Thinking of changing.

daviedevs

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My 2016 GSA is now ready for MOT so we have decided to look at other possibilities.

The Triumph 11200 XRT looks ok and we have a test ride booked for the weekend...weather dependant.

Anyone here have one and care to let us know how good/bad they are?
 
I had one...at least I had the off road biased version with wire wheels but all else is the same bar a few extras. Lovely engine and build is almost on par with the bmw GS bikes. It's better in some areas and worse in others. Engine casings are covered in paint that sheds after a few years especially around the header pipes which are hard to get to for cleaning, on the flip side, switches are better by a country mile and illuminated!

Wind protection on the newer ones is superb. Triumph have got it licked in that department.

Seats are very comfortable but standard ones really are too soft and need changing for their comfort models (which are firmer)...call my a cynic but I suspect this is a marketing con/opportunity by Triumph...why the heck isn't the standard seat a comfort seat???

On the sidestand with luggage or a pillion it's a beast to manhandle and seriously, don't believe a word anyone tells you to the contrary...they have not shifted the CoG anywhere near enough to prevent the 1200 being anything other than a massively heavy lump with most of the weight up top where it will challenge even the less muscularly challenged amongst us. Mine was so heavy with a full pannier load that I'd often need a hand getting the damned thing off the side stand, especially where adverse cambers were encountered and I know I'm not alone in the world of Triumph 1200 owners here.

On the go the mass dissapears until you break hard then it reminds you that this is no numble sportsbike but for all that it corners on rails. It's definitely the most stable big capacity motorcycle I've ever ridden on fast sweeping A roads. Not so good on tighter stuff. Had the odd (ok...frequent!) moment on hairpin bends where it is just scary as it feels like it's going to drop all the time. You never get used to this because it IS almost going to drop on you. Slow speed and top heaviness = disaster waiting to happen. It was this and getting fed up with muscle strain wrestling the damned thing off the sidestand that persuaded me to sell it for a GS which is so much easier to handle at slow speed, it's laughable. You stand the chance of picking up a GS after a drop (I speak from personal experience!) but the 1200? forget it unless you have a spare pair of helping hands unless you're built like Geoff Capes.

Low down torque is lovely. If ever a word was meant to perfectly describe the 1200 motor's character then "Peachy" is it. Creamy smooth gobfulls of torque which waft you onto the next corner in top. Drop to 30mph in 6th? No problem, just wind it on and it spins up smoothly and gently at first, building momentum like an electric motor until past 5K revs when it howls addictively like a mad banshee on steroids. Peachy. I once used the phrase "Gruntier than a pig fed on beans" to decribe my old Aprilia RSV Mille. This isn't like that. It's more like an aristocratic shire horse, an unstoppable but well mannered force of nature. Overtakes are a breeze in any gear from any revs really.

The GS has just as much if not more ultimate top end poke but the Triumph feels more special when on song and on A roads, a good rider on a 1200 XRT will keep with just about anything.

Heated seat is great as are the grips. TFT screen is great but I felt way too cluttered and I personally hated that little joystick come button on the left cluster...all in all it makes the TFT functionality too much of a distraction. They ought to have kept it simpler imho.

Electric screen is a joy and zero buffeting for me in the raised position unlike the GS.

Working on the bike is a little more awkward than the GS and you would need to set aside more servicing time especially getting to the damned air filter and spark plugs. Triumph (or their design) have always made this awkward perhaps to lure you to the dealership...who knows?

Reliability on mine was generally good but (in common with many of the 1200's) it did play up when hot a few times and randomly cut out when coming to a stop at junctions. It was an electrical fault which was never properly diagnosed nor sorted but loads have reported as much. They have a few other electrical niggles too so best check before you buy that you're going into ownership with open eyes. The dealerships all deny any reliability issues but ownership says different. Early ones had serious cam/camchain or cam follower issues but newer models have this resolved. Shaft drive is generally reliable but there have been a few reported failures and it's probably best not to tune these bikes too much as I suspect things like the final drive are made within tight performance envelopes. The bikes though when riding them feel indestructible with fewer rattles than the GS bikes.

Tyre wear is pretty good much like the GS and tyre choice is as good, unsurprisingly they share similar profiles. My (older) 1200 trumpet was shod with skinnier 150 rear section rubber but was alt he better for that as turn in was more neutral.

The frame is enormously strong and rated to take something massive like 250Kg loading. Rear rack and passenger rails are super strong and very well made. Pillion experience is definitively better on the Triumph than the GS. It is a more supportive seat and the grab rails are more conveniently placed and better shaped. It's less of a ballet act getting onto the pillion seat too as it's not quite as high.

