Another R1200GS Adv. 100,000 Miler

[jdub]

Originally Posted by tvbh40a

Yours is impeccable, I can tell by your record keeping. Bought my first GSA in June, 7000 on the clock and loving it.

My record keeping is carried over from my aircraft maintenance career, makes it easy to look back and see what happened when and it's always an asset at resale time too. Just over 107k miles on the bike now and on my fifth page of notebook record entries, it's turning into a nice sized volume!

This bike is still absolutely addictive for me to ride, something I find immensely gratifying. I had a great muddy/rocky dual-sport ride on my DRZ Saturday (into some tight areas I'm smart enough not to take the GSA), and then couldn't wait to turn right around and climb on the BMW for more. Funny how it never goes the other way though.

Thanks for all your feedback, and best of luck with your rides and miles!

[jmatt3685]

Very nice post :)

[cliffy109]

I am very curious to hear more about your experience with tires. You seem to switch between two tires that I am considering as replacements. I have used Tourance tires with very good results and get similar mileage as you report. I am considering replacing mine with the Heidenau K60 because I want to start diong a little trail riding. The vast majority of my riding is back roads and Interstate riding during my commute but the mountains keep calling me. There are some ATV/OHV trails near me that I have run with Tourances but I know the knobbies would be better.

How much worse are the road manners of the bike with the K60's as opposed to the Tourances?

[jdub]

cliffy - At the distinct risk of turning this into another tire thread with its flood of subjective comments, I'll first say that in my experience (which includes BMW's excellent two-day off-road class last year at their S. Carolina facility), you can never, ever go wrong off the asphalt with knobbies. They simply transform the bike's handling and capabilities plus increase your confidence in gravel, mud, rocks, sand, etc. versus road-oriented tires. I've learned first hand that even lightly graveled state forest dirt roads that are fine with Tourance/Anakee, etc. type tires in dry conditions are a different animal when descending a steep hill with thawing snow and/or light mud.

The first time I ever really took my GSA off-road was to an OHV road with rocks, mud and water crossings. I stupidly did the loop with Anakees instead of knobbies, and four bike drops later (with an equal number of solo pick-ups, of course ) I was exhausted but made it back out to the highway for the 100 mile ride home (see pic below). I might be slow, but I do learn from experience and won't make that mistake again!



The Heidenau K60s worked well for me both on and off road (as good for me off road as TKC-80s, but a better rider I'm sure can tell a difference). On road, the best thing about the K60s was their great mileage. Didn't like them at all on wet or dry tar snakes (definitely worse than Tourances, in my experience different tires definitely handle tar differently) and the rear slipped a bit once or twice on wet road cornering (not unexpected with knobbies), but there was always something about their dry road handling that just kept me from being fully confident and pushing in corners like on TKCs. Might be attributable to the K60's squarish rear tire profile, and the front K60 lightened the steering like no other tire I've ever used (felt too vague to me). Many have said the K60s are really tough to mount but mine spooned right on using my tire irons on a cool day. Removing them was an altogether different matter though, some of the toughest tires I've ever done. TKC-80s just fall on and off the rim by comparison.

All tires present some type of compromise, and in spite of me thinking a few times about another pair of K60s I don't think I'm going to go that route again. IMHO, the only thing the K60s have over TKCs is mileage (for me, at least double the miles) but my confidence and satisfaction with handling is worth more than any cost savings that brings. While Tourances are my all-around favorite road-oriented tire, the only reason I remounted them was for my June trip out west (all highway except taking the back way into Badlands Nat'l Park on dirt roads). The rougher ride, noise and lower mileage of knobbies just made no sense for that trip, and as soon as they're used up another pair of knobbies will be going on.

Based solely on my experiences with these tires, I hope this helps answer your question.

[cliffy109]

Originally Posted by jdub

Based solely on my experiences with these tires, I hope this helps answer your question.

