Is the GS the best touring Adv bike?

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Onenoodles
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Re: Is the GS the best touring Adv bike?

Post by Onenoodles »

Its always subjective as general touring can be done on any bike really, with a bit of planning and forethought.

When I have done longer Euro trips and needed to do big mileage quickly then I have had the best times with ZZR1400's (helps with the need to be quick anyway ;) ) but comfort was ok but the riding position had me a bit achy at the end of a day.

But for being able to take in a few forest tracks / gravel back roads and motoway mile munching, in comfort, loaded up and being totally confident in reliability when miles from anywhere then the Super 10 has been my go to ....
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adventure steele
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Re: Is the GS the best touring Adv bike?

Post by adventure steele »

Interesting question this I actually posed the same one on my Instagram the other week I think it depends on the mix of what you are doing

I've had two of them now an F800GS and a R1200GSA TE from 2014.

The best trip was a 3 day sprint down to Cornwall around and Back. On day 1 it was a full on thunderstorm hail everything I was on the 1200 an my lil cousin was on his 883 iron soaked to the skin for him doesn't even cover it I was pretty dry to be honest which was insane considering the weather.

Unfortunately that came to an end with the iffy reliability of the first water cooled bikes. Spent a 7 month period working through 3 engines an FD and a gearbox every time it came of the van something was up after a dealer screwed up a valve check an don't get me started on the Esa faults. Left a sour taste tbh but stuff happens.

Few years after that I had a F800GS which was good but the buffetting was horrific I ended up retrofitting the screen assy of the f800gsa with a puig screen which sorted it. I got the bare bones version which tbh is what I'd do with one of the 1200's if I ever revisited one no esa etc.

I'm currently riding the T100 Bonnie as my modern bike fix an a Norton 650ss as my daily rider which considering its a classic bike is highly capable and very reliable the only draw back is the featherbed frame isn't suitable for off roading so something else needs coming into the fold.

Once my 350lc and 250lc are sold an I've sorted my flat tank Norton I'm gonna be picking another touring bike up an giving dad the T100 as he's fell in love with it. I'm actually quite torn between the on road capability of a GS be it a normal 1150 or a 1150 gsa version or a Himalayan.

The S10 sure looks a cool bike to but the insurance was a bit on the heavy side.

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mark vb
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Re: Is the GS the best touring Adv bike?

Post by mark vb »

As said above, it's entirely subjective. To you - maybe yes; to me - probably no. Plus clouding the issue is the somewhat inappropriate amd woolly term 'adventure' bike, which can mean different things to different folks. Whilst E & C got around on them (with a lot of support), others have used R1's etc. as their RTW tour bike of choice, which makes them the perfect adv tour bike - for them, of course!
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