Overall, it's a damned good bike but I would never ever be tempted back onto one for the one simple and critical reason that is the elephant in the room...at least it weighs about as much as an elephant and feels it....the mass. It's just something I couldn't look past and as much as I loved the looks and the engine, the weight was the clincher for me and I'm no 9 stone weakling. It's just too much and spoilt every tour I did on the bike. Slow speed handling was too fraught and my back and arms suffered when the centrestand was used or when hauling a loaded bike upright off the sidestand. It was ridiculously heavy. The GS has its own issues but generally I'd say the Triumph is a sideways move and unlike the gS, its faults can not be overlooked after a few thousand miles of ownership. The engine cutting out was downright dangerous, the weight was horrible and in the summer, the damned thing cooked your thighs with engine heat.

If you take those things on board, go enjoy a test ride but then reflect on whether the issues that had me change from the Trumpet are things you can live with. Trust me, if you are not honest about them, they will come and bite you down the line a few thousand miles later and you will want to go back to a GS. If you get on with the bike, can put up with engine heat in the summer, can handle the top heavy weight then go for it.
 
I had one...at least I had the off road biased version with wire wheels but all else is the same bar a few extras. Lovely engine and build is almost on par with the bmw GS bikes. It's better in some areas and worse in others. Engine casings are covered in paint that sheds after a few years especially around the header pipes which are hard to get to for cleaning, on the flip side, switches are better by a country mile and illuminated!

Wind protection on the newer ones is superb. Triumph have got it licked in that department.

Seats are very comfortable but standard ones really are too soft and need changing for their comfort models (which are firmer)...call my a cynic but I suspect this is a marketing con/opportunity by Triumph...why the heck isn't the standard seat a comfort seat???

On the sidestand with luggage or a pillion it's a beast to manhandle and seriously, don't believe a word anyone tells you to the contrary...they have not shifted the CoG anywhere near enough to prevent the 1200 being anything other than a massively heavy lump with most of the weight up top where it will challenge even the less muscularly challenged amongst us. Mine was so heavy with a full pannier load that I'd often need a hand getting the damned thing off the side stand, especially where adverse cambers were encountered and I know I'm not alone in the world of Triumph 1200 owners here.

On the go the mass dissapears until you break hard then it reminds you that this is no numble sportsbike but for all that it corners on rails. It's definitely the most stable big capacity motorcycle I've ever ridden on fast sweeping A roads. Not so good on tighter stuff. Had the odd (ok...frequent!) moment on hairpin bends where it is just scary as it feels like it's going to drop all the time. You never get used to this because it IS almost going to drop on you. Slow speed and top heaviness = disaster waiting to happen. It was this and getting fed up with muscle strain wrestling the damned thing off the sidestand that persuaded me to sell it for a GS which is so much easier to handle at slow speed, it's laughable. You stand the chance of picking up a GS after a drop (I speak from personal experience!) but the 1200? forget it unless you have a spare pair of helping hands unless you're built like Geoff Capes.

Low down torque is lovely. If ever a word was meant to perfectly describe the 1200 motor's character then "Peachy" is it. Creamy smooth gobfulls of torque which waft you onto the next corner in top. Drop to 30mph in 6th? No problem, just wind it on and it spins up smoothly and gently at first, building momentum like an electric motor until past 5K revs when it howls addictively like a mad banshee on steroids. Peachy. I once used the phrase "Gruntier than a pig fed on beans" to decribe my old Aprilia RSV Mille. This isn't like that. It's more like an aristocratic shire horse, an unstoppable but well mannered force of nature. Overtakes are a breeze in any gear from any revs really.

The GS has just as much if not more ultimate top end poke but the Triumph feels more special when on song and on A roads, a good rider on a 1200 XRT will keep with just about anything.

Heated seat is great as are the grips. TFT screen is great but I felt way too cluttered and I personally hated that little joystick come button on the left cluster...all in all it makes the TFT functionality too much of a distraction. They ought to have kept it simpler imho.

Electric screen is a joy and zero buffeting for me in the raised position unlike the GS.

Working on the bike is a little more awkward than the GS and you would need to set aside more servicing time especially getting to the damned air filter and spark plugs. Triumph (or their design) have always made this awkward perhaps to lure you to the dealership...who knows?

