Majority of 1250 adventure riders will never ride in such terrains, unless they have no choice and are with a few other riders to help pickup such a bike on loose muddy trail. I bought a 1250 knowing I need to ride dirt roads to my campsite, but none of the fire roads I have taken on my GSA were this beaten up.
Ditto on that I have a 2016 GS but could not imagine it is capable of what you demonstrate you have set the bar high for us to aspire to your level of skill
Great to see a video on the real abilities and limitations of these bikes. I've dropped my XT1200 Super Tenere on wet muddy ground twice due to the front wheel losing traction due to the colossal weight and it wasn't fun!
I love my 250 2-stroke Kawasaki enduro. Fast enough on the highway, powerful and light on off road. I also have a GSA for 90% highway 10% off road use. Different strokes, for sure!
impressive riding skills! and I'm happy to see someone who is not afraid of really using their brand new GS!!! This could have been a part of a BMW commercial!
Very informative as always. On a real travel, days will look twice longer with the GS than with the 790 or T7 on off road-parts. Thank you, and try to go with a friend on such tests... It's not safe alone.
I miss my DRZ400 every day! Yes I know it’s not a GS and was not the best motorway bike but my gosh I have never laughed so much in my life on a bike before. Now riding a CBF1000 due to my commute requirements. Love you Suzi, wherever you are 😭 You do have some really good riding skills on that GS, they are heavy as hell. Awesome! Keep at it!
scha0306 Thanks! To each their own apparently 😊. I’m just used to that sand. That’s the ultimate challenge we have here: sand and mud. What impresses me is seeing guys hammering their bikes through rocky terrain where any crash can lead to serious injuries. We don’t have much rocky trails here.
Thanks for the video. Both wipe outs were not the bikes fault. The GS is way more capable and can be ridden just as quickly as the 790. I haven’t ridden the 1250 but from what I understand it rides even better than the 1200. Suspension is always soft on GS because most riders doing real technical stuff are not choosing a GS. Have fun and stay safe. That thing is a beast and will kick you off from time to time if she is in traction off in, specially in Dynamic mode.
Nice video and Great riding I Did not knew that the speedometer is measured on the back wheel. At 5:13 you can see clearly by taking off and lots wheelspin, the speedometer shows 60 á 70 km/h and practically standing still Good to know 👍
Most modern bikes have a speedometer sensor that observes the output to the final drive system. In the GSA it's probably in the front connector of the drive shaft. Some enduro bikes have that sensor attached to the front wheel to provide the rotating speed of the wheel as the actual speed.
Good morning, congratulations for the beautiful video. Could you tell me the brands of the blue footboards and the blue rear brake fluid reservoir cap ???
I agree with your conclusion regarding the suspension modes with my 2018 R1200GS. Enduro PRO gives a nice, plush ride off-road, but when you ride aggressive, the rebound damping is to low and it starts to "bounce" up and down. I find myself constantly switching between Enduro PRO and Dynaminc PRO with TC and ABS disabled according to the road surface...
@@Elskins It is my only major complaint about my bike. If I were able to select the DYNAMIC or ROAD suspension setting in the ENDURO Pro riding mode, I could get a tight suspension setting together with the good off road TC and ABS. The older pre Facelift 1200gs had settings which you could select HARD and SOFT within your suspension settings in all riding modes which worked great. Withe the last 1200 and now the 1250, one cannot do this anymore. MIN and MAX does not give the desired effect as those are only preload settings and does not alter compression and rebound.
Hi ERV, thanks for video of riding the GS in sand. I am interested in the OEM suspension vs touratech details and the benefits you have found. Would you mind providing some more detail on this.
Hi, Garry. I’m skinny built, 5’ 11’’ and around 175lbs in full gear. And even for me the OEM suspension felt on the softer side. Coming from a KTM 990 which has pretty good suspension out of the box, ESA on GS was a huge disappointment. Off road I struggled maintaining the pace. Riding modes and auto levelling feature really made no big difference. I could maintain 1/3 of my usual pace or risk crashing. The only way to ride the bike with OEM suspension off-road was in Dynamic Pro and levelling on MAX, it made the bike stiff and unpleasant to ride, but at least it was not all over the place. Also on the tarmac it was far from plush and comfortable riding. We don't have the best roads here where I live. Potholes, small chops - ESA couldn’t handle that. OEM shocks were overheating (not enough oil), too small/weak valves to handle such a big bike. I started to look for suspension upgrade and reached out to Touratech and Tractive. Best decision and best upgrade for this bike hands down. They will set and adjust the springs and shocks depending on your riding style and weight. And they are fully serviceable. Now it is completely different ride. I can finally keep up with the orange squad off-road, the riding modes and auto levelling finally make sense. I can set levelling to MAX if I want the front wheel to push and dig more in the sand and still the bike is plush and comfortable. Or I can set it to MIN and have the front wheel to float and fly over the sand if needed and not worry about bottoming out. On the tarmac - potholes, small chops - it’s plush and deals with it in much more comfortable manner. The only thing I still miss with these Touratech ESA shocks is better rebound control. If I was in a market now for new GS, I would go with non ESA bike and get Touratech/Tractive Extreme shocks which you can adjust manually even more precisely.
