Wanted a V4s, bought a GS instead

[octane83]

Hello all,
I've always wanted a Multi V4s, I loved everything about it (950s was a wet fart in comparison but I can see why it might be attractive to some).

Unfortunately, what I've actually ended up with is a 1250GS, because that was all the ADV my wallet could take. It is a nice enough bike, I like the torque and it handles very well for such a lardy machine. You only realise how lardy when you try and get it on the centre stand.

But it is dull. Duller than the dullest dull. I cannot wait to work harder and to afford a V4s. I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell me I'm an arse, I'm not riding it right, they saw someone on a GS spank a load of supervises on a track day etc etc.

As a machine to make you feel you're on something special, it is hopeless. In my opinion of course.

Just wanted to vent.

Peace out.

[Speed addicted]

Didn’t you test ride before you bought?

I’ve (expensively) found that it’s cheaper in the long run to just buy the one you want in the first place!

[scorcher]

I quite fancy a V4S multi aswell. Not at £20k though. Fecking ridiculous price. Albeit not as ridiculous as the Pikes Peak version at £25k

[Darkslider]

Adventure bikes are all dull, unless you're planning on an extensive off road tour (which is hard to do in this country) I don't understand why anyone buys them. Presumably it's for the same reasons you see the school run littered with 4x4s.

In conclusion, sell it and buy a Panigale, you can thank me later

[scorcher]

Think I’d rather do a 400 mile day on a multi than a Panigale.

[octane83]

Speed addicted said:

Didn’t you test ride before you bought?

I’ve (expensively) found that it’s cheaper in the long run to just buy the one you want in the first place!

I did in fact I'd ridden several bikes that day. KTM super adventure went well and was a proper bargain but then something that felt like it was made from old toothbrushes would be I suppose. Dealer wasn't exactly welcoming either.

Africa Twin was good, but seemed like overkill for my use case (fair weather rider, the odd tour, want it to put a smile on my face).

Also rode a Multi 950s. I just could not understand all the YouTube reviews fawning over that thing.

Other than the V4s, which was a proper hooligan bike with loads of character, a properly bombastic engine and sorted electronics, the only all-rounder was the BMW. Ultimately the V4s was wayyy too much cash, I mean £24k sitting in the garage for the majority of the year is an absolute indulgence that I cannot afford.

[outnumbered]

Seems odd to spend that much on something you don’t like. Can you get a secondhand Ducati if you can’t afford a new one ?

Also why do you want an adventure bike if you’re a fair weather rider doing the odd tour ? Sounds like you’re restricting your choice a lot there.

Edited by outnumbered on Sunday 28th August 22:56

[Kawasicki]

I ride an old Multistrada Pikes Peak fairly often, the V-twin one. Nice bikes, but I like thrashing bikes a little… and even with a little thrashing it’s a bit too quick for my local law enforcement level.

[ChrisG C2S]

I was also wanting a Multi V4S, ended up getting a KTM 1290 SAS. I absolutely love it and it was approx £7k less than the equivalent Duc.

[Dr Jekyll]

Darkslider said:

Adventure bikes are all dull, unless you're planning on an extensive off road tour (which is hard to do in this country) I don't understand why anyone buys them. Presumably it's for the same reasons you see the school run littered with 4x4s.

In conclusion, sell it and buy a Panigale, you can thank me later

Just in case your being serious, it's because they are comfortable.

If the R1250R or RS had the same seating position I'd have bought one. I went to the dealer intending to buy an RT but on a test ride the front heavy feeling put me off. The salesman suggesting I try a GS which I hadn't considered because I've no intention of going off road, and after a ride I was hooked. It's a lot roomier than the RT, I think the K1600 has similar legroom to the GS but that's a bit much in terms of weight and cost.

[spareparts]

MultiV4s is not an adv bike really. It is a PanigaleV4s on stilts. Similar to the S1000XR is an S1000RR equivalent. Sounds like you bought a hiking boot when you wanted a road running shoe. Hiking boots are great at what they are designed for, but they are no good for running if that is what you wanted from the beginning.

[octane83]

outnumbered said:

Seems odd to spend that much on something you don’t like. Can you get a secondhand Ducati if you can’t afford a new one ?

Also why do you want an adventure bike if you’re a fair weather rider doing the odd tour ? Sounds like you’re restricting your choice a lot there.

Edited by outnumbered on Sunday 28th August 22:56

Perhaps I should have said, I came from a Monster 1200s. I couldn't get on with the riding position and the lack of wind protection- even a moderate motorway cruise was uncomfortable. I wanted something with a bit more wind protection. I tried a sports tourer as well (Kawasaki Z1000sx) but the wind protection was minimal unless I got tucked in, and that defeated the purpose.

Like another poster has said further down, the MultiV4s is a Panigale on stilts and that alone for me is a great selling point. I'm not old by any measure (not hit 40 yet!) and I'd take comfort over speed these days. This is why I'm a bit miffed, I knew the V4s would be the perfect bike for me, but my wallet only permitted a GS which, while objectively satisfying or even exceeding every metric out there, is subjectively a massive fail.

Edited by octane83 on Monday 29th August 09:35

[Lambo FirstBlood]

octane83 said:

outnumbered said:

Seems odd to spend that much on something you don’t like. Can you get a secondhand Ducati if you can’t afford a new one ?

