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My demo ride on the new Waterhead GS!

oldnslow

It's a way of life!
Took a demo ride on the Waterhead GS last Saturday. I am not a GS kinda guy. Dont want one, don't like em, and can't understand the hoopla about them. That said, That new bike is wicked fast, wicked light, and wicked pricey! Throttle response was like a light switch. (electronic? no manual cables). Clutch was smooth like a Japanese sport bike, (wet clutch?) but still had the famililar sledge hammer against an anvil feel to the gear changes. I was suprised at how effective that little bitty 'windshield' was. Did not like the 'motocross' width of the handle bars, but thats a GS thing I guess.

The motor was exceptionally smooth and quiet. And plenty powerful. Could easily lift the front wheel in the first 3 gears.

The speedometer and tachometer are microscopic in size, (at least for this old man) but the gear indicator is large enough to read from 15 feet away! It has Japanese bike style turn switches, which I do like

Is it for me?, nah, wouldn't want it, and if I won one, I'd sell it. But, I do appreciate that there are folks who dig em, and if that is you, this machine is very nice. And Wicked WICKED quick!
 
Yup, the new boxer engine has a wet clutch, leaving Ducati and Moto-Guzzi as the only common bikes with dry clutches. I have read the new wet clutch, on the very front of the engine, can be changed out in about 1/2 hour. The gearbox though is supposed to be light and quick in action.
 
I'm looking forward to test riding one at my local dealer, Gateway BMW. They are out of my price range, but if I won one, you betcha I'd keep it.
 
One of the dealers brought one of the new wet-heads to our breakfast meeting on Sunday. It's a great looking bike with nice lines. I will have to see the new and old next to each other to see the real differences but the new bike, in silver, seemed to have almost a "transformer" look to it. :thumb
 
... the famililar sledge hammer against an anvil feel to the gear changes.

Give it 10-20k miles to break in a little. :)

If you didn't ride the bike off-pavement, well, then no wonder you don't "understand" the bike. To really understand the bike, you need to pound down about 50 miles of remote dirt roads with plenty of rocks, mud and sand, and then pull back out onto the pavement and wick it up to 90 on the straights and then rip it through some twisties. Then it will make sense. :nod

Thanks for the report.

I rode a Yamaha Super Tener?® down in Daytona, and while a 15- minute test ride wasn't nearly long enough, I hopped directly back on my 1150 GS and thank goodness... it didn't suck!

Ian
 
Yup, the new boxer engine has a wet clutch, leaving Ducati and Moto-Guzzi as the only common bikes with dry clutches.

New Ducatis also have wet clutches. Its a sacrilege and I plan on bringing it up with the new Pope at his earliest convenience. He's gotta have some kinda pull in Italy, right? :laugh
 
water head

test rode the H2O today. I'm on a 2010 K1300GT which I thought was the greatest but H2O I think is better. Much lighter then GT, faster in the turns, seat is much better, riding position is more comfortable, wind protection is a lot better, engine is quick-throttle by wire has shorter turn radius, cruise control now works like a car-when I use the GT cruise and let go of throttle it drops about 4mph before locking on- this one locks instantly. The suspension was good on demo with standard suspension still good to power in turns but I'm sure the ESA ASC will be a lot better. MPG was 47 avg. 62MPH but that is without ASC being demo was standard. Transmission is very good and with the slipper clutch it is soo much smoother shifting up and down. Just great for passing on 2 lane roads even in 6 gear. As u can see I loved the bike and my H2O will be in the middle of this week with all the goodies. Huston we have lift-off
 
I read that to accommodate the clutch on the front of the motor, the alternator was moved to the rear of the engine between it and the tranny. Any alternator service/replacement will now require the engine to be opened up. Just relaying what I read and what I surmised from the article. Do not know if the alternator is designed for the life of the engine, otherwise could be pricey to service/replace.
 
Smooth?

