Blacker than Black
The BMW GS has been around for a long time, and it never ceases to amaze how with every iteration the Bavarian steed just seems to get better. In all honesty, I have spent many an afternoon scratching my head wondering what it is about these machines that make everybody want one.
Related: BMW announces the new R1250R, R1250RS and R1250 GS Adventure (2018)
A Sunday morning breakfast run past any of the hip and happening places reveals parking areas full to the brim with GS machines, what is it about these big heavy adventure bikes that garner such a following? I finally managed to get my leg over one recently and I think I'm beginning to understand....
Boxer unboxed
The hallmark of the GS is most definitely the large boxer engine. The horizontally opposed design has the cylinder heads sticking out on the sides where the cool air can get to them. With the engine transversely mounted and low down, it gives the bike a low centre of gravity which aids in the riding dynamics. This design does make riders that are new to the layout a little uneasy when it comes to laying the bike over into corners as you're constantly worrying about contacting the jutting out cylinders with the tar, This isn't really a problem as if you were that far down you would definitely be struggling to get it back up again.
The 1250 engines are equipped with Shiftcam technology which varies the valve control times and the valve lift on the intake side resulting in silky smooth power delivery. Speaking of the power you are not going to get superbike beating power here, 100kW and 143Nm propel this GS in a way that is hard to describe, the power is everywhere all the time, just a twist of the throttle away, no matter the gear you're in the GS just picks up its skirts and off it goes.
The new GS forgoes the old dry clutch setup and has gone with a wet clutch design resulting in a smooth gear shift, what doesn't work though is their ShiftAssist system which makes the gear changes clunky and unfordable at low revs, and we actually ended up not using it much if at all.
I did admittedly spend quite some time peering through the fairings at the engineering marvel that is the suspension setup on the GS. The front appears to have the standard two front "shocks" but further investigation revealed a large Damper and spring setup that actually does most of the work. The rear gets a single Paralever design and both suspension units are controlled via the TFT screen on which you are able to select ride modes that sort out the nitty-gritty details between yourself and the road.
Tech
One of the standout features on the GS is the 6.5 inch TFT screen that handles all the tech on the bike, from Bluetooth connectivity and the My BMW app, to the suspension settings, ride modes, and features such as seat and handgrip warmers. The tech is also most likely the reason why the GS is so popular, with features such as hill start assist, auto canceling indicators, auto LED lighting, and numerous power outputs for devices. A feature that impressed was the different rider modes, Eco, Road, Enduro, and Rain, set the bike up and tune the suspension for the multitude of terrains and environments you could possibly encounter.
If we had one point of contention here is that the controls for the TFT were somewhat un-intuitive with a sequence of button pushes and scroll wheel selections required to simply scroll through menus
Let's Ride
Before setting off I had the unenviable task of moving the bike out of my garage where the dead weight of this machine became very apparent, it is very heavy when not in motion but once you become accustomed to the balance point it gets easier. The 1250 gives off a throaty burble on startup and a quick blip of the throttle lets you know that there is plenty of torque on hand. Setting off on mixed terrain outride to Brits through the far west, we encountered long winding tar roads, mini gravel passes, and some questionable road surfaces. The ride was brisk, and the kilometers slipped by. This enabled us to test all the ride modes and sample the machine under all conditions but one.
It was at about this time that mother nature intervened, and the heavens opened, inundating our road back in a sheet of rain, Bonus! We could now test out the Rain mode! 75 soggy kilometres later we reached our destination just a little bit drenched but also not road tired, feeling ready to tackle another 400km.
The ability for the GS to lay down its power from anywhere in the rev range simply astounded and although the Triple Black is very obviously geared towards tarmac it faired very well off the beaten path.
Pros and Cons
- Fantastic torque and power delivery
- Super comfortable
- Excellent lighting
- Maintenance-free shaft drive
- Clunky gearchanges when using Shift Assist
- Heavy to move around
- Controls and Menus on TFT are not intuitive
Models and Pricing
| BMW R 1250 GS Triple Black | R 333 400 |
| BMW R 1250 GS Light white | R 322 900 |
| BMW R 1250 GS Style Rallye Package | R 336 400 |
| BMW R 1250 GS Special Edition 40 Years | R 350 400 |
Verdict
After only a few hundred kilometres I believe that I found my answer, brute power and comfort. Owners of GS bikes aren't buying these to say that they have one, everyone else has one too, they buy them because they are extremely comfortable to ride over long distances, and they are very easy to ride once you get going. I, for one, am sold on the idea and If I could afford the price tag the only choice left is which colour package I'd get