thanks for your video. I personally find the stock ESA suspension to be very good. I am only 70Kgs but the bike handles the jumps very well. Well done though :)
Thanks for the great and informative video! If it was today and you had to decide on having one all-around bike, would you choose the Ktm 890 r or the 1250 HP? Or maybe a different allarounder ? Thanks 🙏
1250 is my choice. I tested 890 and 1290 and while they are great bikes I find 1250 to be much more comfortable and still very capable off-road. I have ordered 21/18 wheels for 1250, lets see how that plays out.
Could you feel the extra weight of the BM'r? Do you think a "fatter" tire would help? Or, airing down a bit? Were there any power issues? That is a big bike.
John Roth No power issues. I already run lower pressures in my tires, even on tarmac. Could go lower though, but not a big fan of messing with pressures while out on the trails to be honest 😊
Actually, skinnier tires would help in that terrain more than fat ones, especially on the front. With a skinnier tire, the contact patch becomes longer which ads stability in soft and sandy terrain. I have a 21" front tire that I sometimes run on my 1250GS HP. It's a 90/90 width x 21" tire and it is so much more stable and reliable in soft terrain than the chubby oem tire.
Deep, sandy soil like that is difficult to ride in. Even in the flats, especially up and down hills. The roads you were on would have been tricky even in my XR650L. You sir are a very good rider.
Great video, felt very nervous as I ride off Road and did see the crash coming. I have a lot of videos on my channel nearly all of it on BMW GS1200 off-road training. Lot of tips for beginners and advanced riders.
Exactly what i wanted to see.....the point of view and how the 1250 performs. you nailed it brother. best wishes from me here in India......amazing, you are a champ.....keep riding
Simon Carrier That’s a rear hub cover by www.rizoma.com The product number is ZBW041U Not sure if they produce them anymore, but you can try ebay as well.
So it’s a capable bike. But not a dirt based bike like the 790 KTM. Now will the 790 perform like the Gsa (if I’m not wrong or is it a Gs) on Tarmac or for touring with panniers nd all? And also the 790 is much lighter and weight balanced for dirt. I’m sold on the Gs and do own a rallye pro. Might consider upgrading to the touratech after I practise my level 2 training after watching your fabulous video. Stay blessed
Never understood why the GS1250 Adventure models comes with street tires installed, I can see you have the dirt knobby tires on your bike, did your bike came with them or you had to buy them?
nice feedback.. good test.. I do hope that you sir can test other adventure offroad bike like, honda africa twin, triumph tiger, yamaha tenere or indeed ducati multistrada enduro.. 👍 👍
raja ridwan ridwan thanks, the new africa twin is definitely on my list, T7 I did already although not an extensive test ride. Triumph maybe, not a big fan of those bikes. What concerns multistrada, our local dealer doesn’t do test rides, he says ducati is the best money can buy and there’s no reason for demo 😀
@@Elskins did ducati dealer ever said that.. what a shame.. cause I really like seeing those bikes perform on a really challenging offroad.. to see their capabilities, onboard. Anyway.. thanks for the reply😄
Hi, congrats on your new bike, good choice! I went with Tractive ESA suspension front and rear. Touratech used to sell those shocks and their label on them(and high price). I have heard now you can get them directly from Tractive. They will set them up for your weight and riding style before shipping. There are other options on the market, but Tractive is said to be the best for GS.
Depends where you live and how good your roads are. Here where I live the tarmac can be bumpy, and the bike feels much safer and much more planted and comfortable on Tractive suspension.
@@freisiandraugr2427 I think just for cruising on the highway that's probably an overkill. But if you have the budget, go for it. It will be better no doubt.
