To GS or not to GS

MOT time on the NigglePan soon, most likely accompanied by another big
bill. It does need new steering head bearings, plus potentially new
disks at the front. And those will be original Honda given that I'm
*so* happy with the EBC disk on the back. And no time at the moment to
do the work myself so I'm looking at handing some dosh over to someone
else as I don't even have the time to get it to the esteemed Colonel
Tupperware, so local bike shop it is. Which in itself is a bit crap.

So of course the thoughts turn towards a potential replacement. Thing
is, the Pan is so damn competent at what it does that it's hard to
find anything else to replace it. I've pretty much given up on trying
to commute on it daily (clutch issues again, the Husky is just so much
easier on my hand) so I do need a commuter as well. May as well be the
Husky...

So I thought a bit about bikes that I could see myself using as a
replacement, mainly for longer trips (even two-up) with a bit of
commuting thrown in. Budget is a bit of a concern as usual - it's
unlikely that I would keep the bike much longer than towards the end
of this year due to some 'life-changing events' as people call them
these days. So, call it four grand.

The shortlist I drew up was rather short indeed, namely:

- Another, lower mileage 1100 Pan. Probably not, I could chuck the
additional cash at mine and just sort myself out with a higher
screen and fix up some of the more annoying niggles.
- BMW R1100GS. Budget doesn't stretch to an 1150 and I prefer the
looks of the 1100 anyway.
- Guzzi Spada. I'd like another one but for some reason I haven't seen
one for sale for ages.

The main worries I have about the R1100GS are the seating position
(that's after all the reason that I sold my RS to petrolcan) although
you can get lowered footrests for them, and the pillion seat. On the
GS it's high enough so La Americaine probably needs a step ladder to
mount the bike...

Any of the London GSsers willing to entertain a CIHAGM on a GS in
exchange for a blat on the Husky or on the Pan?

 

How about a Varadero? Honda Build quality, Extremely comfortable, Two up
no problem, Nice gutsy engine, decent handling, plenty of mint ones
available for £4K. If you were Up North you'd be welcome to a do on mine.

 

My friend Niall bought one and sold it a few months later. Mutterings
of "great big bastard thing" were interspersed with moans about the
fuel consumption - 30mpg *average*.

Any old Guzzi Spadas, Timo, are going to be that - old. I had an early
one and then an NT (with the low-level pipes and thus more comfy for
the pillion) and they were slow bikes even then (early to mid-1980s).
Utterly brilliant tourers just the same.

The rot set in with the Spada II with its 16" front wheel. For the
Spada III they went back to an 18" front wheel, and powered it with
what was essentially the 1000 Le Mans engine, but then wrecked the bike
with a crap seat.

I was thinking my 1200 Trophy makes a good basic budget tourer - superb
comfort, handles surprisingly well, utterly humungous grunt, and well
built and finished. Downsides include heavy thirst (35mpg so not as bad
as the Val Doonican, and it is offset by a 26+ litre tank) plus it is,
by any standards, a big heavy old bastard.

A BMW GS has huge appeal, but I don't know how much I'd trust an 1100:
there were a lot of reliability issues with the 1100 engines.

BMW K1100LT? Rather in the Trophy mould.
No - I know what you want. A 1500 Gold Wing.....

 

One of the reasons I was happy enough for my Trophy to be written off rather
than repaired was that I knew it would be ages before I could heave it
around - especially onto and off the centrestand. Even now, four and a bit
months after the accident, I wouldn't be wholly confident.

 

Emailed.

 

Suzuki DL 1000?

 

How about a Blackbird? A quick Auto Trader search pulls up loads around
the £4k mark, they're clearly ace for touring, and enough couriers[1]
use them to suggest they're not that bad around town. Honda build
quality too, though that seems not to be such a recommendation in your
case.

TimP

[1] OK, only the fat ones

 

Something wrong with it then. Even pasting the arse off mine round
Scotland including a 35 mile silly quick bit[1] I never got below 35. Even
sat at 85 I get 40+


Yes it a big thing but its bloody comfy and good fun through the twistys


[1] Two up full luggage averaged 110 over 35 miles. I was sat flat out at
indicated 140 for 5 miles at one point[2]

[2] allegedly of course

 

That sounds like a record for any large Honda, let alone a Val
Doonican.

Seriously - they were universally panned for having terrible fuel
consumption. I put it to you that you ride like a gurl.
--
Please add "imo" to above post.
Champ
GSX-R 1000, GPz 750 turbo, ZX7RR Endurance Racer x 2
GYASB#0 BotToS#2 BOTAFO(T|F)#35 WG*#1 DFV#8
Team UKRM Racing : www.team-ukrm.com

 

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 08:01:39 +0000, Timo Geusch

[snip]

Honest answer is that I don't let other people ride my bikes so I'll not
be offering you a go. While I would like a ride on a Pan I don't think
yours with a knackered clutch and brake problems sounds very inviting.

