B
MW’s R1200GS needs no
introduction. The number-
one choice in adventure for
a long time, the GS is the
benchmark all others, from
the Ténéré to the DR, are measured
against, fairly or not. The R1200GS
Adventure pushes things a little more,
building on the brilliant base but going
further to present one of the most
complete packages to ever roll off a
dealer’s floor and head into the dirt.
The striking look of the GSA reminds
me of a fully loaded Apache helicopter.
Now I’m well aware that not everyone
likes the look of a GS and some find
them revolting from front to back, but
the sight of one just does it for me and I
think the reason is two-fold. First, I just
straight love the shape of it. Second,
I know what it represents. I’ve done
thousands of kilometres on one GS or
another through the years and each
ride has left me with memories andexperiences that I’ll never forget. That’s
kind of the magic behind any great bike;
the promise of adventure and the ability
to make it happen in a reliable, capable
and comfortable way.
Staring down a day’s route sheet
on an R1200GSA is a pretty smug
experience when you have the feeling
there isn’t much that can stop you.
The 30-litre fuel tank gives you
enormous range (approximately
600km), the stability of the bike takes
the trepidation from sand sections
and the higher air intake means deep
river crossings aren’t a possible death
sentence to the engine. That’s not to
say a bike this size can’t be a handful.
Wet clay isn’t fun (is it ever?) and
off-camber sections can be sphincter-
tightening, but in my experience the
most common form of oh-shit moment
on a GS comes from overcooking a
corner and having to rein in the speed
as well as take the corner.TEST:
BMW R1200GS ADVENTURE
The striking look of the GSAreminds me of a fully loadedApache helicopterIN THE RIGHT
MODE MOOD
The GSA ergos are open and
comfortable, with wide bars and a
brilliant seat. I’ve never been a huge
fan of the way you need to point your
feet inwards to get a solid contact
with the brake and gear levers, but
it does become second nature after
a while and only really presents a
problem when you’re standing up. The
instrument clusters on either side of
the bars are easy to use and once you
get your head around the astonishing
amount of things you can control,
adjust and actuate at the tip of your
fi nger/thumb, the GSA really starts to
come into its own.
There was a time when the CAN
bus electronics system garnered
scepticism, but it’s here on the GSA
with everything locked and loaded
that you truly get an idea of what it
can do for you. I don’t feel anything
is there for the sake of it and while I
don’t constantly change things while I
ride, that’s not the only point to it. It’s
there so that you can set up the bike to
feel the way you want it to feel in any
terrain or conditions.You may want ABS where I don’t or
a fi rmer feeling in the shock or traction
control, and you can take two identical
bikes and have them feel and perform
totally differently just at the push of a
button. You can make your GSA feel the
way you want wherever you want and
there really isn’t anything missing that
you’d need to be able to control.
I generally cycle between ignition
modes, ABS on and off, traction control
settings and suspension feel on an
average ride as I move from one situation
to the next. It creates a more even ride-
feel on a day that might see you riding
dry, hard-pack dirt in the morning, sand
in the afternoon and tar in the pouring
rain in the evening. By adjusting the feel
of the separate aids, the bike’s braking,
handling and acceleration feel much
the same all day. Take a bike with no
electronics on a similar ride and you’ll
be exhausted at the end of the day from
concentrating and adapting to the quickly
changing conditions.
The modes are all well thought
through and if you take advantage of
the GSA’s own brain, it will reward
you and make the ride better. I have
noticed that a few riders don’t spend
the time to understand it all and end up,
for example, riding in muddy, slippery
conditions with traction control on full