BMW R 1250 GS Adventure l Long-term bike review
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- The BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, the unofficial king of adventure bikes. It has topped motorcycle sales charts and been a willing accomplice on long-distance journeys throughout the globe for years.
From tackling the Road of Bones to sparkling in the sunshine outside Starbucks, and everything in between. If motorcycle adventures are involved, chances they’ve been done on a BMW GS Adventure.
But does the reality of riding BMW’s flagship adventure bike live up to the hype? Is it really as good as its many, many owners say? Or is there a touch off the Emperor’s new clothes to the GS Adventure?
To answer those questions and more, ABR editor James spent eight months living with the adventure bike, culminating in a 3,000-mile two-up tour of France. And here, is his ABR Verdict…
The ABR Verdict
Regular readers of Adventure Bike Rider magazine will be familiar with the ABR Verdict which is where we rate a motorbike as a commuter, weekend tourer, continental road tourer, off roader, and a pillion carrier.
How did the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure fair after we spent the best part of a year riding the motorbike? It's time to find out. And if you're an R 1250 GS owner, let us know how you rate it in the comments below.
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#bmw #r1250gsa #motorbike #review
00:00 - 01:19 The premise
01:19 - 02:49 Commuter
02:49 - 04:46 Weekend tourer
04:46 - 06:34 Off-roader
06:34 - 08:30 Continental road tourer
08:30 - 09:56 Pillion carrier
09:56 - 11:42 The verdict - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I have watched a ton of reviews on this bike. Yours is one of the best! Thank you
Thanks Mike! Glad you liked the video
Just bought my 4th GSA and still not bored with it ! Great bike !
Wow, the review is great! Thanks!
Very well put together review and production!
Great review! And what a fantastic bike! After our trip to Moldova on the GSA I concur and so does Emily. 😎🙌🏻
I love my ‘18 GSA (& loved my 2010 GS several years ago). Just a great do everything bike. It’s like Sir David Attenborough narrating too! Great video!
This is definitely one of the best bikes on the market. A dream bike. I have been riding a cbr 600rr and have always wanted one of these
I got my '23 GSA two weeks ago, and once the place thaws out, I look forward to putting many miles on it, including a trip across France this summer. The bike, although big, does seem very light and easy to control when moving. A wonderful piece of engineering.
Pick mine up next month Trophy X then off to Tasmania and Victoria high country
Kept it real from the very start. Very well done. Hi from Brisbane Australia 😊😊😊 Ps i subscribed 2 minutes in because it's obvious your a total pro. Keep well.
I love my 2022 GSA. You explained the characteristics of the bike perfectly.
Cheers James, glad you're enjoying the bike
It's a fantastic bike for sure!
czcams.com/play/PLl_mRzVHVQ0zIAhHJb3s_8N0pU8UjnyYv.html
I have a 23’ gs trophy and for me it’s the best of almost all worlds. This is my second gs rodeo and the fuel range isn’t an issue for me personally as being honest I need off the bike before the fuel runs out.
Overall it’s one of the best in class at everything. As you say there are things that the competitors do better but over all it’s a really really hard package to beat.
By the way I was one of those “i’ll never own a grandads bike” but a few bad backs later and the complete fear factor of my last zx10 changed my opinion and I love it.
With all the hate BMW and it’s owners get it is good to finally get a positive review. Thank you
Amazing video
Had an 1100Gs and a the Honda Crosstourer 1200x .
Sold the GS and kept the crosstourer. That v4 engine is superb and super build quality.
A two wheeled car. It does everything my Forester does, but I never get to pick that up. Nice review 👍
Got my 4th GSA over the 1300.
The best bike in the world!
“It’s already a class act” ❤
Yeah, I really like my Bumblebee BMW R1250GSA 40 years edition. Sheer riding pleasure 🙏
There are so many bikes to choose that the consumer has choices. Ultimately, it is all about how much you are willing to pay and what u prefer. Don't hate....congratulate! Test and do your own due diligence for your needs.
I must’ve watched hours and hours of motorcycle reviews on CZcams but this is the most objective, well presented review I’ve ever watched. King regards from Barcelona!
Glad you liked the review always great to hear! Kind regards from England
czcams.com/play/PLl_mRzVHVQ0zIAhHJb3s_8N0pU8UjnyYv.html
There was absolutely nothing "objective" about this "advertisement".
These useless whores have never been objective about BMW.
If you want "objectivity", get on some of the BMW forums. Amongst all the BMW arse lickers, there's a good many very dissatisfied customers with the reality of the bikes.
I'm not saying these bikes are any worse than most bikes but, they most certainly do not have the best reliability record out there.
If you want reliability & aren't too concerned about "wank factor" you've no choice but to look at a Japanese bike. That's the sad reality.
