BMW R1200GS

SENSE OF ADVENTURE. In the right hands, BMW's GS can be a formidable overlanding tool, but we're not all Dakar experts and something as sizeable as the BMW can be a tad intimidating to those less experienced. Chris Moss took on a steep learning curve at the launch of the 2008 R1200 GS Range.
In the same way that certain ingredients don't sound as though they'd ever combine to make a tasty dish, neither did the contents of my diary indicate that I was going to have a fun day out. The idea of me traveling to Wales to ride off-road on the new R1200GS Adventure seemed nothing short of a recipe for disaster. I wasn't looking forward to it at all.
The basic problem is my off-road skills are as advanced as my talents for ballroom dancing. When it comes to dirt-riding experience, I'm not even on the bottom rung of the ladder. Don't get me wrong, every time I've tried off-road riding I've always really enjoyed it. Well, in between my multitude of obligatory crashes anyway. But the idea of trying to stay on board what I was bound to feel was a behemoth of a bike, while I was slithering around on mud and gravel trying to dodge rocks and trees, wasn't one I wanted to dwell on. This wasn't going to be a bike test, it was going to be a survival test.

Fortunately, BMW spotted my fear and apprehension and calmed me slightly by putting me into the novice group, assuring me that my day was going to be as easy as I wanted it to be. They said the choice of terrain was not going to be too challenging, even for a road rider like me. I was also going to have the benefit of a couple of experts, with more than a fair share of GS off-road experience between them, to guide me along the way. But I know from experience that promises are one thing, truth and reality can often be very different.
Much of my uncertainty came from riding the old 1150GS Adventure a few years ago. That was a brute of a bike that I never really felt too comfortable on, thanks to its sheer size, height and weight. And that was just my view of it on the road, so as you can imagine, the thought of me using the new GS off the Queen's highway was a particularly daunting one.
Some of the fears were thankfully allayed when I got on the bike.

The newest R1200 GS Adventure, which doesn't differ too much from the current one, is a hell of a lot lighter and more compact than the 1150 version I tried. And with the seat on its lowest setting I have to say I felt a lot happier about the prospect of getting out into the Welsh hills on the Bee-Em.
With less than the finest weather to greet our short road trip out into the countryside, the GS quickly highlighted a couple of advantages to reduce the metrological burdens of cold wind and rain. Its large adjustable screen - from which I was getting almost full protection due to the lower seat - and heated grips were making the short 10-mile road journey all the more agreeable. Things felt much warmer than the one degree temperature being indicated by the bike's ambient temperature gauge.

BMW as usual had fitted every conceivable extra to the GS and along with the toasty grips there were lots of buttons to play with to give added convenience and practicality to the ride. These were simply just entertaining to begin with, but as time went by they really showed their worth and I couldn't recommend them highly enough, though you do have to pay extra for them. When we got on the dirt their value was highlighted most and, during former Dakar racer Simon Pavey and round the world traveller Charley Boorman's briefing about riding off-road, the Enduro ESA and ASC features were explained.

As I was to discover, the ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment] has been improved for the 2008 GS by having its range of hydraulically altered preload and damping adjustment increased to deal with off-road duties - hence the name Enduro ESA. This is a really trick bit ?f kit and thanks to the availability of a mass of settings [I lost count after IB] to change your suspension to suit you, the terrain, speed, loadings, etc at just the touch of a button, you can do all your tuning in the most convenient manner possible. It sure beats any other system on the market, and highlights just how much of a chore stopping to get the tools out to adjust suspension settings is on most bikes really can be. Let's face it, how many times have we all promised to do that at the very next opportunity, but then put it off thanks to the prospect of getting our hands skinned and dirty?.

The next trick of electronic wizardry to be pointed out was the ASC [Automatic Stability Control], which, in layman's terms, is a traction control system. By adjusting fuelling and ignition, power to the rear wheel is reduced once sensors realise the rear wheel is spinning faster than front. This feature too was to be a boon out on the muck, and after getting a few basic tips on bike control on a loose surface from the Oaddies of Dirt' I was set for a play.
First off, I have to say one thing about the GS Adventure which surprised me from the beginning and amazed me more and more as the day went on. and that's its manageability. I really don't know how BMW has managed to make something that looks so inappropriate for off-road work so damned able, but it's very obvious the German firm has. While I just ran up and down a flat and easy section of land in the remote Welsh hills getting a feel for the bike, and feeling confident enough to get it a bit out of shape now and again [once I'd selected the Sport setting for the traction control that reduces wheelspin, but doesn't cut it out completely], others were doing much more impressive things.

Ravey and Boorman were jumping, broad-siding, climbing and wheelying their GSs just when, where, and how they fancied, and were essentially makingthem look like toys. This really lifted my spirits and after a few more tips from Simon and Charley on riding position, observation and skidding the front wheel [all very useful I might add], I started to feel mare competent with life on board the big GS.