Reliability on mine was generally good but (in common with many of the 1200's) it did play up when hot a few times and randomly cut out when coming to a stop at junctions. It was an electrical fault which was never properly diagnosed nor sorted but loads have reported as much. They have a few other electrical niggles too so best check before you buy that you're going into ownership with open eyes. The dealerships all deny any reliability issues but ownership says different. Early ones had serious cam/camchain or cam follower issues but newer models have this resolved. Shaft drive is generally reliable but there have been a few reported failures and it's probably best not to tune these bikes too much as I suspect things like the final drive are made within tight performance envelopes. The bikes though when riding them feel indestructible with fewer rattles than the GS bikes.

Tyre wear is pretty good much like the GS and tyre choice is as good, unsurprisingly they share similar profiles. My (older) 1200 trumpet was shod with skinnier 150 rear section rubber but was alt he better for that as turn in was more neutral.

The frame is enormously strong and rated to take something massive like 250Kg loading. Rear rack and passenger rails are super strong and very well made. Pillion experience is definitively better on the Triumph than the GS. It is a more supportive seat and the grab rails are more conveniently placed and better shaped. It's less of a ballet act getting onto the pillion seat too as it's not quite as high.

Overall, it's a damned good bike but I would never ever be tempted back onto one for the one simple and critical reason that is the elephant in the room...at least it weighs about as much as an elephant and feels it....the mass. It's just something I couldn't look past and as much as I loved the looks and the engine, the weight was the clincher for me and I'm no 9 stone weakling. It's just too much and spoilt every tour I did on the bike. Slow speed handling was too fraught and my back and arms suffered when the centrestand was used or when hauling a loaded bike upright off the sidestand. It was ridiculously heavy. The GS has its own issues but generally I'd say the Triumph is a sideways move and unlike the gS, its faults can not be overlooked after a few thousand miles of ownership. The engine cutting out was downright dangerous, the weight was horrible and in the summer, the damned thing cooked your thighs with engine heat.

If you take those things on board, go enjoy a test ride but then reflect on whether the issues that had me change from the Trumpet are things you can live with. Trust me, if you are not honest about them, they will come and bite you down the line a few thousand miles later and you will want to go back to a GS. If you get on with the bike, can put up with engine heat in the summer, can handle the top heavy weight then go for it.

Thanks for taking the time to write all that.

Tbh I think we are going down the ktm or 2020 Africa twin route.

I’m no weakling but I am 54 and the lighter the better for me..especially 2 up touring.
 
Thanks for taking the time to write all that.

Tbh I think we are going down the ktm or 2020 Africa twin route.

I’m no weakling but I am 54 and the lighter the better for me..especially 2 up touring.

54
I am in Spain now and some chaps are into their mid 70's on big BMW 1250 GS Adv
 
Did you read the post? Obviously not.

Just ride what you have

New bikes just lose or cost you money (been there in the past)

Touring Spain on 15 year old GS that stands me at £3500 or thereabouts

Cheaper than 1 year's depreciation on a new fucking bike and gives me just as many smiles as those on new £20k 1250 GS Adv's

54 .....you have years left yet
 
The gsa, fully loaded , 2 up, is a heavy beast. Hence looking for something lighter.
 
Just ride what you have

New bikes just lose or cost you money (been there in the past)

Touring Spain on 15 year old GS that stands me at £3500 or thereabouts

Cheaper than 1 year's depreciation on a new fucking bike and gives me just as many smiles as those on new £20k 1250 GS Adv's

54 .....you have years left yet


Move away Johnny. Our sort aren't welcome here.
 
The gsa, fully loaded , 2 up, is a heavy beast. Hence looking for something lighter.

I have jumped ship from 1150GSA and 1200 GS to a Triumph. I'm an 11 stone sub 6' rider and didn't fancy or need a 1200. The Tiger 800 XCA has that sublime, smooth responsive triple and super slick gearbox and quality WP suspension that floats over bumps in the road.

I would recommend you try one. Like me you may find it is all the bike you will ever need.
Damn good looking IMHO too.
 
I have jumped ship from 1150GSA and 1200 GS to a Triumph. I'm an 11 stone sub 6' rider and didn't fancy or need a 1200. The Tiger 800 XCA has that sublime, smooth responsive triple and super slick gearbox and quality WP suspension that floats over bumps in the road.

I would recommend you try one. Like me you may find it is all the bike you will ever need.
Damn good looking IMHO too.

You aren't riding 2 up though - are you ?
 
Thanks for taking the time to write all that.

Tbh I think we are going down the ktm or 2020 Africa twin route.

