The golden goose of the BMW R1200GS Adventure: complex, vulnerable, too big for the city

Preface

This isn't the first time I've had thoughts about the GSA. The first time the impressions were not the best, but a) I had not driven much in “adventure” cars before and b) I had practically never driven a BMW before and c) it was not a water-cooled option (which, by the way, "two big differences")

This time, inspired by the ecstasy of positivity from the Honda CRL1000F Africa Twin, I decided to compare it with a “horse from the Bavarian stable” to understand what I prefer.

As usual, the weather was “not the most chic” - wind and rain, but, firstly, not for the first time, and secondly - quite “Dutch summer weather”. With this thought I set off towards Apeldoorn.

I quickly received the key on the spot, although there was still enough time before the test drive. When I hinted that it seemed like it wasn’t my time yet, they told me “well, that means you’ll have more of it.” Ha! It would always be like this!

Destination Anywhere

Hello. I’ll probably tell you about the motorcycle I spent this season in the saddle of. This is a BMW R1200GSA, a '16 dropsy. His odometer now shows just over 16,000 km and, judging by the weather outside, this number is unlikely to change noticeably.

This is probably the most common question that people ask me when they find out that I switched to a BMW saddle from a KTM 990 Adventure. In general, everything was something like this. Five years ago I ditched the F800GS for a 990 Adventure and thought I'd never go back. But, as they say, “never say never”: last year, when Slonyara was waiting for spare parts, I suddenly had the urge to ride and I rented an R1200GS Adventure, but an “aircraft” of the previous generation. I won’t go into details - a separate post has been written about this, but based on the results of my first trips, I thought a lot because... In the role of a near-asphalt tourist, the motorcycle turned out to be very, very pleasant in everything except the engine. Considering that I already had a KTM EXC500 for riding through the forests, I thought - “why not”? A heavy tourist on an energy-intensive suspension is a good addition to a hard-endure vehicle transported by car.

I was riding with this thought on the same airborne GSA along the northern shore of Ladoga, when, when hitting a small hole, the motorcycle emitted a “khrrr” and began to slow down. As it turns out later, damage to the boot between the box and the pendulum (most likely in an accident) turned the latter into a vacuum cleaner for everything that flew out from under the rear wheel. Even though I understood that this was not a mistake by BMW, but a problem with this particular motorcycle, it noticeably cooled me down.

The problem was that by that time I had already decided to change the motorcycle and all that remained was to decide for what. Thoughts about completely road vehicles were quickly rejected and I concentrated on the segment of “tourendours from a liter and above.” One of the main requirements for the motorcycle was a really large power reserve, which in turn required a really big tank.

Surprisingly, only two motorcycles of this class can boast of this in stock: the R1200GS Adventure and its main competitor, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure T. To be honest, the choice was not easy and at times I still look at the KTM with interest (it’s a pity that the dealer undeservedly deprived of attention to this model). Over the 16 years of existence of the GS Adventure, the Austrians were the first to decide to compete with the Germans in this segment and, I must say, hit the target the first time: as for me, the motorcycles are very similar in the range of tasks they solve, but differ in implementation. I would even say that the differences are rather religious: cardan vs chain, quite dynamic boxer vs frankly aggressive V-Twin, patented Telelever and Paralever vs classic suspension from WP. In terms of electronic equipment, the motorcycles are neck and neck. Among other things, the Austrians have a noticeably lower price tag, but...they weren’t in stock, the pre-order date was supposed to arrive at the end of April, and no one could convince me that I wouldn’t sit at home during the May holidays. And I went to the BMW showroom. It's funny, but I bought the previous goose (F800GS) in exactly the same way.

The new GSA is different in every way, and the changes start with the design: the rounded, streamlined shapes of the previous generation have been replaced by aggressively chopped ones. However, to me, the touring flagship continues to be recognizable and I am sure that anyone who has seen previous generations of this motorcycle will immediately recognize this one.

Of course, the main change is the new engine. Disputes about how permissible it is to break long-standing traditions by installing liquid cooling began simultaneously with the presentation of this very new engine and have not subsided to this day. BMW engineers decided not to waste time on trifles: in addition to increasing power and installing liquid cooling, the new engine also received a wet clutch, which, together with the gearbox, moved to the engine crankcase, a vertical intake, an electronic throttle grip and mode control.

The electronic suspension has become even more electronic, or, to be more precise, semi-active: “Dynamic” has been added to the abbreviation ESA, now the electronics not only changes the settings at your request at specified intervals - on the new geese, the brains, among other things, receive data on the operation of the suspension and, overlaying these data on traffic situation data (acceleration/braking/roll/etc), make a decision on opening/closing valves in order to change stiffness.

Among other things, the cardan with the exhaust swapped places and a glove compartment appeared (small and without a lock, but this never existed before). We’ll probably stop here; I’ll talk about smaller niggles separately.

First trips.

Early spring - somewhere around the first half of March, a goose is basking near the dealership. A huge self-propelled sofa, which with its whole appearance says “the asphalt has thawed - maybe this is a long trip?” The design has changed noticeably, but the new look is still recognizable as its predecessors - for a moment it even seems to me that this is the same air thing, just in slightly different plastic.

The controls raise a lot of questions - all my previous motorcycles had a gas handle, clutch and brake levers, and now they added all sorts of buttons. The salon manager conducts a pre-launch briefing, and I soon realize that there is somehow too much information. Okay, we'll sort it out as needed. In the meantime, first down and let's go. Before the start, out of curiosity, I pick up speed a little in neutral - the motorcycle sways slightly. Perhaps it was my imagination, but with the air gun this effect was more noticeable.

While driving around the territory, for the first time I hear this pleasant diesel tune that the engine emits when driving at low speeds. Those who spend a lot of time on long-distance trucks are probably well aware of the sound of diesel tractors with which they crawl through the parking lot. The GSA sounds very similar until about 3500 rpm, and then the engine changes voice.

