THAT’S A TEST
When a bike is brand new and under warranty, nothing can stop you
going for a very long ride and see what it is able to give.
For that reason I decided for my summer holidays to go for a very
long tour with my new bonny. ».
Let see the result: 7000KM of ride, 40 passes higher than 1000 meters
in which 25 higher than 1500M and 12 higher than 2000M.
The road book : The Pyrenees from the Mediterrane to the Pays Basque,
Spain from the Pays Basque to the Picos de Europa , from Picos de Europa
to Cabo Finisterre, from Capo Finisterre to the Estrella mountain in Portugal,
from Portugal Italian Alpes and the french Grande Route des Alpes Françaises.
The all stuff done in less than 4 weeks! A very nice trip in fact,
trip that I will detail you in one of my trips
chapter.
The all trip were without any problem on the bike. You will think
its normal with a new bike, that’s true and I will tell you it was already
the case with my old R1100GS after 70000km
The first and perhaps only thing I have to say again that biker is,
the original Saddle is a real pain. A saddle of such a bad quality on such
a quality bike is not tolerable. It became uncomfortable after just 5000km
on the odometer. My dealer proposed me to replace with a new one but the
new is the exact replica of the original one, so why changing for the same
s…. (I suspect it would not have been the same for the same problem on
a new car of the same manufacturer!)
Secondary you could have some pain due to vibrations, but as much
as what you would have had when riding a 500XT for a 1000km trip (I did
that in the past and after such experience somebody had to cut my meat
during the diner!) let say that for the GS it is affordable but it is strange
to see that you get more vab on the 1150 than on the 1100.
For the rest what to say, almost nothing! (Not really) :
• The comfort: Out of the bloody saddle you could think that all
roads are perfect. The high riding position en hauteur allows you to enjoy
the landscape and to ride in safe with the best vision.
• Protection: With the SECDEM screen you can even ride with our
helmet open. You only have your arms in the wind. The hands protections
(from BMW) are really a good stuff (protect from wind, light rain, cold,
stones).
• The protection bars: It reduces for sure the way you can pass
in the twisties and as the foot peg are a bit too high it scratches with
no warning. Out of that it is a very good protection for the bike including
panniers if you missed yourself at low speed or if it falls when stopped
• The riding feeling: I sometime feel I am a very good rider but
it is just a very good bike.
• The gaz : Highway, country road, mountain road, unpaved road,
all that during 7000km for only a 5,5l/100km average.
• Oil: I only had less than half liter oil for the all trip!
• Tires: I don’t know cause they are not yet ready to be replaced.
• Brakes: No ABS for me on the 1150 (I did have with the 1100) This
time I have preferred the metallic brakes tubes. It give much better
feeling even in urgency. With my actual experience ABS or without ABS,
I would choose the non-ABS solution with metallic tube. By the way I think
that the better feeling help you not to make an extra used of the brakes
and will preserve your brakes pads.
• Light: Riding safely at night with just the original light is
difficult, for that reason the 2 extra head lights from HELLA (FF100) were
a good deal. Anyway the standard crossing light is poor especially on twisty
road.
• Baggage: The BMW panniers are surely not the easier to fill with
your stuff but the used of the inner bags helps very much. For the opening
and closing operation or installation on the bike it is working well. It
were waterproofs unless the hundred miles done under heavy rain. The Bagster
tank bag is also a good stuff but everybody knows it already. For the remaining
stuff I prefer a soft bag instead of the top case for 2 raisons: 1 / the
Top case it’s the weight of the top case and a 46 liters is not nothing,
2/ The weight of the Top case is to much on the rear up position of the
bike.
• The very best: All this, you can do it with a RT. But the bonus
with the GS is when the tarmac stops and there is something more interesting
to see next, then you can go forward (If the track is dry or the sand not
to soft and deep). I often went in marvelous area where I would not have
been with a bike like an RT.