Wow. Thanks so much for taking the time to put that all down for me. That gives me a LOT to consider. It also frustrates me a bit as well but I apprecaite the detailed reply. If I am honest with myself (not always easy), I have to admit that I will likely do very little off-roading. I would like to do more and when I do, I would love to have the confidence that you mention with the knobbies.

On the other hand, I am also a man without deep pockets... at all. I ride 12,000 miles a year and tire longevity is a big deal to me.

I'll refrain from turning this into a tire thread as well, but I guess you can see my problem. Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

[Loutre]

I hope we don't have to wait another 4 years to see the 200k mark! Congratz! I wish you the best of luck for the next 100k!

Go for it piggy.

[BearII]

Originally Posted by jdub

I thought it most appropriate that my faithful 2007 R1200GS Adventure just rolled over the 100,000 mile mark while carrying the lovely Missus jdub and I on a great 5,124 mile trip through the western U.S. The event happened on beautiful U.S. Rt. 89 just past Bear Lake, shortly after crossing into Wyoming from Idaho. I'm getting used now to seeing six digits on the odometer! ....

This bike continues to prove itself as the best, most versatile motorcycle I've ever owned, and I'm already looking ahead to at least the 200,000 mile mark with it. While various issues on GSs/GSAs have been well documented on this forum, this bike has had zero issues with the final drive, driveshaft u-joints, ABS, etc. It just continues to take all of the road miles and the off-road usage (including drops) as well and as reliably as could be expected of any bike...

Fantastic! Congrats!! I have an 07 as well and love mine too. I'm thinking about trading mine soon. I don't have quite as many miles but reading your log brings back so many memories of the history with my baby. Unfortunately I did lose the final drive at 55,000 miles and the u-joints at 35,000 miles (I think that problem was dealer induced though). I had never heard of anyone else having to have the output seal replaced, I had to do that as well at about 25,000 miles.

I got a kick out of reading your tire history, been there, done that with just about all those tires too. I just replaced my K60's with 15,000 hard miles on them... and the suckers still weren't worn out.

I'm running the Sargent seat too, no problems with mine. I've done full tank runs with it, just stand on the pegs and stretch now and then and keep rolling, made it 380 miles once on that seat before deciding to finally take a break and refill.

That said, I love this bike and am looking forward to the next one!

Keep riding, you've got a wonderful bike there!!!

[snurdle]

Nice!

I'm only at 76K on a 2005 but only check the valve clearances every 12k and also adjust just a smidgen (mostly because I'm there so why not).

I'm told by a 200k 1150 owner that 20k between valve adjustments becomes normal.

[Tex76]

This is great, thanks again for taking the time to document so much of your experience. As a proud new owner of an '07 GSA with 1300 original miles, I'm very much looking forward to the next 100k+ miles out of this bike. BMW took a lot of pride in the building and its reassuring to see guys like you take such pride in riding them till the bolts fall off

[WildAnCrazymtl]

Great to see them go that far...

I'm at 30,000 and counting!

[jdub]

Originally Posted by Tex76

BMW took a lot of pride in the building and its reassuring to see guys like you take such pride in riding them till the bolts fall off

Fortunately, the only bikes I've owned so far that have had bolts (or other parts) fall off were my '78 Triumph Bonneville, 2 out of my 3 1973 Kawasaki H-1D 500 triples and my DRZ400S. I've loved them all, but none as much as the GSA! (Just shy of 115k miles on the GSA at the moment....)

[JimVonBaden]

2005 with 120K miles on it.



Jim

[Britome]

Interesting. I have a 2006 GSA with 61k that is having major repairs done after a wreck. Was contemplating checking the clutch but hasn't considered a spline lube. I didn't think that was required maintenance unless changing the clutch.

Other input?

[strsout]

Congrats!!!!!
So far I did not own a bike long enough to see that happening on my trips. But I'm sure it's something unforgeable.
BTW, I like your cardboard sign!!!

[Gelasios]

Congrats!!!!!