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When is enough. . . .enough ?

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.

Your want more horespower? Answer: Ducati Multistrada.
 
Market

Motorcycle, Cars, Trucks, all must to have enough speed and horse power for bragging rites.

Do you need lots of 150 horse power to ride on most roads: sure the hell not. The market makes companies have way too much power for normal use.
Bikes I ride are more then fast enough to get you out of trouble, and would by today's standard UNDER POWERED.

Many new riders go for the over powered motorcycles, heavy motorcycles , long before they should. A new rider needs to work up to a high power rocket, but they go for a 150 HP because that is 'cool'. I know a guy who purchase a Goldwing, he can not sit flat footed on the bike, and after 4 months has about 100 miles. Typical for many, buy the one that looks cool, ego takes over.

Harley seems to be one of the few that can make bikes that don't have 150 mph capabilities. H-D does have the V rod, to bring in newer (younger) buyers.
 
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.

My "GS" career started back in the late 70s with an R90/6. The Windjammer fairing worked wonders pushing tree branches out of the way in the woods. :ha

Prior to that, my rides were a Bultaco Matador Six-Day, and various Husqvarnas, CZ, Maico, etc. My first real dirt bike was a Kawasaki Trail Boss, with a 2-stroke 10-speed (high/low) transmission.

Getting on that R90/6 for the first time was a real eye opener.... it was HUGE!

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

.
 
.... 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

.

I have my previously mentioned GT for those long highway trips and love having that power on tap. I do use my GS off highway and even on some rather sketchy roads, that's it's main purpose and the reason mine is an F800GS with less power, but more importantly, less mass. It lets me camp in some really really out-of-the way places. :thumb
 
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.

Yeah, but your 82 didn't have fuel injection. And the newer brakes are probably better, etc. And a decent 82 might be hard to find. But you definitely have a point...$10k is not exactly pocket change (not for me, anyway).

But I do like that bike...
 
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.

I plan on doing a test ride of a F800GT next spring. I'm sure it has enough hp and I like the idea of having a bike that gets better fuel economy than my car (a Prius).

On the other hand, my '03 RT is a good road trip bike. My old RT has 95 hp (plenty) and the new GT has 90 hp, also plenty.

Harry
 
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