Why did i subscribe? I came across your test ride on the 1250GS. Im seriously considering one and found your review very helpful and honest. My wife isnt over keen on the GS so i need all the help on convincing her so thank Debbie for positive comments :-). One thing we have found an issue is the standard BMW panniers restrict her foot position and would probably use the same Givi setup you had on the loan bike. Then i saw the title of this film and thought, oh no. Thankfully youve only sold it to buy one that suits you better. As for dropping it, once they start to go, thats it. Glad you were both ok, albeit a little shaken.
Thank you for commenting. The GIVI panniers are good. The only downfall was that Debbie opened them when they were still attached to the bike and her clothes spilled out onto the carpark. So that was the reason we went for a box with a lid rather than a side open mechanism. I pick up the new bike on May 7th and will post a video once I get it with my impressions for someone with short legs.
Hi New sub here. I found your channel whilst looking for someone, such as yourself who was a similar height and inseam to myself and had taken the plunge with a R1250GS with lowered suspension and seat mod. I also enjoy commentary. Too often channels show a rider with a helmet cam but overlaid with music and no narration which i find boring. So, thank you for posting your new bike and also explaining why you made the choice to sell your previous GS. Stay safe. Jason
Hi Rusty. Thank you so much for the comment. It is really appreciated. I often find it really hard to strike a balance between too much talk and not enough. Your comments really help me. Thank you. Do you have your lowered bike yet? How are you getting on with it?
Happy to help Jens. If you can, get the factory lowered version. Lowered springs on a standard bike can alter the entire geometry. The side stand and centre stand geometry is also altered.
You did the right thing. One needs to be extremely comfortable with their motorcycle. I liked both the 1250GS and RT, but if I was going for the RT, wanted the 2020 model with analog gauges and radio with speakers. Finally ended up with the 2021 1250gs. Getting used to it, still can't figure out the quick shifters and the maze of displays. I think I am getting buffeted at the low windshield position and at the high position I get vibrations, so trying to find an intermediate position.
I went for the GS simply due to the number of gravel roads here in New Zealand. I also looked at the RT but liked the simplicity of the GS. I dont use the quick shifter. Maybe it is habit. But I dont find myself needing to quick shift up or down. I can understand its use on a sportsbike. As for the displays, I probably use only three of the screens. I dont have any vibrations on my screen at the top position. I will double check on my next ride. Do the vibrations start at any particular speed?
@@WoodendWanderer yes I can imagine. Getting hot here Probably one more ride before I park the bike. Hopefully I don’t drop it tomorrow lol Cheers and awesome videos Very natural and honest.
I just sold my KTM 1290 R for the same reason. Nothing focuses your attention like pulling up and putting a foot down only to find the ground is not where you thought it was. Factory lowered is def the way to go. Look fwd to your update when it arrives.
I tried the KTM before I bought the GS. Same issue. Just to tall for me. I now have the new factory lowered GS. It is simply fantastic and so much more comfortable for me.
I ordered a new BMW1250gsa low frame 2020 last year and it was still a bit high for me on the lowest setting so ordered a Touratech extra low seat and what a difference, it’s more comfortable than the standard BMW factory one. So I would recommend getting the seat ordered to arrive when your new 1250 is delivered.
I'm sure the lowered suspension GS will be perfect for you. As you say, it has to be right to give you and your pillion maximum enjoyed without the stress. Have fun on your Harley in the meantime.
Thanks Rob. The hardest part was making the decision not to just put up with it. Knowing the financial hit was going to be one thing to come to terms with, it was my wife who said change it now or you never will. So instead of a holiday which is likely not coming for a while anyway, a new and hopefully better bike is coming instead. Hope you are well in this crazy world wherever you are.
Thanks Jack. It is why I have gone for the factory lowered version. I pick it up on may 5th. I will post a video of that bike and how I get on with it.
@@WoodendWanderer fantastic i picked up my new Gs 2 days ago love it, I have the standard suspension but have the seat at its lowest setting works for me
Hey there! I’m coming on 68 very soon and considering selling my 18 GSA for a 21 GSA. As I get a little older I am beginning to notice the weight and height of these big bikes so I may reconsider. Your experience is something I’m becoming more leery of, it could happen to me too. Enjoy your new GS once it gets here
I'm on my 3rd lowered GS now and at 5'7" with an inside leg of 29" I've had no real issues. If you've had delivery of your new lowered GS and still have problems try a pair of Daytona M star boots as they have a 1" insert that together with the lowered chasis make a huge difference.
Thanks for the comment Adrian. I will definitely look up those boots and see if I can get them here in New Zealand. If not I am sure Amazon can get them to me. I think of all the bikes I have owned the GS is the best for two up riding with my wife. It is just so comfortable and trustworthy if that makes sense.
