[abhi_tjet]

Congratulations Rahul. A lovely choice. One of my rider buddy too bought the same variant and colour last year. I was present during delivery and can confirm that the bike is massive. It has a lovely road presence.

Bavaria Pune guys acted snobby and hence couldn’t try this properly during my Multi purchase.

I had taken a short test ride earlier. The tall seat height and high kerb weight made me not to pester BMW guys much during my actual purchase timeline.

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

Congratulations Rahul. A lovely choice. One of my rider buddy too bought the same variant and colour last year. I was present during delivery and can confirm that the bike is massive. It has a lovely road presence.

Bavaria Pune guys acted snobby and hence couldn’t try this properly during my Multi purchase.

I had taken a short test ride earlier. The tall seat height and high kerb weight made me not to pester BMW guys much during my actual purchase timeline.

Thank Abhi, Multi was the only bike in the segment which i didn't TD.

Yes once you get past the seat height and kerb weight its a easy to ride bike. At first it looks very intimidating.

[swami.n]

Congratulations Rahul

The 850 GSA is terrific VFM considering the other options near it.

Wishing you a lot of happy rides and a wonderful ownership!!!

[Rahulkool]

5000km update ! This is fastest i have clocked 5000kms on any vehicle i have owned till now. This is the testament to the ride quality and comfort of the bike. Many folks i talk, just dismiss this bike for various reasons, i will say just take a test ride and i am sure it will impress you with the magic carpet ride quality.

Did 1500kms round trip last week Chennai-Palakkad-Nelliampathy-Munnar-Chennai. Really enjoyed the ride in Kerala monsoon, fantastic stuff.

All packed ready to go ! Left early morning around 4am from my home.


Somewhere on the Chennai bypass




First fuel stop at GST road few kms before Ulundurpet. I didn't fill up here, as i had more than 400kms of range left.


Chai break


Breakfast break at 9am in Saravana bhavan after crossing Salem. We finished breakfast in 1 hour and left around 10am.


It started drizzling just as we entered kerala around 12:30pm, so we stopped at first opportunity to eat something and put on the rain gear. This was at a rest stop called Travlounge before Palakkad, here you can pay and use the rooms for short duration like 2-12hours. They also have cafe in the front, food was a bit overpriced but decent. I had a burger and put on all my rain gear, including shoe cover, reminded me of covid times







Nelliampathy was around 70kms from this location, we left at 1:20pm and reached Nelliampathy view point at 3PM. It didn't rained whole way except very light drizzle, so much for putting rain covers.

The resort we had booked was 2kms inside the forest. The resorts folks had given us two options , either we could ride our bikes in the trail and reach the resort or they will take us to a parking spot nearby and we could leave our bikes there and go to the resort in a jeep. Well you could guess which option we will take !

When we reached the view point, it was quite clear and nearby mountains were visible. Within few mins it was completely covered by clouds and visibility was barely few meters. We unloaded all our luggage to the jeep and started following them.

This pic was taken after clouds had already started coming down.


This pic was taken within few mins and you can see the change in weather.


As soon as we entered the 2km trail towards the resort it started raining heavily and i couldn't took any pics till we reached the resort. It was complete darkness inside the trail with barely any visibility, we were riding in below condition.



There were several waterfalls on the way and few water crossings, some of them being knee deep. Lots of steep inclines with big rocks as all the soil was washed out by the heavy rains. It was a bit challenging trail and fun as well at the same time. Bike performed flawlessly and i didn't felt loss of traction anywhere even with the Michelin Anakees which more road biased tyres.

This pic was taken very near to the resort when rains had slowed down a bit and visibility was restored. There was good descent towards that water crossing and steep incline after that, photo doesn't do justice to the condition.

[Rahulkool]

So finally the inevitable happened and i dropped the bike. I was a bit over excited and confident. Overtook 3 bikes on the trail, was just behind another bike, who braked on a incline, i did stop but somehow couldn't put my foot down in time and fell on the left. We picked the bike up in a jiffy and left as it was raining heavily, otherwise would have clicked a snap . Later i realized that it could be my rain pants which got stuck on the footrest.

Max lean angle lol , no damage to the bike, just few scuffs on the metal guards.


Finally at the resort, its a fantastic place and i recommend it to anyone who is ready to do those 2 kms. We were the only people for those 2 days of stay so it very nice and quiet. Staff at the resort are really nice and ready to take up any request. Food was good, not bad neither extraordinary but they did ask us before all meal preparations. There are 4 rooms in the main building and then there are two separate structures a bit away, each single room with glass ceiling.


There is water stream flowing through the property and you can see those two small rooms/villas? in the distance.


What a view




View inside one of those rooms, no we didnt stay in these, although host was generous enough to offer these as free upgrade for a day. I guess if you visit with your spouse, it will be a perfect spot for those rainy days.










This nice looking Jeep was parked at the entrance.


Next day morning we did the trail once again, just to get a feel of it. With clear weather it was ok. I was enjoying it with a bit of worry of last days fall, making sure i was riding opposite side of the cliff.

Managed to cross all the water streams without getting my shoes wet, very proud of it lol


This is how the view point is supposed to look like, day before it was mostly covered in clouds.

[nitro.1000bhp]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

So finally the inevitable happened and i dropped the bike. I was a bit over excited and confident. Overtook 3 bikes on the trail, was just behind another bike, who braked on a incline, i did stop but somehow couldn't put my foot down in time and fell on the left. We picked the bike up in a jiffy and left as it was raining heavily, otherwise would have clicked a snap . Later i realized that it could be my rain pants which got stuck on the footrest.

