[swami.n]

Presenting Tamil Nadu's First delivered BMW F900 GS Adventure.

A childhood dream to own and ride a big bike is finally a reality
(Thanks to my wife for supporting the decision, without whom this would not have been possible).

This thread has been sitting in the Assembly line for a while now and the odo is already close to 6000km in the 3 months. Finally made some time to get this thread up. This is going to be quite big set of posts when the thread goes live.

Introduction

My fascination for motorcycles began at a very young age when my Uncle(Dad's elder brother) used to make me sit on the tank of his Ind-Suzuki AX100 when I was 4 or 5 yrs old. The very first motorcycle I ever sat on(Dad did not have a geared motorcycle). Have been a Suzuki fan since then. My personal motorcycle journey started with Suzuki as well, from learning to ride in my other uncle's Max 100 and then got license riding his Suzuki Fiero when he upgraded from Max 100.

My First Motorcycle

RE Thunderbird 350 AVL

After getting the license to ride, used to go to college in my Dad's old TVS 50 which was few years older than me. Was constantly asking parents to get me a Suzuki Fiero when I was in Under Grad(UG) but financial position meant, I completed UG with the same TVS 50. Lots if fond memories with the moped, unfortunately no photos of it:-(

When I was in PG and finally parents could afford to get me a motorcycle, the Suzuki Fiero had become TVS and Fiero F2, FX etc. Kind of made me reluctant as it was no longer a Suzuki.

My cousin sister's home had an RE showroom opposite and that was the first time I got to see RE Thunderbird back in 2005. From thinking I will never be able to manage the usual bullets, to wow this bike looks good and also manageable for me, ended up with my first ever motorcycle in August of 2005. The thunderbird remains close to heart till date and will be completing two decades in August 2025. Through the years, it has been absolutely reliable and never let me stranded on any of the trips. Did the first rebore in 2021 with odo around the 1.2lac mark. It had its fair share of typical old RE niggles like oil leak, vibrations, needing a specific mechanic to work on etc.


TVS Flame 125

As the years passed and the RE always needing a specific expert set of hands to keep the same level of satisfaction, and change of office location meant, needing to drop the bike for service over a weekend and having to pick it up only next weekend. The usage was high and service every 3 months meant, that routine was getting a little tiring. So the thought of having a 2nd spare bike which doesn't need a specific expert mechanic and can do the commute with regular service propped up. In 2012, ended up buying a pre-owned low run TVS flame 125 of a colleague who was moving abroad. The spare bike idea was more of a reason to get the Flame with twin spark plugs which I liked since launch. A good bike which became a failure as it was blocked for sometime due to case with Bajaj over twin spark :-)


Suzuki Gixxer 155

Couple of years of juggling between the Flame and Thunderbird, the news of Suzuki launching the Gixxer 155 pulled the heart strings of a childhood Suzuki fan. The Heat and Zeus from Suzuki previously and also the brilliant GS150R did not pull the heart strings as much as the Gixxer did. The launch news and then the reviews of the bike, where every review was singing praises increased the urge to get it. Sold the Flame and bought a Gixxer 155 in Feb 2015.

Gixxer Delivery day pic


Couple of months later, office location moved closer from 80+km daily to 20 odd km daily. For many years, the idea of long trips on motorcycle was a distant dream, as I was already riding 80+km daily and weekends were spent resting. This change of daily commute kind of rekindled the desire to go on longer rides. The refinement of the Suzuki meant, it was the preferred choice more and more be it daily ride or longer ones. As the longer riding became more and more frequent, the need for more power and torque started kicking in. End of 2019/early 2020 I was almost fixed on getting the Interceptor, but fortunately or unfortunately the Covid Lockdown came and threw all the plans haywire. There was no clear picture for a long time on how things are going to turn out eventually. In the mid of 2021, decided against getting a new Interceptor for over 3lac and thought I will get something else for a lower budget for next few years before deciding on a good upgrade few years later as things evolve. Loved the Inty engine, but felt it needed a lot of changes to make it a comfortable touring bike which would rob its looks.

Suzuki Inazuma

And that is how I got a pre-owned Inazuma for a good deal. The Zuma was always a favorite since it was launched in 2013/14but did not have the budget that time. Got the bike from Delhi and did the registration transfer and got the TN plates. Since then, it has been a wonderful machine and taken me on so many trips.


After getting the Zuma and the increase in the frequency of longer trips meant, I was already fixed on an upgrade in few years. In 2022, I started an investment fund for the next bike upgrade in 2025. I was clear, I need a multi cylinder after getting used to the refinement of the twin. Also decided it has to be an ADV which has a comfortable riding position and plush suspension. The humble Zuma despite having a puny 250cc engine, has one of the best in segment suspension. So comfort was a big factor in the next upgrade.