Hi Wanderer, I enjoyed hearing your experiences with bikes. I'm from Yorkshire, lived near Melbourne for the last 30 years. Have toured the South Island with Paradise by the way and hope to be back very soon. I've had bikes since I was 16, now 69, and gradually transitioning to machines more suited to my (and wife's age). I've had a Tiger 800 for the last 7 years and been fairly happy with that but ready for an upgrade and change. A BMW is top of my list and currently waiting to test the R1250R, Tried the F900XR yesterday and was disappointed with the engine and also found it a bit too tall. Keep looking at the GS but it's just too tall, both for me and my wife climbing on and off - I'm 172cm. I know there are lowering options but I just don't think these taller Adventure bikes are quite the same when lowered. If you don't need the long suspension travel, which dictates the extra height, then I think it's worth considering a different type of bike. Have you considered the RT? I don't do the big miles these days, so don't need all that weather protection, so hoping the R will be perfect for us. Please keep posting your experiences, I am sure there are many others like me who are interested.
Good morning Graham, I am originally from Portsmouth moved out to New Zealand in 2005. Paradise is still going strong although no doubt the border closure has hit them like most of out tourist industry. I am just north of Christchurch. In Woodend.I simply adore the 1250GS. I took one on hire from South Pacific motorcycle hire and went for a run to Kaikoura. I did a video of that. My wife came as pillion. It sold us on the bike. It was a dream to ride. I went for the GS as there is so much of New Zealand that is accessible only on gravel roads. One of my friends in the Ulysses group has the RT and is around the same height as us and even his wife has to get on it on the side stand and shuffle back onto the pillion seat before he gets on. I am 173cms so I know what you mean. The standard GS with the lowered seat on lowest setting meant I could get both feet on the ground but only the balls of my feet. Great on tarmac. Any gravel and my feet simply don't grip. Fine if I am on my own. This meant that my wife had to get on the bike when it was on the side stand as I could not hold it up when she got on otherwise. The factory lowered version is 5cms lower which will help me enormously. I know it means lower ground clearance but I am not intending going anywhere where that will be an issue. I will make it work simply because I enjoyed riding the GS so much.I am a svelte 100kg 😁and my wife is 65kg and the bike powers s along effortlessly. Once I get the bike sometime next year I will let you know how we get on. In the meantime the good old agricultural Harley will do me just fine. My name is Mark by the way. I use the Woodend Wanderer so my passenger ship travellers can't find me!
@@WoodendWanderer Good Morning Mark. My dad did his training for the navy in Portsmouth in 1942, he served on HMS Orwell (Destroyer) mostly on the Russian convoy escorts. I watched your initial test of the GS with great interest, to help see if it might suit my wife and I. Being comfortable two-up is very important, I don't want her to stop enjoying the rides. We've had many bikes, mostly Sport Touring - VFRs (3) Blackbirds (2) Firestorm, etc. We used to do regular Ride Days at Phillip Island but after 10 years of that started to look at bikes that would be a bit better for my wife on the back as her knees and hips started to age. We got one of the last Suzuki GSX1400s and loved that bike but after only 3 years corrosion started appearing in lots of places - we live on the coast - so I got seduced by the build quality of BMWs and got the F800ST. Lovely light flickable and comfortable bike. I am only 70kg and my wife 63kg, so OK there but I just couldn't get enthusiastic about the engine and started looking around again. Tried the Tiger 800 and loved the engine, not sure about the height of the bike. My wife struggled to climb on the back but we managed, often using the kerb or sidestand. Like you, it was fine for me solo but with the (not too heavy) weight of my wife on the bike it made it substantially more top heavy and I often felt a little wobbly in slow maneuvers, or coming to a stop. I lowered it just 15mm with dog bone links at the rear and 10mm on the triple clamps. That helped a bit but occasionally on some corners if there was a bit of a dip mid corner I was worried about the ground clearance. Overall, I really liked the Tiger and considered getting the new 900 GT but there are just none available and they don't know when there will be a shipment. I think I am ready for a change though and want quality, it may be my last bike, so whatever the cost. From the reviews, I was really hoping the F900XR would be the bike but, as I said, major disappointment. The same height and top-heavy feel of the Tiger which I know can be adjusted but the engine reminded me too much of the F800. I don't go off road at all, so a bike with 170mm of suspension travel doesn't really make sense. I've watched just about every youtube review of the R1250R and have high hopes that it will be perfect, I'm expecting more like the GSX1400 but light years ahead in technology and quality. The container is supposed to be arriving in Melbourne today, so hope to hear from the dealer very soon. I'll let you know how it goes, sorry for the long message, I'm not really that chatty except about bikes. Cheers, Graham.
I don't mind long messages at all! You have to hold out for the right bike when you are spending decent coin. I too am hoping the GS will be my last purchase. The 1250R is a very nice bike and if you never intend going off tarmac then it is a better choice than the GS I would say. Particularly for the distances involved in Australia. It is a big bike though. What with the wind protection and big panniers it is a fair sized machine. Not unlike the Harley Ultra glide. My friends is a 2019 model in dark green and it looks amazing. I made sure I put a decent top box on the GS as a backrest for my wife. I bought Bumot panniers and top box and I am delighted with them. She always felt safer with something to lean back on. The sissy bar on the Harley gave her the back rest she needed. Post a review of the 1250R. I look forward to seeing it.
@@WoodendWanderer Thanks again Mark, I have subscribed and we have already watched a few of their videos, particularly Sue getting her licence and bikes. Cheers Graham.
bom dia de Auckland Edson. Thank you for your message. Good to see you are still riding at 70. Also good to know that the lowered version of the 1250GS looks like the right choice for both of us. Thank you. Mark
