Author Topic: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black  (Read 1468 times)

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Offline richtea

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Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« on: May 14, 2024, 10:56:13 am »
My K1300S is in for its 36k service, so here's the Bike Du Jour:



Pros:
- excellent electric screen. Does the job far better than you might expect considering its diminutive size
- good usable power in 3rd and 4th. 4th is about equivalent beans to 6th on the K, and a nice gear for flowing A/B roads.
- good suspension, better than a K
- looks much neater than the 1250 models

Cons:
- no noticable vibes whilst riding (too busy concentrating?) but I had numb fingers on stopping (45 min ride), and now they're tingling. Hmm.
- quickshifter can be violent in lower gears
- menus, not buttons. It's another one you would get used to as an owner, but trying to find Dynamic suspension mode - who knows - even the service guy struggled. We came to the conclusion it probably doesn't have it, but who knows. And heated grips? You'll spend more time looking at the screen than the road.
- I kicked the engine bars several times when taking my feet off the pegs. It's not too bad - just something you'll remember not to do if you owned it long term.
- I can't put the balls of my feet on the pegs without the back of my boots touching the rear pegs. There's no way round that. Annoying.
- mud was starting to creep up the pillion seat even after a short ride, so a bit rubbish on gunge protection

Overall it doesn't feel like 15 years of engineering advances over a K.
It's defo more modern (clocks, suspension, ride by wire, and so on) but not enough aspects have improved.

I wanted to like it. I didn't.
Ms Cashmere was very pleased to hear that.






Online andym2

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2024, 11:31:53 am »
Apparently the really ugly GSA version isn't out until next year, or sometime. A shortage of aluminium Tupperware and scaffold poles perhaps. Anyway, weren't you expecting a K1600?

Offline richtea

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2024, 01:40:46 pm »
'We had one lined up for you, but the salesman who rode it home last night is off today.'

I feel sure someone has something against me trying one out. I've asked (quite casually - it's true) for the past three years.
I look forward to trying the M1000RS + Comfort Pack with higher seat/lowered pegs. Neither of which exists.

Another 12k miles and a decison will have to be made:
1. keep forever
2. chop for different make/model
3. chop for yet another lower mileage K1300S

Every time I sneak a look at Autotrader, option 3 becomes more and more attractive - two pristine Motorsport K1300S's or one partly loaded R1300GS?
Ridiculously easy decision.

Offline Matt

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2024, 02:18:28 pm »
I do think this whole Triple Black business ain't helping many of these machines. I far prefer whatever colour scheme on the one I had.

Pity about the vibes. That seems to be a very individual issue. Thankfully I didn't get it. I wonder if motocross thin gloves help/hinder. I'd have expected worse.

Quickshifter: Yeah, better than it was, but still nowhere near my KTM for low speed/throttle changes.

The menu thing I never really explored other than on the last day discovering the lean angle stuff. I do recall being told there are two buttons for favourites, so I guess heated grips and suspension will end up there, similarly to my KTM.

The mud thing was annoying on my R1250GS, the rear of my lower legs would always get muddy. Coming from the K where nothing on me got muddy it was most annoying. And yeah, in Portugal my Kriega on the rear got absolutely filthy. But then we were 90% in filth!

Anyway the worst thing of all this is that you've been prodding for a K1600 and getting nowhere. When you go back tell them not to worry there's one at Bahnstormer you will go see. If they don't fight for you then get a divorce.
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Offline Phmode

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2024, 04:10:47 pm »
There were/are two 'pristine' Motorsports on eBay but both had more rot than my 2012 and that was with less than 5,000 miles...

Offline black-k1

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2024, 05:06:48 pm »
I've never really liked the GS, except the original R80, and the 1300 has done nothing to change that view. Perhaps I should get a test ride on one but both the RS and the RT seem like much better options to me than a GS.
Correct rear brake use is scientifically proven to shorten stopping distances in EVERY road situation.

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Offline richtea

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2024, 10:58:54 am »
The mud thing was annoying on my R1250GS, the rear of my lower legs would always get muddy. Coming from the K where nothing on me got muddy it was most annoying.

Spot on!
My right leg has crap up the back of it! That has never happened before. My leathers are normally er self-cleaning. I'm going to have to investigate cleaning products now. Grr.

And David - save your valuable time. You'll get no kicks out of it.
But I would agree that the RT format is a very pleasant, if chunky, way to pass motorway miles in peace.

Offline black-k1

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2024, 11:30:31 am »
The mud thing was annoying on my R1250GS, the rear of my lower legs would always get muddy. Coming from the K where nothing on me got muddy it was most annoying.

Spot on!
My right leg has crap up the back of it! That has never happened before. My leathers are normally er self-cleaning. I'm going to have to investigate cleaning products now. Grr.

And David - save your valuable time. You'll get no kicks out of it.
But I would agree that the RT format is a very pleasant, if chunky, way to pass motorway miles in peace.

Thanks Rich. I feel a little guilty labelling such a popular bike as "OK but a but dull and boring" having not ridden the latest model but you're comments reinforce my  preconceptions. :(
Correct rear brake use is scientifically proven to shorten stopping distances in EVERY road situation.

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Offline Phmode

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2024, 12:29:46 pm »
I absolutely loved my R1150GS and swore I would ride it into my grave. Not just so soon eh? I didn't need a licence shredder, bought it initially for commuting at which it was excellent and toured Europe and Wales on it with much glee; a really easy bike to confuse faster bikes on in the twisties and through roundabouts and it simply flew up hairpins the way no sports tourer ever could. But...

I had been off a bike for a few years and still had my much loved but non-running Honda CBR1000 F-H flying fridge which was an excellent predecessor to the K and fast as a fast thing back in the day.

And so I realised that I still had a sports tourer itch that needed scratching and two K's later here we are.

The 1150 was fabulously easy to ride and nowhere near as ginormously plastic fantastic as the 12s and none of them have really done much for me although when the wrist problems were at their height I was seriously considering one again.

And, although not something that would bother you for a day's loan, those wheels look way easier to clean than the abhorrent ones on the K and folks with Motorsports don't like cleaning them too much either...

Offline Matt

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2024, 12:42:23 pm »
I think if you rode that GS with us next month you'd still have fun. Your problem/blessing/genetic experiment gone wrong is you've got leverage for miles already and so can fling the K just as easily as a GS. For my part I could fling the GS far better than the K. Or at least far better for far longer. That made the GS pretty rewarding.

Then I discovered the KTM. Bugger. Which incidentally gave me a red Suspension notice about 30 miles in today. Turned it off and on again and carried on. Harrumph.
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Offline Phmode

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2024, 05:12:03 pm »
You went 30 miles without a baby-sitter? Foolish or brave young sir, foolish or brave.

Offline richtea

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Re: Today's steed - BMW R1300GS Triple Black
« Reply #11 on: May 16, 2024, 03:03:30 pm »
Two small corrections, having ridden it back to NOG:

> Pros:
> - good suspension, better than a K

I preferred the K when I got back on it. Although the K is slow steering it is so planted. No twitchy bars over the bumps.

> Cons:
> -...but I had numb fingers on stopping (45 min ride), and now they're tingling.

No problem on the way back, so it was probably temperature-related, and not the bike.
But still not a bike I could fall in lurve with.