The target was vaguely set to get a new Vstorm 650, because we never know what will happen in 3yrs in the biking arena. But in 2023, news of Suzuki bringing the 800 and the 650 may no longer be available, meant the target was shifted to the then upcoming Vstorm 800.
When things were going as planned and the target for 2025 was on track, came a bolt from the blue, where a good friend and fellow BHPian @rahulkool after testing many many bikes, bought the F850 GSA around Apr 2024. Now he kind of set the cat among the pigeons :-)

All the plans went haywire with the entry of the GSA and the midlife crisis discussions around the bike purchase and our age and physical ability of managing a big bike as we age. Now I was seriously considering getting the Vstorm 800 in 2024 itself. Budget updated from 11lac to 14-15lac.

The Contenders...

Vstorm 800:

Despite me being a childhood Suzuki fan, Suzuki kind of killed the dream by not having tubeless spokes on the 800 while the 650 had it :-(
Other negative, not having Sales or Service of Suzuki big bikes in entire TN. I would have still overlooked if it had tubeless spokes. Having cruise control would have been a good option for a bike in that segment but not a deal breaker like tubeless.

(Pic from Team BHP thread)

Transalp 750:

Honda too had the same deal breaker of not having tubeless spokes. But they atleast have Bigwing showrooms in Chennai. The option of fitting the Africa Twin tubeless wheels on the Transalp was there but it did not have the value if that cost of over a lac is added to the price.

(Pic from Team BHP thread)

Tiger 900:

The top spec Tiger 900 was well over 21lac. So it was way over my planned budget of 14-15lac.
Also the Triumph somehow has not connected with me so far and so was not part of my initial plan either. But when the BMW came into the equation and when the Tiger was also in the contest, the BMW felt better brand value and also the GS felt lot more bang for the buck. Got to admit, design wise the Tiger 900 looks better proportioned than the huge GSA.
The fully loaded Tiger 900 was a few lacs over the 850GSA on road. It has heated seats which the GSA misses out, but doesn't have the electric suspension or keyless or luggage rack standard.
Nothing against the Tiger though, just that it was neither a Jap nor a BMW :-)
Same reason why I did not consider the Multistrada.

(Pic from Team BHP thread)

F850 GSA:

The R1250 GSA has always been a dream machine. Always dreamt of owning the big GS but somehow BMW has always been a distant dream as I never imagined I would be able to afford till the 850 came into the equation.

In comparison to the above two Japs and the Tiger, the F850 GSA was a lot more value for the money we pay. I never imagined I would use the term value for money with a BMW :-)

(Pic from Google)

The Ex Showroom price of the two Japs was around 10-11lac and the fully loaded 850GSA was around 13.75lac. For the 3lac+ difference, the BMW comes loaded with almost everything that technology can offer in the segment. Tubeless spokes, engine guard, bash plate, luggage rack, Fog lamps, center stand all standard(which can be added to the Japs at an extra cost). Some of the stuff which we may not be able to add as accessories are, a bigger engine with more power, keyless, CC, semiactive suspension, a massive 23lts usable fuel capacity before reserve. All this more than justified the price difference and a big factor of the BMW badge to add to the Value quotient. Also the pleasant sales experience at Chennai motorrad made the choice even more compelling.


Did an extensive Test Ride of the 850 GSA in June or July and loved the bike. Kudos to Kun Motorrad for enabling the same. They gave the bike with a full tank and did not put any restrictions on the distance I wanted to test. I did around 125 to 150km ride around multiple conditions. It was a brilliant overall package. Huge tank, terrific refinement, FE, brilliant suspension and lot of features for the wow factor.

Test Ride bike.


But I did not go for the 850 because, a fund I had planned for the down-payment was maturing in Oct-Nov 2024. I did not want to break it early. Also, globally the 850 was already stopped and the 900 had been launched late last year. So the India launch of the 900 was barely few months away which could be more closer to the fund maturity time.

F900 GS Adventure:

The eventual choice. When I decided to skip the 850 and wait for the 900, I had looked at the specs internationally and kind of calculated roughly the price increase it is going to have over the 850 and fixed a threshold limit. Made the booking on Independence day. I was told mine was the first booking and mine would be the first bike to be delivered in Chennai.

Over the 850, the 900 has a slightly bigger bore, higher compression ratio, so 10bhp and 1nm more. Additionally it gets Forged pistons and a fully adjustable Front Suspension. Safety wise, the 900 comes with a full metal bash plate from the factory while the 850 had a part metal and past plastic unit. Considering these changes, I had decided if the 900 GSA is 1-1.5lac over the 850, it is a good value. If difference gets lot more, then I decided to look at last unsold units of 850 or preowned options. And when the prices were announced, difference was exactly 1lac for the triple black and 1.25lac for the White Aluminum Metallic shade that I opted for.

