You never know !!

[Speedy1959]

Hi all,
As you may or may not know I have had 2 GSX1400's over the years..
A 2005 Black & Red and a very late K7 2008.
At the moment I have a BMW R1200R (2016) which I have to say is one hell of a bike!
However after 18 months of ownership I am starting to get the dreaded "GSX itus" itch!
I have my eye on a nice 2008 (K7) model..
It will mean I will take quite a hit on the BMW in a part exchange..
I made the "mistake" of watching some YouTube long term reviews of the GSX1400's and I got that all too familiar pining of times past..
At this moment in time I am not 100% sure about doing the deal...
Over the years I have spent far too much money on bikes (and whims)..
This BMW I have has masses of torque.. It is 125hp with 125Nm of torque!
So not exactly lacking..
But there is a lot to be said for the raw simplicity of a GSX..
No fancy electronics to flatter a crap rider...
Just good honest engineering that has a friendly DIY approach to maintenance..
I have a few days to digest the paltry offer of £3900 for my BMW which to be honest I find an insult!
Soooo
I will either rejoin the club of GSX ownership or I wont..
At this point in time I really am split 50/50..
I dont know which way to go..
I wish I had NOT sold my previous K7

Anyway, Hello to you all..
Hope to see you again before too long,

Simon

[Dwain Dibley]

I wish I had NOT sold my previous K7

How many of us, who have had a previous 1400, have said those words.   

D.D.

[KiwiCol]

Gidday Si, great to hear from you again. Put a pic up of your Beemer, I must say, 3,900 seems very low for a bike like that.   

I've sold one of my 14's & now pilot a 2023 Rocket 3 GT, which is a staggeringly good machine.  I recall you used to have a V-Max at one stage, the R3GT is similar to those, only it goes round corners and has bonkers amount of torque.

[grog]

Welcome Back Speedy.Last week went Triumph dealer big ideas of a new bike. Test rode Speedmaster. I really liked it actually. I only want one bike so had a big think about it. Bare bike $23g, then the stuff id want, exhaust, rack etc.Then another learning curve on its maintenance etc.Old dog, new tricks. 14 won the day.

[GSXKING]

I've actually never considered selling my GSX and after 24 years of ownership it does sit in the garage a lot now.
My other bike is a BMW R1200RT 2015 and Bobbie much prefers it as a pillion mount and is an excellent tourer.   

[gsxbarmy]

I think your decision will depend on what you want from a machine Simon. If you just want a bike for trolling out at weekends for odd ride outs then maybe the 14 is the way to go.  However it's getting harder and harder to obtain some parts for them now, so do bear that in mind.

If you want a bike for weekends only but also for trips away, then keep the BMW, as fir touring it's a much more capable and versatile machine, being more modern, and, as you say, one hell of a bike.

Do I ever regret selling my 14? Yes, as it was iconic and I enjoyed its easy maintenance. Would I swap my BMW back for one - no I wouldn't I've done so much more touring and enjoyed biking more since owning it (and since retiring), doing trips and ride outs I'd not have considered the 14 suitable for.

If I could have kept my 14 as well as own my BMW I would have but funds did not allow.

But if you do decide to sell the R1200, then do it privately, the dealer is taking the mickey at that trade-in price and, I would suggest, charging you top dollar for whatever 14 you may be considering.

[Mick_J]

Welcome back to the forum Simon. 
I have a 2017 R1200r as well as a K7 and I personally think as an all round package the Beemer is the better bike.  Don't get me wrong I love my K7 but the beemer has more power, the same torque and weighs less, it's just as easy to service and drinks a lot less fuel.  It handles better, stops better and at £3900 as a trade in is a kick in the cods.  It would be hard to part with the K7 but for me even harder to part with my Beemer.  Is there no chance you can have both?
Good luck with your deliberations.

[Speedy1959]

Thank you very much for your advice Barmy and Mick..
In the 18 months I have owned my R1200R I have averaged 63mpg !
That actual and not going off the gauge..
It is one of the best all round bikes I have ever owned..,
Like you Mick I would love to have both the BM and the GSX, but I am NOT in a position to do that..
I totally agree that the dealer is taking the michael..
The GSX he has is nearly £7,000!!
There are some that are nudging £10,000 now !!
Reluctantly I am coming down on the side of keeping the BM..
As you say easy to service and very comfortable..
Thanks again for great and unbiased advice guys..

