VOL. 53 ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 8, 2016 P69
BMW R 1200 GS ADVENTURE
3
RD
PLACE
H
ands down, the BMW R
1200 GS Adventure is the
best of this quartet on the
road. Low center of gravity,
every creature comfort but the
kitchen sink, excellent ele-
ments protection and a motor so
smooth it may as well be called
the silk road; the biggest of all
off-road Beemers never fails to
disappoint—if you never go off-
road.
This is truly a massive bike, a
far cry from the svelte nature of
the KTM and Honda and cer-
tainly porkier (in feel, not overall
weight) than the Ducati. Despite
this fact, the Beemer is a beauty
on road. It's stable as a rock (if
a little slow in the steering), the
ESA (Electronic Suspension
Adjustment) takes care of road
corrugations with ease, throwing
waves of confidence at the rider.
I've seen some riders do some
pretty amazing things with a GSA
on the tar.
Off road, the sheer girth of the
bike becomes more apparent.
You've got to be careful in any-
thing other than hard-packed dirt
because what aids the bike on
the tar—the low center of grav-
ity—can make the GSA a bit of a
handful when riding over sharp
rocks, tree stumps and the like.
But there is a plus to the
GSA in that the boxer twin mo-
tor has a beautifully mapped
fuel-injection system and slow
(Top) The screen and bodywork
offer sublime protection from the
elements. (Bottom) The classic
BMW Telelever front end performs
remarkably well off-road and is
solid as a rock on the tar.