In the 850 I liked the triple black shade over the kalamata matte, but in the 900 we(my wife & I) loved the white. The triple black in 900 does not have the nice GS stickering on the tank like it had on the 850.

Booking and Buying Experience:

Got a call from Motorrad on 14th of August 2024 regarding the imminent launch of the 900 GS & GSA and the official bookings to be opened in a couple of days.

Paid the booking advance on the Independence day. I was told mine is the first booking in their dealership for the 900. They promised mine would be the first delivered 900 GSA in TN and they kept their word. Delivery could have been a few weeks earlier but for the RTO delay.

The anxious wait for the bike started from 15th Aug and finally ended on 17th November :-)

Checked the bike on the day of official Launch.


The official launch of the 900 happened on 18th October but due to the RTO delays the bike could not be registered till almost mid of November.

When I signed the RTO forms after making the payment


First time seeing my bike before registration.



After making the payment, the insurance was done and the bike was finally sent for registration on 12th November 2024. I had requested for the bike to be sent to RTO on a flatbed and Motorrad helped with the same with the cost paid by me. Initially I was not too keen on flatbed and dint mind them riding it to RTO, but couple of friends suggested to take the option, so that the bike would be with single digit on odo during delivery :-)
Luckily, I did take the advise and it was heavy rain on that day. Flatbed ensured the bike did not need to go through the rain and slush before delivery.



Parents said 13th Wednesday, 15th Friday or 17th Sunday are auspicious days to take delivery of the bike. Had received the registration number on 12th evening but the HSRP plates were expected to be ready by 14th only. I did not want to take the bike without plates and also 13th had a heavy rain prediction. Friday had some work commitments so requested Motorrad for a Sunday delivery. Initially they said they wanted to have the camera team for their delivery video as this would be the first 900 delivered, but the camera team may not be available on Sunday. Then they did sort things out and confirmed Sunday delivery is possible.

Below are some pics during delivery day.


Thanks to Srini from Chennai Motorrad for the wonderful experience.


Delivered with 2km on Odo and full tank of fuel. Nice gesture from motorrad. The first time I had to goto a fuel station was after 500kms after delivery.






Big Shoutout to fellow BHPian friends who made this day very special.


Special thanks to two friends with a 310GS and a 1300GS who rode all the way from Bengaluru just for this.

After delivery, took the bike to the Bodyguard Muneeswaran temple for the blessings and we did a dinner ride to Alankar Restaurant at Rantagiri near Vellore to send off the Bengaluru folks. The 850 of Rahulkool gave company for the 900 through the day.

The GS Crew at Alankar


Ended day 1 with 250 on the odo. Quite an exciting day.

[swami.n]

Accessories:

Though the GSA comes fully loaded, I had planned for some basic accessories during the waiting period and some of them were delivered before the bike and some after getting the bike.

Chigee AIO-5 Play for BMW:

(Pic from Chigee website)

The bike comes with the BMW Nav preparation cradle and there is an official accessory mobile mount which plugs into the cradle and provides fast charging with cable and wireless. That was little over 20k. My current mobile phone is old and have no problems mounting on the handlebar on a normal mount as it does not have any high end lens. But when I eventually upgrade, I did not want to end up mounting the phone. Thus end up carrying another phone.

Was evaluating the Carplay/Android Auto options for motorcycle and many international reviews were positive with the Chigee. And them having a model specific to BMW which is just plug and play without needing any wiring and also compatibility to integrate and use with the wonder wheel meant the little premium felt worth investing.

Having their own sales network in India meant warranty and service if needed also we have a local option. Received it couple of weeks ahead of actual bike delivery and was able to install it on delivery day and take the delivery with Chigee mounted.


The screen resolution, touch sensitivity with or without gloves and the overall UI experience is very impressive.

Default Screen


Connected to Android Auto


Front Number Plate Holder:
BMW only delivers the bike with a rear number plate and sticker for the front as the bike does not come with a number plate holder for front.
I have faced instances where chennai traffic police fine motorcycles without front license plate.

I ordered the bracket from a person in Pune from whom Rahul had got for this 850. It has longer replacement bolts for the windshield holder and fits perfectly for the 900 as well.




This was delivered just few days before bike delivery and got it installed before leaving the showroom. The finish and powder coating was good and the replacement bolts were SS to avoid rusting.


Wunderlich Protection:
Had ordered the tank protection bars and the axle protection sliders for front and rear from Bikenbiker. The stock had arrived in their Chennai store right ahead of delivery and got them installed couple of days after delivery.

The finish is very good matching the stock engine protection.


The tank protection and the axle sliders in below pics.






