I've removed quite a few accessories from my bikes after changing my mind/having issues too, I now have a cupboard full of random bike accessories lol. As for the brake pads I'd recommend EBC double H sintered pads they seem to last significantly longer than my OEM Suzuki pads at least, probably harsher on the disc but it should last ages before needing replacing. The bite on the rear brake is much better too!
Cheers BQ - I have a similar box! ...although I did manage to E-Bay the Arrow exhaust and convert it into decent T-Shirts - proper recycling!!! Might start work on the other stuff now! ...and thanks for the recommendation....TMF
Thanks for the review TMF, especially interested that you removed your end can as that's one mod I've been thinking of for mine (for about 2 years!) and still not decided on. Seems we're very much on the same page as Try as I might, as my main ride, I still can't find a bike I'd rather own!
Yeah they are expensive to buy so you want to be sure you really want it, certainly in my experience, if you're doing long rides, you don't.....but maybe that's just 'cos I'm an old git....
Great Video again mate, ACF 50 is just great as you say. Also just bought a Dog Dryer to blow all the water off the bike after washing don't know how I lived without one lol.
well sir that was what i wanted to see. thank you so much. i appreciate you taking the time to reply. i do love your bike,but i have wanted the Explorer for quite awhile. i haven't been able to test ride yet,but have sat on it at a dealer. does feel not just heavy,but top heavy. nonetheless..by spring 2017 i will have one. How much money can you get for selling your kids..lol. thank you again and take care.
TheMissendenFlyer i did find that.thank you.. i know this might sound trivial,but i can't get past those darn cylinder heads sticking out..I'm sorry..i know that might sound dumb to you,but i guess we all have our flaws..lol thank you again. take care.
BMW Motorrad should reward you for these great reviews. Or give you a GSA, or an RT, or a XR. Wait, maybe Ducati should reward you for not giving good comments for the GS by giving you a Multistrada. Or KTM.... Anyway, I have stopped spending money on things like after market exhausts. Expensive and no resale value at all.
Hehe, I wish! In fact only this week a BMW salesman told me that a few days before someone bought a GSA from him and said it was because of seeing my videos that he was convinced to buy one...I've had literally dozens of viewers tell me the same, if only I was on commission eh!
Love your videos, wanted to let you know that I have a 2016 GSA and am having similar experience with the rear brake pads, it isn't alarming but definitely noticeable. I've also been experimenting with tires and have some information you might find interesting. Also, I am lucky enough to own several motorcycles and if you ever want to cross "the pond" I'd more than happy to lend you a bike and take a ride with you. As it happens, I'm currently located close to the Appalachian Mountains, which means, Tail of the Dragon and the Blue Ridge Parkway, to name a few, just let me know. Last year (June 2016) I rode from Key West, FL to Dead Horse, AK and back, some 16,500 miles in just under 4 weeks time. My ridding buddy and I are talking about doing it again, maybe in 2018 but I suspect it will probably be 2019. You'd be more than welcome to join us, if you are interested. Hope to hear from you. Cheers
Hey, why dont you buy yourself GS-911 that little device you can connect your bike to PC and do many things that dealer charge you big buck, even you can reset you service reminder and do oil changes yourself also scan you bike for errors that little device helps you change break fluid reset ABS and much more. Guess what i pay dealer for that? NOTHING. :) BTW great video.
Thanks Aure P - I have seen that gadget but it's really expensive for something I am going to use so infrequently...I am tempted but can't quite justify it at the moment. Thanks for watching, all the best - TMF
Very good review! Thanks for letting us see the costs of running your bike ..... they seem quite high to me but I supose the BMW dealer servicing is always going to sting a bit? I feel the same as you do about ACF50 it is a bike saver! I have a 2012 versys 650 with 19,000 miles on the clock and no corrosion on it at all. The Versys is a superb bike, however I would love to change up to one of these new BMWs if only just to have the shaft drive and get rid of the minging chain and all the cleaning and maintenance that goes along with it. Do you have any thoughts on shaft drive v chain drive?
