[BigDav]

I know a few guys on here have both or had both.
I recently added a used hexhead GS to the stable and thought I would share my opinion just in case anyone else is thinking of doing the same. Please add your thoughts if you agree or disagree.

I am not new to on-road motorcycles having logged many hundreds of thousands of miles of saddle time. Like a lot of you I grew up on dirt bikes. First a kawasaki km90, then a KRL250, a Honda CR500 and a XR600. And while I have friends that race(d) and have hung around the race track, I have no track time myself.

I bought my R11S (touring) new in 2001. Other than being a little bit tippy (fixed with aftermarket shocks) and terrible brakes (fixed with hoses and pads) control buttons that don't function because I can't articulate my thumbs that direction and questionable reliability (long list); I've really enjoyed the bike, warts and all.

I only have a couple hours on the GS (used 2006 with 29k) and find it a completely different riding experience. Perhaps because I never spent much time with my off road bikes on pavement. The GS is tall, it's long and it's top heavy. I am only 5'8" and 155lbs. The suspension is marshmallow smooth with a lot of travel. Suspension travel that seems to grossly affect the handling and braking. The mirrors are awkwardly positioned at my wrist. Maybe at my advanced age of 57 I don't have the peripheral vision I once had. I will say this thing is smooth and stupid fast. The R11S always gives me a sensation of speed. I catch myself looking at the speedo on the GS and saying OMG!, am I really going that fast?

In full honesty, I've already crashed the GS. Going to work in rush hour traffic traveling about 40 mph when someone up ahead missed their turn and slammed on the brakes. I grab a big handful of brake lever only to have the front wheel lock up when I hit a wet manhole cover. (sorry I was too giddy with the purchase to notice the lack of ABS on the GS). Fortunately the bike is mostly unscathed, I was in full riding gear and, the biggest miracle of all, I didn't get run over. It's plenty dark here at 6am.

I think my first parts purchase for the GS is new shocks.