The balance feels so right and the engine, with its flexible and linear power delivery, makes life a lot easier. I can't say at this point that I noticed the claimed extra five per cent of power, slightly broader rev range, or closer ratios in the new and slicker gearbox. All I knew and cared about was that the GSwas brilliant and unbelievably capable off road.
As confidence grew, so did ambitions and expectations, so we then set off to more demanding pastures. Getting out into the wilds is a really rewarding experience, and to feel as though you're far away from any sort of civilisation [even though it's actually just a few miles distant) seems to have a simplifying and pacifying effect on you. Life appears to be much more straightforward, calmer and more relaxed.



Inevitably, just as things were starting to go so well along the forest trails, I then made my first mistake and suffered my first fall. Climbing a very steep and long gradient I started to lose power and stalled halfway up. Unable to hold the bike, I then fell and tumbled down the hill like a rag doll. Suffering nothing more than a bruised ego I enlisted the support of others to heave the BMW back onto its wheels and get going again. Amazingly, the GS showed less signs of damage than I did, and save a slight graze to the screen, looked in perfect order - the crash bars obviously helping here enormously. It turned out the traction control was on its full setting and rather than 3i I aw me to spin my way up the hill, it chipped in to stop the wheels whizzing round, reduced the power halfway up, and prevented me from making the summit.

Full of pride and ambition to get it right, I took advice, selected the Sport setting and slithered my way up to the top on my second attempt. When I got there I felt like I'd conquered Everest, rather than just some anonymous hill in Wales, and I was reminded of the joys of biking far from the Tarmac once more. Then, during the trip down the mountainside, through gullies, over huge rocky ground and densely packed forest I gained even more faith in just what the GS can do.

To be honest, it has no right to cope as well as it does in that sort of environment, and to think it does so with a complete novice like me on board, makes its accomplishment even more incredible. Over lunch I felt more than pleased with myself, and found it amusing that I'd been so bothered by the idea of it all just a few hours earlier. There's no doubt that Simon and Charley have to take some of the credit for the way I felt, thanks to their instruction and subsequent demos. But it's the rideability of the GS that was the real reason behind the contentment and achievement I was feeling.

Back to it all a while later and the happiness factor rose again. And while there's no question that I'm a long way short of being an expert I was happy to take on more and more challenges. Battling through iced-over streams, rivers and deeper sections of mud then became the order of the day. And though I started to slip off the bike a few more times, nothing could dent my enthusiasm to have a go. Thanks to the rugged and robust Tonka toy-like build quality of the BMW and its engine bars, not much could dent the GS either. Time and time again it confounded me with its ability to shine in such a demanding environment.
As the light faded, the final section of the trip became even tougher. Much of it was spent traversing some really confined and nadgery sections of woodland, with handlebar guards swiping aside branches and cylinders just clearingthe banks of narrow, muddy ravines. But even this couldn't faze the bike and as long as the right buttons had been pressed it just soldiered on completely unflostered.

Then it was back on the road with full traction control selected, and lower and softer suspension settings chosen. During the short journey, which felt much more conventional thanks to the relatively solid and predictable nature of the route, I reflected on a wonderful time I'd had on the GS. But at the same time, I worried about how dull things might be on the road aboard the standard 2008 GS the following day.



Being bored turned out to be the least of my concerns as the sun rose the next day though. It was literally freezing and the roads looked like they'd offer as much grip as Teflon. But on the lighter, lower and road-tyred standard GS with its smaller tank and cast wheels, things quickly became brighter.
It didn't hurt that the route chosen for the road test was one I was familiar with from previous tests, and the route over the Black Mountains in the Brecons is one of my favourites.
Some riders don't like cold and wet conditions, but I don't mind so much and I do think that sort of environment can tell you a lot about the finer points of a bike. When grip is reduced you want a secure and trustworthy bike and armed with features like ABS brakes, ASC traction control, excellent Bridgestone Battle Wing tyres I really felt at home on the BMW.

It's a really comfortable and relaxing bike to ride, even in the inclement weather I was experiencing. And its protection from the elements and security features help to add even more confidence. Handling is even easier thanks to the reduced weight, and just like the Meueler Karoo tyres did off-road, the Bridgestone's bit hard into the road surface and coped superbly with getting the power down, braking hard and charging round corners. The smooth, punchy engine also aids the bike's progress - something the GS seems to be able to do in what seems to be any environment, as it so well-mannered and has such an air of invincibility about it.


The only thing I could find fault with was some slight abruptness with the fuelling at tiny throttle openings, but if I'm honest that was only because I was looking for it. Under most circumstances I very much doubt whether an owner would either notice or be bothered by this.

It was a great shame when the sun dropped and called an end to the two days of immense enjoyment. I'd loved pretty much every minute of them. The bikes had both been brilliant as they'd been able to take on so much and deal with it so well. I'd have to try old and new bikes back to back to really highlight the improvements made to the engine and gearbox particularly. But there's no doubt the suspension upgrade is a step forward and using it off-road, I felt the traction control was a real boon. It never cut in on the road, thanks to better grip, but I did feel a lot happier being aggressive with the throttle after seeing what the ASC could offer.
Styling isn't too different to last year's, with minor bodywork changes and alterations to the lighting being mast apparent. And all in all you'd have to describe the modifications made to the GSs upgrades rather than anything that radically improves its personality and ability completely.