Given that you want to commute by bike I would caution against the GS to
be perfectly honest. While the seating position affords an excellent
view and the bike is generally well poised I am afraid that the bars are
just too wide to filter effectively and I personally find the gear
ratios and clutch / engine characteristics dreadful for slow speed work.
If you have the panniers fitted then you have double trouble re getting
through the jams.

My VFR800 is miles better for in town work as it can get through almost
any gap and the engine and clutch are far more amenable to slow
filtering and the turning cycle is pretty decent too.

Do you not fancy a VFR 750 or 800 as I think one would meet all of your
stated criteria re budget, town work, seat height and touring two up?

If the VFR is not an option then lob the cash at getting the Pan fixed.
Woodford Motorcycles - while a tad out of your locality - have a good
reputation and they've only fucked me about once on repair work. All the
other work has been done to time and the estimated cost.

 

My 1300cc Honda returned 54 mpg this week.

 

tallbloke was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

<replied>

 

Paul Corfield was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Hmm? Where did the clutch come from? It's steering head bearings I
mentioned... The brakes are OK for a Pan, it's just that the MOT
tester may recommend changing them due to wear. I think it's still on
its original disks so no wonder it could do with new ones after 76k.

That said, I understand your comment about the CIHAGM part.

Well, plan is to either keep the Husky for the commute work (again,
it's got wide bars but the rest of the bike's so slim you hardly know
it's there) or get like a 125cc-250cc bike just for commuting. Trying
to commute on a Pan, a BMW or similar is going to ruin my hand in
double-quick time due to the *normal* strength required to work the
clutch.

Well, seat height isn't a problem for me, actually I think the VFR may
be a bit too 'sporty' for my liking. I'll have a think about a VFR but
if anything it'll be a late model 750.

I'll keep them in mind - the Pan will get fixed anyway unless someone
suddenly comes out of the woodwork and wants to buy it *now*. I know
what's wrong with it so I can fix that or get it fixed, it's just that
I'm at the point where I'm tempted to either change or lob lots of
cash at the bike to fix everything that even lightly annoys me about
it.

To be honest, the Pan is so far close to the perfect bike for my
normal use if I exclude commuting and I'm rather short on ideas what
to replace it with, if I replace it at all.

 

TOG toil chateau.murray btinternet.com was seen penning the
following ode to ... whatever:

I've had one before and I wouldn't mind another one. Problem is that
the supplies seemed to have dried up an no-one's selling.

And of course I want an original round-barrel model again.

Too heavy then. Slightly duff back, sometimes the Pan's too much so
god knows what a Trophy would be like.

Yeah, probably...

Oi Murray! I've already read your buyer's guide...

Actually I wouldn't mind a naked GL1000 but that's another story.

 

Ben emerged from their own little world to say

You drive like a gurl

 

Paul Corfield emerged from their own little world to say

I tend to agree with Paul. I don't rate the GS as a good town bike.
First gear is too high meaning that much clutch slippage is required on
tight mini-roundabouts etc. This is made worse by the heavy clutch[1] -
the span is adjustable but not enough for me to be comfortable holding
at the bite point for long. As Paul says, the width of the engine/bars
is often inconvenient.

On the plus side: the GS soaks up potholes; speed bumps become a laugh;
and short cuts across pavements and steps are a doddle.

The GS is ideal for my riding: predominantly in the back roads of the
Welsh Marches and Mid Wales.


[1] didn't you get rid of a bike because the heavy clutch didn't suit
you?

 

Look, you *like* the tractor. There's no need for excuses.

 

As the GS, V-Strom & Varadero have all been mentioned, I'll put in a
shout for the Tiger, but only pre-99 models (the old shape carb 885) as
they've got a surprisingly light hydraulic clutch. The 99-on injected
models have got a heavier cable clutch. I've got mild arthritis in my
left hand and really struggle with heavy clutches, but have never had a
problem with the Tig.

They have all the usual big trailie benefits in traffic, without the
low down width that makes a GS a pain. No problems with smooth running
at walking pace either.

 

I misunderstood your reference to "clutch issues" - is this the
heaviness / knackered hand syndrome?

My own viewpoint is simply from the concern about someone wrecking one
of my bikes and then being unable or unwilling to pay to get it fixed.
By return I don't ride other people's machines so it all stays in
balance.

OK - is the Husky's clutch really that light that the knackered hand
syndrome does not apply? For some reason I imagined that supermotos
would not have particularly light clutches.

Too sporty? - Bear will now drop by to pronounce VFRs as being as dull
as dishwater.

So why bother then? Your wallet has developed its regular itchy
syndrome that forces you to go and lob cash around at will on motorcycle
purchases

 

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 08:01:39 +0000, Timo Geusch wrote:

The Tiger is as good, provided you're not obsessive about a shaft drive,
and cheaper. Concerns about height probably still apply.