NEW R1250GS and RT

bmac

Active Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Messages
284
Location
Florida, Wisconsin
I am looking forward to test riding the new 1250GS. There was a lot to like about the 1200 but it was too vibey for me. It was a paint shaker at high speed. This makes a bunch more torque and is supposedly much smoother. We will see.
 

dannyv

Active Member
Joined
May 4, 2018
Messages
294
Location
Indianapolis, IN
I am looking forward to test riding the new 1250GS. There was a lot to like about the 1200 but it was too vibey for me. It was a paint shaker at high speed. This makes a bunch more torque and is supposedly much smoother. We will see.
I would love a GS, but what has me looking at S10 is the cost of maintenance. Every time I take my 650GS in, it is 6 or 8 hundred bucks. They do the work right, we have a good dealer, with great mechanics, I think. But holy hell, are they expensive. Hoping for relief with a Yamaha. Obviously, they have a bullet proof reputation, but some service is normal. Will I be any happier with a Yamaha dealer fixing things? I am not much interested in doing the work myself, aside from oil changes, and maybe the occasional light bulb or battery replacement.

I spent two weeks on a GS for my vacation, and loved it, seemed somewhat agricultural at first. But I thought it was smooth enough at 160 KPH, not that I have traveled that fast many times before. The clutch-less shifting was not a good thing, for me anyway. Other then that, I can not complain about the bike at all.

Yes, I am very aware of the price difference between an S10 and a big GS. Also a factor for me.


-Dan
 

bmac

Active Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Messages
284
Location
Florida, Wisconsin
The difference between BMW and Yamaha service costs can be significant. Additionally, the parts prices for BMW's in general are excessive. Yamaha parts are much more reasonably priced. If you have the dealer service a BMW it will be expensive, no two ways about it. In general, the Yamaha will be cheaper but you will also run into dealers that have never done a valve check on a Super Tenere. Confidence in local dealer is an important consideration.

Valve checks on the BMW opposed twin are quite easy. If I ended up with one I would do them myself.

The S10 is an excellent bike and it does everything I need it to do. I also currently own a BMW S1000XR. The XR is one of BMW's better built bikes but I am still more confident in the reliability of the Yamaha. Peace of mind definitely goes to Yamaha.

The price difference can be hard to justify, at least in my eyes. But, with that said, it is not a limiting factor for me. If I liked the BMW better I would have bought it. The BMW sells a lot better than the S10 so many folks have been willing to spend the money. There is no doubt that the overall cost of the BMW will be higher than the Yamaha.
 

dannyv

Active Member
Joined
May 4, 2018
Messages
294
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Thanks, bmac, just the sort of info I was looking for. And what I suspected- BMW's are expensive! I could afford any bike/ service I wanted, but that doesn't mean I like to spend the bucks that way. Took me much of my life to figure out I could be happy with a rock solid Toyota, might not handle as nice as an M5, but it sure as hell costs less. And it will probably last me the rest of my life, if I want. Sounds like the S10 is in the same vein.
 

bmac

Active Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Messages
284
Location
Florida, Wisconsin
Thanks, bmac, just the sort of info I was looking for. And what I suspected- BMW's are expensive! I could afford any bike/ service I wanted, but that doesn't mean I like to spend the bucks that way. Took me much of my life to figure out I could be happy with a rock solid Toyota, might not handle as nice as an M5, but it sure as hell costs less. And it will probably last me the rest of my life, if I want. Sounds like the S10 is in the same vein.
Agreed! I can afford to buy whatever I want because I didn't buy whatever I wanted in the past. You can pay a lot more for only slightly better. I don't buy anything because of the name or brand. I buy it because it works for me and puts a smile on my face.

If you pick up a Super Tenere consider adding a slip on and having the ECU reflashed by Anthony on this forum. It transformed a good bike into a great bike, at least for me. One thing to keep in mind is the Super Tenere is power limited in the first 3 gears. I have no idea why Yamaha thought this was necessary. The flash removes this restriction and improves ride ability throughout the rev range.

Good Luck!
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
Thanks, bmac, just the sort of info I was looking for. And what I suspected- BMW's are expensive! I could afford any bike/ service I wanted, but that doesn't mean I like to spend the bucks that way. Took me much of my life to figure out I could be happy with a rock solid Toyota, might not handle as nice as an M5, but it sure as hell costs less. And it will probably last me the rest of my life, if I want. Sounds like the S10 is in the same vein.
Agreed! I can afford to buy whatever I want because I didn't buy whatever I wanted in the past. You can pay a lot more for only slightly better. I don't buy anything because of the name or brand. I buy it because it works for me and puts a smile on my face.

If you pick up a Super Tenere consider adding a slip on and having the ECU reflashed by Anthony on this forum. It transformed a good bike into a great bike, at least for me. One thing to keep in mind is the Super Tenere is power limited in the first 3 gears. I have no idea why Yamaha thought this was necessary. The flash removes this restriction and improves ride ability throughout the rev range.

Good Luck!
I thought really hard on getting the GS. I will not just waste money on something that has a good chance of leaving me stranded. Also don't want to spend money on overpriced parts that cost 3-5 times more than the ST. I have ridden a BMW GS in the past and was not impressed at all. I almost test rode one of the new water cooled GS's but I just could not turn down the smoking deal on my ST.

I don't feel the power being limited to a noticeable amount in the first three gears on the 2nd gen bikes. Of course I don't scream this bike either. In sport mode it has more than enough HP. In touring mode it runs smooth as silk. The fueling is so precise (even if a little lean) I'm afraid of messing it up with a re-flash. I can control it down to under 3mph with just a little clutch work.

I'm willing to bet you can get a ST dialed in just perfect for you Danny.
 
Top