I just had my first ride on an 1150GS. It belongs to a friend of mine here at work
and is decked out beyond belief. A 2002 model with Remus pipe, Touratech front bags,
Happy-Trail panniers, Rick Mayer seat and some more stuff.
To say that I was impressed is an understatement. The difference between this bike
and my R100GSPD is night and day. The anti-lock brakes are amazing, the telelever
front end is nothing short of astounding. I took the bike up Bogus Basin Road toward
the ski area through 20 MPH twisties (yeah, right) and several straight aways.
The riding experience is so different from a traditional front end suspension bike
that I found myself diving too deeply into the corners and having to pop back out.
When you take a line with that 1150, it follows the line like a pizza cutter. The
R100 will drift out on you, which is normal as far as I have ever known about motorcycles.
I am going to try and get some seat time on a Tiger and a V-Strom this weekend, but
they are going to have a lot to live up to. Performance is one thing, but the handling
characteristics of the new are
a force to be reckoned with.