Motea Rear Tyre Hugger:
The tail section gets pretty dirty in the bike as it had no tyre hugger. Rahul had got this same model from a German brand Motea for his 850 GSA some months back. I could see the amount of difference this made and had decided I would get the same as well. This was a direct fit to the 900 GSA too. Pretty sturdy and good fit and finish levels.

The full set in the packing


The aluminum finish part is the BMW OEM part for which Motea provides a replacement which has the collar to fit the hugger holder integrated. Had to grind a small portion in the axle slider to match the groove in this new Motea replacement part. The same was done for the 850 as well.


Rear view


Side View

A very useful accessory IMO.


Givi Accessories:

Givi Monokey Pannier Adapter for BMW
As I already had a pair of Givi trekker Monokey panniers, I decided to get the the Givi adapters(PL5112) that fits to the stock GSA pannier rack and makes it compatible to mount the Monokey panniers.


Givi Tank Bag
Wanted a small tank bag which could hold essentials like mobile, wallet, shades etc. The Givi ST602B was ideal size for my requirement.

Got these ordered from Riders Junction.


Very good finish and quality levels as expected from Givi.


Has a cutout for placing mobile if needed.


Sits quite well on the bike. Also visible is the Prospec windshield extender which I had on the Inazuma and moved it to the BMW.


Another very useful accessory IMO.


Givi Monokey Top Box:
I had already purchased a Givi TRK 52lt top box pre-owned during the time I was waiting for the bike delivery. This box came with the Givi M7 plastic base plate from the seller. Unfortunately this was not compatible with the BMW top rack.

The Givi aluminum plate for BMW costs a whopping 18-19k and would make the M7 plastic plate redundant. Tried alternate option below 5k, the Givi universal base plate E251 sourced from a friend for trial but it could only fit at a slight offset. Hence decided to get a metal adapter plate custom fabricated which fixes to the top rack and can hold the M7 plate.

BHPian Vignesh who recently got an R3 and his friend, helped to fabricate this custom plate and we got it plated to get as close to BMW rack color as possible. The outcome was very good and costed just about 3k for the entire job. Cost saved with an added satisfaction of getting involved in the fabrication.

Got this installed at home myself and below are some pics of the DIY.
Used SS bolts and nylock nuts for the entire setup.

Plate fabricated and fine sand blasted and then plated. The friend suggested this to be a better option than powder coating it black to avoid rusting in the longer run.


Shaped exactly to fit under the base plate.


Cut an old tube from cycle tyre and placed between the rack and the plate where metal to metal contact is possible. Planning to get nylon washers/spacers and replace the rubber tube at a later point of time.






Slightly different color to the stock rack color but anyways it sits below the base plate and not visible most of the time.


The plate and box fit perfectly on to the rack now


Job done neatly.

[swami.n]

1000kms 1st Service

If the bike was delivered during the weekdays, I would have taken delivery after booking an appointment for first service on the immediate Monday the 18th of November after completing the 1000kms for the first service during the weekend.

As the delivery happened on Sunday 17th, could only manage 250 on that day. Had to wait the whole week to do the ride to complete the remaining. Had already booked the service appointment for the next Monday the 25ht of November.

We planned a lunch ride to Trichy which would complete the remaining and provide an opportunity to meetup with good friend and BHPian @Prasannadhana. 2 other riders from Chennai with 850 GSA, a Versys 1000 and another rider with 1300 GS from Bengaluru joined for the 900 run-in ride.

We all just need a reason to ride isn't it:-)

Some pics from the ride below.

The 850 and 900 are quite substantial next to the V1K & the 1300


Riders meet up with Prassy


At a dhaba near trichy


Altroz with the new kid.


Took a slight detour to see some half roads on the return journey.






Odo reading on reaching home. Motorrad is 8km from home for service.


Compared to the first 250km ride on delivery day and the onward 350 to Trichy, the bike was becoming smoother and smoother as the number was increasing in the Odo. Not sure if it was a placebo, but the general engine refinement, clutch action, gear shifting everything was becoming smoother and smoother with every 50 or 100kms.

As planned took the bike to Motorrad for 1st service on Monday with the Odo exactly at 1000km.(Had to do a 2km detour of usual route to ensure the 1000 exactly )


Got the bike after service same day evening.


Service cost was just below 10k.

Initial Impressions
As I am writing this with the bike already well past 5000km on odo and having done few more trips, now would be a good time to sum up the impressions on the bike. Most of my observations would be in relative terms to the bikes that I have owned already or something that I have ridden for a decent amount of distance.

Pros:

• Brand image of BMW.
• Massive presence. Quite a head turner.
• Bi Directional Quick shifter- just brilliant. Felt the 900 GSA to be better that the test 850, 1250 and friend's 1300 and Tiger 900(Though my muscle memory still not fully converted to using it for upshifts)
• Good pricing compared to the other options in segment for the features offered.
• Huge 23lt usable fuel capacity with a close to 600km usable range.
• 100+BHP & 90+ NM make highway cruising effortless. 100 comes at 3700rpm in 6th.
• Comes loaded with almost everything we could ask for in the segment and more.

