Chris Bach – Workshop Note / Quick Check #14 – GS/GSA LC (R1200 LC & R1250) – The Simple Test to Find Out Whether Your Motorcycle Has Changed Without You Noticing

After this week’s Workshop, here is a very simple check you can perform.

Choose a road you know perfectly.

A road you ride regularly.

Then honestly ask yourself these few questions:

• Is the braking as precise as it was a year ago?
• Does the bike remain as stable over bumps?
• Do direction changes still feel as natural?
• Is the engine still as smooth as before?
• Is the drivetrain still as smooth?
• Are the vibrations the same as you remember them?

The real issue is this:

When deterioration happens gradually, we unconsciously compensate without even realizing it.

We start braking a little earlier.

We slow down more on rough roads.

We make more corrections through the handlebars.

We adapt our riding.

And little by little, we begin to consider it normal.

Most of the time, it is only after a major service, the replacement of a worn component, or riding another GS that we suddenly realize:

“My bike had actually changed a long time ago.”

This week, simply take a few minutes to look at your motorcycle with fresh eyes.

Sometimes, the best diagnostic tool is neither a computer nor a scan tool.

It is simply an attentive rider asking the right questions.

Incidentally, it is precisely this observation that led me to write a new Appendix 17 for my guide.

This appendix is now over 100 pages long and explores in depth these gradual changes that we often end up considering normal.

The goal is not to unnecessarily worry owners, but to help them better understand their GS/GSA LC, maintain a true point of reference over time, and more easily identify slow changes that can otherwise go unnoticed.

As always, this new appendix is included in the guide and is part of the updates provided to buyers.


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