GSA's can go anywhere.......

[misterlaffer]

Hats off to the chap riding his GSA off road. Too many people are quick to slag GS riders off saying they have never been off road or even on green lanes but want to look the part, yet this guy has given his £16k bike a go at it, good luck to him. In my mind it would have been stupid to try it alone, so a good bunch of mates to help out has to be the better way to give it a go. I did the GS challenge this year, great fun and saw some brilliant riders who handle the big bikes like a trials bike. I personally preferred riding the 1200s way more than the 800s. There were guys and even a girl instructor who could barely touch the floor chucking 1200s around quagmire ridden surfaces at the off road centre with not a Si Pavey in sight. It's easy to say it's all PR bullshit unless you have seen it for yourself.

While on the subject of drawing the line on where a GSA should or should not go, I saw a bloke drop his GSA waiting to get on the channel tunnel train, maybe they shouldn't go on trains either LOL.

[SteveW]

On a new £16000 bike, bloke must be tapped

More tapped than taking a brand new top spec sports bike on a track day?

I don't think he was "Tapped" and it was probably a fairly easy trail and he got unlucky, lord knows that's happened to us all.
I think you are in a more controlled environment on a track with a sports bike. It would be pretty much 100% your fault if you binned it on a race track, a green lane or trail is far more unpredictable.

[Cone]

I think the ride report was great thanks, I would have loved to come but didnt want to turn up on my own.. I'm glad the rider was okay and seemed to have a good time.

I took my GS off road first day I brought it (15plate) yes i dropped it but had a really good time and am hooked, like you all say little bikes are easier and you can go faster but fun can be had in many different ways. - I did pick it up my self though

I like the fact i can go off and have fun on lanes but go within my capabilities and try to avoid the places that look too scary, but at the same time love riding the bike around the little lanes and can do long journeys if i want - at the expense of the tyres..

It is an intersting debate which I can see from both sides but im happy with my choices as I suspect the majority of the attendees to the ABR rally. :laugh:

Just gutted i didnt go..

[CRAIGREVO]

I think the ride report was great thanks, I would have loved to come but didnt want to turn up on my own.. I'm glad the rider was okay and seemed to have a good time.

Next time just come alone!! I guarantee you will be among friends as soon as you arrive. (thumbs)

[jim-500]

I'm gonna echo the "nice to see it being used properley" crowd...GS riders often get stick for riding to starbucks etc...so always cool to see 15 grands worth of bike getting muddy. B)

I always found the big bikes hurt my confidence when riding offroad, it wasn't so much whether they or I was capable... but more I'd approach a hill thinking "can I turn it around/can I lift it up/what happens when it falls on me"...when really your state of mind should be "head up/stand up and open the throttle"...big respect to anyone taking a GS/1190 etc into the mud! B) (thumbs) (Although I do think they'd probably have more fun on a 450/250 )

[AndyB]

I think it's a good thing if owners take their big adventure bikes off road. Personally I'm fine with my 1190 on hard surfaces (when I remember to turn the power down a bit) but I'd physically struggle with it in mud so stay well clear of that kind of thing. I'm perfectly happy with a smaller bike that I can pick up on my own if it's really muddy but on a bike weighing more than 200kg it'd leave me in a right old state if I dropped it plus I don't want a to damage an expensive bike when I can buy a perfectly usable small bike for less than the cost to repair the KTM after throwing it down a slope into a riverbed :pinch:

[petecam]

I take my 1190R out green laning on my own. I did drop it in the mud once, mostly due to riding on Conti Attacks (so my own fault).

Here is my well documented procedure for picking it up.

1) Stand by the bike and swear a lot.
2) Stare at it for a bit.
3) Take off lid and rucksack, look for mud free area to place items.
4) Get out phone and take pic.
5) Stand on bike and hold phone in the air and try and get a signal.
6) Put phone away.
7) Eat a chocolate bar and have a drink.
8) Find a large stick (or rock).
9) Push stick into ground or put rock down.
10) Grab bars, put foot against stick/rock and try and lift.
11) Slide over.
12) Re position stick/Rock.
13) Repeat 10)11)12).
14) Once bike is up.
15) Try and start.
16) Try and start again now with bike out of gear.
17) Use stick from 8) to scoop out mud from handguard/bar area. If rock was used find stick.
18) Collect lid and rucksack from dry place.
19) Ride off and tell no one (thumbs)

[AndyB]

Never forget that if the bike is going to go over on its side the handlebars will be downslope so when you eventually get it upright you'll be standing on the low side and won't be able to get on so you'll have to push it over onto the other side then walk around and pick it up from there. Obviously this causes additional damage but it's the only way you'll ever get back on it.

[-Ralph-]

Get yourself into this situation, on your own, with a 300kg GS, and you're leaving the bike behind and walking out of there to find help.



Fall down an embankment into a river when there's only two of you, and you're both walking out without the bike to find help.

It's simply not an off road bike folks, its designed to keep going when the tarmac runs out, but it still needs a road or trail with a base of some description. It can't be relied upon to cover open terrain, a bit of wet weather will see it screwed.

(Again, not commenting about the ABR rideout, or the circumstances on this occasion, I'm just commenting about the bike generally. I'm not bashing the GS either the same is true of every other 1200cc adventure bike. The biggest one I've ever known to have "off road" ability is the KTM 990.)

[Flintlock]

Yes. But this was an ABR Rally, with a choice of explained rides to choose from and like minded company to help each other out in such an event.
Good to know the GSA can take a tumble like that with minimal damage