BMW GS for a newish rider?

[ReadySalted]

Hi all,

For almost a year I've ridden an SV650S on an A2 license but I've got my tests booked for June to 'upgrade' my license, and if I pass I'll be looking to upgrade my bike too.

My other half is learning to ride, and I'd prefer a touring or dual sport bike for the sort of riding and touring we will do. I'd also consider getting rid of my land rover which I only use for camping trips really anyway. That would mean using the bike all year round, so figured something like the GS is ideal.

I've heard good things about the 800GS, but the 1200 or 1150 is what I really yearn for. They hold their prices amazingly well, and my budget is around 4 grand, which wouldn't get me anything much less than 10 years old by the look of things!

I'd really just like to know more about them, but particularly from anybody who's had one as a first bike?

[Beehive Bedlam]

I also yearn for a big adventure bike looked at the GS 1200 they are rather expensive.

Consider the mighty Varadero 1000 not as 'cool' but you will find a low mileage rode twice and lived in the garage minter within your budget.

[Rogerborg]

I would harbour misgivings about blowing my whole budget on a 10 year old 1200GS. They do go wrong, the repairs don't come cheap, and my brief experience of the local Motorrad (plus repeated first hand anecdotes) is that you can pay premium prices for the same monkey shines as you'd get in the dodgiest Vince Candelin stylee outfit.

But have you considered - bear with me here - going new, or nearly new, on finance?

The low depreciation means that you can ride away on a PCP plan for less than a V-Strom 1000. You won't own it, but given the reliability issues, that might actually end up being a good thing.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Pete.]

You can buy a new Suzuki for £1 down 0% right now, including all the adventure types.

https://www.suzuki-gb.co.uk/motorcycles/about/promotions/0-apr-representative-over-48-months-1-deposit/
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Pete.]

double post
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[ReadySalted]

It's definitely food for thought,

The only car I've bought on finance was a used BMW. Great car but I was forever paranoid something was going to go wrong and it would be £££. In the end I paid off the finance and sold it.

I find the trouble with buying stuff on the flick, is that when you're bored with it (a year or so), you're still tied to it and are still paying for it. For that reason I'm not sure whether taking the risk an adventure bike would be wise.

I'd dearly love a vfr1200 instead, and it would probably make a more sensible choice given that my off tarmac riding would amount to the sum total of riding across some grass at camp-sites (so about the same as most gs owners). We're quite a way off June yet anyway so plenty of time to mull things over.

[UncleFester]

If you use personal finance instead of the Dealership stuff ... you have a loan that is not tied to the thing you used it buy.

That means you can chop and change at will and just keep paying per month.

The other option is to save like hell whilst keeping the current thing and then buy at a year old outright without the cost of the depreciation.
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2017 Z1000SX

[RhynoCZ]

I think the newcomers take it the wrong way around when it comes to buying a motorcycle.

You should only ask yourself 2 questions:
A, Do I like it, the looks?
B, Do I have enough money?

That ''first'' bike will tell you, what is your next one gonna be. That's how I roll since the GPz, that I bought just for the reasons in the question A and B above. Then I found out I hate the anti-dive, but I do like 4 cylinder engines, so the next bike was a 4 cylinder, but with no anti dive and it goes on and on. Then when you get your dream motorcycle, that's got only the features you like, you'll look back at the bikes you've had, and might gonna buy one of those again as a second bike, if the price is right.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Zx7rSWFC]

[Polarbear]

I was going to suggest a Triumph Tiger 1050 for a compromise between size and relatively cheap compared to a BMW.

However having gone on the Triumph website it seems they are not in their model list. It might be a good time to phone round dealers to see if they have any for sale with good offers.
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.