General topics » GS1300 Triple Black vs RS

I'm putting this here as it is mainly about the RS. And yes, I know, they are different bikes. But as the Triple Black is marketed as 'the more road focused, sportier GS'...

I rode a 1300GS Triple Black today. I'm not going into specifics about the bike, there's a mountain of that already. Compared to my RS, what did I think?

Things it does better

1. People often say ' you won't feel the weight when it's moving '. You don't. As has been said, you feel like you are riding a 600cc bike.
2. Its cornering is amazing, effortless. I was braking less, riding faster, working less hard. Confidence inspiring.
3. Mirrors: they are on the bars. Closer, bigger, better.
4. Stock screen: pretty good, and with electronic control.
5. The shift cam is smoother.
6. You do get that 'King if the Road' feeling, and you are higher up.
7. I liked the blind spot monitor. Others may not. I was not fussed about the radar bit

Not so positive

1. The engine is more clattery, diesel like. The RS is more refined, a deeper tonality to it.

2. The much discussed automatic height adjust at low speed is 'interesting '. In town, you will be riding at the 'low' setting. It clicks to high at c35mph. That is good, it means you are always at the low setting. Out of town, at >35mph, it is in high setting - but if you brake firmly it may not adjust downwards quickly enough - you have to plan. Technically it kicks into low at c10-12mph.

I would need the comfort height adjustment package (reduces height by c20mm) and a low seat. On a couple of occasions the camber at junctions caused a flutter or two.

3. Riding the RS is more...involved. The GS is really easy to ride. The RS's torque feels higher, the bike feels more planted. There is a greater reward to effort ratio on the RS.

4. Vibration: this may be a red herring, but I got numbness in my hands after 30 minutes. I accept that I may have been gripping the bars tightly at first through nerves. I'd want Grip Puppies.

5. Side stand: some say the RS stand is too long. The GS feels short - you feel that it leans too far, and that you are going to drop it. There is a bit about this on the Web.

6. The ride on the GS is quite firm. The RS is more plush, comfortable.

7. Bizarrely , given comments from others, the RS is more comfortable for my back. That may be because it is what my rather poor back is used to.

8. Subjective, but to me, the RS looks better.

9. Fuel efficiency: I'm quite sure the RS is 10-15 mpg more efficient.

10. There's quite a lot of faffing around with the controls on the GS.

The GS was fun. I may well buy one, if can get round the height issues. Why? Its cornering and handling is fantastic.

At the end of my ride (through parts of Shropshire) I did the same route to answer the subjective question: which did I enjoy more? Very hard to answer,,and I am not entirely objective (I own an RS).

I think I enjoyed the RS more.

Beerman

So I like the comparison. But I am surprised by a couple of observations. The Handling on the GS and the suspension on the GS. In my similar comparison with my 2019 GS HP and a 22" RS, the RS was the real handler, very planted always on a rail. but difficult at lower speeds often needing to be balanced by the rider. And I keep the suspension on road to soften it up somewhat. The GS sits a top the sport suspension and is wallowy but very comfy. But doesn't handle as well ,say pushing into turns hard .... Both bikes have dynamic suspension ...
I'm wondering if there is some big differences between the 1250 GS and the new 1300 GS and some of it's variance in models, in both the handling and suspension .....

I think there are some quite big differences between the two GS's l. The geometry of the two bikes is different, and there is a weight difference. My observation about the handling and cornering of the 1300 is, I think, consistent with other reviews.

I didn't find this strength to apply at low speeds: the 1300 has, as I describe, quite a lot of tech faff to get your head round, and it detracts rather than adds.The RS wins, relatively speaking.

The key point is this: the 1300 rides beautully, with less input from the rider. Is that increased perfection what you want from your bike?

I don't think it is, which is why I say the RS is more involving. Esoteric perhaps, but there you are. But...possibly, I might buy one in future, because it is a brilliant bike. Equally, I might be persuaded by the 1300RS, or stay where I am. Money has a part to play, after all.

Beerman

Today at Alice's I saw a new GS1300 Adventure (?). To me that thing looks just as ugly in person as it does in its photos. I hope BMW doesn't do anything weird like that when they introduce the 2016 R1300RS.

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Agreed, though it rides better than it looks, apparently. And looks very different to the Triple Black or Trophy.

And none of them look as good as an RS (IMHO, of course).

Beerman

Very good comparison. I traded my RS after 17k mile and now have 500miles on my R1300GS. I'll give a slight rebuttal on some of it.

On the weight, to me the GS feels like it's the same size bike as the RS, though obviously taller. As you say, the weight disappears while riding. About the only issue is getting it off the stand. It's not really an issue in the grand scheme of things but definitely more than the RS. I might put an extender on the stand.

On the handling, It's definitely confidence inspiring though somehow a bit less than the RS. The RS felt completely planted. The GS is close but not quite there. You mentioned this and it's worth reiterating. I had a 2018 Triumph Tiger 1200 and the GS is vastly better than that was, much, much closer to the RS.

"1. The engine is more clattery, diesel like. The RS is more refined, a deeper tonality to it."

I definitely agree, at the same time I think it's a bit smoother in terms of vibration.

"4. Vibration: this may be a red herring, but I got numbness in my hands after 30 minutes. I accept that I may have been gripping the bars tightly at first through nerves. I'd want Grip Puppies."

I'd say I'm getting less vibration through the bars, and certainly less through the pegs. I had the HP sport pegs on my RS though, so this is unfair.

"6. The ride on the GS is quite firm. The RS is more plush, comfortable."

