There is a fellow in the US that teaches low speed motorcycle operation using skills he learned as a motorcycle cop, and he teaches it on youtube. the things he teaches should be applied to off roading with these larger bikes like the GS. he emphasizes preloading the bike and controlling the speed with the clutch and the rear brake, the idea behind it is that your bike wants to stand up when its under power. most people who drop their bikes do so while doing low speed handling or stopping with the front brake. The mans youtube is called be the boss of your motorcycle if you are curious. Iv’e been riding since the 1970’s and never knew what I was doing wrong or right befor watching his videos and now know what iv’e been doing wrong and what iv’e been doing right Cheers to everyone out there and be safe.
I've seen that lifting technique done with a GL1500 Goldwing - mind you the owner was a big guy !.Only recent to your channel but thoroughly enjoy the varied content .
Just watching this again and it occurs to me that standing up does a few things (borrowing from my mountain biking) 1. You can see further ahead and therefore react sooner 2. You can let the bike “move around” under you 3. You can move your weight forward and backward as well as side to side
Yes exactly what you have said. Some people find it hard to ride standing up to start with but the benefits of being able to ride stood up are massive and I do now find it a lot easier and would rather be stood up for all of those reasons. Also if you are stood up and hit a hole you are a lot less likely to get bucked off.
Stick it in gear, put the front wheel on the opposite lock to you and use the handle bar to lift it up. It’s a much easier way of lifting them up. More leverage.
Just found your videos…looks like was a great fun ride…nice to see a GS in its natural environment! Have a 18 R1200GSA, with Michelin knobbies amazingly capable in the dirt, treated with respect…have fun! I totally get it.
Sorry I commented on this at work before I had watched it. Thanks for showing the GS in its true light, great ride especially the ford. I’m pretty sure owners of new GSs will be watching this wishing they had an old one for off road. I have a 2002 R1150GS & a 2005 R850R both DIY maintained.
Excellent video Ss, over the years having had a few flat twin GS's and never really taking them off-road - never learned how. Now have a Royal Enfield and taught meself how to stand up offroad I'm now having a great time. Looking forward to the next vid and your news - subscribed.
I heard him say:" lets go through, lets see what happens ". A few moments later we can hear him sing. We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine etc.
Who teach you that picking your bike up is done with it in gear, facing the bike, holding the end of the handlebar lowest to the ground with the bars turned so the front wheel is pointing away from the ground, and using your legs 😉
I’ve not seen that one. I must give it a try. I have been to the Yamaha off road centre in Wales many times and going again soon. Great riding around there.
It’s ok lifting a bike when you have laid it down slowly but try lifting it when you’ve taken a heavy fall full of adrenaline leg’s bleeding and a minor knock on your elbow and back just enough to hurt every time you try to lift the bike it’s impossible especially if your wheels are above the bike and it’s laying in a greasy wheel rut I never ride alone anymore I learned that the hard way 😮
Dropped mine loads it is not hard to pick up with your way of lifting. Great to see you out in the wild on that machine. It fought you all the way didn't it lol 😂 brilliant video thanks for sharing 😀 👍
I only went green laning once on my R100GS in 2005...It was a lot worse than this vid because the tracks were just mud lanes between hedges and no gravel...I went really slow and was overtaken by all the group on little light weight trail bikes...I wouldn't do it again...I still have the bike...She's still chugging away
Pfft. I always get so angry when I read the low prices people pay around the world. Danish taxes put my regular GS at around £43.000. You shouldn't bee too scared about dropping it though. I felt the same way the first year, but then when I started the offroading, and dropped it a few times, and saw it didn't explode, I enjoy it so much more.
You only got to see long way round with Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor to see how competent off road the GS is , remember watching it thinking they were crazy using a massive BMW
Only dropped mine once, clipping a kerb and did quite a bit of damage to the rocker cover. No oil leaks fortunately and now I have a replacement. Looking into getting some decent crashbars possibly Heed. Another weak point on these bikes seems to be the covering on the wire looms which were designed to degrade with time. Ideal for exploring the back lanes of Devon and Cornwall where I am based.
Sorry only just came across your comment. Have a look on an OS map that shows Market Harborough. The villages you are looking for are Hallaton, Gloston and I think east Langton. They are all marked on the map in those areas.
Once did a massive puddle on an AR125, water up to the top of the engine. Off road is fun on off road bikes, not so much on road bikes 😂. Chunkies on a GSX400 and tanking through welsh forests. Sod that nowadays, if it's not tarmac, I get twitchy.
@@SidekickSolo Used to be the start of the Brechfa stage, when it was the Lombard RAC Rally. Great bit of forest. You can still legally ride on any of the old parish roads, but not any that the forestry have made themselves.
