First rides special
Road-biased Exclusive £15,565 Off-road-friendly Rallye £14,625
IT CAN’T HAVE surprised anyone when the R1200GS and its Adventure big brother were recently confirmed as the UK’S most popular 125cc-plus bikes of 2016, their combined total of almost 3000 (with the Adventure slightly ahead, for once) way up on the third best seller. The GS bandwagon just keeps on rolling, with more than 100,000 sold worldwide since the 1170cc boxer unit was liquid-cooled four years ago.
Now for BMW’S cunning plan for complete world domination: new models called the Rallye and Exclusive, which sit alongside the updated standard R1200GS and are aimed at contrasting ends of the spectrum: those who do venture off road – and those who’d never dream of doing that.
Of the two, the dirt-focused Rallye is more innovative, but the road-biased Exclusive will probably be more popular. As its name suggests, the Exclusive is an upmarket creation, available in TE specification only (the standard GS comes in both basic and TE versions). It’s essentially a cosmetic upgrade, finished in “distinguished” Iced Chocolate metallic paintwork – or brown to you, sir. Possibly the first time that a giant choc-ice has been advertised as remotely posh.
Like the TE version of the standard GS, the Exclusive incorporates a host of optional parts, most significant of which is Dynamic ESA Next Generation, an updated version of BMW’S semi-active suspension system. This abandons the previous manually adjusted rear shock preload, denoted by the familiar dashboard diagrams showing crash helmets (for solo/ two-up) and panniers (for luggage). Instead it senses load and adjusts shock preload to suit.
Ironically Aprilia’s Caponord 1200 introduced a
“Rallye is more innovative, Exclusive will be more popular”
near-identical system four years ago, but the Italian V-twin was virtually ignored in the fuss surrounding the liquid-cooled boxer’s arrival. BMW admit as much, pointing out that self-levelling systems were previously used in the car world. As before, the GS system gives a choice of softer Road or firmer Dynamic mode. This can be selected by changing riding mode with the button on the right bar, which also alters throttle response. Alternatively the suspension alone can be adjusted via the left bar.
On the twisty roads around Almeria on the launch it’s the Exclusive’s familiar GS character and all-round brilliance that makes the strongest impression. The boxer engine, its 125bhp performance unaltered by minor mods and exhaust tweaks required to meet the Euro 4 standard, is glorious: grunty, smooth revving, sweetly fuelled, and enhanced by the slick Gear Shift Assist Pro quickshifter, complete with fruity sounding auto-blipper on downchanges.
There’s so much about the GS that makes sense and helps explain its ubiquity. The screen works and is easy to adjust by twisting a knob; the Exclusive’s two-part seat is comfortable and supportive; the riding and suspension modes are distinguishable and easily used. On a dry but cold day in southern Spain I’m glad the Exclusive’s long list of features includes hand guards and heated grips, along with other options including keyless ignition, LED lights and Hill Start Control, which makes its debut on the GS.
I love the semi-active suspension too, especially the way it firms up the forks under hard use of the powerful Brembo front brake. The rear end stiffens under acceleration, too, giving a wonderfully taut cornering feel considering the generous suspension travel of 190mm front and 200mm rear.
The Next Gen system’s preload choices seem fine, and there’s the option to reduce preload manually to the ‘Min’ setting for a lower seat height, or increase preload to ‘Max’ to add ground clearance for off road use. The majority of riders will be happy to get on and go, with minimum fuss, and plenty of trust in the Metzeler Tourance Next or Michelin Anakee III tyres.
The Exclusive also matches the standard GS TE model by including BMW’S more advanced Dynamic Traction Control (the
base model gets the simpler ATC system) and Riding Modes Pro, with its additional dirt-friendly Enduro. As before, many GS buyers are likely to pore over BMW’S extensive (and complex) options and accessories lists for hours… and then sign up for a fully-loaded model at the expense of slightly higher PCP payments.
Whether they choose the TE Exclusive or the £270 less expensive standard R1200GS TE, whose list of included features is identical, will depend on willingness to pay extra for the two-wheeled choc-ice with its gold (painted) front brake calipers and grey tank panels and frame. Either TE model costs a lot more than the £12,250 required for the base-model GS, but those options contribute to a subtly enhanced boxer that looks sure to keep BMW’S bandwagon rolling on.