Also why do you want an adventure bike if you’re a fair weather rider doing the odd tour ? Sounds like you’re restricting your choice a lot there.

Edited by outnumbered on Sunday 28th August 22:56

Perhaps I should have said, I came from a Monster 1200s. I couldn't get on with the riding position and the lack of wind protection- even a moderate motorway cruise was uncomfortable. I wanted something with a bit more wind protection. I tried a sports tourer as well (Kawasaki Z1000sx) but the wind protection was minimal unless I got tucked in, and that defeated the purpose.

Like another poster has said further down, the MultiV4s is a Pain on stilts and that alone for me is a great selling point. I'm not old by any measure (not hit 40 yet!) and I'd take comfort over speed these days. This is why I'm a bit miffed, I knew the V4s would be the perfect bike for me, but my wallet only permitted a GS which, while objectively satisfying or even exceeding every metric out there, is subjectively a massive fail.

I’m don’t know sure exactly what you paid for your GS but BMW site quotes from £14,340 with no options at all.

Here’s a year old V4S including luggage for an extra £3500 (assuming your GS had no extras whatsoever)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/20220820...

I’m not dismissing £3500 as trivial but I would have thought given you have the means for a brand new GS, and you don’t really like it, and you love the V4S, could you not have stretched a little further or waited a little longer to save in order to get what you really wanted?

[GriffoDP]

I moved from a K1300S & S1000RR into a year old 1250GS without putting too much thought into it. Then the virus came and my commute went away. I still got a lot of enjoyment from the GS. It beat the two preceding bikes at less-illegal fun, and my brain always enjoys being able to carry lots of luggage. At that time I liked my BMW dealers and was actually wanting to try an XR, but somehow ended up taking that GS out.

But curiosity led me 9 months later to try a year old KTM 1290GT, and I made another low-thinking decision and swapped to that. I always enjoyed the sound my K1300S made, even with stock Akra, and one of my main shallow dislikes of the GS was its rubbish sound. The KTM even at 1st gear walking pace sounded hilarious and that got me half way to buying it.

I think what I intended this post to get to was: If only I'd have tried the KTM in the first place I'd have saved getting rinsed on the GS part exchange.

Although I am still looking forward to what the next GS is like and am preparing myself for its ridiculous price tag.

[Kawasicki]

spareparts said:

MultiV4s is not an adv bike really. It is a PanigaleV4s on stilts. Similar to the S1000XR is an S1000RR equivalent. Sounds like you bought a hiking boot when you wanted a road running shoe. Hiking boots are great at what they are designed for, but they are no good for running if that is what you wanted from the beginning.

I think some people see anything with a somewhat elevated ride height as an adventure bike.

[Prof Prolapse]

Very different bikes.

Ride the GS as it was meant to be ridden, and do what the V4S can't do.

Whack some 60/40 or 70/30 dual purpose tyres and do some light green lane work, plan some forestry trails, explore a stubble field or two, or head up North, take the Ferry across some of the Islands, follow a few peat trails, ride along a remote beach (there aren't many but they exist). Do an off road course, you'll find the love for it in no time.

Then, when it's financially viable, buy the V4S, there's always time.

Personally I'd take it as an opportunity to make the most of what is an excellent, but very different bike, rather than lament my decisions.

[black-k1]

octane83 said:

outnumbered said:

Seems odd to spend that much on something you don’t like. Can you get a secondhand Ducati if you can’t afford a new one ?

Also why do you want an adventure bike if you’re a fair weather rider doing the odd tour ? Sounds like you’re restricting your choice a lot there.

Edited by outnumbered on Sunday 28th August 22:56

Perhaps I should have said, I came from a Monster 1200s. I couldn't get on with the riding position and the lack of wind protection- even a moderate motorway cruise was uncomfortable. I wanted something with a bit more wind protection. I tried a sports tourer as well (Kawasaki Z1000sx) but the wind protection was minimal unless I got tucked in, and that defeated the purpose.

Like another poster has said further down, the MultiV4s is a Panigale on stilts and that alone for me is a great selling point. I'm not old by any measure (not hit 40 yet!) and I'd take comfort over speed these days. This is why I'm a bit miffed, I knew the V4s would be the perfect bike for me, but my wallet only permitted a GS which, while objectively satisfying or even exceeding every metric out there, is subjectively a massive fail.

Edited by octane83 on Monday 29th August 09:35

I can't offer any suggestion to your current situation other than to say:

1, It's a life lesson. Just because it's what you can afford, doesn't mean it's the right bike;
2. The only answer is to sell the GS and buy something that actually delivers what you want. even if that means taking a hit;

There are many other ways to get the right combination of comfort, performance, style etc. so have a real shop around and make sure you do lots of test rides, and I don't mean just a 5 minute run up the road.

[creampuff]

octane83 said:

But it is dull. Duller than the dullest dull. I cannot wait to work harder and to afford a V4s.

I have a boring bike.

But I just did 3000km to Eastern Europe and back on it.

That wasn't boring at all.

[black-k1]

creampuff said:

octane83 said:

But it is dull. Duller than the dullest dull. I cannot wait to work harder and to afford a V4s.

I have a boring bike.

But I just did 3000km to Eastern Europe and back on it.

That wasn't boring at all.

So think how much more exiting it could have been on a bike that isn't boring!