Swiss Army knife motorbike (BMW R1150GS)

Member Name: shugie

Product:	BMW R1150GS
Date:	28/11/01 (4203 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comfortable, Accelerates well, Brill at corners

Disadvantages: Weight, Height

This is without a doubt the best bike that BMW make. It's good for commuting, albeit a little bit on the wide side, hooning around country lanes, or even trundling down the motorway at a fair, if not always legal speed.
Top speed may seem mundane when compared to the Jap sports bikes, and even some of the other BMWs, but what price the driving licence? What this bike has shedloads of is torque, as you would expect from a litre plus two cylinder engine. Off the line only the exotica can show this bike a clean pair of heels, and unless it's a straight road you'll soon catch them again.
It can carry a pillion with ease, and the trick front suspension, which looks more like something to be found on a car, makes diving under braking much, much less noticeable than with the best of normal fork designs. ABS is a must with narrow semi-trial type tires, and is brilliant at leaving the rider to concentrate on where the bike is going. It can even cope with small diesel spins, only a deity can cope with the big ones!
A large fuel tank gives something like 180 miles between fill-ups, although working the throttle hard, always a temptation in the dry, reduces this somewhat.
If you can only have one bike, save your pennies up for one of these. You won't regret it and there are more coming onto the second-hand market, most BM bike dealers have something to offer.
Loads of aftermarket goodies, such as lower seats and side-stand extenders for us shorty legs. Also all sorts of luggage, extra protection in the event of a tip-over (the Wunderlich 'hard parts' are a good investment).
Downside is that it is a heavy b@$#@rd, and needs to be treated carefully at slow speeds.

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