It is not understandable you have the best suspension that seems to have manual adjustments but at the same time you still have the dynamic damping control? how is that possible?
Andrés Padilla Only damping can be adjusted manually. The rebound is still adjusted by computer on these ESA shocks. And Dynamic pro gives the best rebound control in my opinion.
ERV in the mean time went to read on. So has two for quick and slow compression, thought esa controlled that too.... interesting. I’m far from giving the GS a treatment of a seasoned off roader but it’s good to know.
qbloke Hi, because dynamic pro provides the best rebound control when going faster and over the whoops.. In enduro pro mode the rebound damping is too loose and you have to slow down or risk to crash.
I think, i’m going to sell my 790adv R and buy a BMW 1250 Gs. It’s my dreambike anyway and i currently can’t afford both. I’m having too many issues with my 790 now in the garage with clutch problems. Won’t trust it for long trips anymore. And as i can see in this video incould nearly do anything with the Gs1250 as the 790’with some more effort... awesome video!
Jamal M 1250 will be also much more comfortable bike. Don’t know about reliability, I have no issues with 790, but if I had to sell one now, that would be 790, even though it has lots of costly upgrades nobody will be paying for.
Honda Africa Twin is really built for off-roading condition - any one of you brave enough to tackle Los Angeles-to-Lima, Peru excursion, then choose no other than Honda (or Yamaha if you are ok with top heaviness). GS does everything in the middle (it does off road decently, and handles paved road decently) - Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas (with 3 days off to the Death Valley), then BMW what you need. It handles the road the best, and it is so responsive it feels like the bike is actually reading your mind. Best long trip bike in my opinion. Personally, I still choose Honda or Yamaha because of this reason: On any given Wednesday, I see the cloud and beautiful sky, and I hop on the bike, and head off to Death Valley, and end up in Utah or Canada...
@@Elskins I actually love telelever for the most part. However, there are some issues for example hitting relatively large consecutive ruts at a decent speed is pretty harsh with a stock telelever front end. Also, I'm not sure if it's telelever or just the bikes design but the big GS deflects very hard. Those two reasons are probably why I wouldn't want to go too fast on the r-series.
@@Elskins I may be mistaken but I suspected it was the rigid telelever contraption transmitting force directly to the center of the bike lol. And having all the weight centralised at one point might also give it a strong point of leverage. The price of having a relatively heavy bike handle like it does. Take my ideas with a grain of salt though. I'm not a real expert in motorcycle chassis design.
By the way, for anybody wondering. I have purchased the full kit. The suspension is better, mostly due to the fact that it is built and tuned to my weight. However, I regretfully write that it does not relieve the issue. Just the way GS bikes are.
Kowalski hi, that’s made by rizoma.com They offer nice touches for GS and other bikes. I ordered from local dealer, but you can buy online too I think.
Great video . I just 12 O’clock + an extra 1hr my big 1290 super adventure R . The big girl went down hard she didn’t even get hurt . Myself on the other hand did . Once my shoulder heals up I’ll be back out on the trails . Anyone can ride a 225lbs dirt off-road, I prefer the challenge of the big ADV bikes
Wood splitter heck ya. So true, booting around on a 250 is much easier and fun, but the process of learning to ride a big bike off road is a great challenge!
Andrew Edmond I run lower pressures on tarmac too. Tires wear faster but I’m always prepared to hit the dirt. I don’t want to mess with pressures back and forth every time I get of and on the road again and again. For me tarmac is only to get to the dirt. I don’t travel the world and don’t commute on this bike. 😊
Very impressive! You are very skilled and also have a lot of guts to ride that big bike so fast in sand. Where is this anyways? I have never seen so much sand in the forest before!
FineRoadsAhead Latvia. Not everywhere but here around Riga we have a lot of forests like these. You guys must have more rocks and stones up there in Sweden, but here the biggest challenge is loose deep sand and mud.
ERV Really!? That is so interesting! I had no idea there was such a big difference between our forests in Sweden and those in Latvia. We do have a lot of rocks and regular soil I guess.
That's what the name of the mode suggests, right? But this mode has limitations. And it's the rebound control. It's too loose. You can't go fast in Enduro pro over bumps and whoops. For me Enduro pro is a safe mode, so that nobody crashes on hard packed gravel road.
ERV I can fully agree with this. And the thing is that enduro pro does not allow you to tune the damping anyway, you can dial traction and abs and throttle but not damping with only enduro option. Then if you set preload to max but still have soft damping? Therefore dynamic pro can also be an option as you can play the other variables but have a firmer damping. Like he does. It’s not a sin.
