Newbie in SA

Hey everyone,

well, after following the DS forums for the past year or so i have decided to finally get in the game. I purchased a new to me 2006 BMW R1200GS last weekend and look forward to getting some time in the saddle. I hope to add many accessories to it but want to get some inside info from what other riders are using.

I hope to meet some of you soon.

Welcome Daddiedee!

to the site!!

Welcome to the site from a fellow San Antonian! I'd be great to meet you sometime. Ride safe!

Welcome to TWT! This is a great place to expand your knowledge of riding and meeting diverse riders. Unlike a dedicated site this one encompasses just about everything so you won't get stuck in a rut (pun intended?). Enjoy, read, ask questions.

Welcome aboard. Lots of members in the SA area; I'm originally from there myself (go Bears). And you'll find lots of GS riders on this forum.

Welcome to the site!

If you plan to dual sport the bike, my recommendation is to mount a set of TKC-80 knobbies, engine protection bars (also called "crash" bars) and a good bash plate to protect the underside of the bike. Leave the hard luggage at home because it doesn't fair well in tip overs in the dirt. It gets all dinged and scratched. Lastly, unless you are an experienced dirt rider, stick to the dirt/gravel roads that most any truck could drive down. If you start getting off into the more technical stuff, you will just tear up the bike and likely hurt yourself in the process... Trust me on that... I started DS riding on an 02 R1150 GS. I have an 05 R1200 GS now, but parked next to it is a KLR 650 and a KTM 530

Thanks for the info. As a new rider I am just trying to get acclimated to the bike before starting any DS riding. I will be adding crash bars very soon though. Can anyone recommend a good tall windscreen? I am 6'-6" with a 35" inseam and am getting beat up by the wind coming over the stock windscreen that's causing ringing in my ears. Any suggestions?

Try it without the screen. Yes, I know that sounds nuts, but often times having your head in clean air is MUCH smoother than having it in air coming off a windscreen. I used to ride my 1150 without the windscreen all the time. It was great... except during Love Bug season... The 1150 had a small number plate/fly screen over the instrument cluster. I have seen similar fly screens for the 1200's. The stock 1200 screen seems to give slightly more turbulent airflow than did the screen on my 1150.