Considering one of these old war pigs as a daily while I restore my old VFR, also missing a soft roader type bike that can do a bit of the rough stuff. How is it on road? How's the performance?
I like it on road. Although they are not fast they have enough performance and will sit above the speed limit on motorways very happily. The upright handle bar position suits my riding style and I can sit on it happily for long enough to empty the tank of fuel. With the engine sitting low down I don’t think they feel as heavy as they are. I hope this helps.
Sorry to piss on your chips yet again but honestly just get a V Strom and be done with it !!! They are a far better bike for half the price !! And you will always ride them home and not be looking at them through the rear window of a break down truck as per my experiance with these so called German rocket ships !!!!!
It’s not pissing on my chips mate, I’m more than happy with my gs even with all of its faults. Unfortunately the vstrom doesn’t do it for me and if I had a bike that worked all the time it wouldn’t make good content 😆
Or any Honda. Or a BMW F650 Dakar. Even the 800 twins are more suitable than these ridiculous ego massagers. Ewan and Charley have a lot to answer for. But the way HD tried (and failed spectacularly) to repeat their shill act, on highly modified Milwaukee electric Toasters made up for it. Could not have happened to a better company.
Really sad the hate for the BMW GS, it’s a great bike, I suspect the haters are either vertically challenged or haven’t ridden one to have even half an idea what they are talking about. The R1150GS is truly DIY serviceable/repairable with all parts available.
@@GadgetMart It’s not “sad” or ‘hate” and we are not “haters”. These are terms used by 13 year old girls over their hair colour choices, not adults in respect to motorcycles. We simply objectively recognise the facts that the bike is too heavy and too large, and frequently bought by people who are wanting a status symbol, in much the same way people buy BMW cars. Yes the mechanics are accessible, and theoretically easy to work on. But it’s the electrical, electronic and management systems that cause the most problems, including breakdowns, and you have to return to the dealership to fix those. One example of the ludicrous issues is that if you pick up a passenger whilst carrying luggage, the bike can go into limp mode! Maybe just the suspension needs adjustment, but again, only the dealer can sort it out! But if facts equate to “hate” in your little world, perhaps you’re not best placed to be making unsubstantiated assumptions about the vertical statute of those who have expressed their opinions and valid points about a motorcycle. Maybe a nappy change is needed.
There is a fellow in the US that teaches low speed motorcycle operation using skills he learned as a motorcycle cop, and he teaches it on youtube. the things he teaches should be applied to off roading with these larger bikes like the GS. he emphasizes preloading the bike and controlling the speed with the clutch and the rear brake, the idea behind it is that your bike wants to stand up when its under power. most people who drop their bikes do so while doing low speed handling or stopping with the front brake. The mans youtube is called be the boss of your motorcycle if you are curious. Iv’e been riding since the 1970’s and never knew what I was doing wrong or right befor watching his videos and now know what iv’e been doing wrong and what iv’e been doing right Cheers to everyone out there and be safe.
I've seen that lifting technique done with a GL1500 Goldwing - mind you the owner was a big guy !.Only recent to your channel but thoroughly enjoy the varied content .
Thank you. It’s all about technique 😆 I’ve seen small women use the same technique for picking up gs’s and they make it look a lot easier then I did.
Just watching this again and it occurs to me that standing up does a few things (borrowing from my mountain biking)
1. You can see further ahead and therefore react sooner
2. You can let the bike “move around” under you
3. You can move your weight forward and backward as well as side to side
Yes exactly what you have said. Some people find it hard to ride standing up to start with but the benefits of being able to ride stood up are massive and I do now find it a lot easier and would rather be stood up for all of those reasons. Also if you are stood up and hit a hole you are a lot less likely to get bucked off.
Stick it in gear, put the front wheel on the opposite lock to you and use the handle bar to lift it up. It’s a much easier way of lifting them up. More leverage.
Thanks I will try that next time.
the horse was laughing thinking you wont catch me picking a bike up the dog saying id give it a go lol made it look easy to be fair
😂
Just found your videos…looks like was a great fun ride…nice to see a GS in its natural environment! Have a 18 R1200GSA, with Michelin knobbies amazingly capable in the dirt, treated with respect…have fun! I totally get it.
I’ve taken my R1100R (cruiser model) off-road with off road tires. They’re not bad
A great wee video and what a buzz going through the ford at the end. Really enjoying your content, keep it coming. ATB Big Dave Scotland
Thank you.
Loved that ❤water crossing was epic 😎🤘👌❤️
Thanks mate.
In the states we ride those trails on sport bikes.
Sorry I commented on this at work before I had watched it.
Thanks for showing the GS in its true light, great ride especially the ford.
I’m pretty sure owners of new GSs will be watching this wishing they had an old one for off road.
