B I G B O R E A D V C O M P A R I S O N T E S T
P70
SHOOTOUT
Despite the size,
the BMW carries
its weight very well
and is superbly
outfitted with
electronic aids.
speed, small openings don't set
the bike off in a nervous course
and just allow it to plow through
its chosen path.
The boxer layout also makes
the bike feel very wide (it is, any-
way), and as the tallest rider of
the bunch, Kit, hated continually
hitting his shins on the cylinders.
Like the Ducati, there's an
enormous array of electronics
available (riding modes, traction
control, ABS, cruise control,
heated grips…), but they seem
to be a little more intuitive on the
BMW, a little easier to under-
stand and adjust. Little things
like the position and function of
the cruise-control switch, the
faster warming and hotter heated
grips over the Ducati and KTM
and easy switchability of the TC
and ABS make the GSA a fantas-
tic machine.
This is the big daddy of the
ADV range and even though
you can ride this bike into some
pretty gnarly areas, most won't,
instead focusing on the blacktop
and a bit of dirt road riding. If
this were a pure road ADV test,
the GSA would have won—no
question.
