Triumph V BMW

Oh dear, did you forget to take your medication:wink:

 

I'm afraid I have to agree with you,BMW seem to be leaving Triumph way behind.
Having followed a couple of GS's I was impressed,one was 2 up with full luggage and seemed to be effortless on any road.

They are pricey but hold their value well.
I'm trying to not buy k1300S

 

I would never own a modern BMW as the one I hired in New Zealand almost killed me due to brake failure. That is something I won't forget in a hurry.

Also I test rode the BMW S1000rr and have to say it was the most bland and characterless bike I have ever ridden.

BMW have a bad habit of testing new bikes out on the first people that buy them and there is still questions around Kevin Ash's death on the GS in South Africa.

There is also the matter of the bikes that BMW had to put out a World Wide press release telling owners not to ride their bikes as they were deemed unsafe earlier this year.

Also speaking to some sidecar racing guys this year they told me that they all used the Kawasaki engine due to the BMW transmission being bloody awful and my 1000 Daytona and my Sprint Sport although 20 years old have far better transmissions than anything that BMW put out at the moment.
Still want to buy a BMW??

 

Sorry mate didn't mean to come on all anti BMW, but a 2000 GS just about killed me in New Zealand due to brake failure and that is something that sticks in your mind for a while.

Don't really see the point in a Boxer engine and it sounds like they are going to build a multistrada type bike but based on the S1000r engine.

The other thing I would say is good god they are ugly bikes. Makes me wonder if they do this to show that Germans actually have a sense of humour:wink:

 

I had an 1150 GS for 11 years from 2000 to 2011 when I bought a Tiger 1050. The GS was without doubt the best bike I've ever owned and still rather regret getting rid of it. Perhaps I was lucky but in 60,000 miles I never had a major problem.

I have to say I'm less than impressed with the new GSs and although I was offered good deal on my old one I thought the Tiger was a better bike. I was wrong but that's life innit?

I was always more of cruiser man anyway and reckon my America is the best bike for what I need now and hope the rumours of a 1000cc America are true.

 

I had an RT for two years and have ridden many GS 1200 bikes.

Both are comfy mile munchers and handle fairly well.

Both have rubbish engines where you have to constantly change gear to get any progress made.

As if the engine is not bad enough the gearbox is dire.

You have been warned

The Explorer is many times the better bike

 

And should I ever need to replace my Bonnie I'd replace her with ..... well...........another Bonnie

 

No, no. No you do not replace a Bonnie you buy another as garage mate

A Bonnie is for life.........my wife or my Bonnie.......close call (dont tell her I said that)

 

:upyeah:

 

Evening All,

Hopefully an Explorer is better than a GS, as I'm just about to change my KTM 990A for an Explorer! Many reasons for picking a Triumph over a GS, some are as follows. Explorer - big, heavy, comfy, sounds good even through ear plugs and British (sort of anyway). BMW GS - big, heavy, ugly, common as muck, and always sound like a wet f*rt under a duvet on a Sunday morning. I spent 3 weeks riding one around South Africa on a tour a couple of years ago and whilst very efficient and at no time did it move the soul! :frown:Came home and bought the KTM - fun, different, almost unique (450+ bikes in my club, and I've got the only KTM. At least 20 GS's!)
Now it's time for something a little different but still Gentlemanly! Hopefully the Explorer will fit the bill. If not, no doubt I'll get it in the neck from the Missus for making the wrong choice - again….:redface:

 

Unless I can grow much longer legs ! its a Bonnie very time for me ! LOL

 

BMW's... ahh the mystery...


The mystery being how something that seems so well put together can have such odd reliability issues. I found ownership (of several) a mixed experience, although the K1300GT is still the best all round tourer I've ever ridden and I'd have another one like a shot - which I can't say for its replacement the K1600.

Of course no bike is immune from problems, but as Steve F says, BMW do seem to test their products on their customers... loads of niggles, especially on a new model, all put right under warranty, following which the offending part is redesigned on the next year's model. Then, when the bike has really been sorted, they ditch it and bring out a new bike entirely.

When working well, the engineering is brilliant (like the duo-lever front or para-lever rear) but often there are silly issues due to poor quality (peeling rear shaft anyone?) or badly designed parts. Then there's the habit of being different for the sake of it (like the front indicator switches). I never quite got over how mixed the experience was, although saying that I guess I did as I would buy another one.

We reviewed the Explorer a while back and it was a stonker of a bike. Not so seriously off-roady capable as the GS, but what a great engine! Loads of fun, loads more go in it, better gearbox..... And it looks good too. True it sounds like a bag of nails in a cement mixer, but no-one's perfect.:biggrin:

But love 'em all I say - we're so lucky to have such a choice - bikes are way better than they used to be in the bad old days.:wink:

I confess, I'm a bike tart. See a new one and I'm always eying it up...


HH

 

I know what you mean about the Beamer 1300 GT.

Whilst never owning one I have ridden one a couple of times, a great bike.

 

Yes its lovely; fast, good handling and brakes, smooth ride, 50 mpg and 5 gallon tank... electric screen... Happy days.

Here's the review we did of it:

BMW K1200GT, K1300GT Motorcycle Review and Test - Big Bike Mad

There are a few videos associated with that link too.

HH

 

Check out hitlers wrong bike on youtube lol

 

BMW's are alright I suppose. It's just that when I have ridden them in the past (including the S1000rr) they just seem to lack any real personality.

I think apart from maybe the older bikes the R80's ect the only modern one that sort of interests me is the K1600 GT as that straight 6 engine does make a great noise.

I think I will stick to my Triumph Triples and my Daytona and a Super III when I get the chance.