  
  * Keyless
  * TPMS
  * Aux Lights
  * Nav Preparation Cradle
  * Adjustable windshield
  * BMW Connected APP
  * Tubeless cross spoke wheels
  * Cruise Control
  * Heated grips
  * Probably the best looking display
  * Semi active electric rear suspension
  * Fully adjustable manual front suspension
  * Engine protection and bash plate, main stand standard, luggage rack from factory
  The list is kind of endless
  

• Very good fuel efficiency of 23 to 25kmpl in highway cruising which gives a range of above 550km easily per tank fill.

Cons:

• Quite a heavy bike at close to 250kgs.
• Among the taller motorcycles at 875mm. Needs a proper riding boot for person like me at 171/172cm even for say taking to nearby fuel station or service. A simple seat height adjustment mechanism would have been welcome.
• Feels too huge and disproportionate in certain angles. Tiger 900 has a more cohesive proportionate appearance IMO.
• I would have preferred a variant with wider 19" front like the 1250/1300 to compensate for the massive tank.
• Fuel lid can be irritating at times as it has to be opened within some seconds after turning off the console. If we forget and try to open without turning off, it may not open when we turn off. Need to give some time and restart the system and turn off again.
  Hasn't been a frequent occurrence but happened once so far.
• BMW Service & spares being on the pricier side but the sales and service experience so far has been very good.
• Halogen for rear number plate light. Seriously BMW put that after having everything else in the bike with LED. How much would have been the cost to put an LED there to affect the price of a bike in this segment. Have seen some bikes which throw the error for that particular light after a wash. Luckily hasn't happened in mine yet.
• Bike has good wind protection which could be suffocating in Chennai summer time.
• Only 2 positions for windshield. Would have been nice with more adjustability.

Design
Though the looks are subjective, this F900 GS Adventure is a massive bike with lots of presence. Grabs attention everywhere. Has the signature big ADV looks with a beak, good ground clearance, high exhaust, long travel suspension and 21/17 combination tubeless spoke wheels with Bridgestone Battlax tyres which are more like 80/20 or 90/10 on and off road ratio. I prefer this asymetric headlight setup over the 1300 style or the 900GS which looks more like the 310s. The 900 GS is more off road focused. I would have preferred a smaller exhaust over this huge unit. Though it remains muted most of the times, has a nice burble when closing the throttle from higher revvs. The stock windshield is perfect for someone my height and in high position has no wind buffeting. The height adjustment is quite easy as it is just a flick and can be done with a single hand and even while on the move. Has only Low or High position. Would have liked a rotary style which would enable to use at multiple positions.

Build, Fit & Finish
As expected from a BMW and a bike in this segment, the quality levels are top notch. And coming from owning much lower segment bikes, this bike feels premium in every area. The plastic panels feel very well put together and the metal parts and the welds are definitely premium. Compared to the 850, the 900 gets a metallic black finish for the engine casing which is similar to the 1300. Feels quite premium and easier to maintain than the silver finish.

Engine Ride & Handling
The bike comes with a slightly bigger bore than the 850 with 895cc. I am specifying the similar data of 850 in braces below.

It produces peak power of 105hp @8500rpm(95hp @8250rpm) and peak torque of 93nm @6750rpm(92nm @6250rpm). This is a slightly peaky engine for an ADV I would guess but where BMW makes up is the gearing and the fueling. Though the bike cannot pull in higher gears from lower revvs like the big boxer in BMW the stable, it still does not throw any tantrums at higher gears and lower revvs. The fueling is crisp. I have so far only used the regular unleaded fuel and there has been no misfires. The engine is super refined and the refinement means covering long distances is so easy. At highway cruising speeds of 100-120 the bike is so calm and we barely feel any kind of harshness from anywhere in the bike. 100 comes up at a relaxed 3700 rpm in 6th gear with much more power available on tap after that, making overtakes from those speeds a breeze. Slowing down and getting back to cruising speeds happens super quickly helping to maintain higher average overall speeds. The improved Bi-Directional quick shifter on the 900 is super slick and felt better than the other bikes with QS I have ridden so far.

Added to this the now fully adjustable front suspension gives that extra option to tune it to personal preference. The electric rear suspension comes with a selectable Road & Dynamic setting with additional options of managing preload for Single rider, Rider with luggage and Rider with pillion. The ride is super plush in the softest setting and glides over the broken roads like they are non existent. The 21" wheels helps take any undulations on the road with ease and the surprising aspect is how well the bike handles in corners despite the big front wheels. It is no knee scraper but for the segment, the wheels and the bulk, it handles brilliantly.


