Many questions wrapped into one post. I rode down to the dealer to test ride a 2014 GSA. It was the silky smoothest thing I have ever ridden. It also took off like a rocket and did everything well. Almost. The shifter was too far from my toes compared to my current bike. And I *could not find* Neutral.
I also test rode a 2009 GSA that someone was selling. It was a different experience. It was NOT silky smooth. In fact it felt like it needed more throttle than my R1150 to get up this small hill by the seller's house. Then the Brake Failure light didn't go off and it seemed I had no rear brake. (I rode it maybe a total of a half mile - the '14 I had out for like 30 minutes or more).
How different are these two bikes? Did they both have watercooled engines? Seems from the breakout here in the forum that only the newer one would. What else might account for the insane smoothness? Beter computer controls? The 09 was out of tune somehow?
Do they both have a wet clutch? I'm so used to my clunky R1150 or my R100 I expect it to shift a certain way and not like my KLX dual sport which is really smooth. I probably didn't ride the 09 long enough to get a sense of the shifting. What about the Neutral, is that all of the newer bikes or dd I just ride a weird one?
On the 09, the Brake Failure was obviously a non starter for me. I could stop the bike, but coming from an oilhead where the ABS module is like $2-3K, I assumed that's what might have been wrong with this one. Is that still a problem on the 1200s?
Thanks
I also test rode a 2009 GSA that someone was selling. It was a different experience. It was NOT silky smooth. In fact it felt like it needed more throttle than my R1150 to get up this small hill by the seller's house. Then the Brake Failure light didn't go off and it seemed I had no rear brake. (I rode it maybe a total of a half mile - the '14 I had out for like 30 minutes or more).
How different are these two bikes? Did they both have watercooled engines? Seems from the breakout here in the forum that only the newer one would. What else might account for the insane smoothness? Beter computer controls? The 09 was out of tune somehow?
Do they both have a wet clutch? I'm so used to my clunky R1150 or my R100 I expect it to shift a certain way and not like my KLX dual sport which is really smooth. I probably didn't ride the 09 long enough to get a sense of the shifting. What about the Neutral, is that all of the newer bikes or dd I just ride a weird one?
On the 09, the Brake Failure was obviously a non starter for me. I could stop the bike, but coming from an oilhead where the ABS module is like $2-3K, I assumed that's what might have been wrong with this one. Is that still a problem on the 1200s?
Thanks