As is the case with other BMWs, this bike also takes no getting used to. - as if I just took it from the winter, and before that I owned it for many years. It steers excellently and, what’s important, is completely predictable and confidently holds its trajectory. The semi-active suspension gives good feedback - you always know if you hit something: it’s not a breakdown or a swing - just feedback between you and the road.

Brakes. The last two bikes (F800GS and 990 Adventure) were equipped with Brembo brake systems and I couldn't ask for more - they worked perfectly. But here... it’s just some kind of drogue parachute paired with an anchor! Two radial machines at the front, working in tandem with the rear, work wonders - the motorcycle stops much earlier than you expect.

And everything seems to be great, but the engine... damn run-in - 1000 kilometers in the thoughts “will you be as nimble after 4000 rpm”?

Buttons.

In general, I was planning to write about the management of special stages in the section about the track, but somehow I got carried away and decided that this should be moved somewhere to the side. We will be talking about GSA in the maximum configuration (as far as I know, this is the standard for motorcycles supplied to Russia).

In terms of standard controls, everything is in its place and does not require getting used to. Let's talk about the additional ones: on the left remote control there is a navigation control dial (optional) - if your motorcycle has a native Navik (which is essentially a modified Garmin), then this is a very convenient thing. The only problem is that when angular forces are applied to the steering wheel, the disk is often accidentally squeezed out, and you have to snap it back.

The large two-section paddle on the part farthest from the driver is cruise control. In general, I considered this option completely unnecessary and even harmful, but when I used it, I realized that over long distances this thing is very convenient. In addition, it is a very convenient option over the hill, where even for small excesses you can pay a lot of money. The large part is the lock (so that the paddle hidden under it is not pressed), the small part is the control paddle itself. In addition to maintaining the selected speed, it is also possible to lower/increase it without touching the gas, or, if you have turned off cruise, return to the previous settings. The latter, I must say, greatly breaks the pattern because... the motorcycle starts to accelerate on its own. Cruise is turned off by squeezing the clutch or brake, as well as by closing the gas (additional effort when turning away from you) or switching through the quickshifter.

The next button is to switch between low and high. Among the options for the GSA there is a diode headlight with automatic switching between low beam and side position (the default mode can be selected in the menu, or you can select the mode with the button). Together with the neighbor, the PTF will automatically turn on (they can be turned off with a button at the base of the mirror base).

In the center of the left remote control there is a pair of swings - the left ones control the tidy (you can separately select two indicators - in the upper and lower parts, respectively), the right ones are more interesting: the upper part turns off ABS and anti-skid, the lower one controls the suspension modes: in addition to the basic “Soft” Normal/Hard” you can select the sub-mode “alone”, “with luggage”, “full load”.

We move from the left console to the right. On the way, instead of the usual ignition switch, you will find an “On/Off” button. The key is now not a key at all, but just a beacon for brains of the “friend or foe” type. The tank cap works on the same principle.

The right remote control is much more modest - in addition to the “Stop/Start” swing, there are only two buttons: control of the heated handles and control of the motorcycle modes. There’s not much to say about the first one except that this button is made extremely inconvenient because... In order to reach it, you have to take your hand off the gas. The second button does not create any problems and is designed to select one of the riding modes (Rain, Road, Dynamic, Enduro, Enduro Pro), each of which also changes the suspension settings (they can be overridden separately), ABS and ASC. But we'll talk about all this later.

City.

In general, I almost stopped driving around the city and when purchasing I didn’t particularly plan for this mode of use. However, the motorcycle feels completely normal in the city.

I can’t say that I can get through any row with a whiz, but confident traction at idle and a good turning radius make this task much easier. In such conditions, the heat from the open engine is noticeable, but not bothersome.

The Adventure does not give up even when actively moving in dense traffic - even with its size, in terms of controllability and response to the handle, absolutely no questions arise.

I would especially like to note the work of light. A triangle of LED headlights and two LED foglights make the motorcycle very, very noticeable in traffic.

Route.

So, as for the main area of ​​application of flagship geese. The GSA shows by all appearances that it is maximally tailored for moving over long distances, and so it is.

The wind protection is massive: from below you are covered by the tank and engine, from above by a wide muzzle and a very high glass. When driving along a highway in moderate rain, there is a good chance of only getting your hands wet up to the elbows. Although, in my opinion, things were even better with the windproof air bag. The wind deflector is adjustable in height and angle at the same time - for a person with a height of more than 190 it is already difficult to suffice, but it can easily be replaced at an aftermarket - fortunately, there are plenty of options.

The seating position is upright, there is a fairly wide saddle under the driver, and if you ride without a passenger (or luggage in his seat), there is a good margin for movement. However, rolling out the tank at once is a rather difficult task (at least for me), after 350-400 kilometers you still feel the urge to stop. The passenger lives in a separate seat section, which is located slightly higher. I can’t call the saddle super-comfortable - it’s quite comfortable, but it could be even better (by the way, it has height adjustment).

Since we're talking about the tank, I'll tell you about the power reserve. The new GSA's tank has shrunk by 3 liters, but is still 30 liters - this is the best figure in the class (the KTM 1290 Super Adventure T has a similar volume), and the manufacturer promises a more economical engine compared to the previous generation. According to my measurements in the “calm, smooth road, smooth gas” mode, the instantaneous consumption per hundred turned out to be approximately the following: at 100 km/h - about 4.5 liters, at 150 - about 8, and about 12 liters at 200. In other words, if you are in no hurry at all - you can count on about 600 km. Although, to be honest, I only got +/- similar numbers in Europe.

Of course, as with any motorcycle, your final mileage will greatly depend on your riding style. In general, the engine turned out to be exactly the way I imagined it - the GSA does not provoke overtly aggressive driving (which is often attributed to its main opponent), but is very conducive to dynamic driving: the DYNA mode noticeably enlivens it, and the double-sided quickshifter suddenly turns out to be useful even at such a motorcycle - this option seemed completely unnecessary to me, but it has its advantages both in cases when you want to quickly shift, and in situations when you are simply too lazy to press the clutch.