Ergonomics & Pillion Comfort
Has a very comfortable and upright seating position. For a person my height, I feel the need to have the handlebars slightly higher and closer to me. Planning to add risers which take the handlebar higher and little closer to rider. The seat is narrow at the front to help reaching the ground and big at the seating area. The cushioning is fabulous and can keep munching miles without much fatigue.

Did a ride to brother's home in Pondy and back with wife. A round trip of close to 350km and she said it was the most comfortable bike she has sat on so far. Absolutely no issues in terms of comfort which is aided by the brilliant suspension setup. Of course a car would always be more comfortable, but the GSA is so good that she is now happy to consider longer trips on 2 wheels compared to being not interested for anything over 50 or 100kms previously.

Below is a pic with pillion from the ride.


The 1-1 BT connection between Sena 30k and the Bluarmor C30 was a big reason for the ride not becoming boring for her.


Clicked at brother's home before starting back. Heavy rain prediction and it rained for close to 150km out of the 170 odd to be covered.


Maintenance & Warranty
After the first service of 1000km, subsequent services are scheduled for 10k/1yr.
The cost of 1000km service was just below 10k and subsequent services expected to cost between 10-15k apart from any parts to be changed beyond the general service. On par for the segment I guess.

It comes with a standard 3yr warranty with an option to extend for additional 2yrs at around 30k. I feel this has to be a default choice considering the amount of tech and features the bike is loaded with.
Extended warranty can be availed within 6 months of bike purchase. I will be opting for this in a month or two.

[swami.n]

Ride to IBW - Goa

Always wanted to do a motorcycle trip to Goa. In March last year did the west coast trip and south Goa in a friend's Carnival. Arrival of the bike few weeks before IBW gave a good reason to get the 2000+km motorcycle trip done immediately. The same 4 riders and bikes in the run in ride to Trichy were the final confirmed riders. Three from Chennai(850GSA, 900GSA, Versys1300) and one(1300GS) from Bengaluru.

The idea was to ride onwards from Chennai via Blore towards Davanagere - Goa and return via a scenic west coast. Stay somewhere in Karnataka which is some 500-600km from Chennai instead of riding the entire 900+km on the last day. As IBW was scheduled for 5th & 6th Dec Friday & Saturday, we planned to visit on Friday and avoid the Saturday crowd.

• Day 1 - Thursday 5th Dec - Ride entire 900+kms from Chennai to Goa via Blore, Davanagere
• Day 2 - Friday 6th Dec - Rest and go to IBW in the evening
• Day 3 - Saturday 7th Dec - Start from Goa and check-in to some place mid way.
• Day 4 - Sunday 8th Dec - Return back to Chennai

Some of those accessories like Tank bag, Top Box, tyre hugger that I had mentioned in the previous post were not installed before the IBW ride.

All packed and mounted on the bike the night before the big ride. Rynox WP saddle bags and Viaterra Fly tank bag mounted in rear seat.


As planned we had started early on 5th, and the 3 riders from Chennai grouped at Sriperumbudur, before proceeding towards our usual fuel & breakfast stop at Krishnagiri.

Somewhere enroute.


Reached Krishnagiri Sree Saravana Bhavan around 8.45am. The 1250 GS is not part of our group.


Just before entering Nice road toll.


Stop around noon for some refreshments near Tumkur.


Late lunch stop around 2:45pm at A2B just after Sira.


2nd Fuel Stop near Hiriyur.


Just before sunset we grouped at after a toll plaza before deciding on route/detour to be taken.


Eventful Ride after Davanagere
The stay we had booked was in the southern most part of Goa at Agonda. Map suggested a detour before Haveri. After stopping for some snacks and extended discussion decided to take the detour. This is where the real adventure in the trip began. It was already dark when we took the detour and this route took us through some forests in complete darkness and to add to the adventure, it started raining like crazy in the forest. There were no other humans in sight, no other light except our headlights and no asphalt on the roads with excavation done on the sides. Stopped and put on the rain gear with the help of headlights. Managed to reach Yellapur safely with rains on and off. Decided to stop for dinner expecting rains would stop entirely. But by the time we were done it was already past 10pm and it started raining. Decided to proceed towards Karwar with rain gear on. The chotu at the fast food alerted us that the next 20km or so is very bad roads and dangerous with capsizing trucks a common occurrence. While starting I had missed to check if the tail bag clips were properly fastened and in next few kms one of the clips released and the rope stuck in the chain and got cut. Luckily no damage to the bike but had to complete the rest of the ride with one of the 3 mount points missing. In the next couple of kms saw a full size truck capsized. Managed to reach the Karwar highway without further incidents. Stopped at the toll for a midnight chai. By the time we reached the hotel, it was already past 1:30 am and guess what, the entire area where the resort was had a power failure since the previous evening. Rooms had inverter backup but the parking area had no lights. Managed to unmount the luggage in pitch dark conditions and check into our rooms. By the time we freshened up and prepared to sleep, it was already close to 3 or 4 am. An exciting day comes to a close.

