New R1200GS Air-Water Cooled with Vertical Flow

[boxertwinjeff]

What Mods has the 1200 GSA got compared to the 1200 GS?

[Major Softie]

More suspension travel and fuel capacity are the biggest differences. Cast wheels on the GS and spokes on the Adventure, and the Adventure comes with the "off-road" style luggage. I think the Adventure comes with more aggressive rubber. Adventure is quite a bit heavier (guards, longer fork, luggage, etc.).

If you go to BMW Motorrad website, you can compare the specs on the two.

[Chuey]

It does boggle my mind that a bike without a frame should weigh so much.

Chuey

[Ken in Oklahoma]

It does boggle my mind that a bike without a frame should weigh so much.

Chuey

Just imagine how much it would weigh with a frame!

I too have wondered why it was so "porky". Of course it does have more displacement than the 980cc bikes we're used to. And it probably has a heavier alternator, battery, and cooling radiator than our airheads. (I'm presuming it has a radiator of sorts somewhere.) And in my cynical frame of mind I have to wonder how many pounds the "Transformer" styling touches add.

One of the joys of riding an airhead is it's (relatively) low weight. But I confess that I also regard them as being a bit porky. I think my personal motorcycle weight "standard" of 400 lbs or less was set (like a chick imprinting on the mother hen) by Brit bikes of the 50's and 60's; and even then you often had to take a few "unnecessary" things off to hit that number.

Ken

[Major Softie]

Yep. It seems that only Ducati gets the idea of superlight sports bikes. Everybody gets it for the SuperSports - especially the 600's - but only Ducati seems to get it for just sport models like the Monster. 1100cc Monster: 373 lbs dry, 414 wet, with 100 hp and 76 lbs of torque.

But even their model that is in competition with the GSA is porky by comparison: 478 dry, 540 wet (Multistrada Granturismo). Although you do get 150 hp and 92 lbs. of torque with that pork, it's 126 lbs. heavier than their Monster.

[Chuey]

My guess is that wheels weigh a little more than they need to. Also, handlebars, for instance, weigh a lot when there's heat treated aluminum that could be much lighter.

I was surprised at how light the stock seat is on a R1100S. Way lighter than an airhead seat.

I think Triumph's 675s are on the lighter end of things.

Chuey

[chasbmw]

Big fat tyres must weigh a lot......there can't be anything heavier than a twin disc snowflake wheels!

Seriously, bikes are weighed realistically now, full of oil, fuel etc etc, back in the old days factory weights (and horsepower figures) were quite possibly fudged....

So has announce put their airhead on the scales recently with a half tank of fuel?

[Deleted User 287]

...in my cynical frame of mind I have to wonder how many pounds the "Transformer" styling touches add.
One of the joys of riding an airhead is it's (relatively) low weight. But I confess that I also regard them as being a bit porky.

You will have to take my CBR out for a spin while I am down there, Ken! Same forward lean like a S bike, but I have moved my foot pegs back & up a few mm.
357 lbs curb wt. (366 with [$500] ABS)


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Of course, I am quickly loading it up with gee-gaws! I'll probably have to get heavier springs!

[Major Softie]

You will have to take my CBR out for a spin while I am down there, Ken! Same forward lean like a S bike, but I have moved my foot pegs back & up a few mm.
357 lbs curb wt. (366 with [$500] ABS)

Just for reference, remember Rob is talking about a 250, and bragging about it weighing almost as much as an 1100 Monster.