A comfortable cruiser - about 160 according to GPS (it’s still possible to make out the words in the music playing through the intercom) - when accelerating from a standstill, the GSA easily and naturally picks it up in 4th gear. Speaking of higher speeds, unlike the F800GS, behind the wheel of this motorcycle there is no desire to take a nap while waiting for the speedometer to move from 170 to 200: 4th ends at about 180, and the motorcycle does not lose agility in the next gear. And the faster you go, the more you will be glad to have a damper - I didn’t notice any problems with stability at high speeds (although I’m not a fan of such speeds and rarely do this).

Separately, I would like to note that BMW engineers managed to combine in one motorcycle both good directional stability and sharp (by the standards of its class) handling. So, for example, this year on the M4, with a strong wind blowing obliquely into the muzzle, the goose easily maintained cruising speed and did not require much course correction. At the same time, if you want to actively maneuver, it won’t give you any trouble in this case either.

Priming.

Let's get one thing straight: I don't expect miracles from a motorcycle with a curb weight of 260 kg, a cardan shaft and almost road-sized wheels. I don't recommend it to you either.

As expected, the GSA rides perfectly fine on a medium-kill grader and has no problems doing it quite quickly (about 80-90 km/h). The suspension is enough for high-speed testing, yes, it shakes, but that’s not the point - you can drive and it seems even for a long time.

My next descent to the dirt began with a fall, when I decided to pass a sandy piece with gas, and the electronics (being in road mode) rushed to save me - the anti-box strangled the engine, the motorcycle almost stopped and I lay down to rest. By the way, at that time I had my first experience of lifting the GSA into a vertical position. A motorcycle that in most cases remains lying at an angle of ~40 degrees is comfortable.

With the safety systems disabled and the suspension loosened in the forest, it behaves better than many SUVs (thanks to the boxer engine, which reduces the CG, and the suspension reserve), but relative to middle-weight touring enduros, the heavy muzzle and 19/17 wheels make their own adjustments to the handling. Although, for example, I was pleasantly surprised that a GSA shod in slicks with the electronics turned off behaves completely predictably on the trajectory when the rear wheel is deliberately stalled.

Regarding the differences from the previous generation, I would like to note that the vertical intake has significantly raised the air filter and is now located just below the steering column, which noticeably raised the waterline (previously the filter was located between the tank and the seat, the situation was also aggravated by the air intake from the height of the right boiler).

In general, for me, the GSA's off-road capabilities look like this: if you meaningfully drive it deep into the forest and your goal is more distant than a camp a couple of kilometers from a paved road (and this is not necessarily asphalt) - you are clearly doing something not this way.

“What about scolding?”

I talked about the pros, let me write about the cons. Although, to be honest, I have almost no complaints. He told me about the unsafe button for turning on the heating, and about the not very convenient navigation control dial - apparently the same.

At about 13-14K km, the gearbox suddenly began to work noticeably noisier (and at times these sounds scared me), but studying AdvRider showed that this is the norm for this model: if you want quiet shifting, use the quickshifter, or adapt to the peculiarities of the brain helping you set the speed. True, then this symptom disappeared somewhere and returns extremely rarely.

There is also a noisy story connected with the new geese about the fact that often the front fork stays do not withstand heavy loads on off-road and, as a result, the GSA can turn into a unicycle. Fortunately, I don’t have such experience myself, but the recall launched in the fall will fix this problem on my motorcycle as well.

And, of course, the price. Frankly speaking, the difference with the competitor is such that if I had a choice, most likely I would become the owner of the 1290. This does not mean at all that GSA is not worth the money and that I am in any way unhappy with it - far from it. The point is that for a noticeably smaller amount you can get a motorcycle that is very similar in capabilities.

Results. Actually, that’s probably all I have. The senior GSA of the latest generation is a motorcycle that, although created from scratch, is at the same time an excellent continuation of the boxer traditions. While developing the new Adventure, BMW was able to not only update its flagship in this class, but also were not afraid to do serious work on the mistakes, closing all the inconvenient issues related to the engine. In my opinion, it turned out great.

As for my expectations, this is exactly what I wanted. Over the course of the year, there was never a situation where Adventure was lacking in something or limited me in some way. It seems to me that this is a very good indicator.

First impressions

So, the red R1200GSA, however, without the “body kit” in the form of panniers, but that’s not the point. Judging by further impressions, he’s completely clueless about what to hang on him—he’s rushing like a tank. But I'm getting ahead of myself. They explained to me the menu system where and how to play with the settings, set the “rain” mode to begin with and wished me good luck with the words “just don’t forget to give me the key.” Considering that you don’t need to insert the key anywhere, but simply keep it in your pocket (preferably with a zipper) - the advice is not without meaning. The only question that remained with me after all the explanations was “where is the best place to ride here, right?” As it turned out, the representative turned out to be “not local,” but somehow showed the way with his fingers. I still missed all the turns, but, at least conceptually, I was driving in the right direction.

We press the start button and the “beast” comes to life. Unlike previous models, there is no squeezing the clutch or other “tambourines”. Just make sure it doesn't stand in gear. We carefully taxi out of the parking lot (just not to drop it...) and here is the road.

Hello. I’ll probably tell you about the motorcycle I spent this season in the saddle of. This is a BMW R1200GSA, a '16 dropsy. His odometer now shows just over 16,000 km and, judging by the weather outside, this number is unlikely to change noticeably.

“How did you get to this point?”

This is probably the most common question that people ask me when they find out that I switched to a BMW saddle from a KTM 990 Adventure. In general, everything was something like this. Five years ago I ditched the F800GS for a 990 Adventure and thought I'd never go back. But, as they say, “never say never”: last year, when Slonyara was waiting for spare parts, I suddenly had the urge to ride and I rented an R1200GS Adventure, but an “aircraft” of the previous generation. I won’t go into details - a separate post has been written about this, but based on the results of my first trips, I thought a lot because... In the role of a near-asphalt tourist, the motorcycle turned out to be very, very pleasant in everything except the engine. Considering that I already had a KTM EXC500 for riding through the forests, I thought - “why not”? A heavy tourist on an energy-intensive suspension is a good addition to a hard-endure vehicle transported by car.

