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I enjoy my GS but would love to have 20% more horsepower like the new wethead. I rode my GS Saturday for 7 hours on-road and off-road, the weather was perfect, 75 degrees and sunny.
On Sunday I rode my other bike, a 1970 Honda qa 50, sprout green in color, just like the original one my parents bought me in 1970. I rode the qa 50 for one hour, mainly off-road. The terrain was so rough that I had to stand on the pegs most of the time. The qa 50 ran great.
Horsepower is important, but I enjoyed riding the 1+ horsepower Honda qa 50 just as much as my 100 horsepower GS.
The Honda qa 50 brought back memories of going off-road exploring on a beautiful fall day just like when I was a kid.
Have you seen the new CB 1100 ?
http://powersports.honda.com/2013/cb1100.aspx
I started my GS career back in '94 with a new R100GS. Not sure of the hp but something like 60 or so. Ran plenty fast for me but maybe carrying my wife and all the gear, I was pushing it doing 75 on interstates. . .big deal, I really didn't think so. Wow, I upgraded in late winter of 2001 to a new oil head blue and white 2002 R1150GS with 85 hp and 6 speed. Great bike plenty of power even riding double, just downshift once and you could pass anything with four or more wheels, 50 mpg at highways speeds. I put 92,000 miles on it in 7 years and regret selling it. But I always wanted the adventure so 2008 GSA1200 with 105 hp. Now hardly downshifting was required again even with the wife and gear. Do you really need more hp or is BMW just showing off technology and making changes for change sake. . .? It will never end and costs just keep going up and parts availability gets harder.
.... As others have noted above, the GS is going the way it is (bigger/heavier and more powerful) because the market demands it. Almost no one rides them off-road, and fwiw, they make the perfect highway bike for people who like to ride and camp in out-of-the-way places.
So for that application, more power is good. My 1150GS loafs along at 80, turning 4.2k RPM.
You don't mention off-pavement/off-road riding in your post, so I assume that you are the typical GS rider of today? (not trying to be insulting...)
Ian
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Huh?
I had a CB750 that looked almost like that.
If I wanted that retro look, I'd just buy a used '82 750 again.
I have my previously mentioned GT for those long highway trips and love having that power on tap.
...I have no right wrist discipline....Vision
That's why I'm sticking to about 110 hp.
Speculate, when will it end? The new GS's are listed at 125 hp. 2 1/2 times more then my old R100GS. I say, 100 hp is all we need for a GS.
Even with that power, my HP2e makes me do bad things.