Such a great bike

Cliffbase

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Came from a Triumph Explorer 1200, and got a new gsa tb in March.

Today i returned home from 6 days in France/Swizerland. The performance/capability of this machine is astonishing, it did all i asked with ease, composure & confidence. I cant sing its praises highly enough. I thought the Triumph was a decent bike, but that (2014 model) pales into insignificance.

Other bikes on the trip included a KTM 1050, a fireblade (great bike but im way too old to be hunched up now) a Suzuki V-Storm, and 2 Ducati Multistandas. KTM did what was needed - bit of a "Ronseal" model that one, cut out for 15 minutes for no apparent reason & was then fine for the rest of the trip. The Suzuki was surprisingly good, but the Ducati, what a let down, in my opinion its an odd looking bike, kind of an adventure bike trying to look like a sports bike. The build quality (for an 18K bike) was shocking, very cheap shoddy plastics, and a horrid screen adjustment.

The gs just handled any terrain, hairpin and speed, even with the wardrobes fitted. Really chuffed with it. If i could go on the next trip tomorrow, i would!

Just thought id share my worthless thoughts & gush about the bike.
 
Sounds good! I'll be touring two-up with mine in August. Nice to hear hairpins are still a joy even with the wardrobes (great term) fitted! :thumb2
 
Like you I’ve moved over from a 2014 Explorer to a 2017 GSA TE. I haven’t done a long trip yet, only a weekend in Normandy. I’m going away next week to Croatia, so I’ll get chance to see what it’s really like. The only criticism in comparison is that the Triumph engine is far superior and whilst I hated the cruise control being on the R/H on the Triumph, I was hoping the BMW would be better in terms of operation as it’s on the left, I actually think the Triumph one was easier to use, especially with the shut off throttle system. Overall I think the BMW is a better all round package though.


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Cliffbase said:
Came from a Triumph Explorer 1200, and got a new gsa tb in March.

Today i returned home from 6 days in France/Swizerland. The performance/capability of this machine is astonishing, it did all i asked with ease, composure & confidence. I cant sing its praises highly enough. I thought the Triumph was a decent bike, but that (2014 model) pales into insignificance.

Other bikes on the trip included a KTM 1050, a fireblade (great bike but im way too old to be hunched up now) a Suzuki V-Storm, and 2 Ducati Multistandas. KTM did what was needed - bit of a "Ronseal" model that one, cut out for 15 minutes for no apparent reason & was then fine for the rest of the trip. The Suzuki was surprisingly good, but the Ducati, what a let down, in my opinion its an odd looking bike, kind of an adventure bike trying to look like a sports bike. The build quality (for an 18K bike) was shocking, very cheap shoddy plastics, and a horrid screen adjustment.

The gs just handled any terrain, hairpin and speed, even with the wardrobes fitted. Really chuffed with it. If i could go on the next trip tomorrow, i would!

Just thought id share my worthless thoughts & gush about the bike.
Click to expand...

I agree 100% nothing comes close to them regardless of what some say on here. I even let mine have a little sleep at a junction last week when I forgot to put my foot down quick enough. No damage, engine bars did a great job and 6 days riding around Scotland ensued. Mate has a multistrada and he is always comparing it to the gsa and admits it loses out significantly.
 
Cliffbase said:
Came from a Triumph Explorer 1200, and got a new gsa tb in March.

Today i returned home from 6 days in France/Swizerland. The performance/capability of this machine is astonishing, it did all i asked with ease, composure & confidence. I cant sing its praises highly enough. I thought the Triumph was a decent bike, but that (2014 model) pales into insignificance.

Other bikes on the trip included a KTM 1050, a fireblade (great bike but im way too old to be hunched up now) a Suzuki V-Storm, and 2 Ducati Multistandas. KTM did what was needed - bit of a "Ronseal" model that one, cut out for 15 minutes for no apparent reason & was then fine for the rest of the trip. The Suzuki was surprisingly good, but the Ducati, what a let down, in my opinion its an odd looking bike, kind of an adventure bike trying to look like a sports bike. The build quality (for an 18K bike) was shocking, very cheap shoddy plastics, and a horrid screen adjustment.

The gs just handled any terrain, hairpin and speed, even with the wardrobes fitted. Really chuffed with it. If i could go on the next trip tomorrow, i would!

Just thought id share my worthless thoughts & gush about the bike.
Click to expand...

Stop that talk right now.

Get a grip man, they'll all be buying them again. We've spent years trying to put people off !!!

Now go service it yourself and leave the caliper bolts off or find some rust..... quickly
 
Karlos said:
Like you I’ve moved over from a 2014 Explorer to a 2017 GSA TE. I haven’t done a long trip yet, only a weekend in Normandy. I’m going away next week to Croatia, so I’ll get chance to see what it’s really like. The only criticism in comparison is that the Triumph engine is far superior and whilst I hated the cruise control being on the R/H on the Triumph, I was hoping the BMW would be better in terms of operation as it’s on the left, I actually think the Triumph one was easier to use, especially with the shut off throttle system. Overall I think the BMW is a better all round package though.