I was riding with this thought on the same airborne GSA along the northern shore of Ladoga, when, when hitting a small hole, the motorcycle emitted a “khrrr” and began to slow down. As it turns out later, damage to the boot between the box and the pendulum (most likely in an accident) turned the latter into a vacuum cleaner for everything that flew out from under the rear wheel. Even though I understood that this was not a mistake by BMW, but a problem with this particular motorcycle, it noticeably cooled me down.

The problem was that by that time I had already decided to change the motorcycle and all that remained was to decide for what. Thoughts about completely road vehicles were quickly rejected and I concentrated on the segment of “tourendours from a liter and above.” One of the main requirements for the motorcycle was a really large power reserve, which in turn required a really big tank.

Surprisingly, only two motorcycles of this class can boast of this in stock: the R1200GS Adventure and its main competitor, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure T. To be honest, the choice was not easy and at times I still look at the KTM with interest (it’s a pity that the dealer undeservedly deprived of attention to this model). Over the 16 years of existence of the GS Adventure, the Austrians were the first to decide to compete with the Germans in this segment and, I must say, hit the target the first time: as for me, the motorcycles are very similar in the range of tasks they solve, but differ in implementation. I would even say that the differences are rather religious: cardan vs chain, quite dynamic boxer vs frankly aggressive V-Twin, patented Telelever and Paralever vs classic suspension from WP. In terms of electronic equipment, the motorcycles are neck and neck. Among other things, the Austrians have a noticeably lower price tag, but... they were not in stock, the pre-order was supposed to arrive at the end of April, and no one could convince me that I would not sit at home during the May holidays. And I went to the BMW showroom. It's funny, but I bought the previous goose (F800GS) in exactly the same way.

Really big update.

The new GSA is different in every way, and the changes start with the design: the rounded, streamlined shapes of the previous generation have been replaced by aggressively chopped ones. However, to me, the touring flagship continues to be recognizable and I am sure that anyone who has seen previous generations of this motorcycle will immediately recognize this one.

Of course, the main change is the new engine. Disputes about how permissible it is to break long-standing traditions by installing liquid cooling began simultaneously with the presentation of this very new engine and have not subsided to this day. BMW engineers decided not to waste time on trifles: in addition to increasing power and installing liquid cooling, the new engine also received a wet clutch, which, together with the gearbox, moved to the engine crankcase, a vertical intake, an electronic throttle grip and mode control.

The electronic suspension has become even more electronic, or, to be more precise, semi-active: “Dynamic” has been added to the abbreviation ESA, now the electronics not only changes the settings at your request at specified intervals - on the new geese, the brains, among other things, receive data on the operation of the suspension and, overlaying these data on traffic situation data (acceleration/braking/roll/etc), make a decision on opening/closing valves in order to change stiffness.

Among other things, the cardan with the exhaust swapped places and a glove compartment appeared (small and without a lock, but this never existed before). We’ll probably stop here; I’ll talk about smaller niggles separately.

First trips.

Early spring - somewhere around the first half of March, a goose is basking near the dealership. A huge self-propelled sofa, which with its whole appearance says “the asphalt has thawed - maybe this is a long trip?” The design has changed noticeably, but the new look is still recognizable as its predecessors - for a moment it even seems to me that this is the same air thing, just in slightly different plastic.

The controls raise a lot of questions - all my previous motorcycles had a gas handle, clutch and brake levers, and now they added all sorts of buttons. The salon manager conducts a pre-launch briefing, and I soon realize that there is somehow too much information. Okay, we'll sort it out as needed. In the meantime, first down and let's go. Before the start, out of curiosity, I pick up speed a little in neutral - the motorcycle sways slightly. Perhaps it was my imagination, but with the air gun this effect was more noticeable.

While driving around the territory, for the first time I hear this pleasant diesel tune that the engine emits when driving at low speeds. Those who spend a lot of time on long-distance trucks are probably well aware of the sound of diesel tractors with which they crawl through the parking lot. The GSA sounds very similar until about 3500 rpm, and then the engine changes voice.

As is the case with other BMWs, this bike also takes no getting used to. - as if I just took it from the winter, and before that I owned it for many years. It steers well and, what’s important, is completely predictable and confidently holds its trajectory. The semi-active suspension gives good feedback - you always know if you hit something - it’s not a breakdown or a swing - just feedback between you and the road.

Brakes. The last two bikes (F800GS and 990 Adventure) were equipped with Brembo brake systems and I couldn't ask for more - they worked perfectly. But here... it’s just some kind of drogue parachute paired with an anchor! Two radial machines at the front, working in tandem with the rear, work wonders - the motorcycle stops much earlier than you expect.

And everything seems to be great, but the engine... damn running in - 1000 kilometers in the thoughts “will you be as agile after 4000 rpm”?

Buttons . In general, I was planning to write about the management of special stages in the section about the track, but somehow I got carried away and decided that this should be moved somewhere to the side. We will be talking about GSA in the maximum configuration (as far as I know, this is the standard for motorcycles supplied to Russia).

In terms of standard controls, everything is in its place and does not require getting used to. Let's talk about the additional ones: on the left remote control there is a navigation control dial (optional) - if your motorcycle has a native Navik (which is essentially a modified Garmin), then this is a very convenient thing. The only problem is that when angular forces are applied to the steering wheel, the disk is often accidentally squeezed out, and you have to snap it back.

The large two-section paddle on the part farthest from the driver is cruise control. In general, I considered this option completely unnecessary and even harmful, but when I used it, I realized that over long distances this thing is very convenient. In addition, it is a very convenient option over the hill, where even for small excesses you can pay a lot of money. The large part is the lock (so that the paddle hidden under it is not pressed), the small part is the control paddle itself. In addition to maintaining the selected speed, it is also possible to lower/increase it without touching the gas, or, if you have turned off cruise, return to the previous settings. The latter, I must say, greatly breaks the pattern because... the motorcycle starts to accelerate on its own. Cruise is turned off by squeezing the clutch or brake, as well as by closing the gas (additional effort when turning away from you) or switching through the quickshifter.

