VOL. 53 ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 8, 2016 P71
THE VITALS
BMW R 1200 GSA
Engine and gearbox: 1170, Boxer-
twin, six-speed
Chassis, suspension and brakes:
Tubular steel bridge chassis,
Telelever front suspension and
Paralever rear suspension,
radially-mounted four-piston
front brake calipers and 305mm
discs, twin-piston rear caliper
and 265mm disc
Seat height: 35 in.
Fuel capacity: 8.7 gal.
Weight: 564 lbs. (wet, claimed)
Electronics: Electronically
adjusted suspension (ESA),
ABS, traction control, heated
hand grips, cruise control, four
variable engine maps
Power: 110 hp @ 7750 rpm
(claimed)
Torque: 89 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm
MSRP: $18,695 (base, no acces-
sories)
Kit Palmer: "The BMW is a big motorcycle
that requires a lot of respect on the dirt, but
the more you ride it, the more you get used
to it. Those protruding cylinders irritate the
heck out of me at times when riding off-road.
Uniquely positioned the way they are helps
give the bike a low center of gravity, which in
turns improves handling, but try telling that
to my shins. The suspension is remarkably good in the dirt and the
engine is very compliant both off and on the road—there's tons
of power on tap. The road is where the BMW really shines. It's
extremely comfortable and can be ridden mile after mile without
any hint of complaint from your back or legs. Even if I had no inten-
tions of touching dirt, I would seriously consider the BMW as my
one-and-only street bike."
(Above) This shot gives you
an idea of the size of a fully
loaded GSA. It's amazing it
handles as well as it does!
Sean Finley: "If you will be primarily riding
on the road with the occasional dirt road, the
BMW R1200 GS Adventure is the one. The
motor favors low rpm riding and will acceler-
ate out of corners with impressive force. The
sitting position and ergonomics are a little
different than the other bikes in the test and
the most comfortable for a long day of riding.
The electronics and dash provide a lot of options for ride modes an
d suspension settings as well as all the information you could ever
want. But the BMW is the most difficult to ride in sand and the rela-
tively low ground clearance and wide engine make tougher trails a
challenge. If that is the kind of riding you favor, the BMW can get
through it but not as easy as the Honda and KTM.
The electronics and dash require some practice to master all the
options. The wide seat and motor make the bike feel big."
Jesse Ziegler: "That extremely planted feel
carries over effortlessly to the smooth and
widest dirt road sections we rode as well as
the more technical off-road areas that didn't
suffer from too much loose or truly nasty
off-road ground cover. Only on the softer sand
sections does the very excellent road-biased
front-end geometry start to wallow. Also,
here is where you can really feel the burden of the massive tank
full of fuel. However, the big Beemer isn't as bad off-road as it may
seem on paper or feel when you roll it around the shop. In reality,
the BMW is solid, totally fine in the dirt as long as you respect
physics' limits and is clearly the most comfortable of these bikes
for touring. It is the grand master of the touring segment with the
historical ADV chops to traverse the backcountry."