Woke up late at around 10am and still the power was not restored. Went around for a stroll and had coffee at a nearby restaurant and returned back to the room past noon. Found a decent restaurant nearby for lunch and then we started on our way to IBW event after 3 or 4pm. The IBW event was happening in Vagator, the other end of Goa and we had to ride some 90km in the evening. Took more than 2hrs.

Stopped for chai on the way.


Goa needs some colorful shirt:-)


Mission Accomplished. Spend few hours at the event.


Parting shot.


Had dinner near Vagator and reached back to our hotel past 11pm.
Initial plan was the 1300 rider from Blore was supposed to return back home directly on Saturday for some personal commitments and not stay with us midway. The Versys rider also had a change of plan on Friday and decided to return with the 1300. The 2 GSAs decided to stick to the original plan. The 2 riding to blore started very early on Saturday. Me and Rahul decided to start a little relaxed as we were only planning to ride less than half the distance to Chennai. As my tail bag was missing one mounting strap, I decided to rearrange the packing and the Viaterra bag itself was paced in one of the saddle bags. Our plan was fluid and we planned to book a stay for the night based on where we reach for lunch.

All set to check out from Goa.


Somewhere between Karwar & Murudeshwar.


Stopped for lunch after Murudeshwar and booked a stay near Chikmaglur. Near the Maravanthe beach we stopped and went back and forth on wither side of the road to just soak in that beautiful place with sea on one side and river on the other. The route we took to Chikmaglur was via Kundapura-Agumbe-Sringeri. Stopped at Sringeri for some late evening snack.

At Maravanthe Beach


Chai stop enroute Agumbe.


GSAs Blessed.


Awesome roads and some chilly weather meant the day went super nice and we checked into the place in Chikmaglur late in the day after dinner. We had booked some tent stay and the less we speak about it the better :-)
We were just waiting for the night to pass before we could check out and start back our last leg of the trip. The route from Chikmaglur to Hasan on a December morning meant it was super cold and full foggy. Lovely start to the last day of the trip.

All set for the ride back home.


Chai stop near Hasan


Somehwere near Nice toll


Had lunch at A2B with Rahuls cousin near attibele, who was returning to blore from another ride. He informed us there was a huge pile up due to some accident before Krishnagiri on our side from Hosur. Map showed a 2+km pile up. We decided to take a detour from Hosur and join Krishnagiri through Rayakottai. This was good roads for most parts with some work happening in places.

Roayakottai to Krishnagiri


Stopped for a click in front of my college near Sriperumbudur.


Eventful ride comes to an end. 2088km covered in the trip.


It was a wonderful trip where we encountered different situations and the 900 GSA handled everything that came its way with ease.

[swami.n]

Rameshwaram Dhanushkodi Ride

Did a Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi ride in January before the Pongal week. The same 4 riders, but this time the 1300GS from Blore had also come to Chennai for some work and started with us. And the Versys 1000 rider decided to bring out his H452.

• Day 1 - Friday 10th Jan - Check-in to Rameshwram. Have darshan.
• Day 2 - Saturday 11th Jan - Ride to Dhanushkodi, checkout and move to another place
• Day 3 - Sunday 12th an - Return back to Chennai

The initial plan was to see if we could cover Kanyakumari and ride through Kerala side Thenmala to Shencottah. But as is the case with keeping the plan fluid, the next destination became Kodaikanal. Decided to ride that original plan on another occasion.

All grouped at start point near Vandalur. Decided to stick to 100-110 cruising speeds


The 850 and H452 were riding little slow while me with 900 and the 1300 GS stuck to the cruising speeds. Meant we were some 30km ahead at first stop which was at A2B near a place called Siruganur. While the other two stopped near Perambalur.

Fueled up at the BP attached to this A2B and we skipped breakfast and had just coffee.


Maps suggested the left at Trichy and to Ramnad through Pudukottai. Called up the other 2 when we were near trichy and they were still 30 odd kms behind. We both decided to take the longer route by going towards Madurai and taking left near Melur to Ramnad so that the other two can take the shourter route and our reaching time would be not so different. Exchanged the bikes and I rode the 1300GS for the first time and for almost 200+kms. It is a BEAST. While the 900 is very linear and smooth, the boxer is insane. Has power on tap everywhere in every gear. The way it masks speed, we wont know we are doing crazy speeds till we actually look at the console. After some spirited riding, we reached Ramnad for a small tea break and the slower two were some 45mins away from our location. We decided to proceed and check into Hotel and refresh.

