BMW R1250GS
New optional equipment makes it even easier to end up with a £20k R1250GS
‘… plenty of efficient ways to slosh money BMW’S way’
Headlights that peer round corners, heated seats and a tasty retro paintjob are the highlights of next year’s BMW R1250GS. While Britain’s best-selling big motorcycle remains fundamentally unchanged – no engine or chassis tweaks – a swathe of new gadgets give buyers plenty of ecient ways to slosh money BMW’S way.
The cornering headlight is the most cunning new gizmo, both technically and financially. It’s a completely new system that uses sensors to detect the direction of the headlight (eg angle and tilt) and then adjusts the reflector to point the beam in the right direction. Besides aiming into corners, BMW say the headlamp can also compensate for brake dive and acceleration. It is not based on the K1600’s adaptive headlight that used an electronically controlled prism to point the beam. At £590, the new headlight seems reasonably priced, until you notice that clicking that option on the configurator automatically adds the Dynamic Pack because, presumably, the headlight requires the electronic suspension control gubbins to function. So, if you didn’t want the £1410 Dynamic pack, that clever headlight costs a fruity £2100, taking your new GS from a base price of £13,700 to £15,800. It’s the same with the new heated seat, which comes in at a reasonable £230… except you can’t buy that on its own and have to get the Comfort Pack as well, which adds another £510 for heated grips, a chrome exhaust and keyless ride.
If you want the new gadgets, BMW are clearly steering you to buy the £16,940 R1250GS TE in the first place, which comes with the new headlight and Dynamic and Comfort packs, so all you need to add is the 40 Year GS Edition pack to celebrate four decades of the GS. This costs a fruity £1990, and gets you the R paint job, yellow saddle and gold wheels. It does save you £230 though, as you can’t have it with the heated seat.