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Click to expand...

Whilst I likes me tractor, and fancy it may well be the best all round package, the rattles and vibes of the engine make for an over-rated bike imo. Triples are a really good middle ground to the buzziness of inline fours. In particular, very much like the triumph triple. A colleague at work has just upgraded from a 16 to a 18 model. Apparently they're improved the handling, and the power band is now even broader (though not a lot apparent change in torque). Would look at a nice new speed triple RS if I were in a position to.
 
Hi Cliffbase,
I too came from an Explorer to a GSLC in 2013, the revelation occurred when I was already riding in the Alps. We had already had a week riding in the Dolomites and for our second week we moved digs to stay at the Enzian in Austria, the Enzian is a hotel with a bike workshop etc and they also rent bikes...BMW's.
On cleaning my Tex I saw that the rear pads were getting very well worn, so I ordered some more to be fitted at the hotel workshop. To save wasting a days riding a rented a GS-LC and within half an hour of riding the GS up the mountains, I knew that the Tex was history.
I think that the GS-LC beats the Tex in every corner, better handling, better thought out controls, better build quality...it's just a better bike!
The motor is comparison is subjective, the Tex motor is sublimely smooth and powerful but it doesn’t give the massive mid-range wallap that you get from a big flat twin when you want to overtake without cogging down a gear or two.

The Explorer is a great bike...but IMO the GS-LC is better.. and I’m now riding my 5th one.

Enjoy your new ride! :thumb
 
batman1 said:
Hi Cliffbase,
I too came from an Explorer to a GSLC in 2013, the revelation occurred when I was already riding in the Alps. We had already had a week riding in the Dolomites and for our second week we moved digs to stay at the Enzian in Austria, the Enzian is a hotel with a bike workshop etc and they also rent bikes...BMW's.
On cleaning my Tex I saw that the rear pads were getting very well worn, so I ordered some more to be fitted at the hotel workshop. To save wasting a days riding a rented a GS-LC and within half an hour of riding the GS up the mountains, I knew that the Tex was history.
I think that the GS-LC beats the Tex in every corner, better handling, better thought out controls, better build quality...it's just a better bike!
The motor is comparison is subjective, the Tex motor is sublimely smooth and powerful but it doesn’t give the massive mid-range wallap that you get from a big flat twin when you want to overtake without cogging down a gear or two.

The Explorer is a great bike...but IMO the GS-LC is better.. and I’m now riding my 5th one.

Enjoy your new ride! :thumb
Click to expand...

Interesting point, I would argue that the mid range power of the Tex is fantastic, as I found out when riding with several GSs. The handling and balance of the GS is certainly better than the Tex.

I’d say the build quality of the Triumph is the same as the BMW.

We tend to ride the alpine passes a lot, so I’ll see next week what it’s like to haul around the hairpins.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Cliffbase said:
Came from a Triumph Explorer 1200, and got a new gsa tb in March.

Today i returned home from 6 days in France/Swizerland. The performance/capability of this machine is astonishing, it did all i asked with ease, composure & confidence. I cant sing its praises highly enough. I thought the Triumph was a decent bike, but that (2014 model) pales into insignificance.

Other bikes on the trip included a KTM 1050, a fireblade (great bike but im way too old to be hunched up now) a Suzuki V-Storm, and 2 Ducati Multistandas. KTM did what was needed - bit of a "Ronseal" model that one, cut out for 15 minutes for no apparent reason & was then fine for the rest of the trip. The Suzuki was surprisingly good, but the Ducati, what a let down, in my opinion its an odd looking bike, kind of an adventure bike trying to look like a sports bike. The build quality (for an 18K bike) was shocking, very cheap shoddy plastics, and a horrid screen adjustment.

The gs just handled any terrain, hairpin and speed, even with the wardrobes fitted. Really chuffed with it. If i could go on the next trip tomorrow, i would!

Just thought id share my worthless thoughts & gush about the bike.
Click to expand...

Burn the witch...............:D
 
@ cliffbase.........I echo your comments had my 64 plate a week and absolutely love it coming from s1000r and s1000rr's it's just so comfortable and effortless. The speed is suprising I was behind a couple of Multistrada's and although I'm giving up quite a few bhp's it was easy keeping up, to they're suprise as they were checking they're mirrors an awful lot!
It just needs an Akro can to make it sound a bit beefier now!
 