@@3rdaxis649 I got 790 ADV for that, hoping it will replace the big GS, buy no - ended up keeping both. I like the comfort of BMW, but 790 is not complaining too much being bashed around :)
@@Elskins Yea the 850GS is slightly heavier then the KTM, about 40 lbs or 18kg. But 40kg lighter then the 1250. The first time I saw a 1250 in person I was very intimidated. it's just massive. Trails hear in Northern New Jersey are very rough, hilly and rocky.
Thanks, yes, of course. But for me the biggest problem in Enduro Pro is rebound damping. It is too loose and doesn't keep that rear end planted. Dynamic Pro is much better in this regard. At least on my bike.
Nice video. However, one of the things I do not like about the GS is the gearbox speedo - you are barely moving but it shows you going 70. Come on BMW.
Steve Austin If I was in a market for a new GS today, I would definitely go with non ESA bike and swap out stock suspension with Tractive Extreme shocks 😊
Jā, man arī! Bet intereses pēc... lietoju Latvijas karte ar visām sētām. Bet nav detalizēti pa mežiem un pļavām. Skatos kopā ar Googles karti kombinācijā ar Latvijas karti...
Aigaro Ja tu daudz brauc pa sliktiem ceļiem un bezceļiem, tad es ņemtu viennozīmīgi 790R. Tālākai ceļošanai gan 1290R būs ērtāks un var arī paplosīties off roudā pie vēlmes. Tev vajag izbraukt ar vienu un otru 😉
This is how a GS 1250/1200 should be ridden. Thank you for your Dutch courage. No pun intended. 😁😁🙌🏾🙌🏾👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I own a 1250 GS. I could never ride like you, but your video was an inspiration for me. Thanks.
Majority of 1250 adventure riders will never ride in such terrains, unless they have no choice and are with a few other riders to help pickup such a bike on loose muddy trail. I bought a 1250 knowing I need to ride dirt roads to my campsite, but none of the fire roads I have taken on my GSA were this beaten up.
Ditto on that I have a 2016 GS but could not imagine it is capable of what you demonstrate you have set the bar high for us to aspire to your level of skill
I'll stick to the tarmac with my new GSA😂👍💯
Would be awesome if there was a Starbucks at the end of that trail though 😂
Terrific video. Great control. I'm glad that he stayed with the bike.
Great to see a video on the real abilities and limitations of these bikes. I've dropped my XT1200 Super Tenere on wet muddy ground twice due to the front wheel losing traction due to the colossal weight and it wasn't fun!
I love my 250 2-stroke Kawasaki enduro. Fast enough on the highway, powerful and light on off road. I also have a GSA for 90% highway 10% off road use. Different strokes, for sure!
Regardless of everything else, that motor sounds amazing and you are moving right along on that beast!
This guy has probably never gone to a Starbucks. I love it.
You clearly know how to ride a big bike. Thanks for the encouraging post as I enjoin the ADV world as a former skinny bike rider.
Great video!!! Thanks for all the info shared!
Thanks again for sharing such informative video !
impressive riding skills! and I'm happy to see someone who is not afraid of really using their brand new GS!!! This could have been a part of a BMW commercial!
Very informative as always. On a real travel, days will look twice longer with the GS than with the 790 or T7 on off road-parts. Thank you, and try to go with a friend on such tests... It's not safe alone.
Christophe Callais good point, much safer with buddies 👍
I miss my DRZ400 every day! Yes I know it’s not a GS and was not the best motorway bike but my gosh I have never laughed so much in my life on a bike before. Now riding a CBF1000 due to my commute requirements. Love you Suzi, wherever you are 😭
You do have some really good riding skills on that GS, they are heavy as hell. Awesome! Keep at it!
Amen to that! Hope you will get something similar to DR - I am hoping to get my hands on Honda XR650R and give it a little touch.
Wow.... You do have some skills.
Thanks for sharing 👍
Frederic Charpentier Thanks 👍
Great video on the 1250GS!
Great riding and video, thanks
Man, you're truly a monster in all of that nightmare-ish sand, and on a 650lb bike! I'm not envious, but I'm impressed.
scha0306 Thanks! To each their own apparently 😊. I’m just used to that sand. That’s the ultimate challenge we have here: sand and mud. What impresses me is seeing guys hammering their bikes through rocky terrain where any crash can lead to serious injuries. We don’t have much rocky trails here.