I have a 2002 R1150GS & a 2005 R850R both DIY maintained.
They are very capable off road. A lot better than I expected.
Excellent video Ss, over the years having had a few flat twin GS's and never really taking them off-road - never learned how.
Now have a Royal Enfield and taught meself how to stand up offroad I'm now having a great time.
Looking forward to the next vid and your news - subscribed.
Thanks for the sub. I hope you royal Enfield does you well. Standing up off road makes it a lot more enjoyable.
@@SidekickSolo thanks very much, my Himi has been great over the last 8000 Kms so it's only going to get better.
I heard him say:" lets go through, lets see what happens ". A few moments later we can hear him sing. We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine etc.
Good vid! Who makes the windscreen kit?
They are brilliant bikes I’ve got the 850 I got it cheap but have like yourself spent a lot already but I am enjoying it
Part of the fun for me is working on them. Enjoy yours.
@SidekickSolo yeah i agree its the first bmw ive owned so yeah its fun thanx 😊
Very good BMW Off Road Skills training centre in Wales too 😉
Who teach you that picking your bike up is done with it in gear, facing the bike, holding the end of the handlebar lowest to the ground with the bars turned so the front wheel is pointing away from the ground, and using your legs 😉
Loving the vids 👍🏻
I’ve not seen that one. I must give it a try. I have been to the Yamaha off road centre in Wales many times and going again soon. Great riding around there.
@@SidekickSolo can't recommend it enough 👍🏻
Great video buddy. Really enjoyed it 😊👍
Thanks matey.
It’s ok lifting a bike when you have laid it down slowly but try lifting it when you’ve taken a heavy fall full of adrenaline leg’s bleeding and a minor knock on your elbow and back just enough to hurt every time you try to lift the bike it’s impossible especially if your wheels are above the bike and it’s laying in a greasy wheel rut I never ride alone anymore I learned that the hard way 😮
Dropped mine loads it is not hard to pick up with your way of lifting. Great to see you out in the wild on that machine. It fought you all the way didn't it lol 😂 brilliant video thanks for sharing 😀 👍
Thanks.
I only went green laning once on my R100GS in 2005...It was a lot worse than this vid because the tracks were just mud lanes between hedges and no gravel...I went really slow and was overtaken by all the group on little light weight trail bikes...I wouldn't do it again...I still have the bike...She's still chugging away
That looked like great fun, but at almost £20,000 for a new GS, I won't be taking mine off road anytime soon 🤣😂🤣
Spoil sport 😆
@@SidekickSolo Nope just honest !!
Pfft. I always get so angry when I read the low prices people pay around the world. Danish taxes put my regular GS at around £43.000. You shouldn't bee too scared about dropping it though. I felt the same way the first year, but then when I started the offroading, and dropped it a few times, and saw it didn't explode, I enjoy it so much more.
£20,000 is ridiculous. But most big bikes are ridiculous.
How strange. Why did you buy an expensive adventure bike if you are an on road rider?
Sick!!!
Absolutely brilliant watch all the best
Thank you
You don’t have to stand up on all loose surfaces. Part of the skill of off-roading is knowing when to stand and when it’s unnecessary.
🤦🏼♂️
You only got to see long way round with Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor to see how competent off road the GS is , remember watching it thinking they were crazy using a massive BMW
Great vid it looks like you had fun. I hve dropped the Tiger a few times but always had Ben with me to help pick it up.
Thanks mate. Not to bad to pick up when you know how.
That was impressive mate, I do a little offroading on mine they are great machines
Thanks. I was surprised how easy it was off road. It will be interesting to see how it is on something more challenging.
Only dropped mine once, clipping a kerb and did quite a bit of damage to the rocker cover. No oil leaks fortunately and now I have a replacement. Looking into getting some decent crashbars possibly Heed. Another weak point on these bikes seems to be the covering on the wire looms which were designed to degrade with time. Ideal for exploring the back lanes of Devon and Cornwall where I am based.
Fortunately mine came with the Heed crash bars. The lanes of Devon are on my to do list. I think you have some nice ones down there.
Quite enjoyed it. Can you share the route as I'm fairly local enough and rides a GS
Sorry only just came across your comment. Have a look on an OS map that shows Market Harborough. The villages you are looking for are Hallaton, Gloston and I think east Langton. They are all marked on the map in those areas.
Get some tkc 80’s you will be amazed 👍
What phone mount/charger do you use? And where do you find these green lanes in Leicestershire?
I just picked up a 1999 BMW R1100S with only 63000km.
It’s a one owner bike with a full service history and even has a Staintune exhaust and a chip.
I forgot to mention it’s “Mandarin”, so a similar colour to your GS.
