I'm back.... sort of

[Ros]

Hi folks,

It's been AGES since I participated in this forum... Sorry about that - it's been rather hectic.  I think I posted a while ago about a superb but busy last year, and this year is turning out to be a corker too!

The bike's going well and had it's fifth birthday last month.  I treated it to a shower and a good old blast around the mountains...
I've moved house AGAIN... still in France but this time in the Haute Savoie (74).

I do have something very odd to report though...

This morning, I somehow found myself in a BMW dealer testing the 2015 GSA....  Well I sodded off with it at 11am with the wife on the back, and by 4pm I had traded in my beloved GTR and ordered the BMW.   I can't actually believe I did it, but then again, I can't actually believe the way the GSA rides!  What's even more bizarre is that even after 5 years, I traded the GTR in for more than half what I paid for it new - with 28,000Kms on the clock. 

Have all of you lot still got GTRs?? 

Oooh and great news for us French residents:  The stupid 100BHP law is finally going away on 1st Jan 2016 - HOORAY!

Cheers

Ros

[Lonewolf]

Ros, great to see you back. Another one it seems has succumbed to the BMW offerings.

I've had my K1600 about 8 months now, great bike and I've no regrets changing however I still feel that the GTR is a better looking bike. 

When do you collect the new GSA?

[coman37]

Is your new GSA full power or is it restricted? Amazing how a vague itch to try something new becomes an absolute necessity

I'm sure you will be more than happy with your new bike

Coman

[Winston Smith]

Can't believe it's over three years since I swapped my GTR for the K16!

I've just spent a fair chunk of June riding a 1200RT and another good chunk of July riding a GS around Europe - the new boxer is such a sweet engine and the chassis is superb on the RT/GS/GSA.

You're gonna love it!

[beegee]

Hey Ros,
Ofcourse its a great bike,  maybe in yr region its better to have an allroader ?

My bro had one too, liked it very much.  Only thing negative was riding on highways... More Buffering, windy...

Its other kind of biking but i can believe you love it.

Good luck and enjoy that great biking country.  I am doing the north west ;-)

[Ros]

Hehe!  Great to hear from you guys!

When do you collect the new GSA?

Next Wednesday!!  Which means I've got precisely NO TIME to ride the GTR....

Is your new GSA full power or is it restricted?

The bike will be restricted when I pick it up, but the dealer will derestrict it for free on Jan 2nd. (he's closed on the 1st, which is when the law gets vapourised...) It's apparently a simple matter of plugging it into a computer and pressing a short sequence of keys...
I'm getting it with the trick exhaust system so full power should sound awesome

Point of interest, after my test drive and on my way home with the GTR, the GSA is MUCH quicker.  I guess this is normal because both bikes are restricted to 100hp and the GSA is 100Kg lighter.  But the difference was marked

the new boxer is such a sweet engine and the chassis is superb

Yup the engine is incredible - and now I understand what people mean when they say "BRAAAAAAP!" 
Even in the 3 hours that the dealer lent me the bike, I felt like I had seriously leveled up my riding game.  It exudes confidence and I tackled a particularly nasty route back down one of my fav mountains, that i have done many times gingerly on the GTR.  The road has been "repaired" many times and more recently, a sewage pipe put right down the middle of the downhill lane.  Whoever oversaw that project should be fired and brought up on charges for reckless endangerment... Anyway, the ease at which we accomplished this two up was stupid.  Really is a no-brainer for me....

Only thing negative was riding on highways... More Buffering, windy...

Actually, my wife and I found it better on the motorway - much less buffeting and less windy.  I wasn't expecting that at all.  Also cruise control is a revelation!

It is a different type of bike, different type of riding and around here, there are some "tracks" that I would like to tackle, that I wouldn't even ride past on the GTR... 

I've had my K1600 about 8 months now, great bike and I've no regrets changing however I still feel that the GTR is a better looking bike.

Yeah of course - the GTR looks AWESOME.  The GSA looks...  I dunno - GNARLY 

So I ordered everything...  no point in buying half a bike.  The only things I didn't get was the nobbly tyres.

Of note, there is:

• the side cases painted matt black...  those stupid alu things just look 'orrible.
• A 2 helmet Givi top case which doesn't move when my wife leans on it at full throttle (unlike the GTR Givi)
• the full Akrapovic exhaust system (ahem... straight through)
• A nice comfy seat for miles of comfort with GS logo sewn in
• Colour choice was Gendarmerie Blue 

I still can't believe that I ordered a new bike - and I still can't believe it's coming next Wednesday!

Cheers

Ros

[Ros]

Oh and the "Shifter Pro" thing is an absolute BLAST !!   Just keep the throttle at the stopper and feed in the gears waaaahahaa!! 








Sorry...

[Winston Smith]

And the hand brake - should be on every bike

[O.C.]

Hiya Ros, great to see you back and posting again after so long.

I changed my GTR for a Yamaha S10 last June/July and am absolutely loving the bike .

I owned a GSA back in 2011, and couldn't ever get to like the bike, a pal of mine is on his third GS and his latest one is a water cooled variety he raves about it and has just returned from a tour of Italy, I suppose I ought to try the latest GS and find out for myself what its like

I hope you enjoy your new bike...Any pictures   

[Ros]

Hi OC :)

Piccies will go up as soon as I take delivery... That'll be on Wednesday then :)

It's a totally new style and type for me and I'm trying not to buy too many BMW accessories... They don't exactly give them away!

I would strongly recommend a go on the latest one - I was literally blown away.

The full Akrawotsit exhaust might be a bit loud for the town though... Good job I live in the middle of nowhere where everyone within hearing distance has loud bikes :)

I had to google Yamaha S10 having never heard of it... Looks like a similar style.  How does it compare to something like the GSA? 

Ros

[Burchy]

Jeez is there anybody left on here who actually has a GTR now? 

Maybe the site ought to be renamed or merged with some BMW owners site

[pross]

Jeez is there anybody left on here who actually has a GTR now? 

Maybe the site ought to be renamed or merged with some BMW owners site

I've P/X my black 2009 Gtr Burchy for a 2014 GTR  one graphite grey 

[Boomer]

I still have 2 GTRs. A 1400 and a 1000. :D

Sent from my Nuclear Submarine via Tapatalk

[Ros]

Well technically I am still a GTR owner until Wednesday. I love the bike really and will be sad to see it traded in.   I can't complain - I've had 5 years of joy and it's kept half it's original value and contributed itself to the next level of my biking journey. No regrets. 

But yeah, this is a GTR forum however I think there are lots of us who have been down the BMW route at some point or another...  It's just taken me a while :)

Cheers

Ros

[shaggs147]

Well technically I am still a GTR owner until Wednesday. I love the bike really and will be sad to see it traded in.   I can't complain - I've had 5 years of joy and it's kept half it's original value and contributed itself to the next level of my biking journey. No regrets. 

But yeah, this is a GTR forum however I think there are lots of us who have been down the BMW route at some point or another...  It's just taken me a while :)

Cheers

Ros

Keep coming back here though Ros, let us know how things go with the new bike!