What a great area! Clean bike
Thanks for the video. Both wipe outs were not the bikes fault. The GS is way more capable and can be ridden just as quickly as the 790. I haven’t ridden the 1250 but from what I understand it rides even better than the 1200. Suspension is always soft on GS because most riders doing real technical stuff are not choosing a GS. Have fun and stay safe. That thing is a beast and will kick you off from time to time if she is in traction off in, specially in Dynamic mode.
Great video!
Brave guy , it cost a fortune and you just have to try ,just luv it 👍
Wow great skills in such heavy sand.
Nice video and Great riding
I Did not knew that the speedometer is measured on the back wheel.
At 5:13 you can see clearly by taking off and lots wheelspin, the speedometer shows 60 á 70 km/h and practically standing still
Good to know 👍
Most modern bikes have a speedometer sensor that observes the output to the final drive system. In the GSA it's probably in the front connector of the drive shaft. Some enduro bikes have that sensor attached to the front wheel to provide the rotating speed of the wheel as the actual speed.
great video subscribed. im here to know more about the gs
Nice video. Thank You
Good morning, congratulations for the beautiful video. Could you tell me the brands of the blue footboards and the blue rear brake fluid reservoir cap ???
susi ghezzani hi, those are made by Italian company Rizoma.
What is the blue anodized piece in the center of the rear hub?
I agree with your conclusion regarding the suspension modes with my 2018 R1200GS. Enduro PRO gives a nice, plush ride off-road, but when you ride aggressive, the rebound damping is to low and it starts to "bounce" up and down. I find myself constantly switching between Enduro PRO and Dynaminc PRO with TC and ABS disabled according to the road surface...
Francois van Niekerk Thanks, Francois! Finally some who knows his stuff 👍
@@Elskins It is my only major complaint about my bike. If I were able to select the DYNAMIC or ROAD suspension setting in the ENDURO Pro riding mode, I could get a tight suspension setting together with the good off road TC and ABS. The older pre Facelift 1200gs had settings which you could select HARD and SOFT within your suspension settings in all riding modes which worked great. Withe the last 1200 and now the 1250, one cannot do this anymore. MIN and MAX does not give the desired effect as those are only preload settings and does not alter compression and rebound.
Excelente video, que gran piloto
a very enjoyable drive..
Loved it.
Great vid
Hi ERV, thanks for video of riding the GS in sand. I am interested in the OEM suspension vs touratech details and the benefits you have found. Would you mind providing some more detail on this.
Hi, Garry. I’m skinny built, 5’ 11’’ and around 175lbs in full gear. And even for me the OEM suspension felt on the softer side.
Coming from a KTM 990 which has pretty good suspension out of the box, ESA on GS was a huge disappointment. Off road I struggled maintaining the pace. Riding modes and auto levelling feature really made no big difference. I could maintain 1/3 of my usual pace or risk crashing. The only way to ride the bike with OEM suspension off-road was in Dynamic Pro and levelling on MAX, it made the bike stiff and unpleasant to ride, but at least it was not all over the place. Also on the tarmac it was far from plush and comfortable riding. We don't have the best roads here where I live. Potholes, small chops - ESA couldn’t handle that. OEM shocks were overheating (not enough oil), too small/weak valves to handle such a big bike. I started to look for suspension upgrade and reached out to Touratech and Tractive. Best decision and best upgrade for this bike hands down. They will set and adjust the springs and shocks depending on your riding style and weight. And they are fully serviceable. Now it is completely different ride. I can finally keep up with the orange squad off-road, the riding modes and auto levelling finally make sense. I can set levelling to MAX if I want the front wheel to push and dig more in the sand and still the bike is plush and comfortable. Or I can set it to MIN and have the front wheel to float and fly over the sand if needed and not worry about bottoming out. On the tarmac - potholes, small chops - it’s plush and deals with it in much more comfortable manner. The only thing I still miss with these Touratech ESA shocks is better rebound control. If I was in a market now for new GS, I would go with non ESA bike and get Touratech/Tractive Extreme shocks which you can adjust manually even more precisely.
What spring rates are for your weight?
thanks for your video. I personally find the stock ESA suspension to be very good. I am only 70Kgs but the bike handles the jumps very well. Well done though :)
Thanks for the great and informative video!
If it was today and you had to decide on having one all-around bike, would you choose the Ktm 890 r or the 1250 HP?
Or maybe a different allarounder ?
