Yamaha FZ-09 Forum banner

R1200gs?

5.7K views 22 replies 10 participants last post by  beck  
#1 ·
#2 ·
One of the guys I work with has put over 60,000 miles on his R1200GS. He did mention that it is very comfortable and he can easily ride all day long on it. But he is a bit disappointed in the reliability and has had his share of annoying issues with it. One being the price for parts can be quite expensive. I was surprised to hear he is thinking of replacing it with a Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring. He has his CBR1000 for the track and Husaberg 450 that he has added a dual sport kit too.

There are quite a few Multistrada's on CycleTrader, like this one, just to compare.

2012 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring, Del Mar CA - 113217834 - Cycletrader.com
 
#3 ·
Was your buddies an early r1200gs or later?
Ive read a few things about the early ones but it seems to get better post 2007.
 
#5 ·
I love the European bikes and hear how great they are when they aren't in the shop for repairs. They don't call it reliability issues though, I think the correct term is character. Personally I would get the Yamaha Super Tenere' if it were me. I mean it has "super" in the name so how can you go wrong. I would spend a lot of time reading the forum boards before I gave them my money, but in this day and age who doesn't already do that.
 
#6 ·
i rented a ducati multistrada S from a rental outfit in Burlington, VT this summer called Moto Vermont. When i returned the bike after having a great time riding (it's an awesome shop/great guys) - he told me i was the last guy to ride it before they were dumping it for a 1200gs.

They had a few KTMs there but mostly BMW and the one Ducati. They're now transitioning a lot of their rental bike's to the GS as they were easier to work on, more reliable and a blast to ride.

Similar to the other stories people have already posted - i also have a friend that has 75k miles on his current GS. They are mostly bomb proof and if you can find a good deal on one - seems like it is a no brainer. I'm excited to rent one when i go up there again next year.
 
#8 ·
My brother had one and blew out the drive shaft while innocently cruising the Northern Cascades highway in Washington. Thanks to his cell phone, he eventually got it back to Seattle for the very expensive repair. The service guy said it was their third shaft that week. I don't know what year the bike was. All I know is that was the end of his BMW days.

I used to own a BMW R1100S and found it to be very tippy at low speeds or standing still. Boxer engines put a lot of weight distribution on the sides with those massive cylinders. Nice at highway speeds, but I prefer the super easy nimbleness of the FZ9.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Check and see if that's the year(s) that had a forever maintenance free final drive. If it is, plan on the possibility of trouble with it. There were no provisions for maintenance. I guess forever meant until warranty is up. All have got strengths and weaknesses. I prefer the older Oilhead GS's. They are much more simple, and I think, ride better. I worked at a dealership, and I've owned a '95 r1100r, '98 r1100rl, '95 r1100gs, '99 r1100s, and '04 r1150rk. If you're not familiar, adventure rider has a gs spot that covers all this ad nausem. Motohank has recently hit 500k on his '95gs.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Alright what about the Triumph Tiger vs. SuperTenere vs. R1100gs? haha

Im keeping the fz for the twisty fun but Im tired of seeing the slowmaster just sit there, shes deserves better than that.
Figured I could kill two birds with one stone by getting a semi sport touring bike with all the nice luggage for quick and cheap getaways with the wife.
 
#14 ·
If you are planning to use 99% of the time on the highway. You might want to check out a Suzuki V-Strom 1000. The engine has been around for a while as it is the same V-Twin they used in the SV1000's, which is a great engine.

A new 2015 V-Strom 1000 ABS Adventure with luggage sells for $13,999, or $12,999 for the basic model.

Just an idea that might be worth checking into, especially if a local dealer is looking to get rid of a 2014 at a good price.

Suzuki Cycles - Product Lines - Cycles
 
#15 · (Edited)
Im not offended in any way Thantos, Im just considering options at this moment, you know dreaming of motorcycling while the weather is inclement.
I am fairly confident the speedmaster will sell on my local market as its a great entry level cruiser bike. After putting 10k miles on it and one big trip from Anderson, In. to Murrells Inlet, SC. we need something with a windshield and luggage.

The yamaha dealer offered 3.5k for it, its a 2012 with less 10k miles so I just laughed and laughed.

Anyways Ive got a brother that had one r1100gs for about three years and will be chatting with him come NYD about it.
Planning on reading more into these sport touring adventure bikes when I get a chance. Thanks for sharing the info!
 
#16 ·
I like the look of the vstrom too!
Ive been working a trade on a wrecked tl1000 but it hasnt become fruition yet.
 
#17 ·
Between the two I would go for the 2007 rather than the 2011. The mileage isn't significant as it looks to be one that wasn't used for offroad. The Russel seat on the 2007 is significant to me. The seat is expensive, and normally people with expensive seats take better care of their bikes and have more highway miles. Also - it isn't really an offroad oriented seat.

I've known GS's that went 200,000 miles and still purred like a kitten, but I've also known a few that were plagued with troubles. All of the problems with the 1200 that I saw were by the third year (2006). Throttle cable pulleys could snag a piece of bush or grass and not close, fuel pumps electronics were exposed and corroded (if you crossed any streams), the sidepanel mounting was difficult at best, the center and side stands were difficult to use - and bikes fell over from the side stand a lot. I used to always avoid the first year of new models because of teething problems - but the R1200GS (which I really really wanted) had them for 2 years.

I bought a 2006 V-Strom 1000 rather than the GS that I really wanted because I'd helped too many friends fix things that never should have happened to their GS's. I wasn't really wanting to go offroading, only to be able to ride to the lake or to the coast - and then take a dirt road or jeep trail to get to a good spot. After riding GS's on deeply rutted trails and bouncing the cylinder heads on things - the layout didn't seem so good - but they could leave my V-Strom behind anywhere else.

They're a heavy bike to use for a quick run to the store or commuting, while they can go offroad I think they are best on-road or on bad roads, but they are sturdy and comfortable mounts for two people to go long distances. Personally I would probably go with another V-Strom before a GS - but that's more of a budget thing now...
 
#21 ·
#20 ·
Motorcyclist has a GS as a long term tester and they can't say enough good things about it and I believe the tester is considering buying it, which says a lot, but I would need to know that it's really $6000-$8000 more bike than the Tenere, Versy, V-strom, FJ09, etc. Really there are ton of great bikes in this category right now and it seems according to all the "experts" the GS is leader of the pack, but when I consider I could buy one of the others put a couple grand of farkles on it and still pocket $3K-$5K of left over money, I have to ask is it really that much better? Makes it a much tougher choice if it was me making the decision.
 
#23 ·
i dont think i'm at a point in my life yet where practicality is taking over my decision making process yet.

I'm happy i picked the 09 over a super sport but after going to the NYC bike show last week - sitting on a bunch of different bikes - i just don't think i'll personally be looking at a sport tourer anytime soon. The FJ is big - i get why but just wasnt for me. Really wide handlebars, wide stance, tall right height - no thank you.

After i threw my leg over an Ace Cafe Edition Triumph Thruxton - i was a bit cramped - hanging low on the clip ons - i knew what bike i'd like to have next - i've been cruising craigslist like a hound for a used one to torture myself with.