At the entry of the famous Pamban Bridge


We could barely stop and click couple of pics as crowd from a tourist bus was very eager looking at the big bikes.




We had booked Hotel Tamil Nadu in Rameshwaram. It was very close to the shore and walkable to the temple.




Our room was right behind the bikes.


Quite a huge parking space.


Lunch at Hotel TN was quite good. Their breakfast next day was even better.


Had the darshan by 4pm when it was less crowded.


The other two decided to have lunch before reaching hotel because it would be past lunchtime when they reach. Also they decided to ride to Dhanushkodi directly before checking into hotel.

So we both checked out after breakfast and decided to ride to Dhanushkodi. While the other two decided to checkout and meet us on our way when we would be back.




We avoided the last 100mtrs closer to the end of the road due to huge crowds.


Had lunch at a Dhaba after Madurai on the way to Kodai. This time all 4 of us were together throughout :-)


Checked into a nice cozy home stay at Kodai. Had enough space for the 4 bikes.


A nice setting at the stay for Chai and have a chat.


Same place in day light.


We did not explore Kodai much. Just came here for the cool temperature and relax overnight and start back to chennai after breakfast. Special appreciation to the cook at the home stay for providing some delicious food for Dinner and breakfast as well.

Couple of pics on the way back from Kodai




Had lunch at Hotel Temple City near Batlagundu. The 1300 went to Blore after Dindugal while the 3 of us proceeded towards Chennai.


A tea stop after Ulundurpet.


5000 milestone came up on our return to Chennai


Right in front of the Adiparashakthi temple at Melmaruvathur.


Back home after a 1450+ km trip


Finally have posted a good set of updates to get this thread live.
Will continue to post the updates on the bike and looking forward to answer any questions and if I have missed anything.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[vsrikkanth]

Nice detailed review. All the best for lacs and lacs of hassle free miles on the odo..

[Rahulkool]

Congrats, fantastic choice, i agree on the most of the pros and cons you have mentioned in the review. Its no-brainer choice if you want a comfortable highway mile muncher. Off-late i have realised how good the fueling is on 850/900 in road mode when i ride other bikes in similar segment, it helps in reducing the fatigue. Also for a 248kg bike it does very well in offroading as well, thanks to 21" front tyre and higher rake angle, which keeps the bike very stable. Wish you many miles on the bike !

[Blue_Silver]

A thorough review and ogle-worthy pictures of the bike. Wishing the GS unlimited miles on the ODO...keep riding.

[AmarFlying]

Congratulations on the fantastic new beast. I have always liked this more than the GS1250/1300. This just looks better and more proportionate. Although, looks are secondary for an adventure motorcycle, it is nice to have.

Also, could you DM me the number of the guy in Pune from whom you got the front number plate bracket. I stay in Pune myself n need one for my Tiger 800 before the police here starts stopping me for the missing HSRP plates.

[Aditya]

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of bikes have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

[swami.n]

Originally Posted by vsrikkanth

Nice detailed review. All the best for lacs and lacs of hassle free miles on the odo..

Thanks Srikanth.

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

Congrats, fantastic choice, i agree on the most of the pros and cons you have mentioned in the review. Its no-brainer choice if you want a comfortable highway mile muncher. Off-late i have realised how good the fueling is on 850/900 in road mode when i ride other bikes in similar segment, it helps in reducing the fatigue. ..

Thanks Rahul, the main reason for triggering this bike upgrade plan :-)
Agreed, the fueling is brilliant and power delivery super linear in road mode. Dynamic adds some thrill but in traffic situations, the Road mode is lot more smoother.

Originally Posted by Blue_Silver

A thorough review and ogle-worthy pictures of the bike. Wishing the GS unlimited miles on the ODO...keep riding.

Thanks Blue_Silver. Glad you liked it.

Originally Posted by AmarFlying

Congratulations on the fantastic new beast. I have always liked this more than the GS1250/1300. This just looks better and more proportionate. Although, looks are secondary for an adventure motorcycle, it is nice to have.

Also, could you DM me the number of the guy in Pune from whom you got the front number plate bracket. I stay in Pune myself n need one for my Tiger 800 before the police here starts stopping me for the missing HSRP plates.

Thanks Amar. Personally I like the tiger little more in terms of pure looks in this segment. The 900GSA is a teen Bison while the 1250GSA is a full size Adult Bison.
BTW, I had DMed the contact on same day. Hope you were able to speak to the person.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of bikes have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

Attachment 2729664

Thanks Aditya.

[AmarFlying]

Thank you Swami for the number. The individual cut the call for some reason, might have been busy.

Anyway, I'd agree, Tiger 900 does indeed look the most proportional and light given the non bulky front.