Thanks 🙏
1250 is my choice. I tested 890 and 1290 and while they are great bikes I find 1250 to be much more comfortable and still very capable off-road. I have ordered 21/18 wheels for 1250, lets see how that plays out.
@@Elskins thanks a lot.
I can't put these sizes iny country :)
Could you feel the extra weight of the BM'r? Do you think a "fatter" tire would help? Or, airing down a bit? Were there any power issues? That is a big bike.
John Roth No power issues. I already run lower pressures in my tires, even on tarmac. Could go lower though, but not a big fan of messing with pressures while out on the trails to be honest 😊
Actually, skinnier tires would help in that terrain more than fat ones, especially on the front. With a skinnier tire, the contact patch becomes longer which ads stability in soft and sandy terrain. I have a 21" front tire that I sometimes run on my 1250GS HP. It's a 90/90 width x 21" tire and it is so much more stable and reliable in soft terrain than the chubby oem tire.
Deep, sandy soil like that is difficult to ride in. Even in the flats, especially up and down hills. The roads you were on would have been tricky even in my XR650L. You sir are a very good rider.
Great video, felt very nervous as I ride off Road and did see the crash coming. I have a lot of videos on my channel nearly all of it on BMW GS1200 off-road training. Lot of tips for beginners and advanced riders.
You guys can ride all year round 👍
Woww👍👍 i can t drive like that with my GS .. not and off experience... you drive this big bike like a motocross 👍👍👍
Get a dualsport and practice ;) Its so much fun
Nice and 👍👍👍from germany 🤘
Nice riding!
did you also get after market steering damper adjust? it help.
씽고고 Not yet, but will go with Hyperpro during offseason.
Deep sandy hill climbs, you handle them like a Boss!!!!!
My thoughts exactly!
you are awesome
Exactly what i wanted to see.....the point of view and how the 1250 performs. you nailed it brother. best wishes from me here in India......amazing, you are a champ.....keep riding
Thank you!
It looks way better than GSA,Good choice...👍
Hi what blue part have you added in the rear wheel and or on the shaft?
Simon Carrier That’s a rear hub cover by www.rizoma.com
The product number is ZBW041U
Not sure if they produce them anymore, but you can try ebay as well.
So it’s a capable bike. But not a dirt based bike like the 790 KTM. Now will the 790 perform like the Gsa (if I’m not wrong or is it a Gs) on Tarmac or for touring with panniers nd all? And also the 790 is much lighter and weight balanced for dirt. I’m sold on the Gs and do own a rallye pro. Might consider upgrading to the touratech after I practise my level 2 training after watching your fabulous video. Stay blessed
murugananth sabapathy I consider suspension upgrade the best upgrade I’ve made for my GS. Can’t recommend enough 👍
Sveicināti 333 trases apkaimē!
Never understood why the GS1250 Adventure models comes with street tires installed, I can see you have the dirt knobby tires on your bike, did your bike came with them or you had to buy them?
Came with the street tires. Now I run even more aggressive knobies.
Waar ligt dat gebied?
Hi ERV, what skidplate did you put on the Beemer? Are those crashbars from BMW ? Nice skills !
Hi, those are SW-Motech skidplate and crash bars. Skidplate is very sturdy, but crash bars look and feel pretty basic, but they are lightweight.
Would you consider a 21 inch front wheel conversion?
painted sailor Yes, I am considering and might do a conversion at some point. But I think 21” doesn’t look good on this bike 😊
Wish i was there with Husky 501
nice feedback.. good test.. I do hope that you sir can test other adventure offroad bike like, honda africa twin, triumph tiger, yamaha tenere or indeed ducati multistrada enduro.. 👍 👍
raja ridwan ridwan thanks, the new africa twin is definitely on my list, T7 I did already although not an extensive test ride. Triumph maybe, not a big fan of those bikes. What concerns multistrada, our local dealer doesn’t do test rides, he says ducati is the best money can buy and there’s no reason for demo 😀
@@Elskins did ducati dealer ever said that.. what a shame.. cause I really like seeing those bikes perform on a really challenging offroad.. to see their capabilities, onboard. Anyway.. thanks for the reply😄
Hi and thanks for the great video!
I just sold my 790 and bought 1250 Adv hp. I’m interested to know what you did for the suspension.
Thanks
Hi, congrats on your new bike, good choice! I went with Tractive ESA suspension front and rear. Touratech used to sell those shocks and their label on them(and high price). I have heard now you can get them directly from Tractive. They will set them up for your weight and riding style before shipping. There are other options on the market, but Tractive is said to be the best for GS.
ERV thank you so much
Did you try the tiger 900 rally?
Hopefully you air down your tires to 22-24psi. Will make a big difference in that sand/off road.
Great video..nice of you to show the bike crashing. Honest.
260kg is just ridiculous
where this was shot? beautiful scenery
60Ri5 Latvia 🇱🇻
wish we had trails like that near me, id take my gs over it.
i take my gs 1200 every where. psi 18 in dunes is the magic number
Apples and oranges. Much better comparison with the KTM 1290.
Also that rut!
agree on apples and oranges. I don't own 1290. But I do own 790. That's the only reason.
I am amazed at your ability how many years have you been riding off road?
Did the suspension kit change how it rides on the highway? If so better or worse?
Depends where you live and how good your roads are. Here where I live the tarmac can be bumpy, and the bike feels much safer and much more planted and comfortable on Tractive suspension.
@@Elskins thanks for the response. I was thinking long distance on the highways.
@@freisiandraugr2427 I think just for cruising on the highway that's probably an overkill. But if you have the budget, go for it. It will be better no doubt.
It is not understandable you have the best suspension that seems to have manual adjustments but at the same time you still have the dynamic damping control? how is that possible?
Andrés Padilla Only damping can be adjusted manually. The rebound is still adjusted by computer on these ESA shocks. And Dynamic pro gives the best rebound control in my opinion.
ERV in the mean time went to read on. So has two for quick and slow compression, thought esa controlled that too.... interesting. I’m far from giving the GS a treatment of a seasoned off roader but it’s good to know.
Why is your suspension set in dynamic mode off road?
qbloke Hi, because dynamic pro provides the best rebound control when going faster and over the whoops.. In enduro pro mode the rebound damping is too loose and you have to slow down or risk to crash.
Great!!
I think, i’m going to sell my 790adv R and buy a BMW 1250 Gs. It’s my dreambike anyway and i currently can’t afford both. I’m having too many issues with my 790 now in the garage with clutch problems. Won’t trust it for long trips anymore. And as i can see in this video incould nearly do anything with the Gs1250 as the 790’with some more effort... awesome video!
Jamal M 1250 will be also much more comfortable bike. Don’t know about reliability, I have no issues with 790, but if I had to sell one now, that would be 790, even though it has lots of costly upgrades nobody will be paying for.
Honda Africa Twin is really built for off-roading condition - any one of you brave enough to tackle Los Angeles-to-Lima, Peru excursion, then choose no other than Honda (or Yamaha if you are ok with top heaviness). GS does everything in the middle (it does off road decently, and handles paved road decently) - Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas (with 3 days off to the Death Valley), then BMW what you need. It handles the road the best, and it is so responsive it feels like the bike is actually reading your mind. Best long trip bike in my opinion.
Personally, I still choose Honda or Yamaha because of this reason: On any given Wednesday, I see the cloud and beautiful sky, and I hop on the bike, and head off to Death Valley, and end up in Utah or Canada...
I just picked up a 2020 Africa Twin. It’s awesome.
@@beachamboy11 you sir, sure knows the enjoyment in life. Ride Safe o7
Actually,, You let a rut take control of your bike. I saw it coming.
Then blamed the tire for your mistake
does the touratech suspension relieve any of the downsides of the stock telelever front?
Miras Khakimzhan Can you elaborate? I am not a fan of telelever either, but what are the downsides for you?
@@Elskins I actually love telelever for the most part. However, there are some issues for example hitting relatively large consecutive ruts at a decent speed is pretty harsh with a stock telelever front end. Also, I'm not sure if it's telelever or just the bikes design but the big GS deflects very hard. Those two reasons are probably why I wouldn't want to go too fast on the r-series.
Miras Khakimzhan I know what you mean. I think that’s telelever, steering angle, 19” wheel all together. New shocks helped with that but not 100%.
@@Elskins I may be mistaken but I suspected it was the rigid telelever contraption transmitting force directly to the center of the bike lol. And having all the weight centralised at one point might also give it a strong point of leverage. The price of having a relatively heavy bike handle like it does.
Take my ideas with a grain of salt though. I'm not a real expert in motorcycle chassis design.
By the way, for anybody wondering. I have purchased the full kit. The suspension is better, mostly due to the fact that it is built and tuned to my weight. However, I regretfully write that it does not relieve the issue. Just the way GS bikes are.
I would like to know what mic you are using.
