MW R 1200GS

That is a motorcycle. For some people it’s a universal tool which practically never fails them - whether on a local run, the daily journey to work or weekend trips with or without gravel passages. For others it’s a way of life - just the right machine for every tour, whether a one-week trip for two into local motorcycling territory or fulfilling the dream of a lifetime thousands of miles away from home. The “GS” is not just able to handle everything, it is actually built to do so. And in this synthesis of easy handling, supreme touring suitability, off-road potential and comfort for rider and pillion passenger, there’s simply no other motorcycle which does it better. That’s not just what we think: it’s the result of independent tests worldwide.

Yet the current version goes one step further still - with a level of 2-cylinder power which is unsurpassed, and not just within its own segment. The reason is the new DOHC engine, which first displayed its impressive performance in the legendary HP2 Sport. For the R 1200 GS, torque was given higher priority than output in line with practical considerations. And you can feel it. 120 Nm at the peak at 6000 rpm is one thing, but the consistently higher level of torque in the relevant range up to 5000 rpm can be fully experienced. The output has been increased to 81 kW (110 bhp) at 7750 rpm. The supreme riding pleasure is underscored by a powerful sound from the new exhaust system with exhaust flap which will everyone will love. Together with the new paint finishes, a wide range of special equipment features such as the unique off-road ESA and ASC and extensive motorcycle fittings, there is virtually no situation in which the R 1200 GS doesn’t fit perfectly. And that applies to all riders - so take a test ride now!

Review

Sometimes when we test something on The Smoking Tire, we have zero pre-concieved notions of what to expect. For example, when I recently reviewed the BMW F800R motorcycle, I hadn’t heard anything about it from anyone besides the fleet manager, who said it was “Fun.” I just thought it looked cool and wanted to try it. The BMW R1200GS is exactly the opposite. I knew lots about it from lots of people. My friend Dave Maher spent 3 months wandering the United States on the back of one. Actor Ewan MacGregor famously circumnavigated the globe on one. Countless others have ridden unbelievable distances over incredible terrain on GS motorcycles for nearly 30 years. And when I was looking to buy a motorcycle in 2009, the GS was high on my shopping list. It ultimately didn’t fit my needs at the time, but I found it very interesting that used examples had approximately 1000% more miles than almost all other bikes on the market. I had a really hard time finding a used GS with less than 40,000 miles on the clock. So I knew that anyone who bought one of these bikes, bought it to ride, a lot. And although I didn’t end up buying one back in 2009, if you asked me what bike I’d like to own today, my story would be drastically different, and include just one option: The R1200 GS. And that’s because after just 15 minutes of riding, I learned that everyone who’s ever told me that the GS is the best motorcycle in the world is exactly right. Hit the jump to find out why.

On a sunny California Thursday, I found myself walking into BMW’s fleet management company here in Los Angeles, and coming face to face with what would be my steed for the next two weeks: a blacked out, loaded to the gills, R 1200 GS. In order to fully describe the bike, let’s first break down how BMW names their bikes in the first place: the “R” indicates the style of engine, in this case a Boxer layout. The 1200 is, of course, the displacement in cubic centimeters, and the “GS” stands for Gelande Sport, or “The Most Capable Motorcycle Money Can Buy.” And you don’t have to look hard to see it, either. It’s the kind of bike that makes function look pretty, like the KTM X-Bow. It’s raw, purposeful, and powerful looking, and sitting on its integrated center stand, quite intimidating.

My intimidation didn’t last long, though, as I began browsing the bike’s features. Everything is very straightforward and required little explanation. This would be the first navigation-equipped bike I’d ridden, so I was extremely thankful that BMW decided to keep things simple and use the all-familiar Garmin software. There is an on-board computer with basic information such as average speed, average fuel economy, clock, thermometer, and the always useful “miles to empty” gauge. The clamp-on Navigation obstructed half the tachometer, but at least it was the lower half, so I could see once the needle crossed 5,000 RPM. At least I wouldn’t be bouncing off the rev limiter by accident. On the left grip, a button labeled “ESA” controls the electronic suspension adjustments. Yep, the GS has electronic ride control.

With the bike now off the center stand, it became a much more reasonable height. Nevertheless, riders under 6 feet tall may have a problem at stop lights unless they are comfortable with just one foot on the ground. With a bike this heavy (500 lbs), it’s not really recommended. I hit the start button and the GS awoke with a deep baritone but subdued hum. I was off.