+James Downie Hi James, glad we concur with regard to ACF50, a wonder chemical! ....and I love the shaft drive, just does away with all that chain maintenance and gets on with it, I wish all my bikes where shafted!
happy new year. great review and very timely for me as I am planning to buy 3 year old one. It has more miles then yours 25000 any suggestions what to look for.
+Michal Ostrowski Not really Michael, as you know I think they are great bikes. I suppose the thing I would look for are any significant corrosion on the engine casings (I understand some bikes have suffered from this) and check all the switch gear works fine...some can be "sticky", other than that just the general stuff like oil leaks, bearing wear, etc.....good luck!
Thanks for the great content,I’m considering a purchase of one of these second hand.What sort of miles would the engine do before a rebuild? I’m in Australia and the ones I’m looking at are between 50,000 and 100,000 km.
Well spotted! The dealer noted last year that there was a ding in the rim and I'd never seen it, but that shot of the wheel clearly shows it - going to have to go and have a look at it for real now!!!
Try Sintered brake pads they last 2 times longer then normal pads.Hopefully your not keeping your foot on the brakes all the time.lol. Thanks for sharing.
Great review as always TMF. ACF50 not widely available here in Canada, although I have found an Aviation distributor selling it in a variety of formats - how do you use it - aerosol, or mixed during washing? Have a great Christmas!
Thanks Chris - and yes, most aviation suppliers have it (Sportys, Transair, etc) all the details of how I use it are in here >> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6viSTMBnL_M.html (don't get the aerosol as it sprays in a stream rather than atomises) - have a great Christmas yourself - TMF
I'm surprised you don't jump on the Triumph to pop the shops. Smaller less cumbersome, easier all round surely? The can on the GS TMF? Shed some pounds and give your ears a treat, plus the stock there is no looker.
Well I do sometimes, but if I have a major supermarket run on and need to carry 3 or four carrier bags then the ol' vario panniers are brill.... And I love loud exhausts as you may have worked out, but as I said in the video, the Arrow I installed was too loud on a long run and in the end the stock one is more civilised (and IMO looks better - but agree is very heavy)...hence why I swapped it back...
I know this is an old video but need some advice, i have the same as your old bike the tiger 1050 09 abs, do you think the GS1200 TE would be a good replacement? i always thought they looked a bit heavy but reviews seem to indicate the weight it low (i am 6ft so height not an issue). I don't have multiple bikes so it has to be something i can tour on and go for a good blast to hasting on. I did the black forest earlier in the year on the tiger and it was fun but the clunky gearbox is driving me nuts.. so looking for a good all rounder with a bit of grunt and every review i look at for other bikes i like the look at (multistrada, explorer etc) all say not as good as a GS. Your help sir would be much appreciated :)
Great vid as always MF 2 comments: 1)How the heck are you getting 52 mpg? If you have Dyna and don't use it shame, shame. I only get around 47 but never stoop to road mode. 2)I've got 13K (miles, Queen's miles- not socialistic kilometers) on my 2015 GS and my grumpy South African mechanic says I've get at least 60% left on the rear pad. Maybe you need a mechanic with piles like my guy.
Hi Gregory - bad news for you I'm afraid, I even ride in rain mode occasionally!!!! ...and I'm going by what the bike says on the mpg front, I've not actually worked it out. Interesting what you say about those rear pads....I'll be taking the bike to my man Nige next time so we'll see if they need replacing when a non-BMW service person takes a look. Thanks for watching and for stopping by - TMF
I'm still catching up on your vlogs. did you do a vlog about the Triumph Explorer XCA? I have seen some reviews on this bike , but would like to hear from someone such as yourself about it. I value your opinion over most. thank you and take care.
That's weird about the rear brake. Did you replace with oem pads after the first replacement? If so you may want to try different aftermarket pads the next time. BMW may be using low quality pads
Great Stuff TMF. This Keyless Ride I think you have it too. My 2017 GS got Electronically stolen. Still haven’t worked out how they did it? Art 5 & 20mm Ground Chain now!, but? any ideas. I’m sure many of your followers should know about the Keyless Ride stuff. Read my keyfob? Can it be read? You are the guy to ask!….. I look forward to your comments. Thanks.
