R vs GS engine differences?

yofi

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Went a r1200r today, and was very impressed - seemed as quick as the R100r from mid range, with none of the downsides.

Power differences aside, the engine felt so much smoother (and less rattlly) than my GS - gearbox felt a bit better too. The bike has 2.8k on the clock, my GS has just .8k. Is the felt difference mainly down to one bike being more run in, or is there another reason? Or should I be concern about my GS?! Would be interested in reading around any engine configuration differences should somebody be able to steer me in the right direction.
 
I took a shot of a friend of mines 1200r a couple weeks back and was also surprised the difference. It's gsap was much slicker than my gs, bike seemed far more fun as well. We are both currently in the Alps touring and although I think the gs is a better bike for doing 2/3 thousand miles in a couple weeks I think the r may well be a better fun bike to own.
 
I have a 2015 R12GS and yesterday I bought a 2016 R12R. I love the GS but the one thing I hate is the bucket of bolts engine sound. I've had 13 BMW's and none have ever sounded like that. Well I took my first ride on the R today and immediately noted how quiet the motor is. Even after several hours of riding I pulled in the garage and it was still normal sounding. I guess all the bodywork and wider tank on the GS amplify the sounds.
My GS has 3k miles and the R has 300. The R seems to shift better especially with the shift assist which I thought I would rarely use so didn't put it on the GS. Boy is that fun. I used it all day today through the twisties as well as the straights. But I'll have to ride it for a while without the shift assist for a more accurate comparison.
It wasn't clear in your post as to what year your GS is but if it's an LC model it has the same drivetrain as the R. Though a change in the air box and muffler configurations change the torque curve slightly on the R. Also, the rear end ratios is lower (higher numerically) on the GS.
 
I've had a TC GSA from new in 2012 and despite really liking the ride on the LC I could never bring myself to part with the TC or justify the cost to change to the LC GS/A. Then, in March, I had an R1200RS for the day and I was struck with just how different (read better!) it was. Engine smoother, semi-active ride almost as compliant, no real fork dive, sharper handling, GSAP much sharper/smoother, etc. I realised how much more I was enjoying the bike.

A couple of weeks later I had a demo 17 GS Exclusive and, although a committed GS fan, I wasn't enjoying the day's ride as much as I did on the RS (the same route). So, I bought an RS to run alongside the TC GSA and I'm really pleased I did. I love both bikes for different reasons but I am much happier with the RS for days trips even on rough Scottish roads and I continue to be impressed with how comfortable and overall fun it is after 2900 miles.

I don't know why the engine should be smoother, the gearbox better, the ride equally comfortable, etc but it is!
 


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