78 | JUNE 2017 http://www.adbmag.com.au1
FIRST RIDE | BMW R 1200 GS RALLYE X
MAIN: Crossing rivers with
more travel is easy- Cold conditions in the lead up
made the tracks hard and slippery
What
you get- Sports suspension
with stiffer springs
and longer travel - Pro mapping modes
- Knobby tyres
- Lower windscreen
- Cross-spoked wheels
- Plus loads more
with longer shocks (yes plural. Don’t
forget Telelever front-end) and more
travel scream erosion mounds and
potholes. They’re pretty much begging
to be bashed off-road.
The suspension is why the Rallye X
is the off-road adventurer’s pick. For
the launch BMW supplied the base
model R 1200 GS and a R 1200 GS Tour
so we could judge the new suspension
and electronics package. Neither of
those have the Rallye X suspension
and boy did they make the Rallye X
look good in the dirt.
Aside from the silence once filled by
the banging centrestand, the longer-
travel suspension on the Rallye X was
far better off-road and also firmer than
any GS suspension before it. And that
includes the GSA, even though it’s the
same suspension.
It’s better because it’s not carrying
the extra weight of the GSA. I could
confidently jump the Rallye X. It’s still
better to land on the rear wheel, but if
you do flat land, the extra 20mm travel
and stiffer springs will soak up the
impact far better than before.
Ballard was on our launch and I
pulled up next to him while he was
on cornerman duty just to see if he felt
the same way about the suspension
and he did. He was mounted on the
base model and his words were: “This
thing is nowhere near as good as that
off-road! The longer travel, firmer
suspension on the Rallye X just gets
so much more drive.”
The engine, chassis and ergos might
be the same as previous models but the
off-road suspension, electronics and
engine modes make the Rallye X a
whole new beast off-road.
In fact, it is so much better off-road
than previous models we’re not even
going to talk about BMW’s other
offerings because everything else just
feels like a roadbike now.
The Rallye X is for the serious
off-road rider.
Never before have I been able to fly
so far or brake so late. BMWs have
shown their prowess in tough
conditions previously but have always
fallen behind when it comes to serious
dirt. Not anymore.BMW R1200GS
RALLYE X
SPEX
ENGINE
TYPE Twin cylinder, DOHC four-valve
DISPLACEMENT 1170cc
BORE & STROKE 101 x 73mm
COOLING Air/Liquid
COMPRESSION RATIO 12.5:1
FUEL METERING BMS-X
TANK CAPACITY 20L
TRANSMISSION Six-speed
CLUTCH Wet multi-plate
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE 1496mm
SEAT HEIGHT 870/890mm
GROUND CLEARANCE N/A
WEIGHT 244kg wet
SUSPENSION
FRONT Telelever, 210mm travel
REAR EVO Paralever, 220mm travel
BRAKES
FRONT Dual 305mm discs, four-piston
REAR Single 276mm disc, double-piston
ABS BMW Integral
RUNNING GEAR
HANDLEBAR BMW
FRONT TYRE Continential TKC80
REAR TYRE Continential TKC80
PRICE & CONTACTS
THE BILL $27, 250rrp
BROWSER bmwmotorrad.com.au
BLOWER 1800 813 299
WARRANTY Two years unlimitedTGuess work
Unfortunately, the GS is not made to
order for Australian customers
because of the shipping time. This
means dealers have to guess what
their customers will want and then
order. So, some dealers will order the
Rallye X in slightly different spec to
other dealers, for example with the
tall seat. So if you’re looking for the
perfect bike, have a hunt around at
several dealers because if you have
to add stuff to a bike that is already
here it will be more expensive than if
they have ordered it in that spec in
the first place.