Sounds like a good one mate. I hope you enjoy it.
@@SidekickSolo it sounds like a Focke Wulf under acceleration and pops and crackle’s off throttle, it’s bloody awesome
Thanks!
Thank you, very kind of you. That’s made my day!!
Cool, it might tempt some other GS riders out of Starbucks into some lanes 👍(hope they take their 'Polite' vests off first though 😂😁😀😂
I doubt I will tempt the Starbucks crew, they don’t like to get their bike dirty 😂
I had one BMW in my life. Never again !
Were they really designed for off-road though? They seem way too heavy for that
Once did a massive puddle on an AR125, water up to the top of the engine.
Off road is fun on off road bikes, not so much on road bikes 😂.
Chunkies on a GSX400 and tanking through welsh forests.
Sod that nowadays, if it's not tarmac, I get twitchy.
Sounds like fun 😆
@@SidekickSolo Used to be the start of the Brechfa stage, when it was the Lombard RAC Rally. Great bit of forest.
You can still legally ride on any of the old parish roads, but not any that the forestry have made themselves.
Saves you cleaning it when you get home.....LOL
I have R1150GS hepco & Becker crash bars available for sale.
Mine won’t be going off road and light weight is more important to me 😊
Fortunately mine came with the crash bars and I’ll be leaving them on, no doubt I will be glad of them one day.
enjoying it
Thanks.
I have taken mine to places that scared a KTM rider.
Considering one of these old war pigs as a daily while I restore my old VFR, also missing a soft roader type bike that can do a bit of the rough stuff. How is it on road? How's the performance?
I like it on road. Although they are not fast they have enough performance and will sit above the speed limit on motorways very happily. The upright handle bar position suits my riding style and I can sit on it happily for long enough to empty the tank of fuel. With the engine sitting low down I don’t think they feel as heavy as they are. I hope this helps.
@@SidekickSolo it does help thank you for the reply and good luck on the repairs!
First time riding off road?
I’m not an off road fan, I was in my younger days, but that looked fun
Enjoyed the vid, keep em coming
Thanks.
Great video but just think of us poor devils who cannot touch the floor when sitting on a 1150GS 😀
You could try screwing some blocks of wood on your feet 😂
Lucky devils…. There are thousands of stunning ‘normal’ sized bikes out there.
Sound like yow ay far from me mukka
I’m in wolves now should try and meet up for a vlogg
brill very tense lol where do i find the lanes cheers
They are shown on ordinance survey maps. I may do a video later on how to find them.
@@SidekickSolo that would be good little video
so if i buy an adventure bike does that mean i get to hang around with you for the day offroading once iv learnt the basics lol 🤣
Absolutely, I will take you off roading and teach you the basics!!
Do as much off roading as possible and get used to the bike getting squirrelly on you or Africa will suck and thats not the point of the journey.
Sorry to piss on your chips yet again but honestly just get a V Strom and be done with it !!! They are a far better bike for half the price !! And you will always ride them home and not be looking at them through the rear window of a break down truck as per my experiance with these so called German rocket ships !!!!!
It’s not pissing on my chips mate, I’m more than happy with my gs even with all of its faults. Unfortunately the vstrom doesn’t do it for me and if I had a bike that worked all the time it wouldn’t make good content 😆
@@SidekickSolo Fair comment !
Or any Honda. Or a BMW F650 Dakar. Even the 800 twins are more suitable than these ridiculous ego massagers. Ewan and Charley have a lot to answer for.
But the way HD tried (and failed spectacularly) to repeat their shill act, on highly modified Milwaukee electric Toasters made up for it. Could not have happened to a better company.
Really sad the hate for the BMW GS, it’s a great bike, I suspect the haters are either vertically challenged or haven’t ridden one to have even half an idea what they are talking about.
The R1150GS is truly DIY serviceable/repairable with all parts available.
@@GadgetMart It’s not “sad” or ‘hate” and we are not “haters”. These are terms used by 13 year old girls over their hair colour choices, not adults in respect to motorcycles.
We simply objectively recognise the facts that the bike is too heavy and too large, and frequently bought by people who are wanting a status symbol, in much the same way people buy BMW cars.
Yes the mechanics are accessible, and theoretically easy to work on. But it’s the electrical, electronic and management systems that cause the most problems, including breakdowns, and you have to return to the dealership to fix those.
One example of the ludicrous issues is that if you pick up a passenger whilst carrying luggage, the bike can go into limp mode! Maybe just the suspension needs adjustment, but again, only the dealer can sort it out!
But if facts equate to “hate” in your little world, perhaps you’re not best placed to be making unsubstantiated assumptions about the vertical statute of those who have expressed their opinions and valid points about a motorcycle. Maybe a nappy change is needed.