I dont have keyless ride. Insurance premiums are higher for keyless bikes, gives you an idea how easy they are to steal compared to old fashioned keys....
Apropos nothing: I just watched an interesting video about off-road techniques using the GS called: "The BMW GS Off Road Skills Demo at Motorcycle Live". The skills look useful in all sorts of riding. Sorry for crow-baring it in here TMF / all.
12 months in for me MF and the only thing I've taken off is the sidestand enlarger as 2 up I had to take the bike past the vertical the other way to be able to get it off the stand which was scary. Interesting about the rad guards. I've got Wunderlict ones on mine and noticed the fans coming on in town even at this time if year so might start monitoring the temperatures to see what they are then take them off for a while and compare. I did consider changing it earlier this year then came to my senses!
I've had bikes that do that with the side stand - as you say, scary biscuits!! Glad you came to your senses...have a great Christmas and thanks for all your support this year Ade....TMF
TheMissendenFlyer cheers MF. you too. I've enjoyed your vids this year as always. As a multiple bike owner how about doing a yearly summary vid something similar to this on what you've got what you used them for and how many miles you've done on each one with a quick comparision between them if thete's time and maybe cost without insurance as that's so variable?
..that is exactly what I do do Ade! If you check out my backlog for each of my current bikes should have a long term review, then a 2 year, etc. The next one out will be a long term 2 year review on my CRF (should upload that one on Wed 11th)....cheers - TMF
TheMissendenFlyer Yep I watch all those MF. what I was thinking about was you doing 1 summary vid on all the bikes you currently have in the same vid (4 bikes at the mo?) so anyone who's not watched many of your vids will get to know what your stable currently is what you use each one for and miles covered etc.....just an idea to give you something to do LOL
Another good review MF. The GS looks well put together and your running costs are very reasonable I think. It's a BMW so servicing is never going to be cheap but at least you can expect a good service.
Yes I do love BMW service as I've mentioned before - but at the end of the day it is very expensive....now I'm well out of warranty I'm inclined to take it to my local independent next year, will be interesting to see how the price drops...
yeah that's a good point TMF. If you're happy with the mechanic at the independent then it's a no brainer if you're not obsessed about having BMW stamps in your service log book.
Not at all, I've heard others say that and I don't know what they're on about, maybe they are applying the product too thick - you do need to "atomise" the stuff rather than use the aerosol cans ACF50 supply as they just squirt out a thick gloopy stream...better to apply to a cloth first and then wipe on if you don't have an aerosol pump.
Hi There, interested to hear you have been removing some aftermarket accessories, I've been there myself, I too have a slip-on can sitting on the shelf in the garage. I watched your video on fitting the rad guards and I did think they were a little restrictive, the Givi guards are a simple wide mesh and I think they would be better, (cheaper too). Have the Grip Puppies reduced the feel of the heated grips? I find my GSA grips a little narrow and would like to try the Puppies providing I can still get the benefit of the heat. Thanks for all the tips.
Hi John - The heated grips do lose a bit of their heat but not a lot and I've found they are perfectly adequate through the Grip Puppies - give 'em a try, they are a pretty cheap add-on. All the best - TMF
I have a question. You put 'thicker' grips on you Gs Adventure 1200 correct? I would like to put those on my F800 Gs Adventure too. Where do I purchase these grips? Bryan
TMF, Im serious about getting one. It's a 2013 with all three VARIO bags. Not alot of equipment. The standard Dynamic. Any future problems on a bike that old? It has 25000km!
Thanks for shearing that info. I am interested in the Grip Puppies, can they be fitted over Heated Grips? I too will never fit a Radiator Cover for the same reason as you, Instead settle for a Fender Extender that makes a good job. of protecting the radiator, I do not understand why manufactures make the front Guard so short knowing that we all then have to fit an Extension to prevent Stones from being thrown at the Rad. I also do Touring in the UK and plan a trip to Austria next September, I could not tolerate a Loud Exhaust over a lot of miles, it would drive me to distraction. I fitted one many years ago and like you removed it soon after. Hope you have a Great Christmas.