The next button is to switch between low and high. Among the options for the GSA there is a diode headlight with automatic switching between low beam and side position (the default mode can be selected in the menu, or you can select the mode with the button). Together with the neighbor, the PTF will automatically turn on (they can be turned off with a button at the base of the mirror base).

In the center of the left remote control there is a pair of swings - the left ones control the tidy (you can separately select two indicators - in the upper and lower parts, respectively), the right ones are more interesting: the upper part turns off ABS and anti-skid, the lower one controls the suspension modes: in addition to the basic “Soft” Normal/Hard” you can select the sub-mode “alone”, “with luggage”, “full load”.

We move from the left console to the right. On the way, instead of the usual ignition switch, you will find an “On/Off” button. The key is now not a key at all, but just a beacon for brains of the “friend or foe” type. The tank cap works on the same principle.

The right remote control is much more modest - in addition to the “Stop/Start” swing, there are only two buttons: control of the heated handles and control of the motorcycle modes. There’s not much to say about the first one except that this button is made extremely inconvenient because... In order to reach it, you have to take your hand off the gas. The second button does not create any problems and is designed to select one of the riding modes (Rain, Road, Dynamic, Enduro, Enduro Pro), each of which also changes the suspension settings (they can be overridden separately), ABS and ASC. But we'll talk about all this later.

City.

In general, I almost stopped driving around the city and when purchasing I didn’t particularly plan for this mode of use. However, the motorcycle feels completely normal in the city.

I can’t say that I can get through any row with a whiz, but confident traction at idle and a good turning radius make this task much easier. In such conditions, the heat from the open engine is noticeable, but not bothersome.

The Adventure does not give up even when actively moving in dense traffic - even with its size, in terms of controllability and response to the handle, absolutely no questions arise.

I would especially like to note the work of light. A triangle of LED headlights and two LED foglights make the motorcycle very, very noticeable in traffic.

Route.

So, as for the main area of ​​application of flagship geese. The GSA shows by all appearances that it is maximally tailored for moving over long distances, and so it is.

The wind protection is massive: from below you are covered by the tank and engine, from above by a wide muzzle and a very high glass. When driving along a highway in moderate rain, there is a good chance of only getting your hands wet up to the elbows. Although, in my opinion, things were even better with the windproof air bag. The wind deflector is adjustable in height and angle at the same time - for a person with a height of more than 190 it is already difficult to suffice, but it can easily be replaced at an aftermarket - fortunately, there are plenty of options.

The seating position is upright, there is a fairly wide saddle under the driver, and if you ride without a passenger (or luggage in his seat), there is a good margin for movement. However, rolling out the tank at once is a rather difficult task (at least for me), after 350-400 kilometers you still feel the urge to stop. The passenger lives in a separate seat section, which is located slightly higher. I can’t call the saddle super-comfortable - it’s quite comfortable, but it could be even better (by the way, it has height adjustment).

Since we're talking about the tank, I'll tell you about the power reserve. The new GSA's tank has shrunk by 3 liters, but is still 30 liters - this is the best figure in the class (the KTM 1290 Super Adventure T has a similar volume), and the manufacturer promises a more economical engine compared to the previous generation. According to my measurements in the “calm, smooth road, smooth gas” mode, the instantaneous consumption per hundred turned out to be approximately the following: at 100 km/h - about 4.5 liters, at 150 - about 8, and about 12 liters at 200. In other words, if you are in no hurry at all - you can count on about 600 km. Although, to be honest, I only got similar numbers in Europe.

Of course, as with any motorcycle, your final mileage will greatly depend on your riding style. In general, the engine turned out to be exactly the way I imagined it - the GSA does not provoke overtly aggressive driving (which is often attributed to its main opponent), but is very conducive to dynamic driving: the DYNA mode noticeably enlivens it, and the double-sided quickshifter suddenly turns out to be useful even at such a motorcycle - this option seemed completely unnecessary to me, but it has its advantages both in cases when you want to quickly shift, and in situations when you are simply too lazy to press the clutch.

A comfortable cruiser - about 160 according to GPS (it’s still possible to make out the words in the music playing through the intercom) - when accelerating from a standstill, the GSA easily and naturally picks it up in 4th gear. Speaking of higher speeds, unlike the F800GS, behind the wheel of this motorcycle there is no desire to take a nap while waiting for the speedometer to move from 170 to 200: 4th ends at about 180, and the motorcycle does not lose agility in the next gear. And the faster you go, the more you will be glad to have a damper - I didn’t notice any problems with stability at high speeds (although I’m not a fan of such speeds and rarely do this).

Separately, I would like to note that BMW engineers managed to combine in one motorcycle both good directional stability and sharp (by the standards of its class) handling. So, for example, this year on the M4, with a strong wind blowing obliquely into the muzzle, the goose easily maintained cruising speed and did not require much course correction. At the same time, if you want to actively maneuver, it won’t give you any trouble in this case either.

Priming.

Let's get one thing straight: I don't expect miracles from a motorcycle with a curb weight of 260 kg, a cardan shaft and almost road-sized wheels. I don't recommend it to you either.

As expected, the GSA rides perfectly fine on a medium-kill grader and has no problems doing it quite quickly (about 80-90 km/h). The suspension is enough for high-speed testing, yes, it shakes, but that’s not the point - you can drive and it seems even for a long time.

My next descent to the dirt began with a fall, when I decided to pass a sandy piece with gas, and the electronics (being in road mode) rushed to save me - the anti-box strangled the engine, the motorcycle almost stopped and I lay down to rest. By the way, at that time I had my first experience of lifting the GSA into a vertical position. A motorcycle that in most cases remains lying at an angle of ~40 degrees is comfortable.

With the safety systems disabled and the suspension loosened in the forest, it behaves better than many SUVs (thanks to the boxer engine, which reduces the CG, and the suspension reserve), but relative to middle-weight touring enduros, the heavy muzzle and 19/17 wheels make their own adjustments to the handling. Although, for example, I was pleasantly surprised that a GSA shod in slicks with the electronics turned off behaves completely predictably on the trajectory when the rear wheel is deliberately stalled.

Regarding the differences from the previous generation, I would like to note that the vertical intake has significantly raised the air filter and is now located just below the steering column, which noticeably raised the waterline (previously the filter was located between the tank and the seat, the situation was also aggravated by the air intake from the height of the right boiler).

In general, for me, the GSA's off-road capabilities look like this: if you meaningfully drive it deep into the forest and your goal is more distant than a camp a couple of kilometers from a paved road (and this is not necessarily asphalt) - you are clearly doing something not this way.

“What about scolding?”

I talked about the pros, let me write about the cons. Although, to be honest, I have almost no complaints. He told me about the unsafe button for turning on the heating, and about the not very convenient navigation control dial - apparently the same.

At about 13-14k km, the gearbox suddenly began to work noticeably noisier (and at times these sounds scared me), but studying AdvRider showed that this is the norm for this model: if you want quiet shifting, use the quickshifter, or adapt to the peculiarities of the brain helping you set the speed. True, then this symptom disappeared somewhere and returns extremely rarely.

There is also a noisy story connected with the new geese about the fact that often the front fork stays do not withstand heavy loads on off-road and, as a result, the GSA can turn into a unicycle. Fortunately, I don’t have such experience myself, but the recall launched in the fall will fix this problem on my motorcycle as well.

And, of course, the price. Frankly speaking, the difference with the competitor is such that if I had a choice, most likely I would become the owner of the 1290. This does not mean at all that GSA is not worth the money and that I am in any way unhappy with it - far from it. The point is that for a noticeably smaller amount you can get a motorcycle that is very similar in capabilities.

Results. Actually, that’s probably all I have. The senior GSA of the latest generation is a motorcycle, although created from scratch, but at the same time it is an excellent continuation of the opposition traditions. While developing the new Adventure, BMW was able to not only update its flagship in this class, but also were not afraid to do serious work on the mistakes, closing all the inconvenient issues related to the engine. In my opinion, it turned out great.

As for my expectations, this is exactly what I wanted. Over the course of the year, there was never a situation where Adventure was lacking in something or limited me in some way. It seems to me that this is a very good indicator.

Appearance and Design

A few words about appearance. It is clear that there is no arguing about tastes. It took me a long time to get used to the appearance of the GS series, and only after 10 years of owning motorcycles I began to “get into the subject.” GSA adds a more “menacing” appearance with a large gas tank, plastic “air intakes” on the tank (which, by the way, play in the grooves - “shame and disgrace”), the presence of spoked wheels and “cross” running boards (which, to their credit, have vibrations you can't feel it!).

Landing

I didn’t feel any particular shock from switching to an SUV. There was even a slight disappointment, since I was expecting a “tank” in front of me, but in the end it felt like there was only a “slightly fat” motorcycle in front at the bottom (due to the huge tank), and nothing particularly outstanding. Probably, the size of the tidy and the windshield smooth out the impressions. Well, okay.

The seat is quite hard (as it should be, apparently, in an “adventure game”), but at the same time quite spacious, with a certain freedom of movement “to move around” on a long journey.

What I immediately felt was a more comfortable position for the legs - on RT you have to bend your legs, and as a result, the position below the waist is “locked”, even with the seat elevated. The R1200GS(A) with the 890/910mm seat that I got has a semi-standing stance feel that leaves my legs feeling fairly free. In general, I liked it, although after me a young lady who was slightly shorter in stature tried it on, she even looked at the shorter model with great doubt. Many Dutch GS owners cite the “Bavarian” size as the reason for their choice (besides branding, etc.), which allows people of “normal height” to fit comfortably on it.

Review of the BMW R1200GS Adventure 2014 motorcycle

BMW's top touring enduro just got even better

Along the river, through the forest, through the mountains and desert, and even to the ends of the earth - no motorcycle can capture the imagination and then completely live up to even the wildest expectations the way the BMW R1200GS does.

At the top of the GS range is the R 1200 GS
Adventure
, a model that is most at home off-road. This is a premium motorcycle, the price of which with the Premium Package in the US is a respectable $21,550 (the standard version is available only by special order). The bike is by no means cheap, so those who can buy the Adventure and are thinking about doing so need to know whether the machine is worth the money.

From this angle the GSA looks like the world's worst aerodynamic bike, but everything visible here has a purpose rather than just making the bike look menacing.
Hand guards, a tall windshield, wind deflectors and a wide front fender all provide better rider protection. The high location of the air intakes prevents water from getting in, and the protective arches protect the engine, body and radiators. To find out, a fully equipped Adventure was put through a full day of 300km testing and ...

Most of these kilometers were not paved. But let's start with the technical nuances. Here are the main features of the base Adventure model compared to the base GS model:

• High windshield
• Hand protection
• Luggage compartment near the steering wheel
• Aluminum gas tank with a volume of 30 l.
• Two-tone Adventure seat
• Luggage shelf
• Vibration damper
• Black cross spoke wheels
• Wide enduro footpegs
• Adjustable reinforced brake pedal
• Increased ground clearance
• Crankshaft with 20% increased inertial force
• Protection bars on the sides and at the engine
• Large side panels
• High air intake with protective grille
• Large front fender
• Side wind deflectors

The Premium Package includes: Dynamic Electronic Suspension Adjustment (Dynamic ESA), Computer Pro on-board computer, GPS support, cruise control, additional LED lights, seat bags, LED headlight, Ride Modes Pro, heating steering wheel grips, tire pressure monitoring system.

As with the 2014 BMW R1200RT, the Boxer engine from the standard GS model receives only a few significant changes. Both GSA and RT increased the weight of the engine crankshaft by 900 grams, thereby increasing its inertia force by 20%. The Adventure also features a special damper to compensate for the increased stress caused by the steeper swingarm angle (a result of increased suspension travel).

The R1200GS Adventure has 210mm of suspension travel at the front and 221mm at the rear. The standard GS model has 20mm less travel. Because it was necessary to maintain the quickness of the GS's steering, the rake angle was changed by one degree: it was 25.5 degrees, the Adventure became 24.5 degrees. In connection with all these changes, BMW installed a hydraulic non-adjustable steering damper for reliability, which moved to the standard GS.

The most expensive bells and whistles in the Adventure Premium Package are electronic. For example, the Dynamic ESA electronic suspension system and Ride Modes Pro. In addition to Rain and Road modes, there are Dynamic, Enduro and Enduro Pro. The Dynamic mode will be useful for an experienced and confident driver who wants to get all the available power of the bike on the asphalt. But remember that this mode is designed for road tires, not off-road ones, otherwise there will be serious skids and other dangerous situations.

Enduro and Enduro Pro modes will not let you get bored on rough terrain. The traction control and anti-lock braking systems can be turned on and off in any mode. Activating Enduro Pro leaves the traction control switched on, but reduces its effect to a minimum, and ABS remains activated only on the front wheel; throttle response is also optimized. According to BMW, Enduro Pro mode is designed for an experienced driver, while Enduro only weakens the traction control system on the rear wheel, leaving ABS on everywhere and smoothing out the throttle response.

After riding the first part of the trip over rough terrain with Enduro Pro mode turned on, I got tired of coping with the unruly 260 kilograms of the bike’s weight (including all fluids) and decided to try Enduro. As it turns out, this mode retains almost all the coolness and power of the Enduro Pro while making it easier to control. Particularly pleasing is the smoother throttle response, since in Enduro Pro mode you can accidentally throttle too hard and harshly. By switching to Enduro, you can keep this beast tame and docile.

Enduro and Enduro Pro are activated by installing a blank key into a special slot under the motorcycle seat. The advantage of this scheme is that the settings are saved even after the bike is turned off. Without the plug installed, the Adventure will revert to factory settings (that is, enable ABS and traction control if they were disabled), so you will have to adjust its settings every time you restart.

Since we spent most of our time on dirt rather than asphalt, our Adventure was equipped with off-road tires. Hard luggage bags, fog lights and an aluminum skid plate are all optional extras; everything else is included in the basic package.

Interestingly, BMW and KTM have radically different approaches to suspension on their touring enduros. While KTM puts Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA) on its street-legal 1190 Adventure model and old-school clicker suspension on its off-road R model, BMW includes ESA on the Adventure Premium Package and on base Adventure and GS installs suspension without ESA.

The ease of control and adjustment of the electronic suspension is, of course, pleasing, but ESA can be a cause of concern for many drivers around the world, because what happened to these complex electronics is that there is no official BMW dealership nearby. Drivers in the continental US, for example, have nothing to worry about, as they have an extensive BMW dealer network, road services and much more at their disposal.

If the Dynamic ESA system fails, it will most likely no longer be able to change the preload and damping settings. That is, a breakdown will only lead to the fact that the suspension will only work at the last settings.

Wherever you go, the R1200GSA will make your journey as comfortable as possible with an abundance of electronic and non-electronic accessories. Cruise control is a must on any touring motorcycle, and the Adventure has it. The motorcycle is also equipped with heated handlebars and tire pressure sensors - not such vital things, but their presence is good news.

Non-electronic bells and whistles include an adjustable windshield, a capacious 30-liter aluminum fuel tank and wide footrests that make it easier to stand up for long periods of time and control the bike on rough terrain.

Like the R1200RT, the 2014 GS Adventure features a new solid tubular steel frame for improved strength and handling. Both the subframe and passenger pegs are optionally attached.

The 2014 BMW R1200GS Adventure is a damn good bike and a relatively good value considering all the upgrades over the previous model. But compared to its rival, the bike is, to put it mildly, heavy and expensive: 260 kilograms and almost 22 thousand dollars in the USA versus 235 kilograms and $16,799 for the KTM 1190 Adventure R.

Previous KTM Adventure models have always been better on dirt and off-road, but the bikes lacked many of the on-road bells and whistles and comfort features to take the BMW's step above them. The new 1190 Adventure proved to be significantly better in all conditions, so it's now a close battle for the title of king of touring enduros.

Engine and gearbox

The engine made me think a little, even on “stifled” rain installations. Opening the throttle leads to quite noticeable acceleration. At the same time, “universal drive” and “choking” in low gears are not felt at all! I tried to “play” with the throttle several times, unable to believe my first sensations. When the speed decreases, the engine spins quietly from 1.5 thousand, although the old “air vent” begins to choke, “bubble” with displeasure and in every possible way let the driver understand that it’s time to have a conscience.

Before switching to the “regular” road mode, I first drove it in the rain mode, trying to understand the engine. The GSA was equipped with a "shift assist" system, which a BMW spokesman said works best in gears 4-6 and "not so much" below. A test of this “miracle of technology” showed that up to the 4th gear it works really “lazy” (you have to press hard, the bike jerks when shifting), and then everything happens like an automatic machine. At the same time, when switching “up”, we keep the gas evenly, and when shifting “down”, it is better to “reset” the gas too. In general, if you get the hang of it, you can reduce everything to ideal, but, to be honest, then it’s better than Honda’s DCT, which is an “honest automatic machine”, and not something “it’s not clear what”. There is a clutch, so you have to use it. And you can shift “up” without a clutch without any “smart” devices. You just need to learn the hardware and practice :). Got distracted.

Overall, the box left a very positive impression. Shifts happen easily and so softly that you completely forget that underneath you is a machine with a cardan and a “boxer”. To be honest, it may be “too good”, losing its “boxer charm”. But this is closer to conclusions.

