Courtesy bike - Ride on 1200GS :)

[russh]

The F800 had to go in for a recall or as BMW call it a product enhancement.

"What courtesy bike would you like sir?" asked the man at NOG "We have a F650, an F800,1200GS.......?"

"I'll take the 1200"

Silly question, I went for the 1200 straight away. This is one of the few larger adv bikes I have yet to ride.

I had no idea what to expect. On stepping on, or should I say in as this is what it feels like, with the large screen way off in the distance, wide turned back handlebars, the first thing that struck me was how comfortable it felt. Quick prod on the starter....hmmm, sound more like a WWII fighter than a motobike. A quick blip of the throttle and the bike lurches to the right thanks to the torque reaction of the longitudinal crank, just as well both feet are on the floor! I edge straight into the best north Oxford rush hour traffic jams and head to work, apply a bit of throttle, god this feels more like a tractor engine than a bike engine, especially at low revs, seems like you can feel each individual explosion in the cylinders. At low speed the torque reaction is apparent.

Forgetting I'm on a large Teutonic tractor I'm immediately filtering between two lines of traffic, applying the front brake nothing seems to be happening, eek...oh, yes it is but without any front fork dive what a weird feeling. The ride seems a lot harsher than the F800GS but for such a large bike it feels very light and manageable. I'm starting to get used to this now, the engine although still feeling like something from a Focke Wolf has a certain charm. Get to work and park up. I don't usually bother with lunch breaks but today with the big Beemer in the bike park I'm out of this place and take the bike for a longer bike ride. I attempt to back the bike out of my parking space. This proves a little tricky, I usually get a bike going backwards by applying the front brake, compressing the forks and using the rebound to start the bike moving backwards, apply the front brake on this and the front suspension doesn't budge! Also two bloody great cylinders in the way of my legs too. Get the thing going and head out of the city. On dual carriageways the bike is amazing, today is really windy with gale warnings, the bike tracks pretty dam straight with hardly any effect from cross winds and lorry turbulence, the screen although quite a way forwards is very effective, it feels like I could sit on this thing all day. I head off the dual carriageway and onto some back roads, I can't push the bike too much, it' not run in and the roads are greasy and covered in wet leaves. Wow this thing handles amazingly! It doesn't feel any faster than the 800 although it feels more torquey.

I didn't want to take their nice clean demo bike off road however it has the feeling rather than going over bumps and hills it would just smash it's way through them and you probable wouldn't even notice

I can really see why some people love these things, it's completely different to any other bike I've ridden, the indicators are stupid (as on the F800GS) I'm sure the longer you ride one the better it gets and for long distances you couldn't do much better. For something so big it felt pretty light and nimble too.

By the time I had to take the bike back I had fallen in love
But then once back on the F800GS it just felt so much more lively and responsive (and not so relaxing) The 1200 is a really great bike but I like my 800 more

However if I had to cover longer distances.....

[Lord Vader]

Try a GSA next time

[russh]

Try a GSA next time

I daren't, it would be very difficult to explain why I had just put a down a deposit on a £12,000 motorbike and how the family would be living off Lidi cornflakes for the next five years until I'd paid for it

[Lord Vader]

I daren't, it would be very difficult to explain why I had just put a down a deposit on a £12,000 motorbike and how the family would be living off Lidi cornflakes for the next five years until I'd paid for it

Not much wrong with Lidl cornflakes.My family been eating them now for nearly 2 years

[j]

Not much wrong with Lidl cornflakes.My family been eating them now for nearly 2 years

second that, mine is also on Lidl beans

[Sharribee]

Go for Lidl Russ, your family will understand






eventually

[MCsanandreas]

or get them to forage for nuts and berries? watch a Ray Mears show for all the advice and free food is yours! bingo you can buy the bike!