BMW R1200GS
Still the adventure-bike benchmark
Why you want one
There is a reason the GS and its Adventure brother are the UK’S most-popular used bikes — there’s nothing it can’t do and if you only have room for one bike in your garage, the BMW will fulfil all of your two-wheeled needs — it’s a decent used-buy too.
Thanks to the GS’S almost permanent place at the top of the used-bike sales charts, there are plenty of decent bikes on the market and a slightly-used GS is compelling — a lot of the issues that seem to effect new GSS will have been sorted out under warranty. An early bike for the same as a new V-strom 650 makes a lot of sense and one of the good things about GS ownership is they hold their value even if you pile on the miles.
There is so much to recommend them. Comfort and practicality is a given but the handling is perfect for every kind of road riding too, with peerless stability and an easygoing, almost nimble nature that belies its 244kg kerb weight.
The 2013-2018 model represents the best compromise between used-bike value and new-bike technology. In 2013 BMW completely revised the GS and added a brand-new water-cooled engine that boosted both power and torque. A new electronics system also added a ride-by-wire throttle and a stack of associated rider assists such as traction control, power modes and semi-active suspension. While some lamented the lack of air-cooling, this much-needed update made the already class-leading GS even better through a stronger motor. As well as being more refined, it also allowed BMW to add a greater selection of creature comforts mated to a sportier chassis with a greater emphasis on road handling. In short, the best got even better…