Turning a heavy bike.
Discussion
I’m possibly buying a GS1200.
Just now I’ve got a Sprint GT which sits at the back of my house. To get in it entails going through 2 gates at either end of a narrow passageway.
Getting out is tricky but I can sit on it and paddle it out.
However the GS is that bit wider and it will simply matters if I turn it before taking it out as there will only be millimetres to spare through the gates.
Turning the Sprint in the garden is tight so on the very few occasions I’ve done it I just put it on the centre stand and spin it round on the paving. It turns surprisingly easily but I assume it wouldn’t be too good doing it regularly.
Is there a cheap/simple solution to turning the GS in a tight space? I’ve seen people spin it on the side stand but I don’t really fancy trying that.
A long while ago I was thinking about getting a GS. I got an all day testride from a place out in the country so gave me the opportunity to do all sorts of riding on it, including heading into London and trying to get it into my front yard.
Managed it just, which was a surprise as it was hard work on my Street Triple and Vespa 300.
Have you tried with a demo?
Managed it just, which was a surprise as it was hard work on my Street Triple and Vespa 300.
Have you tried with a demo?
Have a look at something like Dynamoto Paddock Stands, they're paddock stands for front and rear, that have wheels on the bottom allowing the bike to be moved in any direction once the stands are in place. I'm sure there's other brands, but this one popped up for me as some sort of sponsored ad on a video the other day and looked intriguing.
I went exactly the same way from Sprint GT to GS1200, and have similar constraints, in manoevering around a tight corner in my back yard. Main difference is that the turning circle of the GS is much much better than the Sprint GT, the lower cntre of gravity on the GS, the weight is much lower down, and wider bars and grab handles give much better leverage, all of which add up to making the GS much easier to manoever in a tight space Than the Sprint GT. the steering lock was very limited on the GT.
However the width of the bars and the engine cylinders poking out the side is the downside of the GS. Having negotiated my back passage ( ooh er ), I then had to negotiated between two parked cars parked at an angle to each other at the front. On the Sprint GT is was just a case of folding in the mirrors and driving through, which is not possible on the GS, due to the sticky out cylinders being at car bumper height, so it means i have to move one of the cars out into the road to get the big girl out..
Many years ago I did buy a turntable device which consisted of two plastic discs with a bearing sandwiched between them. Whilst the centre stand on the Sprint GT just about fitted on this, the centrestand on the GS is too wide.
You can rock the GS on to one foot of the centre stand and pivot it around this as described above with the side stand, but i was never too happy with this as the centre stand to frame pivots are only made of nylon.
However the width of the bars and the engine cylinders poking out the side is the downside of the GS. Having negotiated my back passage ( ooh er ), I then had to negotiated between two parked cars parked at an angle to each other at the front. On the Sprint GT is was just a case of folding in the mirrors and driving through, which is not possible on the GS, due to the sticky out cylinders being at car bumper height, so it means i have to move one of the cars out into the road to get the big girl out..
Many years ago I did buy a turntable device which consisted of two plastic discs with a bearing sandwiched between them. Whilst the centre stand on the Sprint GT just about fitted on this, the centrestand on the GS is too wide.
You can rock the GS on to one foot of the centre stand and pivot it around this as described above with the side stand, but i was never too happy with this as the centre stand to frame pivots are only made of nylon.
Cestrian said:
I went exactly the same way from Sprint GT to GS1200, and have similar constraints, in manoevering around a tight corner in my back yard. Main difference is that the turning circle of the GS is much much better than the Sprint GT, the lower cntre of gravity on the GS, the weight is much lower down, and wider bars and grab handles give much better leverage, all of which add up to making the GS much easier to manoever in a tight space Than the Sprint GT. the steering lock was very limited on the GT.
However the width of the bars and the engine cylinders poking out the side is the downside of the GS. Having negotiated my back passage ( ooh er ), I then had to negotiated between two parked cars parked at an angle to each other at the front. On the Sprint GT is was just a case of folding in the mirrors and driving through, which is not possible on the GS, due to the sticky out cylinders being at car bumper height, so it means i have to move one of the cars out into the road to get the big girl out..
Many years ago I did buy a turntable device which consisted of two plastic discs with a bearing sandwiched between them. Whilst the centre stand on the Sprint GT just about fitted on this, the centrestand on the GS is too wide.
You can rock the GS on to one foot of the centre stand and pivot it around this as described above with the side stand, but i was never too happy with this as the centre stand to frame pivots are only made of nylon.
Did you feel you made the right move? I’ve had sports bikes all my days so this is completely new territory.However the width of the bars and the engine cylinders poking out the side is the downside of the GS. Having negotiated my back passage ( ooh er ), I then had to negotiated between two parked cars parked at an angle to each other at the front. On the Sprint GT is was just a case of folding in the mirrors and driving through, which is not possible on the GS, due to the sticky out cylinders being at car bumper height, so it means i have to move one of the cars out into the road to get the big girl out..
Many years ago I did buy a turntable device which consisted of two plastic discs with a bearing sandwiched between them. Whilst the centre stand on the Sprint GT just about fitted on this, the centrestand on the GS is too wide.
You can rock the GS on to one foot of the centre stand and pivot it around this as described above with the side stand, but i was never too happy with this as the centre stand to frame pivots are only made of nylon.
I was supposed to be testing it today but the shop has just phoned and postponed it as it’s still in the workshop. (12k service plus new tyres plus a load of other work. It’s BMW approved so they’re hopefully not letting it out the door unless it’s 100%)
Drawweight said:
Did you feel you made the right move? I’ve had sports bikes all my days so this is completely new territory.
I was supposed to be testing it today but the shop has just phoned and postponed it as it’s still in the workshop. (12k service plus new tyres plus a load of other work. It’s BMW approved so they’re hopefully not letting it out the door unless it’s 100%)
Yes. I'd always wanted a GS. So eventually treated myself for my 50th. I loved the Sprint GT , but gradually the riding position started grate with me a bit. Hands arrms, wrist and back were all OK, but always found the footpegs a bit to high, an my legs a bit cramped, especially over longer distances and touring which is mainly what I bought it for. I'm 6'2". It had slightly odd ergonomics, Bar and seat position of a sports tourer, but leg position felt more like a sports bike to me. Which was probably the original design brief.I was supposed to be testing it today but the shop has just phoned and postponed it as it’s still in the workshop. (12k service plus new tyres plus a load of other work. It’s BMW approved so they’re hopefully not letting it out the door unless it’s 100%)
Much more room on the GS with a more natural leg position. But it is a very different bike. I still miss the creamy torque and sound of the 1050 triple.
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff