User review; from R1200gsa lc 2016 to super tenere 1200 2019 non ES.

firstime911

Active Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2019
Messages
136
Location
Bangkok, cheap beer, good party
Hi, My response after first ride on 5xx km trip and 2hours in high traffic area on s10

GSA to S10; area where I think S10 is better:
  • Engine Characteristic; man this thing has some character compare to almost electric BMW boxer LC. This engine make good rumble and even better when accelerate. I install Full arrow on S10 I really love the sound, I did put Full Akrapovic on R1200gsa is just slight better than stock. However, after full day ride on S10, I got sore on my left ear, perhaps is too loud. LOL
  • Suspension; BMW Telelever suspension is great but is not far from S10 stock suspension, I did rode thru canyon, high speed, unpaved road, muddy, tarmac. S10 absorb all those bump and pot holes very well almost GS like.
  • Weight; Coming from GSA, traffic filtering, cornering, and changing lane seem easier on S10, where on BMW, I have kind of felt the weight when the bike is not 100% vertical.S10 has really a good balance in weight distribution. The only time I notice the weight and felt that BMW is better is when I have to maneuver it in the car park.
  • The seat on S10 is really good, firmness, spacious. I don’t have any sore or any pain point on my butt after all day on S10. This wouldn’t happen on the GSA where the seat is too soft. Additional, Ergonomic is really good on S10 I sit up straight knees not so bending.
Thing I think S10 should improve;
  • Grip, handlebar vibration; is that little buzzing vibration that make my hand numb after many hours on the bike. After the trip, I order grip puppies hope it solve this problem
  • Clutch and Throttle response; I think is too responsive almost jerky. And the clutch is quite hard to pull, not as hard as F800gs but is make GSA like butter smooth, will take some times to get used to this.
  • Pannier, I read from the forum and from a lot of people review; I totally agree; is too small, and the lock is painful, when I back home I noticed that the lid on my right pannier is opened, which I already lock it.
  • Windshield; on S10 I notice the wind is around my upper chest, I put on normal seat high position; I’m 181cm inseam 32. Where on the GS is wind is just on my helmet and shoulder. Lucky Thailand is hot so more wind is alright. S10, I didn’t notice any buffeting on my helmet (Arai xd or Tourcross 3)
  • Tiredness, with all those little vibration, engine punchy sound, is quite exhaust to ride full day on S10. Is was less tiredness on GSA to cover the same distance.

That is my 2cent review, is might benefit if you want to buy GSA or owing a GS and plan to get S10. I quite happy with the S10 really good bike.
NOTE: Pls excuse my grammar, ENGLISH is not my first language.
 
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Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,812
Location
Joshua TX
The bike I had rode ok. It was the lack of dependability, after it had some years/miles on it, was what soured ME. Especially after paying what Beemer charged.
 

timebak

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
169
Location
Rogersville, Alabama, USA
What turned me off on the Beemers was #1, the initial expense, #2, the expensive maintenance at seemingly shorter intervals than the S10, and #3, the mechanical failures and accelerated wear that I constantly heard about from Beemer riders. When I heard some S10 riders referring to their bikes as GTO's (Gas, Tires, and Oil), and how good even the non-ES bikes are, that was the decision maker for me. I've only put a couple thousand miles on my '16 S10 ES since I bought it home on September 1st, but I'm still amazed what a great road bike it is, even with the Mitas Dakar's on it. And I've been practicing on dirt and gravel and fire breaks and logging roads near my home with it, and the learning curve has been easier than I had expected. And I almost forgot: the nearest BMW dealership to me is 3-1/2 hours away, and there's a fantastic Yamaha mechanic about 6 blocks from my office (and our wives are friends).
 

Xclimation

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
651
Location
Ft. Worth, Texas
Thank you for the review and comparison! I love these comparisons like this cause I always wonder what and if I may be missing out on something. Especially when I go to the dealer and sit on those new shiny bikes!
 

Cycledude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Messages
3,998
Location
Rib lake wi
my opinion BMW’s are great..............until something goes wrong then there are very few dealers, parts and labor are crazy expensive, a friend had a final drive failure on a pretty low mile BMW that he had bought brandnew, the warranty had expired less than a month, it took the BMW shop nearly a month to get the replacement parts and he was over 1,000 miles from home so he had to fly home and go back to work, after it was fixed he had to buy another airplane ticket to fly back and pick it up. The repair bill alone was $3,500 ! After he got home he put the BMW up for sale and says he will never buy another BMW. He has been riding Honda ever since.
 

Don T

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
Messages
541
Location
Denmark
Back in 2015 when I purchased my T12 the choice stood between that, 1200 GS WC and 1190 Adventure.
Price difference (in my part of the woods and at that time) was insignificant and didn't affect my decision - test rides did.
I simply enjoyed riding the T12 more than the other two.

4 years and 106.000 km later, I haven't regretted my decision. The more I ride it the more it impress me.
In my close to 30 years of riding, I've never before owned a bike for that long.
I do test rides from time to time whenever something new catches my attention, but so far nothing have tempted me enough to replace the T12.
 
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twinrider

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
1,882
Location
Yokohama
  • Grip, handlebar vibration; is that little buzzing vibration that make my hand numb after many hours on the bike. After the trip, I order grip puppies hope it solve this problem
  • Clutch and Throttle response; I think is too responsive almost jerky. And the clutch is quite hard to pull, not as hard as F800gs but is make GSA like butter smooth, will take some times to get used to this.
A good ECU flash will resolve the throttle response issues and smooth out the handlebar vibration as well. My Gen II is butter smooth and the power is very linear.
 

duegi

A mobile home is a noble home
Joined
May 7, 2018
Messages
31
Location
Columbia Missouri
I was on a 2019 BMW R1200GS Rallye during the Tour of California bicycle race. Very nice handling moto on descents, refined and smooth. A better finish overall than our STs but for the money I would expect that sort of a build. The shift assist on the BMW is really nice on a descent as the moto adjust revs to match wheel speed so there is no chutter coming into a corner. You can still use the clutch and back the rear end into corners if you like.

Getting back on the ST I feel like our moto sometimes feels a little industrial, then again both BMW and the ST transmissions have clunky shifting. Only took a few minutes to get used to the weight distribution being a bit higher. I've owned many BMWs in the past and the telever front end is very forgiving and helps you correct your screw ups in corners. Conventional forks aren't as forgiving but if set up right and avoiding fixation the ST does just fine.

I miss the BMWs I've owned, such is life, but my current ST has been reliable and predictable. Had the opportunity to ride Ducati, Triumph, Suzuki, HD, etc while working bicycle races, triathlons, and marathons around the country. If money wasn't really a concern I'd prob be on another BMW, but I do worry about my bucks and get a lot more bang for said bucks on the ST.
 
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