I can't say I agree there. I find them similar though the GS with the 19" front wheel rolls over bad pavement more easily. No surprise there. There is a huge amount of adjustment on the damping even within a given mode, so worth exploring.

"7. Bizarrely , given comments from others, the RS is more comfortable for my back. That may be because it is what my rather poor back is used to."

The RS didn't give me lower back pain, but I was cramped on it and my shoulders got tired. I'm not having that at all on the GS though I did put a Sargent tall seat on it. I'm 6'1" with 35" inseam so needed more leg room.

"8. Subjective, but to me, the RS looks better."

I can't argue that at all, though I think the new GS looks good (not the GSA, it looks like an inverter style generator or laser printer).

"9. Fuel efficiency: I'm quite sure the RS is 10-15 mpg more efficient."

I'm getting 47-48MPG per the TFT. THat's about the same as I got on the RS.

"10. There's quite a lot of faffing around with the controls on the GS."

Yes, but I'm getting used to it.

I owned a 2017 S1000RR, bought new, for 6 years before trading for the '23 RS. I look back on that RR as the best of the series. The new RR's are loaded with superflous stuff like huge wings and other bits. An evolutionary improvement...or just "bling". I bring this up because I think the trend toward more tech and more aerodynamic fluff is going to make the RS's of the past few years the best bang for the buck.

Also, the GS series looks like those Tesla "cybertrucks" to me...all angles and less than aesthetic appeal. No way can the GS match the RS for looks.

They started with the Lego version and based the bike deign on that

Zitat von paleolithictech im Beitrag #2

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So I like the comparison. But I am surprised by a couple of observations. The Handling on the GS and the suspension on the GS. In my similar comparison with my 2019 GS HP and a 22" RS, the RS was the real handler, very planted always on a rail

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'For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing that they like'.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Beerman

Zitat von v8guy im Beitrag #9

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Zitat von paleolithictech im Beitrag #2

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So I like the comparison. But I am surprised by a couple of observations. The Handling on the GS and the suspension on the GS. In my similar comparison with my 2019 GS HP and a 22" RS, the RS was the real handler, very planted always on a rail

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I found the comparison surprising for the same reason.. I've only ridden a GS once as a loaner for the day (a R1250GS), but found it woefully lacking in front end feel compared to my RS.
From the very first time I jumped on an RS I felt a supreme confidence in the front end and, borrowing from something I read many years ago, it gives me the feeling that if I were to ride over a coin I'd know which way up it was. In comparison, that GS rode perfectly nicely, but I felt totally disconnected from the tarmac under the front tyre and did not feel happy pushing it hard into corners.
The only thing I liked more about the GS was it's low speed handling.. a shorter wheelbase and wider bars made life much happier in that situation.

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I was trying to think of a good name for the new GSA and came up with "robo-tank" (thinking about the old "toaster tank" BMW model). But I have to admit that the GSA tank does look like it was made of Legos.

Zitat von andygriff im Beitrag #11

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Zitat von v8guy im Beitrag #9

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Zitat von paleolithictech im Beitrag #2

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So I like the comparison. But I am surprised by a couple of observations. The Handling on the GS and the suspension on the GS. In my similar comparison with my 2019 GS HP and a 22" RS, the RS was the real handler, very planted always on a rail

---

I found the comparison surprising for the same reason.. I've only ridden a GS once as a loaner for the day (a R1250GS), but found it woefully lacking in front end feel compared to my RS.
From the very first time I jumped on an RS I felt a supreme confidence in the front end and, borrowing from something I read many years ago, it gives me the feeling that if I were to ride over a coin I'd know which way up it was. In comparison, that GS rode perfectly nicely, but I felt totally disconnected from the tarmac under the front tyre and did not feel happy pushing it hard into corners.
The only thing I liked more about the GS was it's low speed handling.. a shorter wheelbase and wider bars made life much happier in that situation.

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The telelever front end is such a different mechanism to the conventional fork. I had several BMWs with that set R1100RS/ R1100S and K1200S and loved it, mainly 'cos the front end did not dip on braking. But, time moves on and modern forks do not suffer from the same problem and modern riding wisdom recommends braking deeper to increase contact patch on the front end, so Im not sure why the GS and RT still persist with it. Whatever, it definitely reduces 'feel' if you are used to conventional forks

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Zitat von v8guy im Beitrag #9

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Zitat von paleolithictech im Beitrag #2

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So I like the comparison. But I am surprised by a couple of observations. The Handling on the GS and the suspension on the GS. In my similar comparison with my 2019 GS HP and a 22" RS, the RS was the real handler, very planted always on a rail

---

I found the comparison surprising for the same reason.. I've only ridden a GS once as a loaner for the day (a R1250GS), but found it woefully lacking in front end feel compared to my RS.
From the very first time I jumped on an RS I felt a supreme confidence in the front end and, borrowing from something I read many years ago, it gives me the feeling that if I were to ride over a coin I'd know which way up it was. In comparison, that GS rode perfectly nicely, but I felt totally disconnected from the tarmac under the front tyre and did not feel happy pushing it hard into corners.
The only thing I liked more about the GS was it's low speed handling.. a shorter wheelbase and wider bars made life much happier in that situation.

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Zitat von Beerman im Beitrag #14

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NothingToProve (YouTube) does a good review oft he 1300GS. He concludes: it's an excellent bike in every way, and it handles better than the 1250...but: it doesn't excite him. And that is subjective, but also my conclusion.

Beerman

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