Well I hate to spoil this self congratulatory boxerfest. My stepson owns a 2014 Explorer 1200 and has been hankering after a GSA for a while because I've had 3 GS/GSA bikes myself and have been singing their praises to him. Finally after a couple of years of begging and racking up brownie points, his SWMBO gave him permission to change his bike and he was on the phone to N Oxford straightaway to book a test ride. Then earlier this week, he had the chance to take my 2018 GSA on an extended ride because I needed it delivered somewhere. Well he hated it. He accepted that the GSA handled better than the Explorer but in his opinion the boxer engine is not a patch on the 3 cylinder Triumph lump and for some reason he also hated the clutch action on my GSA too. Anyway he's cancelled his GSA test ride at N Oxford and now plans to look at the new Triumph Explorer XCA instead

Each to his own I guess. Wouldnt the world be a boring place if we all liked GSs?
 
mikef said:
Well I hate to spoil this self congratulatory boxerfest. My stepson owns a 2014 Explorer 1200 and has been hankering after a GSA for a while because I've had 3 GS/GSA bikes myself and have been singing their praises to him. Finally after a couple of years of begging and racking up brownie points, his SWMBO gave him permission to change his bike and he was on the phone to N Oxford straightaway to book a test ride. Then earlier this week, he had the chance to take my 2018 GSA on an extended ride because I needed it delivered somewhere. Well he hated it. He accepted that the GSA handled better than the Explorer but in his opinion the boxer engine is not a patch on the 3 cylinder Triumph lump and for some reason he also hated the clutch action on my GSA too. Anyway he's cancelled his GSA test ride at N Oxford and now plans to look at the new Triumph Explorer XCA instead

Each to his own I guess. Wouldnt the world be a boring place if we all liked GSs?
Click to expand...

Yes but thats the thing....

I came from V4, Inline 4, Triples, and I hated the GSA on my first ride. Tough shit though as I'd bought it by that time (never test rode it).

Now I love it, once I'd come to terms with it was a tractor.
 
mikef said:
Well I hate to spoil this self congratulatory boxerfest. My stepson owns a 2014 Explorer 1200 and has been hankering after a GSA for a while because I've had 3 GS/GSA bikes myself and have been singing their praises to him. Finally after a couple of years of begging and racking up brownie points, his SWMBO gave him permission to change his bike and he was on the phone to N Oxford straightaway to book a test ride. Then earlier this week, he had the chance to take my 2018 GSA on an extended ride because I needed it delivered somewhere. Well he hated it. He accepted that the GSA handled better than the Explorer but in his opinion the boxer engine is not a patch on the 3 cylinder Triumph lump and for some reason he also hated the clutch action on my GSA too. Anyway he's cancelled his GSA test ride at N Oxford and now plans to look at the new Triumph Explorer XCA instead

Each to his own I guess. Wouldnt the world be a boring place if we all liked GSs?
Click to expand...

There’s no doubt that that triple engine has the best combination of elements from a twin and inline four. The bike as a whole however is more than just the engine, and for me isn’t as good as the GS.


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Shamone said:
There’s no doubt that that triple engine has the best combination of elements from a twin and inline four. The bike as a whole however is more than just the engine, and for me isn’t as good as the GS.


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Click to expand...

That's the thing, other bikes do some things better than a GS/GSA but as a whole nothing in my opinion can touch them.
 
For me the Explorer Triple motor was both it’s best point and it’s worst but for two different reasons.

The plus....It delivers a lovely spread of smooth creamy free Erving power.
The negative...The motor is quite tall and sits high raising the C of G of the bike giving it a top heavy feel at low speed.

Me and my two mates bought three of them soon after they were launched and although the Triumph’s are great bikes we are all riding BMW’s now.
 
batman1 said:
For me the Explorer Triple motor was both it’s best point and it’s worst but for two different reasons.

The plus....It delivers a lovely spread of smooth creamy free Erving power.
The negative...The motor is quite tall and sits high raising the C of G of the bike giving it a top heavy feel at low speed.

Me and my two mates bought three of them soon after they were launched and although the Triumph’s are great bikes we are all riding BMW’s now.
Click to expand...

think that captures the essence, engine wise
 
yofi said:
think that captures the essence, engine wise
Click to expand...

I had a Trophy 1200 SE for a while which uses the same engine, and would agree that it has a high C of G. I also felt that it was rather unrefined for a unit powering a luxury tourer. Apart from at high revs, when it emitted a more satisfying howl, the rest of the time it sounded like a diesel car, with the engine noise accompanied by a rather annoying transmission whine in the lower gears which seemed to warble if you had to hold the engine at certain revs, for example in speed limit areas. Also the gear change on mine was even more agricultural than the BMW one used to be.
 
Not often I contribute to these discussions however...

I had 8 Triumphs in a row ( Daytona 955's, Daytona 1050's, 955 Tiger,s 3 Sprint S.T's ,a Tiger Sport 1050 and finally an Explorer ) and loved the triple howl my last one being the Explorer in 2015 . I was on a trip in France with 2 GSA owners and swapped bikes. Came back and traded my 8 month old Explorer for a new GS.

Yes the Triumphs engine is a peach loads of torque and revs nicely however when I got back on the Explorer after riding the GSA for half a day it just felt so top heavy and I was much more at home on the GSA despite being a "Triumph man".

Now on my second GS and having just returned from the Pyrenees I love it, so astonishingly capable whatever you are asking it to do ....and guess what...no corrosion on either GS's despite quite high mileage and only average TLC , no warranty claims on either.

That's done it , probably have a catastrophic engine failure this weekend now I have said that.

Conclusion despite complaints on here I think they are a fantastic all round bike and one of the best I have owned in nearly 40 years of biking.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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