What did you do to your bike today?
- Thread starter edd1e
- Start date
Soldato
XR is all serviced and ready for summer. I took a GS out as planned, and had a good hour on her. I think this was the 1200 Exclusive or something like that.
Pros
Very comfortable riding position
Great wind protection, head, shoulders and legs
Very smooth ride when cruising on the dynamic suspension
Great torque
The Akrapovic exhaust never misses an opportunity to crack, pop or burble, anywhere in the rev range
Analogue instruments!
Never feels heavy, when idling or on the move
Cons
Engine still feels pretty agricultural - take the exhaust note away and what's left isn't very pleasant
Dynamic suspension into corners. You start your turn, and then I was instinctively pausing for a split second waiting for the suspension to adjust before I felt able to properly commit to a corner. You'd probably get used to it over time but it is unnerving at first. Reminds me of the same system on my old Caponord, but marginally better
Overall I do really like it, but I'm just not ready to take the step down yet. Maybe in 5 or 6 years.
Pros
Very comfortable riding position
Great wind protection, head, shoulders and legs
Very smooth ride when cruising on the dynamic suspension
Great torque
The Akrapovic exhaust never misses an opportunity to crack, pop or burble, anywhere in the rev range
Analogue instruments!
Never feels heavy, when idling or on the move
Cons
Engine still feels pretty agricultural - take the exhaust note away and what's left isn't very pleasant
Dynamic suspension into corners. You start your turn, and then I was instinctively pausing for a split second waiting for the suspension to adjust before I felt able to properly commit to a corner. You'd probably get used to it over time but it is unnerving at first. Reminds me of the same system on my old Caponord, but marginally better
Overall I do really like it, but I'm just not ready to take the step down yet. Maybe in 5 or 6 years.
Associate
It's likely not the dynamic suspension, more the telelever, it can be a very odd feeling but you do get used to it eventually. You never really get rid of the slightly remote feeling from the front end though, it's just a case of building up trust.
The real disadvantage for me with a televeler bike (R1100S) as a daily commuter was when going back to a bike with conventional forks- everything felt completely alien all over again and somewhat uncontrolled.
Did it have shift assist pro? It's probably one of my favourite features of the S1000RR, and probably even more suited to a GS.
Soldato
Love the GS, specially the telelever, just a shame they are so wide otherwise I would be using one for commuting.
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Aug 2009
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Noticed much difference in the power delivery? Smoother, more kick at certain rev etc?Damn - too slow
Soldato
Yes, it did. It was ok but nowhere near as smooth as the one on the XR. 1st to 2nd in particular was often pretty jarring.
I understand the telelever, but I felt it was more the ESA. I could feel it pushing back just after the nose dived. Either way, it felt a bit vague, but I guess confidence in it would come over time. It does have one nice feature, as the ESA lowers the bike a bit every time you come to a stop. Easy for shorter people to put their feet down flat - certainly lower than the XR.
I'm nitpicking though, it is a really nice bike.
Its a Honda at the end of the day.
It ran like a dog at lower revs (below 2500) - this was why I had the remap done.
Feels very smooth - but when you hit around 5-6000 it wants to rip your arms off
Still finding my feet with the bike, but so far really enjoying it.
I'm glad it's not just me. The S1000R was very unsettling in corners when it did that on my test rides!
True though, new fireblade 185 or 186bhp whilst all other contenders are 200 or over. New GSXR just with a slipon is pushing nearly 200 on the wheel!
Soldato
You realise that that level of power loss going from engine BHP to wheel BHP is normal, right?True though, new fireblade 185 or 186bhp whilst all other contenders are 200 or over. New GSXR just with a slipon is pushing nearly 200 on the wheel!
My Tuono makes 139bhp at the engine, yet 'only' 112bhp at the wheel. So a stock figure of 114 wheel bhp on a 125bhp bike is VERY good. Honda tend to be a lot more accurate with their wheel to engine bhp figures.
And it's not all about power, the new GSXR may be good, but it's still beaten by the new blade, with it's measly power...
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/first-rides-tests/2017/april/1000cc-superbike-test-2017/Well this old man is happy with 116
For now
I wouldn't pick either for that price, I wouldn't use their potential... for that money you want it to standout like the R1M or RSV4.You realise that that level of power loss going from engine BHP to wheel BHP is normal, right?
My Tuono makes 139bhp at the engine, yet 'only' 112bhp at the wheel. So a stock figure of 114 wheel bhp on a 125bhp bike is VERY good. Honda tend to be a lot more accurate with their wheel to engine bhp figures.
And it's not all about power, the new GSXR may be good, but it's still beaten by the new blade, with it's measly power...
We talked about power, so I've just mentioned that the new GSXR gets stupid gains from just slapping a slip on and a dyno.
I had the same issue with the GS I had in March for the day whilst my RR was being serviced. First few sweeping corners I came to I found it very unnerving, then it felt like it sorted itself out as it was cranked over. Once you got used to it, it was fine. This didn't have Dynamic ESA. Really got to chuck it about once I figured it out. Like you say, great bikes, very comfy but too grown up for me. If I was to go down the adventure bike route I'd get another XR, brilliant machines.
I have the DDC semi active suspension on the RR, once set up it's fine and very predictable. The Ohlins on the Tuono is plusher, but pushing on the DDC copes much better. Like any suspension, if it's not tailored to you and your riding style the bike won't feel good. First thing everyone should do after they've bought their bike is take it to a suspension specialist and have it setup for you.
There's a bike parking space near my work which I walk past quite often. It's full of all sorts of machines and one GS. The GS just dwarfs everything else and looks ridiculous.
Soldato
Get on one and then see what you think.
I always think they look big when parked, but look great when they're on the move with a rider on them.
I always think they look big when parked, but look great when they're on the move with a rider on them.
Soldato
Had a nice 145 mile ride around Essex, a cracking loop from the 'Biker's Britain' book, lots of great roads (plus the miles there and back, so 213 miles in total, 5 hours riding) on the Tuono, god I love this thing
Stopped off in Finchingfield for a coffee.
Stopped off in Finchingfield for a coffee.
Associate
I love my GS Adventure although I got a "wtf" from the lady at the local shell garage the other day when I filled it up from absolute empty and it came to £40 she was looking at the bike and expecting it to be max £15 until I explained the 33Ltr tank
And although it is wider than the standard GS by a fair margin I love its pure physical presence on the road even more so when all the boxes are fitted.
Cant wait to get some more miles on its new tyres as on the way home from having them fitted on Tuesday they felt a lot more grippy than the Anakee II's that were on it and I thought they were ok.
Soldato
Nah I was riding on my own, this guy was parked up with a space next to him so it'd be rude not to!
He was pretty chatty, we talked aprilias and the B500, and touring on the RSV/Tuono
I love my GS Adventure although I got a "wtf" from the lady at the local shell garage the other day when I filled it up from absolute empty and it came to £40 she was looking at the bike and expecting it to be max £15 until I explained the 33Ltr tank
And although it is wider than the standard GS by a fair margin I love its pure physical presence on the road even more so when all the boxes are fitted.
Cant wait to get some more miles on its new tyres as on the way home from having them fitted on Tuesday they felt a lot more grippy than the Anakee II's that were on it and I thought they were ok.
Part of me quite fancies a GS, but it would have to be the Adventure, with it's spoken wheels and ******* huge tank
The same part of me likes the Safari tanks you can get for the KTM 990 Adventure, they take the capacity to 45 litres Just feels like you're doing it in half measures otherwise!