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New member, new bike, anything I need to know?

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  marc 
#1 ·
Hello forum.

I just picked up a 2012 R1200GS with 94 miles on it. Triple black, side and top case, Nav IV GPS, tank bag. Guy hurt his back right after he bought it. Total bummer for him, but a great deal for me.

I'm currently heading to upstate NY to pick it up and am riding it back to DC. I know I still need to be careful while breaking it in. Planning to stay entirely off the interstate, keep the revs modest but varied. I've been reading lots of break in opinions and have determined they are like peoples' backsides...everyone's got one. Planning to stay mostly conservative and I think the biggest challenge is to keep varying the RPMs as there will be temptation to "settle in" on a ride that long.

That will put me at about 500 miles when I get home, so planning to change the oil first thing when I get back.

This is my first GS. I had an '03 R1150RT-P before this and I still have a '75 R90/6. Anything I should be aware of for this trip? Something you wish someone told you before you got your first GS? :)

Thanks for reading. Very excited about this new bike and trip in front of me.

~Brian
 
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#2 ·
If you've got the time to do all back roads, great. I usually find that more fun.
But don't obsess about not getting on the freeway. My own rule of thumb is to try to put about 200-300 miles on a new bike before jumping on the freeway. I rode about 220 miles on my '13 before it's first freeway run.
 
#3 ·
I rode an older GS out to California (from Texas), and traded it in for a water cooled 2013. Put about two hundred miles on it in California and then went up through Vegas on the way back for initial service. I wouldn't be too worried about the highway so long as you get a reasonable amount of miles behind your belt ahead of time as Marc said. And you already have the right idea with no extended periods at fixed RPM's ...

Do you already have crash bars or cylinder protectors? I wish that was a stock item (cylinder protectors anyway) on the bigger GS. Maybe its just me but I am petrified to do much with it until I get SOME level of protection. Good luck to you, post pics when you get a chance!
 
#4 ·
I am with Marc on not worrying about tackling the freeway during the break-in period. The instructions that came with my '13 GSA stated that I should stay below 5500 rpm for the first 125 miles or so. To put that in perspective, I was rolling 60 mph in 3rd at 5100 :eek:(just to see what it would take), so you most likely will not get to the initial limit with normal shifting and highway speeds.

If you do have time for back roads then exercise that option, then by all means take them. Enjoy the road trip!!
 
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