12000 faultless miles in Europe on mine last year. Best bike I've ever owned by a country mile
Thanks for the video. Read the comments section and I haven’t saw here the regular model detractors of it 😅
The bike is very complete. The GSA excels in some points but it has a bit more to it, so it costs more. It’s just a question of knowing what type of use you’re going to give the machine. Hard or harder 😂
It’s a bike made to work a lot without complaints and the GSA for the difference of cost compared to its skinner sister, may be the Best Buy. You may not know in advance what will be the Life with it, but if it happens that life turns bigger than what you would expect, the GSA is the Best Buy. You already have everything prepared and a “pair of shoes” in it. 👍🏻👍🏻
Agreed. The GSA is about as good as it gets. It makes a person want to explore.
Great piece of content....S.F.A.
Thanks I’m probably gonna have to buy this bike at some point in the future. The only problem is, I’m concerned I won’t want to ride my recumbent bicycles lol
The GSA is always that special bike for everything
I am on my second Gsa - totally brilliant bikes although it took a while to get used to its quirky looks and riding style after a fully faired conventional touring bike. I dont really care about the so called BMW haters as an individual I choose what I like and what I think best suits me no matter what people think I really dont care. All the big adventure tourers are pretty damn good but the GS is "just right at all the parameters" for me personally. No doubt the next version will have even more useful tech and power and refinement..... cant wait ! 😉 ps although I am planning a test ride on the big KTM soon just to see what all the fuss is about unfortunately though it is chain drive which I wouldnt personally want on this type of machine for very big tours....
Don't go.for KTM...it is for serious riders who are not about fuss or social status...they stand apart...go for the GS...it is for everyone else...
Good review I love my 2021 GSA it just does it all.
I absolutely love my GS 1250 2022. Swiss knife as they say! 😉🏍 Marc, Quebec, Canada
How does it fair in Quebec? We would love to know, checkout our live stream this Wednesday if you have any questions about the bike or stories to tell
@@ABRmagazine 75-year old rider here respectfully!
Worked for a motorcycle touring company in Italy - taking folks (of all abilities) riding all over the world - on all sorts of motorbikes. On and off-road.
These GS's invariably leave our renters wondering why they chose such a monster!
Don't buy a 1,200cc bike if you want to enjoy riding a little bit of off-road. Unless you just want to pose!
Too tall, too big, too wide, and too heavy. Shorter riders - forget about it!
Pillion - not a good experience. Most wife's and girlfriend's find it extremely uncomfortable.
Manhandling these monsters for 2-weeks day after day - turns it from an "Adventure" into a "Nightmare" for most riders.
I've lost count of the number of these ungainly heavy GS's I've picked up off the floor in a parking garage for embarrassed riders!
And the invoices we give to our customers for all the broken parts comes as a shock to them. Don't let those guards fool you!
And if long distance touring on the road at high speed is what you want - there are many much better bikes than these hermaphrodites!
Jack of all trades - master of none.
There are very few riders in my experience that need a bike like this.
Just my experience with 100's of ordinary riders.
Our customers are not novices. You don't buy a US$10,000 2-week tour in Africa on a dirt bike if you are not a keen experienced rider.
only slight gripe with this is the audio quality just put the mic on your outer layer rather than hiding it we don't care if we can see it but the audio will be loads better other than that great review
Yes I do get to posted speed as quick as I can
bro really said "42 mpg from 30 litre capacity" and made us do the math
I have a 2017 GSA lowered from factory but still my wife has troubles to hop on (always have to have the help of a sidewalk or something high that she can climb on/off) and i asker that we should try the RT or maybe a K1600 Grand America and she said "No, i like to ride and see everything from the top" 🤣 so no go on a RT or grand america. And last year we tour from Lisbon in Portugal to London where we live riding over Andorra and south of France so around 3500 Km with 3 full panniers and camping gear on top of panniers. So if is to trade is for a 2023 GSA 🤣
I say the standard, normal, GS boxer is the more practical bike for the majority of us, poser, or not. It is, literally, an all purpose bike. The GSA is overkill for most. By the way, buying a GS boxer does not oblige you to prove yourself off road. It is a multipurpose bike for all ages, and all abilities.
Well said. Some people just have to have the best! Or is it the best. The GS is probably the better bike for most, in all respects.
GSA look mach better compare to standard GS . Standard GS look like premature born baby in comparison to GSA
@@VivamusLibero I’m your opinion.
Ride them both back to back and I reckon most will buy the GSA. I did and don’t regret it one bit.
@@TheTwistedfirey I’ve owned 7 GS’s 2 GSA. Long term ownership tells a different story. While the big lad looks more substantial. It’s harder to live with. The standard is easier to move around, slightly more sporty and and easier 2 up. Both great bikes but those buying should choose wisely. each to their own.