At some point, the rain subsided slightly and I decided to switch to road mode. “Mama Daragaya”, I can’t describe it any other way. The motorcycle “popped” so much that I even doubted the purpose of this unit. Apparently, in order to compete with KTM, Ducati and other “sports SUVs”, Beemer decided to keep up. And although on paper “some” 15 horses were added, it felt like all 40 well-fed Bavarian ponies were shoved “under the ass.” It is clear that for a complete comparison you need to switch from one motorcycle to another, and that in terms of performance characteristics the SuperDuke 1250 outperforms everyone like a jet fighter, but in real life... In real life, I switched back to “rain” and drove on (by the way , can be done on the go - you just need to squeeze the clutch to actually change the mode). I didn’t want to fly off a narrow, wet road into a wonderfully well-kept ditch with swans on a motorcycle that I had signed up to “use as my own.” I would save mine like this.

And one last thing about the engine. Unlike its “air progenitor”, the new water-cooled “Boxer” spins like a completely “sports” engine without the obvious “tractor” inherent in the original models. On the one hand, it’s quite pleasant, on the other, “something is still not right.” Maybe that’s partly why the bike feels faster running than “just add 15 hp.” - it has become easier to use the entire dynamic range, rather than a small “comfort zone”, so as not to shake out the remains of the bones.

Read the continuation of the R1200GSA test drive report.

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MY MOTORCYCLE

This year, BMW presented an interesting new product for fans of the brand and fans of motorcycle travel, which will leave few people indifferent - the BMW R1200GS Adventure.

Outwardly, it looks almost exactly like the base model, but some details immediately give it away as a real “wanderer” - it’s hard not to notice the additional equipment weighing almost 30 kilograms with which this bike is hung.

But the question remains - why did marketers decide to build the GS Adventure, essentially a competitor to the usual “goose” - the R1200GS has been in production for thirty years and is one of the company’s most popular motorcycles, why create something different?

The answer is simple - they aimed this motorcycle at those who like things bigger than others and are willing to pay for them. These are the type of people who like huge jeeps and stuff like that. But in order to make him fork out the cash, the engineers of the German company had to really work hard, because no one will pay just for a cool appearance!

Most of the modification components of the bike remain from the regular GS. The engine has undergone major changes - the two-cylinder boxer Boxer engine with air-liquid cooling has become 15 horsepower more powerful than its predecessor. (The same power unit is also used on the BMW R1200RT motorcycle.) It also received a new frame, installed a driveshaft on the left side, equipped the motorcycle with semi-active suspension and Brembo brakes, and how could it be done without additional accessories.

What differences can we see externally?

Externally, the Adventure version has serious differences from the basic GS modification. First of all, these are powerful protective arches that cover the motor and plastic housing. As options, the motorcycle can also be equipped with plastic hand protection, a reinforced adjustable brake pad and wide footpegs. The regular spoked wheels are wrapped in stock Continental TKC off-road tires, although most buyers prefer street tires. Why not go off-road, it’s such an adrenaline rush. Of course, one cannot fail to note the windshield, which perfectly protects the driver from the air flow, and a set of aluminum panniers.

As for the changes inside (such as in the engine, etc.), the engineers installed a more massive crankshaft, which produces 20% more inertia, and, accordingly, an increased flywheel effect. Ride-by-wire electronics - two new ignition maps have been integrated for off-road driving.

The working stroke of the suspension shock absorbers was increased by 20 mm. Raising the suspension added a couple more tasks - to compensate for the enthusiastic ride, the engineers had to slightly change the geometry of the steering wheel and install a damper on the driveshaft, in which vibrations appeared. And the most noticeable change in the design of the BMW R1200GS Adventure is, of course, the fuel tank; its volume has increased to 36 liters, which, with a consumption of 5-6 liters per hundred, puts this motorcycle in the category of the longest-range. This is very helpful when you are far from civilization.

Thanks to tuning, the bike has gained “mass,” as the jocks like to say - the curb weight of the BMW R1200GS Adventure is 260 kg, and together with panniers it exceeds 270. But this does not prevent it from superbly obeying the steering wheel and having excellent balance, it has been “pumped up” perfectly. )))))

The heavier crankshaft shows itself to a greater extent on roads with poor surfaces, thanks to it the engine has become more torquey at low speeds. By the way, engineers have developed two new ignition maps for the GS Adventure - Enduro and Enduro Pro - specifically for driving through difficult areas. The remaining engine operating modes - Rain, Road and Dynamic - are exactly the same as on a regular “goose”. The operation of other systems is also adjusted to the selected mode - stability control, anti-lock braking system and semi-active suspension.

Interestingly, the Enduro Pro mode has special settings for riding on toothy off-road tires. Its peculiarity is that the ABS on the rear wheel is turned off, while the anti-lock braking system on the front wheel continues to work. This is a real find for experienced riders who, thanks to Enduro Pro, have the opportunity to drift not only on a sports track, but also where there are no roads. and there are enough such pros now. Is it worth adding that in this mode the BMW R1200GS Adventure behaves almost like a motocross motorcycle? Cool too!! You can get rid of excessive agility by switching to Enduro mode. It is calibrated for regular road tires and is more forgiving than the Pro. Proprietary electronics allow the GS Adventure to instantly take on the role that seems necessary to the rider. Wide and smooth highway? Great - Road mode will instantly turn this bike into a full-fledged cruiser. Broken track? - no problem, turn on the Enduro mode and the cruiser immediately takes on the character of a cross-bike. Do you want a thrill? — Dynamic mode will turn a BMW into a sports motorcycle. In short, they stuffed it and brought the bike almost to a station wagon, although the motorcycle was originally made for tourism.

Comfort is also available on the BMW R1200GS Adventure:

The wind fairing perfectly protects from headwinds, a comfortable soft seat and landing allow you to cover several hundred kilometers without a hint of fatigue and without stopping, an informative dashboard that tells the driver everything he needs to know during the trip - from the fuel level in the gas tank to the temperature ambient air. For those who like to discover new routes, there are mounts for a GPS navigator above the dashboard.

As a result, we can say that the Bavarians did a very good job and created an even more advanced motorcycle in which it is impossible to find any flaws. Although if we find fault, we won’t!)))))

One disadvantage of all this happiness on two wheels is the high price, but again it is aimed at those for whom the price tag does not matter.
https://youtu.be/s6Cpl7FA8Xc

2014 BMW R1200GS Adventure Specifications: