I went 120 miles to pick up my 2023 1200 GT Explorer today. I ask several times if it had the software updates and the clutch bleed problem resolved. The guy said come on it will be ready. When I got there. I wrote them a check for $22500. I hung around about 2 hours only to be told that they had to get a part for the clutch problem. Said they will deliver it tomorrow.
Sorry your dealer sucks so bad.
I don't want to overstep my bounds here but you will love your Tiger 1200 GT Explorer.
I first sat on one last summer and the bike had a full 8 gallons of gas. It felt no heavier than my very problematic R1200GS that has long since been sold. Knowing I have a 300+ mile range on a bike that doesn't feel uncomfortably heavy is just mind blowing to me. While I have yet to load the bike up with gear, it will then be heavy; like all open class bikes. The only way for me to judge a bike's weight is full tank of fuel with no gear on the bike. I can go showroom to showroom and see which bike I like best. After that, it is up to me to deal with however heavy the bike becomes once I have my gear on the bike.
The power and throttle response are truly impressive and the bike gathers speed in 3rd and 4th gear at an astonishing pace. Maybe 6th gear roll on isn't GS like but I don't like to load an engine in a tall gear as that is really hard on the bike. It isn't as bad as the days of carbureted engines and you may know as much or more than I do. But if you go wide open throttle at 2,000 rpm in sixth gear at say 40 mph, the engine really has to work hard to gain revs. At that taller gear ratio, the pistons have an incredible load on them to push downward as driven by combustion pressure but tall ratio makes gaining rpm really tough. Downshift to 4th gear and those expanding gasses have a much easier time getting the pistons to move downward and accelerate.
Modern EFI systems are better than carburetors which were strictly mechanical and would dump lots of raw fuel into the combustion chamber creating massive heat as the pistons could not move quickly enough to do their job. That heat has to go somewhere.
So while I won't run an engine at 8,000 rpm in first gear while cruising around town, I certainly won't lug the engine and demand that I can pass a motorhome in 6th gear starting from 45 mph. Downshift and let the engine do what it is meant to do. It is much easier on the engine this way.
Point is I love my Tiger 1200GT Explorer and cannot imagine a better bike. The new GS has a little bit smaller fuel tank and the GSA's of old did feel really top heavy when fueled with 8 gallons of gas.
Looking forward to your first impressions.
NC