How hard do you ride I get 62 mpg two up loaded on my RT 1200 or is the GS that bad
May I ask, what tires you put on your GSA?
Beautiful bike, love mine, well done. Agree with everything except "comfortable saddle". The saddle is not comfortable, not by a long shot.
Works for my ass better than any bike I have had. Heated too!
How about reliability?
Suspension travel, front / rear 7.5" / 7.9" (190 mm / 200 mm)
When is the 1,300 cc engine coming out
I’ve owned this bike as well as the large displacement adventure bikes from Ducati and Ktm. They’re great for pavement and dirt and gravel fire roads. Taking these bikes on anything technical is risky business unless you’re an extremely advanced rider (which 99% of the owners are not). Fortunately, for the safety of these individuals, most of them are posers anyways. They’ll never even take them off road. They will, however, look quite stylish riding them to their local Starbucks.
I've had five big GS's, and now a Multi V4s.
I've never gone off road with any of them, and i don't plan to.
BUT, i'm 6 ft. 4", and i love these bikes much due to the roomy ergonomics and upright seating position.
I'm pretty sure a lot of people buy them for that reason.
You might keep that in mind the next time you see a clean & shiny GS parked outside of Starbuck's. 😉
I agree with everything you say.My R1250gs does everything I want from a bike.it,s ballistic riding on uk roads.The only negative I have is the quickshifter which doesn't work particularly well.They are expensive but do keep residual prices secondhand.Ktm keep dropping the price on bikes which affect resale.
Ihan hieno, voisin ottaa
Is these front indicators are white ? Mine are amber
the gsa has one of the tightest turning circles of any bike I’ve ever ridden
Not only it has a tight turning circle, its easy to lock in and make use of this big advantage. The GSA is not a scooter, but you can ride it as one.
what year is that bike in the video?
1254cc, not as you said “1245cc”. Otherwise, a very nice review.
Please don’t change your style of reviews. Keeping it real is great news for people like me.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
How about the humungus price tag and reliability, think I'll stick with my Super Tenere.
When budget is a concern, always look at the resale price when you buy. How much will this bike cost you at the end. The Super Tenere is a great bike, but expensive for what it is. although you can find good deals on the second hand market. So yes, the Yamaha can be great and even greater than the BMW depending on what you are in for. But the cost of ownership will not be that much different.
Cannot compare a very simple basic, very overpriced T7, for what u get to a GS! Same as comparing a scooter to the T7.
Mate rides a
1150GS. One breakdown, at home since owning it from new . Well over 100 thousand klm.
I bought mine brand new, I had my first error message on the dash before I got home
Y’all use use mpg but still use liters when you talk about gas tanks? And I thought Americans were weird. Lol jk, but Fr, it’s hella confusing when y’all mix imperial and metric. I guess it’s kind of like a Spanglish. Anyway, I appreciate what you do and wish you and yours the best.
Spanglish thing-*
Any adventure bike its a pain or not that easy to move around, with luggage fitted.Even a tiger. Or a tiger sport.
I bought one, I like it but it is the noisest bike in terms of wind noise I have ever owned in 40 years of riding. Screen up or down it is still noisy.
You will get used to the noise in no time, if you haven’t by now. What an amazing bike!
It looks like a transformer Pig Robot from the front. I just can't pull the trigger. on something so big. I wish there was a tenere 900. I may get a Tiger 900 or a Norden 901. I am just worried about the reliability of the Norden.
Test rode them all but bought a Multi V2S, brilliant bike though the Tiger was impressive…
I rode the R1300GS last month and its crap! It was only a 30 min ride but I was so uncomfortable, that I couldn't wait to get off the damn thing!
A brilliant review and I can't wait to get out on my new 22 gsa te rallye, I do wished they had the adaptive cruise with blind spot indicators on them like my old v4s full multistrada did , that's one thing I do miss I must admit but it's not worth the extra £4k to get it .
Hi Matthew glad you like the review, keep us posted on how you get on with your new GS!
I agree, the adaptive cruise control would be nice, they have it on the R18 Transcontinental range so it shouldn't be too long before we see it on the GS's. On a big tour i can't fault the GS =)
czcams.com/play/PLl_mRzVHVQ0zIAhHJb3s_8N0pU8UjnyYv.html
Had three, a TE 1200, a 1200 Triple Black and a 1250 GSA Exclusive. Done thousands of miles but the GSA was a huge disappointment, if you are under 6’ it’s far too tall and heavy and is as dull as dishwater on anything but fast A roads two up on the continent. Regarding off road I wouldn’t take it on a green lane, with luggage you won’t pick it up ( as it’s over 300kg) no matter what your technique unless you are a power lifter. So I test rode the Multistrada V4S and V2S, buying the latter. Weighing only 225kg wet and with a 830mm seat height it’s a hugely underrated bike which does does 90+% of what a GS can do, with as much comfort, has better suspension, and looks far better than any GS. It also handles better, has enough power for the road and it’s superb gearbox is so much better than any GS.