I in fact fell the very same manner on my first drop too. Except, the guy in front of me fell first and I had to stop on an incline and lost my footing and fell to my left And then I dropped it twice again the next day!

Great pics btw..

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by nitro.1000bhp

I in fact fell the very same manner on my first drop too. Except, the guy in front of me fell first and I had to stop on an incline and lost my footing and fell to my left And then I dropped it twice again the next day!

Great pics btw..

Actually it was funny how i fell, felt like it happened in slow motion. Then comes the roasting from riding group for being on the adv bike still managed to fall on not so difficult terrain , well deserved i would say. But i knew from day 1 that this bike will fall one or other day, because of the weight and seat height. You can learn to manage the seat height in well paved roads, in off road trails getting right footing might be difficult sometimes.

I was worried that i will try to keep the bike straight and twist hand or leg in the process. But survival instincts kicked in and as soon as i realised it will fall, i jumped out of the way.

[Rahulkool]

So after staying in the resort for couple of days we decided to spend a day in munnar and ride on some beautiful ghat roads. Specially the new proper 2 lane ghat road from Munnar to Theni.

We started in the afternoon around 12 for Pollachi, again loaded the luggage on the jeep, crossed the 2kms off road section, loaded back the luggage and reached Pollachi around 2PM. We had lunch there and left for Munnar at 3:15pm.

The road goes through the Anamalai tiger reserve, that stretch was really beautiful. you are not supposed to stop in that road.







Some images i took on the way to our stay in the munnar, it was in the outskirts of the munnar city.





We stopped at one tea estate for tea and this was the view.





Some more images on picturesque Munnar





Next day we left for Chennai. This is the 2 lane road i was talking about earlier. Weather was literally changing every 10kms in Munnar.









Final ride stats after reaching home. We had just stopped for lunch in Trichy and tea at couple of places.

1413kms in tatal.

[Rahulkool]

Got the engine oil and oil filter changed at 5500kms, recommended interval is 10k kms. I do this for all the bike/car i own, just to be sure of all the run-in metal shaving and gunk is out of the engine. Modern engine dont need it as much, but did it anyway. Total bill for the same was little less than 7000rs.

Got the mobile mount relocation done as the old mount was little difficult to see, looking down even for fraction of secs can be dangerous sometimes. This relocation kit is available from BMW, installation was done at the company service center. Cost for the same was 16500rs.

Old mobile mount, you have to look down to have a glance at the map.


New mount is very much in the line of sight.


Cleaning after one of the rain rides.


Night ride on the ECR


Mid night ride to Pondy






Another breakfast ride to Pondy

[Rahulkool]

Weekend ride to Jawadhu hills

When fellow bhpian nitro.1000bhp messaged me for a sunday ride to Jawadhu hill, i thought it to be a regular ride to the hill top and back, i have done this ride couple of times. Jawadhu hill is around 250kms from Chennai, very much doable in a day. But Nitro had planned a loop ride also around the hills, so we climbed the hill, rode 30-40kms around the hill, got down on the plains and again climbed back, before getting back towards Chennai. Really nice ride, all credit goes to Nitro for planning the route.

Below is the loop route which we did around the Jawadhu hills.



Early morning fuel up on the ECR


Beautiful early morning ECR


After crossing Vandavasi, weather was nice, as it had rained in the morning.


Breakfast spot. I had two idly, vada and tea for princely sum of 25rs


Bamboo forest


Lovely trails with no soul in sight for kms altogether






Second climb to the Jawadhu hills






Last pic after nice lunch near the bus stand. Return ride was uneventful and did almost 200kms without any breaks, as i wanted to enter Chennai as fast as possible and avoid the weekend traffic rush on the GST road. Just barely managed it, traffic had just started piling up on the tolls.

[Invstamith]

@ Rahulkool/ Nitro.1000bhp- are you aware of any other Pannier brand that is a direct fit on the side racks in the GS Adventure? I wouldn't want to spoil the looks of the bike by changing the rack to a non official accessory.

[nitro.1000bhp]

Originally Posted by Invstamith

@ Rahulkool/ Nitro.1000bhp- are you aware of any other Pannier brand that is a direct fit on the side racks in the GS Adventure? I wouldn't want to spoil the looks of the bike by changing the rack to a non official accessory.

Mate, mines' a GS and not a GSA so it never came with the side carriers. I have fitted the Givi ones and I use Dirtsack soft bags on them. Rahul has the GSA and he can answer your question better. Alternately you can call Bikenbiker, bangalore and ask them. They have catered to many of these bikes including mine and can help you out with any queries, they're a helpful bunch.

Cheers.

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by Invstamith

@ Rahulkool/ Nitro.1000bhp- are you aware of any other Pannier brand that is a direct fit on the side racks in the GS Adventure? I wouldn't want to spoil the looks of the bike by changing the rack to a non official accessory.

Are you looking for soft or hard luggage ? Soft luggage i could find some options which will mount on the OE rack, like below.

https://shop.bumot.eu/en/catalog/id/180.html

Sourcing them in India might be difficult. I also like the stock OE luggage rack, dont want to add any mounts on top of them.

[Invstamith]

Thank you! Evaluating BMW Motorrad Panniers, Lone Ranger Semi Rigid Saddle Bags and Dirtsack Core 30. Will decide soon and post a review.

[TheVaas]

Originally Posted by Invstamith

Thank you! Evaluating BMW Motorrad Panniers, Lone Ranger Semi Rigid Saddle Bags and Dirtsack Core 30. Will decide soon and post a review.

Since you're looking for third party brands which fit on OEM stays, check out MotoVanguard panniers. They have the option of the cut-out panniers (for the exhaust side) as well.