Well it’s been a big day today, I have just picked up my new (to me ) R1200GS-LC so I thought I had better join up to say hi, over the past few years I have tried a Triumph Tiger Explorer, a Ducati Multistrada DS1000, a Kawasaki Versys 1000 and I’ve just put a Aprilia Caponord Rally in part ex for the GS so let’s hope it lives up to expectations.
The Converted
- Thread starter Dredd
- Start date
Welcome ! Wow , you've tried most of them haven't you. Have you owned all of those then? If so , I'd be interested to hear your favourites , or could you rank them. I was looking at some reviews on YouTube of the Capanord recently , you don't see many for sale. There is a nice Versys for sale on here too that looks great value .
Greetings & welcome to the forum.....enjoy your 'new to you' bike......
Hi Rushy thanks for the welcome, yeah I have owned all of those bikes
(not at the same time) and I guess if I was to rank them I would say my first try at this style, adventure/touring or whatever you wish to call them was a Honda Transalp 700, that was a fantastic bike. When I bought it, it was only 2 years old but had already covered 30k due to the first owner being a chap who trained Honda sales advisors and was up and down the country. The bike was ace it just lacked a bit of power when loaded and two up, the real reason I fell out with it was the finish was rubbish, the paint was very thin and parts like the radiators and exhaust system didn’t last long before failing, I did away with the exhaust and cat replaced with a Fuel silencer and a power commander the rad’s were over £300 each at the time so that was repaired with some American made epoxy resin and worked a treat. Anyhoos the Tiger explorer is and was a fantastic bike, the only box it didn’t tick was the weight distribution, being 5’5 ish it felt too top end heavy but otherwise excellent, that was only sold as a Thunderbird sport was spotted and I’d wanted one from the fist time I saw one, next was the DS1000 which was cheap £1500 and yep it did wat a £1500 Ducati does best exploding clutch, collapsed rear wheel bearings etc etc but when it was good it was very GOOD, that was owned only because it was cheap and available I did test ride the new type from Ducati Manchester but that bike was not going to be a daily ride for me. The Versys came later and although it is a great bike I don’t personally get on with 4 cylinder bikes in this style, it always felt like I was I top gear before I knew it and without a gear indicator you have to work the gearbox a bit, I thought going back to a twin would be a better idea so I looked at the Caponord Rally and I loved it at first, it was just the quirky things like the cruise control is rubbish, you get a switch for heated grips but don’t necessarily get them on the bike and the main problem was it has an exhaust valve before the silencer, I know lots bikes have these but this one seems to make it very difficult to ride slowly (filtering etc) I fitted a magic box of tricks that eliminates the valve but tells the ecu all is fine. I have since read that altering the gearing can help this, but not being able to fit a standard scottoiler, winter and it’s an absolute weapon of a Motorcycle helped me decide that the GS is something I needed to try, I spoke to the chaps at motoworks in Holmfirth but the don’t take other makes in part ex, I had a sit on the oil cooled single cam of a friend and I liked it but felt heavy next was a 2010 twin cam which was similar and I liked it and last of all I sat on a LC model and it was like . . . Ahhh yep this is the one. A phone call to Bowker BMW in Preston and I am now the proud owner and proud GS Tosser, as you probably guess I have have tried lots of different bikes over my 28 years riding on the road and think if you ride a bike of any type,style or make I salute you.
Hope that helps
(not at the same time) and I guess if I was to rank them I would say my first try at this style, adventure/touring or whatever you wish to call them was a Honda Transalp 700, that was a fantastic bike. When I bought it, it was only 2 years old but had already covered 30k due to the first owner being a chap who trained Honda sales advisors and was up and down the country. The bike was ace it just lacked a bit of power when loaded and two up, the real reason I fell out with it was the finish was rubbish, the paint was very thin and parts like the radiators and exhaust system didn’t last long before failing, I did away with the exhaust and cat replaced with a Fuel silencer and a power commander the rad’s were over £300 each at the time so that was repaired with some American made epoxy resin and worked a treat. Anyhoos the Tiger explorer is and was a fantastic bike, the only box it didn’t tick was the weight distribution, being 5’5 ish it felt too top end heavy but otherwise excellent, that was only sold as a Thunderbird sport was spotted and I’d wanted one from the fist time I saw one, next was the DS1000 which was cheap £1500 and yep it did wat a £1500 Ducati does best exploding clutch, collapsed rear wheel bearings etc etc but when it was good it was very GOOD, that was owned only because it was cheap and available I did test ride the new type from Ducati Manchester but that bike was not going to be a daily ride for me. The Versys came later and although it is a great bike I don’t personally get on with 4 cylinder bikes in this style, it always felt like I was I top gear before I knew it and without a gear indicator you have to work the gearbox a bit, I thought going back to a twin would be a better idea so I looked at the Caponord Rally and I loved it at first, it was just the quirky things like the cruise control is rubbish, you get a switch for heated grips but don’t necessarily get them on the bike and the main problem was it has an exhaust valve before the silencer, I know lots bikes have these but this one seems to make it very difficult to ride slowly (filtering etc) I fitted a magic box of tricks that eliminates the valve but tells the ecu all is fine. I have since read that altering the gearing can help this, but not being able to fit a standard scottoiler, winter and it’s an absolute weapon of a Motorcycle helped me decide that the GS is something I needed to try, I spoke to the chaps at motoworks in Holmfirth but the don’t take other makes in part ex, I had a sit on the oil cooled single cam of a friend and I liked it but felt heavy next was a 2010 twin cam which was similar and I liked it and last of all I sat on a LC model and it was like . . . Ahhh yep this is the one. A phone call to Bowker BMW in Preston and I am now the proud owner and proud GS Tosser, as you probably guess I have have tried lots of different bikes over my 28 years riding on the road and think if you ride a bike of any type,style or make I salute you.
Hope that helps
Hello and welcome
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