Other Bikes » GS Rallye TE test ride

I'm not getting rid of the RS but my Triumph Explorer will go some time in the next year. I wrote this on the Explorer forum but it makes some comparisons tot he RS as well.

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Some context: I currently own two motorcycles. A 2017 Gen2 Explorer XRx that is a year old today. I also own a BMW R1200RS SE Sport. Both bikes are excellellent but each has a couple of things that hinder ownership. The Explorer is just too heavy with the weight carried very high. I'm only 5'8" tall and I have a wonky hip so moving the bike around on foot is becoming more difficult. Holding it upright on steep inclines has caused a few worrying moments until I have it under control e.g. stopping on an Alpine hairpin when you find a bunch of cyclists or a coach in your path. Then of course, there is the infamous heat problem. The RS is, in my view, the best looking bike BMW has produced in a long time. I love riding it and would have it as my only bike apart from one reason, the semi-sporty riding position makes my wonky hip hurt after an hour or so. I get this problem with the Explorer but not so early and you can move around a lot more including standing up which makes a difference.

So, a trip to Cotswold Motorrad to blag some free coffee and food last weekend resulted in me taking a fancy to the blue Rallye version of the GS and agreeing for a test ride. My Explorer is Lucerne Blue and my RS is Lupin Blue so I'm a sucker for a blue bike.

The bike is a R 1200GS in Rallye TE spec. It has a single piece seat and was equipped with a full colour display. Electronic suspension and Brembo brakes so very similar to my XRx & Rs. A change from the RS is that the suspension now has auto-preload like the Explorer. My RS has 3 presets you can choose in the menu - rider only, 2 up or 2 up with luggage.

Controls are very easy to use but I am used to a very similar set up on the RS. The colour display is a bit of a gimmick and I would not pay extra for it and I like that BMW leave it on the options list rather than forcing you to have that expense.

Gearbox: quick shift up & down. Clunky up from 1-2 and 2-3. Smooth elsewhere especially on downshifts which I love using on my RS. My 2016 Rs is the same and I was hoping they had improved it after 2 years.

Brakes: Brembo front & back, linked. Simply superb. I cam flying around a downhill bend and there was a tractor turning right. Just using the front lever brought me to a graceful almost stop whilst auto-blipping down the gears.

Engine: boxers are Marmite. I love them and 125bhp is adequate on a bike of this nature. The Explorer thrives on revs where you use the torque and a higher gear on the GS. Both engines are able to get you to speeds on a private road over 120mph where things do not really feel safe. Both will cruise all day, fully loaded at 100mph on a German Autobahn.

Seat: the single piece seat seems nice to begin with but quite narrow at the front. I started to feel uncomfortable after an hour and a half. I think the Explorer and RS are better. I have the stock seat on both bikes.

Riding position: feels natural to me after a long line of ADV bikes since 2001. It has not provided a riding position free from hip pain though. Better than the RS but similar to the Explorer.

Suspension: I was expecting the GS to be better than it turned out to be. It has a Telelever front end like my old R1150GS. My RS has forks like the Explorer. Of the BMWs I think the RS set-up is better. Of the adventure bikes, I think the WP suspension on the Explorer is better. I don't think BMW have the auto-preload programmed properly and there is no manual override. The bike seemed to wallow on undulating roads at speed, making you feel a bit sea sick. The Explorer allows you to adjust the suspension to how you like it in small increments. The Explorer is the best of all three bikes on bumpy terrain especially if you hit a pot hole. If I wasn't being picky the GS would be fine and it was a doddle to ride quite quickly. The Annakee tyres gripped well.

Screen: seemed pretty good. Adjusting it between the extremes did not seem to make much difference. Rotary adjuster not as easy to use as the electric one on the Explorer.

The bike was keyless like my RS. I like not having to faff around with keys when refuelling. Triumph need to catch up with this on their keyless bikes.

Weight: the GS & Explorer are not that different on the scales but you notice the difference in centre of gravity. The GS feels like a toy in comparison to the Explorer when moving it about on foot. The boxer layout keeps the c of g very low.

I like all three bikes and I would happily own any one of them if I was forced to have a single bike. I would choose the RS if I was presented with a choice. The sport touring set up is so much more engaging to ride. both adventure bikes feel a little "loose" in comparison. You need to countersteer more to keep them on line in a corner.

The sheer popularity of the GS puts me off owning one and this is why yesterday was the first time I have ridden a 1200cc version of the GS, some 15 years after the launch! It does look nice in the blue Rallye colour scheme. I am not going to pay £16,000 for one though. The sales chap was pointing me towards a 2017 spec. bike, triple black with 3 piece luggage and the 600 mile service included for the list price of a TE spec. bike. £15,680. the bike (Explorer) I paid £13950 for a year ago was valued at £9500. I knew there would be a big drop in the first year as you always wave goodbye to the 20% VAT (tax for non UK readers) but that is more than expected. Unless my hip improves, the Explorer will have to go eventually but not for a GS.

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Zitat von Willy im Beitrag #2

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Hi Wessie, are there any riding mods you could make to the RS to help with the hip pain, perhaps lower footpegs or even a higher seat, handlebar risers etc. Trouble is all these cost money and if it doesn't work it's money wasted. Do you know which ergonomics may be the root cause?

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