I'm using Grip puppies over heated grips on an Explorer, no issues to date. They pass the heat through nicely,and if they get wet seem to dry out without any great problem. Hope that helps.
Thank you Bob - and I agree with StewartP45, the grip puppies work fine with heated grips (and they do help dry them out if they get wet!). Thanks for watching and for stopping by, Merry Christmas to you too - TMF
It is a nice machine mate. Who do you have your insurance with and do you have multi bike or are they separated. Merry Crimbo by the way, all the best✊
Thanks Doticaster, my insurance is with Hastings Direct, it is on what they call a "multi-bike" policy but they will only insure two bikes on the one, so I have to have two multi-bike policies....madness!! One of my pet hates is insurance....rip-off central IMO.
TheMissendenFlyer Ha, small world, I'm with Hastings too. Insurance is madness in general but unfortunately a necessity. Quick to take our money but it's like trying to get blood out of a stone if you need to make a claim. I always use the comparison website, but found out it's more expensive using it because the search engine takes a cut of the price we pay. The reason I asked is I thought you might have been with one of these dedicated bike insurers, I'm thinking about it next time✊
Re ACF 50/corrosionn inhibitors, curious to know what you or others think of Scottoiler FS 365 - not well known in North America, but apparently popular in the UK.
Well to me there's a huge chemical difference, ACF50 actually stops corrosion and chemically bonds with the surface of metals it's applied too, stuff like scottoiler are basically just providing a layer of protective oil that washes off/doesn't stop corrosion in it's tracks - of course it's a good move to apply rather than nothing, but for me is only half the job. I learned about ACF50 from the aircraft world (my other hobby) and the stuff is highly regarded by owners of expensive jest and the military alike......it's all they use.
Crikey yes well spotted! The dealer noted last year that there was a ding in the rim and I'd never seen it, but that shot of the wheel clearly shows it - going to have to go and have a look at it for real now!!!
The headlight looks like it#s set a bit low? Puddle of light in front of the bike instead of down the road. It looks like it could come up quite a bit before any hint of dazzling on-coming traffic. Maybe try the line on the wall from 5m or whatever it says in the manual to check?
No harm spending a few mins to check, every new bike I've had or the guys in the club have bought have them set too low. I suspect it should be part of the PDI but never/rarely gets done. A little high is in some ways better than a little low as long as you are not getting grief from other motorists. ;) It makes you more visible and you can see road hazards better. More gadgets FTW. I hope to have lots of gadgets to play with my self in a few weeks and the mental headlight of the 1290 SA S. ;)
Yes I'd love too - must get to know the guys at the KTM centre in Hemel and see if they'll let me borrow one.....right, must tend to my turkey - Merry Christmas!
ACF50 is only the greatest anti corrosion formula ever! Checkout my video on winter protection for all the deets :0) ...and yes, you can add Gear Assist Pro afterwards (I did)....
I was undecided on the go gravel headlight guard......They're £70 plus shipping to Ireland so about £80. If I don't get it and I crack the headlight can you give me your address to send the bill to ? ;)
...good point! No I didn't, I have a bulk amount of ACF50 that I bought a while back so I kind of forgot that one but you're right, it is costly stuff (but worth the money IMO). Service was usual stuff + rear brake pads....
How on earth did you get £98 for insurance for the year?? Please help lol I'm a youthful 45 year old but am still getting large#ish quotes in the hundreds!
....I'm thinking I may have to do an update on my Winter Protection video as everyone is asking about ACF50! Basically spray it everywhere bar brakes, tyres, foot pegs, controls (for obv reasons)...
Really? Alas I don't have any control over that...I notice some sort of product promos have started turning up under my videos too (also nowt to do with me)....
TheMissendenFlyer It's something I'm factoring in my decision to get this bike or another, because even on my Yamaha XJ6 I've been in situations where I've needed help to push it and if there's no one around... I've had it! I suppose that's the benefit of starting off on a smaller bike, is that you learn how important it is avoid certain scenarios.
