MAGALIESBURG, Gauteng – Gravel is not my favourite surface on which to ride a bike. Standing on the foot-pegs of the R 1200 GS, I am loathing every rut, boulder and bump that tries to separate me from my steed.
Somehow, the suspension of the GS just soaks up everything that the gravel track can throw at it. Just as I am starting to get used to the slight wiggle of the bars in my hands, doom approaches in the form of a 30-metre section of thick sand.
I remember the words of the instructor: “stand up, weight back and open the throttle”. That leaves only one action for me and I pin the throttle more in hope than belief. The R 1200 GS crosses the sand with confidence, although my heart skips a few beats in the process – what a bike!
History lesson
The GS story is now 37 years old, with the original R 80 G/S a watershed machine when it was launched at the IFMA international bicycle and motorcycle show in Cologne in September 1980. For the first time, a manufacturer offered a large capacity machine (fitted with the legendary air-cooled boxer twin engine) that was capable of touring on- and off-road, with a pillion if required.
To prove its potential, Hubert Auriol rode a race version to a stunning victory in the Paris-Dakar rally, finishing three hours ahead of his nearest challenger. The rest, as they say, is history.
What’s new?
The 2017 R 1200 GS employs the same original formula as the R 80 G/S, with only slight but important tweaks compared to the 2016 model:
- Styling wise, the bodywork is altered to achieve more visual robustness, according to BMW. The biggest changes relate to the front fender and radiator covers and colour options
- Four models are offered, namely the Standard, Exclusive, Ralley and Adventure versions (all with unique new paint schemes)
- New riding modes includes Rain, Road, Dynamic, Dynamic Pro, Enduro and Enduro Pro alter the traction control and throttle calibration for every terrain the rider may encounter
- An auto-levelling function is added to the electronic suspension adjustment (ESA) that will adjust the attitude of the bike automatically for all loads and riding styles
- Gear Shift Assist Pro is available as standard on all new models and supports clutch-less gearshifts by cutting ignition and blipping the throttle on down-shifts
- The new Ralley version sports a redesigned, flat seat, endurance foot-pegs and a low windscreen
- The seat has a new range of adjustment to fit all rider physiques
- Keyless ignition and fuel filler cap
- Several customisation options are available, including Sport suspension for the Ralley
On road
The previous GS was known for its magic-carpet ride and the new version is still a very comfortable motorcycle on tar. The roads in the Magaliesburg region are not the smoothest, which may have contributed to my notion that the new suspension set-up is slightly stiffer than before. The standard seat also has more padding than the one found on the Ralley model, which enhances comfort. The same goes for the windscreens, as the standard version’s is much taller than the sport version on the Ralley.
The engine is still a gem and pulls like a train in any gear (more torque than pure kilowatts). This is a good thing as I found the gearbox still has the typical GS mechanical feel (read slightly clunky), but this is mitigated by the quick-shifter (named Gear Shift Assist Pro in BMW speak). Sixth gear can be employed from 80 km/h up to antisocial readouts on the analogue speedometer.
Braking performance of the large machine is still as confidence inspiring as before. The bike takes some effort to be leaned over when a bend arrives, but is very stable on the chosen line.
Off-road
There is no hiding the fact that this is a big, heavy machine (at 244 kg). Therefore, technical riding is not its forte and is best attempted with a lighter bike. Even so, the GS impressed immensely and the fact that many dirt-road novices (including myself) completed all the off-road sections without incident is a big compliment to the bike.
Where the seat on the Ralley is not as comfortable on-road, it allows the rider more movement on the bike off-road. I chose to switch the traction control off to allow me to spin the rear wheel when a quick burst of speed was required without the nannies cutting the power.
Summary
It is not by chance that the R 1200 GS is the best-selling bike in the BMW Motorrad range and that the German manufacturer has the largest slice of the specific bike segment. The bike is everything most adventurous road riders would need, and they have the peace of mind of an extensive servicing network and parts back-up, too. Long live the GS.
