MOTORRAD TOURS
P94
Feature
Riding along the
Douro River Valley
on the BMW S 1000
XR. The Douro Valley
is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, as it
is one of the oldest
wine- producing
regions in the world.
BMW R 1250 GS AND
S 1000 XR COMPARISON
P
ersonally, I've always been a big
fan of the GS. I've owned several,
and each has delivered mile after mile
of fun and adventure. In 1980, long
before the adventure-motorcycle seg-
ment became fashionable, I dreamed
of owning an R 80 GS. I was still in
high school at the time, so they were
well out of my reach, financially, but
the dealership where I worked sold
BMWs and every day I would see
these bikes and talk to our customers
who owned them.
Almost forty years later, the GS still
lures me with its unique styling that
screams function over form. Crank-
ing out 136 horsepower and 105
foot-pounds of torque, the GS has
come a long way since 1980. The
new shift-cam engine delivers smooth
power all the way from idle to redline,
and the word "power" is not used
loosely here. When you're ready to
wick the throttle open, hang on. The
front wheel is likely to climb into the
air just enough to make you feel like
(insert the name of your favorite Mo-
toGP rider here). With a host of rider
aids, the GS inspires confidence in
every riding situation. Offering rain
and road riding modes standard, and
dynamic traction control and elec-
tronic suspension control in the pre-
mium package, along with numerous
other available electronic aids, the
GS is the most highly sophisticated