I’m no weakling but I am 54 and the lighter the better for me..especially 2 up touring.

I'm a similar age to you and tbh find the GSA fully loaded a pain when taking pillion but only because I'm a 5ft8" shorty so struggle with getting the feet down. Not a problem when one up riding but when the preload is set for rider, pillion and gear it removes a lot of the sag effectively raising the seat height another few inches!

Alternatives, if I were to move away would have to include the S1000R which I rate as the best naked sports/sports touring bike I've ever ridden, but then again I don't take pillion that often so its little pillion seat isn't an issue. You might want to look at the R1250R. That has a decent seat, is lower to the ground, lighter and can be fitted with luggage. Strikes me it'd make a pretty decent touring bike.

I used to have a KTM and whilst I liked it a lot, it was definitely more sport oriented and less comfortable than the GS or the Triumph. Their best all rounder (well, back then anyway) sadly isn't made any more but is available used for little money. The 990 SMT...cracking bike.

Point is if you just fancy a change, there's loads to look at. Why not take your time and just go out and test ride as many as you can. It's all very well reading stuff posted on forums but there's no substitute for riding the bikes and looking at the build quality and other considerations. I do think you're wise avoiding the Tiger 1200...I wouldn't go there.

One obvious question though...isn't the standard R1200GS (rather than the GSA) still worth a shout as it just doesn't seem that heavy to handle, even 2 up?

I test rode the Tiger 800 and fwiw it's a fine one up machine but I just thought the engine was a little too peaky for two up riding with luggage. It'd do it alright but it's not ideal...it'd be a little cramped and quite a lot down on torque.
 
I'm a similar age to you and tbh find the GSA fully loaded a pain when taking pillion but only because I'm a 5ft8" shorty so struggle with getting the feet down. Not a problem when one up riding but when the preload is set for rider, pillion and gear it removes a lot of the sag effectively raising the seat height another few inches!

Alternatives, if I were to move away would have to include the S1000R which I rate as the best naked sports/sports touring bike I've ever ridden, but then again I don't take pillion that often so its little pillion seat isn't an issue. You might want to look at the R1250R. That has a decent seat, is lower to the ground, lighter and can be fitted with luggage. Strikes me it'd make a pretty decent touring bike.

I used to have a KTM and whilst I liked it a lot, it was definitely more sport oriented and less comfortable than the GS or the Triumph. Their best all rounder (well, back then anyway) sadly isn't made any more but is available used for little money. The 990 SMT...cracking bike.

Point is if you just fancy a change, there's loads to look at. Why not take your time and just go out and test ride as many as you can. It's all very well reading stuff posted on forums but there's no substitute for riding the bikes and looking at the build quality and other considerations. I do think you're wise avoiding the Tiger 1200...I wouldn't go there.

One obvious question though...isn't the standard R1200GS (rather than the GSA) still worth a shout as it just doesn't seem that heavy to handle, even 2 up?

I test rode the Tiger 800 and fwiw it's a fine one up machine but I just thought the engine was a little too peaky for two up riding with luggage. It'd do it alright but it's not ideal...it'd be a little cramped and quite a lot down on torque.



Tbh I will be taking my time about which bike we get next. I have ridden the 1200 xrt triumph and the Yam Niken. Both were great to ride but the Triumph will be too heavy and as much as I loved the Niken, the pillion seat was a no go for her indoors. The bike show is just around the corner so we will have a sit on all the contenders and speak to the dealers. I’m sure we will get a good deal and the right bike at some point.
 
The TEX is a heavy old bus for sure.

Have you tried an F850GS yet? After the, shall we say politely, false start, all the owners I have spoken to love the thing - all comment on how light & flick-able it feels & it seems perfectly capable of 2-up touring. Then, so were the old F800GS/A bikes, now coming available at very sensible money.
 
The TEX is a heavy old bus for sure.

Have you tried an F850GS yet? After the, shall we say politely, false start, all the owners I have spoken to love the thing - all comment on how light & flick-able it feels & it seems perfectly capable of 2-up touring. Then, so were the old F800GS/A bikes, now coming available at very sensible money.

I’m going to say it’s probably underpowered for what we need. We prefer a bit of power to keep the revs lower and make the tours nice and calm. Hard to explain really. We loved our Yamaha s10 , very comfy, etc etc. But it was just ever so slightly underpowered and a tad agricultural, hence we got the GSA. However I’m now looking for same power and comfort but a tad easier to handle in the garage.
 


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