BMW R1200GS TE Exclusive
If nothing else, you’ve got to love the big GS for its incredibly long-lasting success. Effectively dreamed up nearly 40 years ago, then repeatedly honed and developed ever since, the 1200 has become one of the world’s best-selling bikes. The 2017 GS is better than ever, and easily the most sorted version produced.
The engine is one of the Beemer’s best points.
It might have more than 30bhp less power reaching its rear wheel than the KTM, but just as it’s not a disadvantage on the even less potent Africa Twin, the shortfall matters not a jot on the 1200 either. The boxer twin has tons of drive everywhere. It’s spread so broadly, and delivered so beautifully, every twist of the throttle is rewarded with an abundance of obedience, with almost perfect manners making the increase in power and speed seem so unbelievably polite.
You won’t often feel you’ve not got enough of a head of steam on this bike. And that’s the case whether it’s a quick sprint away from the lights, or some big-geared exit from a sharp corner out on the open road. It’s so fluid and seamless it almost feels electric.
The engine has similar power characteristics to the Africa Twin, but there’s just more to play with. It’s super flexible and responds strongly to little input – from either engine revs or throttle opening. The fuelling is perfect, and the gearbox the best ever. So much slicker and lighter in action than previous arrangements, cog-swapping is made even easier by the excellent (and standard fitment) Gear Shift Assist Pro quickshifter which helps gearchanges both up and down the box.
Like the KTM you get the choice of four riding modes, Rain, Road, Dynamic and Enduro. And just like they do on the 1290, the modes alter the power level and how it’s produced, as well as the intervention level of the ABS and traction control systems. Both have been upgraded for this year and the Dynamic Traction Control and ABS Pro also rely on lean angle sensors to fine-tune their functions still further.
In the same way electronics help the engine to give you its best, those playing a role in the performance of the brakes and suspension allow you to enjoy the GS’s handling all the more. The famous GS overall balance gives them a head start and it’s nothing short of remarkable that a bike weighing as much as it does and sporting the dimensions it has can feel so damned manageable. Steering is lovely, stability commendable, braking especially impressive, and the semi-active suspension is something that really needs to be tried to be believed. Whatever you’ve pre-set the excellent electronic Dynamic ESA setup to deal with as far as weight and preferred level of damping control, it’s constantly monitoring the load at each end of the bike and adjusting the preload to alter support appropriately.
The best compliment I could probably pay it is that I rarely needed to consider the suspension’s action or the condition of the road as it was doing its job so effectively. Being able to adjust it via a dedicated button, rather than having to scroll through a menu to access it as you need to on the KTM was a bonus too. It’s also designed to cope with life off-road.
“But even when I rode the bike on wet roads, the sportier settings still suited me perfectly well, such was the engine’s predictable and reliable nature.”
With a typical tank range of 190250 miles the 1200’s mile-eating capability isn’t in doubt and the only thing that’s likely to make you pull up and stop for long is arriving at your destination.
The only bike of these three with shaft drive, the benefits of the system were highlighted all the more. Now, shaft drive may have some downsides in terms of cost, weight and compromising suspension performance to some degree, but they’re all worth putting up with on an adventure bike if you ask me.
The keyless ignition is another useful convenience that alters your mindset on such things, and just having to press a button certainly beats having to generally fumble around with keys. Standard fitment heated grips, handguards, cruise control and hill start control also deserve a mention in making life run that bit more smoothly aboard the BMW.
The only thing I’d give the GS any criticism for is its clocks. Very informative they may be generally, with stuff like fuel range, tyre pressures and engine oil level being especially useful, but the analogue speedo and rev counter look dated and aren’t as clear to read as they could be.
With the sole exception of that rather minor point, there’s not much to say against the BMW. It really is a very solid and hugely capable machine and its massive success reflects that perfectly. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see another bike quite like the R1200GS.