Triumphrat

gus4440 · 06-09-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barnabas

Hi all - first post having just found this great site a couple of days ago. I thought I'd like to share some of my thoughts by way of introduction.

My present bike, a BMW 1150GS has actually been very reliable and not particularly expensive to run and maintain. Also it's very easy to work on (for simple stuff), handles very well and is gives good mpg - usually around 45 - 50 but did manage 57mpg on one gentle night ride between widely spaced petrol stations. So all hunky dory then? Well...

There are a few things I don't like such as:

-these bikes are very complicated and are getting more so with each new model - too many electronic wizardry bits - too many things to go wrong and no need for it. I think BMW are pandering to an audience to which I don't particularly want to belong.

-it's a big heavy beast - OK when you are moving but otherwise a real handful (a bit like myself I suppose but that doesn't count)
-there is no dealership locally and most repair shops are a bit reluctant to do anything to BMs

-the lights are disgracefully poor - really really poor although I have aftermarket PIAAs which are great but annoy other drivers
-the whole BMW thing - the superiority and snobbery - I don't like it. I'm a bit of a greasy rag man myself and feel uncomfortable in glitzy BMW showrooms.

So - maybe ...

I rode a 1050 the other day and came back thinking it was probably the best bike I had ever ridden. What an engine! Comfortable. Great brakes. Little wind blast and what there was is nice and smooth. But I do particularly like the look of the older 995i with those lovely alloy rims and the white faced dials - to me the best looking bike around and I have always thought that. There is a nice one locally for sale at a bit over £3500. I can't remember the year but it has 19,000 (miles) on the clock and looks wonderful in black. it's been stood on the forecourt for almost a year and it needs loving.

It's made in England and so was I. We invented the hovercraft and football hooligans.What do I do??

Any advice seriously appreciated.

Nice to meet you all. (hope this isn't too long for a first go)

Sorry to repeat the entire quote. Barnabas, you must be me or I you in a parrallel universe. I still have my '02 GSADV. I bought my '06 Tiger last year for the same reasons you wrote in your post. I have been saying the same things about BMW for a long time. I like my Tiger and if you like the '06 you will have no regret. I keep saying I am going to sell the GS but resale is not very good considering the age and mileage. Fact is it's worth more to me to just keep it and ride it. The GS is kind of boring compared to the Tiger but it still makes a good pack mule and daily driver.

Gus

tacomaguy · 06-09-2008

I second all that has been said about the tiger. I love the power band and sound of the triple. One thing I don't like about my tiger is they were not designed well for easy self maintenance. It is the little things like needing to remove the gas tank to check/clean/replace the spark plugs. Fortunately the triple engines are pretty reliable and don't need much beyond basic care and feeding.

Give the Tiger a ride and I think you will be sold.

In addition to the farkles you already mention, add a center stand to make chain adjusting and checking the oil easier.

Paul

Barnabas · 06-09-2008

Gus - I'd happily hang on to the old GS but I have 5 bikes and must do something about that sad state of affairs. I think like so many people I just keep looking for the perfect do it all bike which is economical, reliable, easy to service, does 60mpg and 120 mph etc etc. At the moment my favourite day to day bike is a little Honda CBF500 - just perfect for short trips - a lot of fun. I did one longish trip pf about 350 miles in a day and was pretty saddle sore though whereas the BM is good for at least twice that before my old extremities start to really complain. I've just found a blog for a couple who are travelling around the world on 125 Yamahas - 70,000km so far - I don't know what I'm moaning about..

It's nice to hear Tiger owners so enthusiastic about their bikes - that's important for a potential owner. I guess most of the dissatisfied ones don't use this forum so maybe a bit of bias.
Good advice about the centre stand Paul - I have learned that through bitter experience!!
Hope to get a test ride soon.

atokadok · 06-09-2008

My .03 worth.

Best all around bike i have EVER had. Rode the 1050 like you and was hooked. The Triple is an intoxicating engine. Fun, Fun, FUN!

I had been riding a variety of Harley twins the last 8 years. They are fun and have their "image" too which I was really starting to dislike. So I set out to buy the best bike for me and the area I live in, Colorado.