I immediately realized why people can ride these bikes around the world. The seating position is as perfect as I’ve ever felt on a bike, the small windscreen is extremely effective, and despite its size, everything about the GS feels effortless. It weaves through traffic like a bike half its size (at least once I took the cargo boxes off), its clutch feel is excellent, and with 110 HP and 88 lb-ft of torque on tap, there’s enough power to rip to 60 in just 3.4 seconds. Not bad for the Ford Raptor of motorcycles, huh? My first goal was to test the electronic suspension on the worst possible road to ride a motorcycle: The 405 Freeway.

The 405 is a horrible, awful place to ride a bike. Not only is the road completely clogged with incompetent drivers who would rather be applying makeup or browsing their iPhone than driving, the concrete expansion joints and grooved pavement make most motorcycles act like they have minds of their own, moving around underneath the rider in the most disconcerting way. With the suspension set in Sport, its stiffest setting, I set off. It was miserable. So I tried Normal, and the ride improved. Now, though I could feel the bumps, the bike seemed to absorb the worst ones and my confidence in controlling it at speed grew. Next, I selected Comfort, and all felt right with the world. The bike tracked straight and easy, and I accelerated past 80 mph totally confident that the bike would absorb the strange surface beneath me. It did. But that’s not all. In Comfort mode, the GS rides like a luxury car, absorbing potholes, speed bumps, Volkswagens, whatever’s in your way. I left the bike in this setting for 90% of the next 2 weeks’ riding. Except in the canyons.

Malibu on a Sunday is pretty much standard operating procedure for every motorcycle rider in the Los Angeles area. And while I normally prefer to do my canyon carving on weekdays when the roads are empty, I found it to be a good opportunity to gauge the public response to the GS. Sure enough, I got compliments everywhere, from the Rock Store to the top of Mulholland, everyone gave me a thumbs up or a “Wow, nice bike.”

Riding in the canyons is much the same. With the ESA in Sport, I did over 200 miles of canyon carving and found the GS to be a thoroughly satisfying sport bike. While I couldn’t keep up with the full-leathered riders on the S1000RR’s, I likewise never held anyone up, and even caught a few sports cars in some very technical sections. The bike isn’t a rocket, but its wide handlebars and compliant suspension help the bike to get leaned down quickly, remain composed through the corners, and stand back at attention with a twist of the throttle. And while some other bikes get squirrely when faced with dirt and/or pebbles mid corner, the GS’s all-terrain tires make it feel as if the pavement is perfectly clean. If you plan on hard canyon carving with the GS, you must always be mindful of the Boxer’s heads, which can scrape the ground if leaned down far enough. Fortunately I only made that mistake once.

Now, about that engine. It’s powerful no matter the RPM. And though the exhaust note resembles a Subaru’s at low RPM, the faster you go, the smoother it gets. At 4,000 RPM, it’s virtually vibration free. At highway speeds, it’s so quiet that I can’t even hear the engine, just the roar of wind noise around my helmet. It’s no surprise that people ride these bikes tens of thousands of miles, because doing so exerts approximately zero stress on the body.

There are, of course a couple of downsides. Because the R1200GS is so big, and has such wide handlebars, it’s not exactly suited to lane-splitting in a crowded Los Angels intersection. It can be done, but requires much more caution and concentration than most other sporting motorcycles. The engine also seems to hiccup if you blip the throttle too quickly; preferring a more purposeful, harder blip in order to rev match appropriately. I also don’t like the separated blinker controls, which confuse me after every other bike has a single toggle for both directions. Fortunately, all these issues can be adapted to, and after a day or two riding my body learned to work with the bike.

Over two weeks I put nearly 800 miles on the R1200GS, and loved every minute of it. I realize that many bike owners have multiple motorcycles for different purposes, but if I had to pick one bike to ride for the rest of my life, this would be it. It offers enough sporting potential to have fun in the canyons, enough comfort and practicality to ride across the country or the desert, it can be taken off road, through water, or over snow. It has a community of seasoned riders for support, and most importantly, a proven reliability record. Sure, it’s not cheap, at $15,495 delivered, but to me, that seems like a bargain for what you get.

Source Thesmokingtire.com