Dakar winner Gaston Rahier was 164 cm = 5'4.57 😉
The Multistrada is a superb bike, but especially the V2 is not very friendly at low speeds. The V4 is better in that regard, but not near as good as the BMW. And this Ducati V4 engine is very very thirsty. I actually prefer the KTM 1290 as an allround bike. However, the low point of gravity and the short turning circle are making the BMW a unique motorcycle if you know how to make good use of that. For people that ride on sunny days it all doesn't matter and yes the Multistrada can be a little less impressive. But for commuters and practiced riders the BMW GS is actually far more relaxing. Despite the weight it rides easier and more relaxed than anything else. Although the Honda CFR300 Rally might be mentioned as well. It is light and nimble. Yeah, I like that Honda very much😉
Reliability with Ducati suspect, cost to fix- insane, resale value very poor, very few dealers in SA. Plastics cheap. Way over priced.
Looks great, but all of the above keeps me away from the brand. Only 2 year warranty. GS 5 years.
You lost me when you involved ktm and ducati🤡🤡🤡
WTF is a cotinental tourer....spell check before publishing?
Interesting that the bike wasn’t reviewed as an adventure bike at all. Zero percentage of the ride was in the slightest challenging. The fattest goldwing of yesterday year could have perfectly happily trotted the path around France. So why? I just don’t get it I’m sorry. If you are going to use a bike for that kinda stuff you buy a more appropriate motorcycle. 🤷♂️.
Don't make any mention of the poor service intervals. Ducati is 9000 miles for an oil and 36000 for a major service. It also comes with a 4 Yr unlimited Mileage warranty in the UK. It's faster more fun to ride and more rewarding. BMW is behind the game. The Multistrada came out with blind spot warning and radar cruise control. Cheaper to run better warranty more enjoyable, you work it out!!!@
But you don't make any mention of the higher deprecation on Ducati or the extortionate servicing costs mentioned on all the forums. You don't mention Duke owners trading in the bikes just prior to a major service. And do Ducati use special oil that lasts longer?! Ducati is well known for cheap servicing costs, NOT! Last GS service at main dealer was £143.75 - oil n filters and free loan bike. It might be faster and a more exciting ride, but the GS is a better all rounder. I test rode both prior to my purchase, plus the Trumph 12 and KTM SAS. GS all day, sales figures don't lie!!
@@smedders you don't mention all the problems and breakdowns the GS has. Warranty city
@Alan Henderson you don't mention the shitty fasteners and trousers rubbing through the paintwork. It's not a good touring bike, it's a slow sports bike. Taking it on any trail would kill it. It needs blind spot warnings, everyone's on your tail, it needs radar cos you're never up front 😁
@Andy Smedley You are a biased, petty individual I expected facts you resorted to silliness.
@Alan Henderson of course I'm bias, I own a GS. I have test ridden both before parting with my cash though. Regarding facts, the GS out sells the MTS by a long way, fact. You enjoy your VW I'll stick with my BMW 😉
This bike is not as good as the 1600 6 or the old LT for “ cross continental “ touring! I have owned all incl the GSA- it’s a good compromise… but if you are going from NYC to LA IT IS NOT IDEAL! It is not as smooth and much louder …the huge GSA gas tank is nice !
rode one & disliked it, bought the Triumph 1200 gt pro 🤩🤩
🇧🇩🇧🇩 from
TOO BIG FOR OFF TARMAC. I HAVE A GS & AM THINKING OF BUYING A 2nd MACHINE
Radar cruise control… don’t care. I’m 46, and never had it on any vehicle, and don’t need it.
I had radar cruise control on my Toyota Sienna Limited and found it to be the most annoying feature ever. I always set it on normal cruise control. It would drive me nuts to have it on a motorcycle! I agree with you 100%!
Simply too big! As soon as that big tank starts leaning it’s game over at slow speeds and rougher terrain. Too big for any serious off road! Sorry not for me!
I own both GSA and a RR. I can tell you that the GSA rides like a sports bike! I can lean it all the way to my elbow.
That’s where the GS comes in…
Keep it metric please
Someone once said.This bike so ugly is beuteful.
It’s been destroyed I’m afraid
The best but also the ugliest bike ever made.
Not flickable!
If there were a competition for ugly bikes the GS would come second to the outright winner the Triumph speed triple. But hey this is just my opinion 😂
Could this be any cheeeesier , bloody awful
Total and utter garbage all hype and no substance, the one i bought spent more time in fault than it did running