My GSA1200 is also very smooth in the gearbox, dry clutch and all. Maybe ya'll shifting techniques are rusty? I use almost NO clutch pressure on my current GSA and its perfectly smooth too. And, fly by wire throttle is very touchy and needs getting used to. I rode the new 1600GT and it was this way. The throttle is RIGHT there, no slop at all. My thought about a GS with cruise control is probably NOT mentionable. A dirt bike with electronic cruise, laughable to me:). Its a fine feature and those GS "road warriors" will be happy. My Kaoko manual CC is my perfect GSA cruise device, simple and friendly enough...Had it all on my previous KLT1200, don't miss it. GSA happy, Randy....I think the newbie GS needs the wrinkles ironed out a year or two for me to even come close to the bait! I'll swim along keeping watch:):):). "Polarbear"
 
I read that to accommodate the clutch on the front of the motor, the alternator was moved to the rear of the engine between it and the tranny. Any alternator service/replacement will now require the engine to be opened up. Just relaying what I read and what I surmised from the article. Do not know if the alternator is designed for the life of the engine, otherwise could be pricey to service/replace.

Interesting point. Until you mentioned it, I'd not thought about where the alternator went. So I started studying the press kit cutaways and videos. I appears that the alternator rotor is mounted on the crankshaft just behind the left side cam chain, acting in part as a flywheel. The stator is mounted inside the rotor, and then the water pump is mounted on the rear end of the crank.
P90104742-lowRes.jpg
So at the very least, you would need to drain the coolant and remove the water pump to reach the alternator. It looks like this will be accessible without too much trouble. Hopefully, this alternator will be more reliable than those on the early F700. At least there is no belt to replace!
 
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Nice Bike!

Rode one yesterday at Bob's in Maryland. What a great bike! I'm not mourning the passing of the air/oil-cooled era at all. This is a great step forward for BMW.
I want one!

Cheers, Tom
 
electronic cruise

...those GS "road warriors" will be happy. My Kaoko manual CC is my perfect GSA cruise device, simple and friendly enough

I am very happy about the addition of electronic cruise on the GS. Even with the Kaoko, I have never had the kind of emotional attachment to my GSA as I have with some other bikes. But with that said, I believe the GSA is by far the best solid all-round "traveling" bike I have owned. The GS allows me to go down roads and into places which most of us would be afraid to go with bikes wrapped in plastic tupperware and color matched bags. The crux of it is though, my GS is still primarily a "traveling" bike. Electronic cruise for long stretches of pavement and a wet clutch for stretches of slow, loose surfaces are the two features which has my cheap butt even considering a new GS.
 
I read that to accommodate the clutch on the front of the motor, the alternator was moved to the rear of the engine between it and the tranny. Any alternator service/replacement will now require the engine to be opened up. Just relaying what I read and what I surmised from the article. Do not know if the alternator is designed for the life of the engine, otherwise could be pricey to service/replace.

I've heard the same. Also that the cylinders are a single unit with the crankcase and there is no going oversize on the pistons if that time ever comes. Just what I heard.
 
The engine and transmission are a single unit with a vertically split case - there is no "between". As mentioned and illustrated above, the alternator is mounted on the crankshaft (above the transmission) and appears to be accessible without splitting the cases or removing the engine. I think oversize pistons stopped being an option a couple decades ago with the introduction of Nikasil cylinder plating.
 
Yeah, my Guzzi has nikasil cylinders and still has the compression of a nearly new engine. Still, what is kind of a non-rebuildable essential part of the engine would be a concern to me and would affect my purchase decision, though I'm not in the market anyway. But then I'm pretty old school and that's the direction technology is taking us.
 
The engine and transmission are a single unit with a vertically split case - there is no "between". As mentioned and illustrated above, the alternator is mounted on the crankshaft (above the transmission) and appears to be accessible without splitting the cases or removing the engine. I think oversize pistons stopped being a desired necessity a couple decades ago with the introduction of Nikasil cylinder plating.

fify.

when's the last time you heard of an oilhead wearing out it's cylinders? or even wearing out the original cross-hatching, for that matter?
 
2013 h2o

received my GS yesterday Has cruise control and all the rest except blue tooth, led head light and TPM Got the side cases and top box and crash bars put 50 mi in the dirt today it is amasing how well the bike tracks in the sand dirt rocks and up hill. I put it in Enduro mode and it really works. Tires are the new Metzlers which wont be out to the stores till april they are great and stick on the dry pavement like glue. I'm 70 yrs had many very good bike but this one has me the most excited and wanting to head out every day. It is comfortable and is very quick. Electronic throttle is the best-you have very, very good control. Over 200mi and tomorrow 150 plus mon 325 then to the shop for service. Can't wait to get up in the morning!
 
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