Tried the BMW GS1200 - much better than the GS1150's. I must have put 1000 miles of test riding one of these because it was the bike I had been lusting for for a bout 10 years. Too pricey, BMW expensive, BORING motor etc.

Yamaha FJR, Kawasaki new 1300, Honda ST1300. Big inline fours just don't work for me any more. Too much high end cruising and none of these bikes offered the "potential" to off road on fire roads and the like.

Wee Strom - boring

The Tiger is the only bike I have ever had (6 months now and about 2000 miles on it) that I didn't start thinking about what I didn't like about it and what I was going to get next! Love it in the twisties of the mountains, does well on the open road blast for a few hundred miles in necessary, awesome gas mileage (53 mpg) comfortable riding position (am 6'4" w/35 in ch inseam) and its DIFFERENT.

I loved the 1050 motor, but want the longer suspension travel and liked the looks of the 01-06 models. I bought it used (PO rode it to 3,000 miles) and have not ever looked back. Oh, and the price, left me with about $10,000 left over from the last Harley I had!!

Good luck!

Mudhen · 06-17-2008

I went GS to Tiger to GS back to Tiger.

I'm not a long time rider - only been riding 6 years. My first bike was an '03 Dakar...which I got sick of the lack of power and getting knocked around on the highway. Searched for a Steamer (none local, never ridden one...just liked the look) and couldn't find one, so I traded the Dakar for a new '04 GS Adventure. LOVED it. 27k miles in 1.5 years...saddle sore 1k, lots of off roading, lots of commuting. Didn't do my own maintenance and it ATE ME ALIVE. In addition to my $400/month payment, every few months I had another $300-$400 in maintenance costs.

To get out of the payment I bought a '96 Steamer. At first it was a tough switch...other than loving the motor I didn't care for it much - it was in the winter and lack of wind protection and the jugs to warm my feet left me cold. Plus I was all scrunched up compared to the roomy beemer. But after a couple months (while I was trying to sell it) holy crap...didn't want to use that boring GS anymore. Lost a cool $9k on the beemer in 1.5 years...(paid a whopping $3500 for the Steamer).

Fast forward a couple years (last summer) and I'm getting tired of my commute (130 miles of pure highway/day) so started looking for another bike to spruce things up. Had a deposit on an '06 Tiger...but after a test ride I realized it wasn't any better than my Steamer. Tried out an '07...couldn't stand those silly little wheels. Plus I was tired of putting gas in the Tiger every morning, so figured what I NEEDED was another 8gal tank...so picked up another '04 GS Adv. Didn't test ride it...afterall, I had one before. I wanted that big, roomy, gas-every-other-day bike. Dummy.

One month later I put it up for sale. I don't know why anyone would ride one (other than really tall people...can't imagine them riding a Steamer). My Steamer is so smooth, nimble, and flickable compared to that thing. And absolutely no question a better off road bike (BMW admitted the telelever isn't good off road when they made the HP2...as far as I'm concerned). It isn't as easy to switch the rear wheel off for off roading of course...but it only takes me about 20 minutes to switch over even on the Tiger...and I have different sprockets for off roading, too - 10 minutes to change that...probably be slightly more to change out rear drives on the GS for dirt :-)

I know most of that stuff is subjective...lots of different bikes for lots of different people...ymmv, etc, etc...

Good luck with your decision.

fatal · 06-19-2008

I have owned a BMW R1150GS for several years, it's comfortable, has been extremely reliable (unlike many GS1200s I know of) it is very easy to maintain, I do all my own maintenance, the handling for such a large bike is excellent. At the time I bought the GS I also considered the pre 1050 Tigers, IMHO the earlier Tigers were just not up to the BMW GS1100/1150 which set the benchmark for this class of bike. However the 1050 Tger is a totally different beast to it's predecessors. no off road pretentions, superior handling and far better looking (I never did like those Nora Batty fork gaitors on the earlier model)
It's the 1050 engine that really makes the new tiger, plus the great looks, is it a better bike than the BMW GS 1150? no I don't think so, but it is very different from it, in the same way that the 1050 is different from the older Tiger, they are different bikes, designed supposedly for different roles, thats why I bought one last summer, I love it.
If I'm going to ride in winter, use gravel tracks etc then it's the GS, for summer use and bagging alpine passes its my Tigger 1050.