Simon

[grog]

Just hang on Speedy, no use getting robbed. Have a few beers/ wines whatever, settleback. The answer always answers it self. IMO only.

[KiwiCol]

Si, remember we let owners of many different bikes live on here, the connecting thing is the GSX1400, either current or past. 

[Hooli]

The GSX he has is nearly £7,000!!
There are some that are nudging £10,000 now !!

On the rare occasions I wander around places with them that overpriced I'm known to cough '...k OFF' and laugh.

14s aren't classics, there's no such thing as classic Jap bikes. They're just old. As great as they are, they aren't worth the stupid prices being asked these days.

[Kiwifruit]

G'day speedy    I get bombarded by mates in the BMW club all the time sell the Suzuki and get a 1200 GS. Not sure I could  sell the 14 now (I don't think it can hear me) it's become like an old pair of comfy slippers.

[Speedy1959]

Thanks again Guys for the advice..
I have actually owned 3 BMW GS's..
The bike I have now (for me) is the best of the lot!
You don't need a 36" inseam to ride it safely..
Even now after 18 months of ownership when I open the tap I say F***ing Hell !!
In character / performance I would say its the German version of the GSX

One of the things that attracted me to this particular bike is that its a pretty rare "Basic" model
NO electronic suspension !
NO cruise control!!
NO quick shifter (Not very good on Boxer twins anyway, my latest GS had it)..
It does have ABS and Traction control (Both can be turned off but are on by default)..
So for me it has minimal electronics to go wrong / misbehave!
Very easy to service..
One other overlooked thing is they have molded plastic fuel tanks.. So no rust issues!
Excellent build quality..
Ride all year through rain and salty roads and ZERO corrosion so far.. Obviously I give a good wash off after that sort of ride.(Photos)
If any of you get the chance to try one I recommend you do! They are NOT silly prices now..
The engines on the 1250's are a bit better but not a lot in it to be honest..
The better part of the later ones (for me) would be the TFT screen, which is the best in the business apparently.
Nothing like a GS to ride..
Plenty of YouTube videos saying "a bike that's under the radar, hidden Gem" etc
I will indeed keep in touch on this forum.
Thanks again for you advice and support.

Simon

[Blubber]

Hey Simon,

Good to see you back over here 


As to maybe getting back to the 14

Ask yourself this ( keep the answer to yourself, no need to tell us )
What made you sell the 1 time?
What made you sell the 2nd time?
Is that reason still there?


I liked my 14 too , but do not regret selling.
Most - if not all- of my fondest 14 memories are fueled by the nice people i have met during my tours / trips with my 14.

I still own a GSX1400 powered Suzuki GSX1100 EFE and have another 1400 engine waiting for my bike bench to clear the current project : a 1980 GSX1100ET with a GSX1100F engine.

I like the simplicity of the 1400.

[Tony Nitrous]

I do like my 14, but I have two view points on it.

Negatively it's neither a proper Old Skool or a modern bike. It doesn't have the CB, Zed, Kat status or history, and it's far away from being a modern bike and lacks in several areas.

Positively everything above could be a good thing. It's still easy to work on and understand, removing the ECU isn't measured in hours (I'm looking at you H2 SX SE). It offers all a lot of riders want and for some of us old folk it looks like a proper bike not a starship (I do like starships though).

The lack of tech means nothing to me, I've owned bikes with all the bells and whistles, 2-step launch, 6-axis IMU, cruise control, 2-way quickshifter with auto blipper etc etc, they take nothing away from the fun, they are just options to pick, set and forget, use or not use. I jump on a GSX14 and go, ride no differently to a high tech bike.

It's easy to make a list of the 14's good or bad point, what it's great at and what it isn't. Most of us being on here obviously see the balance tipping into positive.  I look at mine like the B-King and RF900, doesn't have to be the best option, just has to be a bike I like.