GS versus GSA

[tlwood99]

I am sure this has been asked to death on this and other forums but my google skills apparently aren'twhat they could be.

I am within a couple of months (I think) of pulling the trigger on a new or lightly used bike. I thought I wanted a GSA (Adventure), but now am not so sure after test riding a GS. I do 3 day weekend camping trips and day rides. My current bike, an R1150R, is too limited in range (160 or so tops), but I should be fine with anything around 225-250 to a tank. I want a better riding position for my knees which I believe either bike delivers. I also want a bike for gravel roads, fire roads, etc., but the majority (80%) will be paved road riding. Finally I am 5' 10" with a 29 inseam.

The GS is lower, lighter, and arguably more agile and lively, which is what I want, but when I load it up with aux lights, crash bars, adv windshield/winglets, and spoke wheels, the weight difference will start to close, and the price difference between a GSA and a similarly optioned GS is very close. I worry too that the GSA may be more than a handful in certain circumstances given my height.

Am I justified buying the GS over the GSA at or near the same price point for similarly optioned bikes given the kind of riding I want to do? In other words, I am not traveling the world, nor am I going on two week rides. I am going on weekend rides where I camp, strip off the panniers, and head for the twisties and any interesting roads regardless of their condition. Iam not a racer by any means, but like a well handling bike. So which bike?

Thanks in advance.

Tom W

[marc]

The operational weight is not close unless you also add the larger tank from the adventure to the GS. It's the weight of all that gas up high (when the tank is full) that you'll feel the most.

The upper tank protection is NOT needed on a standard GS. If you add it it will be for looks only. The GSA needs those bars to protect the tank in case of a slide. The GS has some sacrificial plastic side panels that do that job. I've low sided my GS at moderate speeds and the tank panels never hit the ground.

If you go with spoke wheels you are adding them for looks unless you plan on doing some gnarly single track. The cast wheels are fine for dirt roads. The spokes do look better, the cast are easier to keep clean.

Perhaps others will chime in with their comments.

[pdxrmccgs]

I am close to your size and found that the GSA was a little to tall. Even
with the GS there is plenty of "Tippy Toe". Both are great bikes.

[tlwood99]

I come up with the same price by starting with the GS, and adding lights, cylinder guards, lower (not the upper) crash guards to the engine heads, larger windscreen of the Adventure, and spoke wheels (just because they look better). I think the center stand also comes with the Adventure but not the GS. Add all this up, and you come up with about the same price without the fuel capacity, extra wind protection of the tank, without the extra inch of travel, and without whatever extra weight still exists between the Adventure and this "upgraded" GS.

I guess another way of asking the question is this: take these two bikes, fill with the same amount of fuel, and do you have the same bike in terms of handling and performance? I take it that there is a slightly different steering angle between the two bikes. That and the extra travel may make the GS more lively but the GS Adventure more comfortable?

In the end, I tend to prefer the looks of the Adventure over the GS, but loved the test ride on the GS, and the height issue affirmed by PDX tells me I am better going with the GS and building it up. I just didn't want to put the same money into a GS and still end up with a "lesser" bike to the Adventure.

[marc]

Originally Posted by tlwood99

I guess another way of asking the question is this: take these two bikes, fill with the same amount of fuel, and do you have the same bike in terms of handling and performance?

Not quite. One is a bit taller and heavier than the other. Most can feel that difference going down the road. Some folks prefer the lighter bike, other folks prefer the added stability that comes with the heavier bike. A common GS complaint was twitchiness on the freeway when compared to the heavier R1150GS.

Which will you prefer? Ride both and see. I prefer the stock GS. That doesn't make it better, just what happens to fit my wants and needs.

I'm pretty sure the center stand is stock on both bikes.

[cug]

Originally Posted by tlwood99

I come up with the same price by starting with the GS, and adding lights, cylinder guards, lower (not the upper) crash guards to the engine heads, larger windscreen of the Adventure, and spoke wheels (just because they look better).

The GS is still the lighter, faster, and more agile bike. If you do lots of highway longhaul, the GSA might be the bike, if not, why bother with the extra bulk you don't need 99% of the time?

[pdxrmccgs]

Is the GS a "lesser" bike compared to the GSA? Well put as a question
and kind of fun to answer. And the answer is simple: Yes and No.
Its a question best answered with a mind set in logic and not in
emotion which as we all know is an impossibility with moto buying.

When you see your first GS sitting on the showroom floor most guys
are saying to themselves I have to have that bike, and when they see
the GSA next to it they say I have to have this bike...now...today.
For some guys it is game over and emotionally they are hooked and
will not rest until a GSA is sitting in their driveway. They will be fine
and they have a great world class bike.

The other group will start thinking well what are the pros and cons
between the bikes and the answer is its not really the right question.
The question should be what are the differences. This group gets
their "differences" question answered and opts for the GS. They will
be fine and have a great world class bike.

At first it might be a "lesser" analysis but as your GS/GSA experience
grows it morphs into a "differences" analysis. Learning, cataloging and
lip flapping about those differences is a big part of the fun.

Welcome to the forum.

[adl]

Having done a lot of off road on 2 wheels and 4, I found lighter is better. When I started my off roading, I had to have the biggest and best because male ego and some clever advertising makes you think that way. I have learned over the years that simple is best and light is a heck of a lot easier to manage/recover when the going gets tough. I went for the stock GS which is a decision I haven't regretted. On the smooth stuff, which is where I spend most of my time, it's second to none. The range of 200+ miles is plenty. It's more than capable of carrying me and partner (she's 6'+ also). Whatever decision you make, enjoy it.

[Wiley]

Sounds like a GS would fit the bill for what you need, but the extra stuff on a GSA is what you really want. If you don't mind a little extra weight and taller seat and definately want all the stuff on the GSA, it'd be smart to just buy it rather than add everything to a GS for resale value if nothing else.

[tlwood99]

When I first started this thread, I was pretty well committed to finding a GSA. In fact, I missed out on a couple of '09 models that I came close to buying and but for a busy work schedule I would own one.

When I rode the GS the other day, I only did so because I had the opportunity and felt like I needed to do my due diligence. Also rode an RT and a F650GS for more or less the same reasons. The GS was awesome. That got me looking harder at the GS.

My thinking now is all GS. Lower height but still tall. Same riding position. Plenty of fuel capacity for what I need which I can augment with extra fuel bottles if need be. Extra savings means I can build the bike up just like I want. I should end up with at least as fun of a bike (arguably more since it will be lighter), more flexible and tailored to me. I may pay for my decision at resale time, but if I make the right call, I won't be selling for a long, long time.

Thanks for all of the great input! It really helped me think this through.