My best friend has had 4 brand new BMW R1200 and 1250GS since 2010. His love of the GS started from when I loaned him my R1150GS and now he has owned every GS since then. That’s fine, but I moved on from BMWs niggling little faults and flakey powder coating and yes, I know not every BMW has these issues, but mine did and it left it’s mark. I like the GS and I loved the telelever front end but I couldn’t live with the issues that I experienced.
So, as far are the gadgets are concerned, do I really need a TFT screen where I need to enter menus and sub-menus just to choose the level of heat in my grips? Can I spare the time my eyes are off the road to adjust the suspension on the fly? Do I really want to to put up with flakey powder coating and the much reported keyless ignition? The answer, for me, is a resounding “no”. My pleasure is actually riding my bike and going places and enjoying the country and countryside that I ride through. My friend has actually had 2 really narrow squeaks through trying to access the menu he wanted while riding. His wife, my oldest friend, was on the pillion at the time and thanks to her presence of mind, accidents were averted. He has gone back to the dealership he bought it from for help and tuition, the sales people and technicians were less than helpful as they fumbled their way through the menus. No, I want ABS, clear, legible information of speed and mileage and cruise control for those long motorway stints, reliability and a good standard of finish. I think I’ll be keeping my S10 for a while yet.