The sound is from Sena 10C PRO. Syncing with dji osmo action later is pita, though.
@@Elskins thanks! I thought it was from a mic connected to a GoPro.
I'm curious, why don't you get a dirt bike?
what is that blue thing in the centre of your rear wheel, where can i buy it?
Kowalski hi, that’s made by rizoma.com
They offer nice touches for GS and other bikes.
I ordered from local dealer, but you can buy online too I think.
@@Elskins thank you, but damn thats hella expensive for such a small detail, ithink ill pass :D
Kowalski agree, those rizoma bits are nice but overpriced 😊
So is the GS that much better than the 790 on road trips? Why keep the GS if the 790 can do the road trip and is so much better off-road?
Jamby7 I was hoping 790 will replace the big GS, but in terms of comfort GS is better though. Time will tell 😊
The 790 Adv sounds so much better as well.
Great video . I just 12 O’clock + an extra 1hr my big 1290 super adventure R . The big girl went down hard she didn’t even get hurt . Myself on the other hand did . Once my shoulder heals up I’ll be back out on the trails . Anyone can ride a 225lbs dirt off-road, I prefer the challenge of the big ADV bikes
wood splitter Agree with you and prefer the challenge of big ADV bikes 👍 Get well soon!
Wood splitter heck ya. So true, booting around on a 250 is much easier and fun, but the process of learning to ride a big bike off road is a great challenge!
Hey, are the Handguards Barkbusters or something else? finaly nice video, nice bike
SW-Motech
The Bike will never be a problem only the mind. And try the third gear instead of second gear more often
where is that? I love the Offroadpark!
Latvia. We don't have off-road parks. That's what the forests look like here :)
@@Elskins super nice, i live in germany.
I want to go to latvia. Are there more places like that?
Cephei VV1337 Basically all the forests around Riga and along the west coast line of Baltic sea are with sandy soil.
Great bike. As long as you dont get stuck in a mud hole. Spent 2 hours getting my GS Adventure out of one the other day... :(
Were you on Karoo 3 tires?
@@Elskins Yes. But are starting to get really worn out. Have a set of Mitas E07 plus in the garage that i will put on any Day..
I'm assuming that you reduced the tyre pressures for the heavier sand area's? Works for me. Great bike.
Andrew Edmond I run lower pressures on tarmac too. Tires wear faster but I’m always prepared to hit the dirt. I don’t want to mess with pressures back and forth every time I get of and on the road again and again. For me tarmac is only to get to the dirt. I don’t travel the world and don’t commute on this bike. 😊
Good for you my check book cannot withstand the risk
Very impressive! You are very skilled and also have a lot of guts to ride that big bike so fast in sand. Where is this anyways? I have never seen so much sand in the forest before!
FineRoadsAhead Latvia. Not everywhere but here around Riga we have a lot of forests like these. You guys must have more rocks and stones up there in Sweden, but here the biggest challenge is loose deep sand and mud.
ERV Really!? That is so interesting! I had no idea there was such a big difference between our forests in Sweden and those in Latvia. We do have a lot of rocks and regular soil I guess.
You should be in Enduro Pro mode for off road riding!! Dynamic Pro is for road riding only
That's what the name of the mode suggests, right? But this mode has limitations. And it's the rebound control. It's too loose. You can't go fast in Enduro pro over bumps and whoops. For me Enduro pro is a safe mode, so that nobody crashes on hard packed gravel road.
What a full
Hans de Boer - Who is?
ERV I can fully agree with this. And the thing is that enduro pro does not allow you to tune the damping anyway, you can dial traction and abs and throttle but not damping with only enduro option. Then if you set preload to max but still have soft damping? Therefore dynamic pro can also be an option as you can play the other variables but have a firmer damping. Like he does. It’s not a sin.
You weren’t hanging around !
How heavy are you if you don't mind me asking?
I'm skinny built, about 77kg(170 lbs) in gear.
@@Elskins That's exactly what I am. I went with the F850GS in hopes that it will be nimble on the trails.
@@3rdaxis649 I got 790 ADV for that, hoping it will replace the big GS, buy no - ended up keeping both. I like the comfort of BMW, but 790 is not complaining too much being bashed around :)
@@Elskins Yea the 850GS is slightly heavier then the KTM, about 40 lbs or 18kg. But 40kg lighter then the 1250. The first time I saw a 1250 in person I was very intimidated. it's just massive. Trails hear in Northern New Jersey are very rough, hilly and rocky.
I think enduro mode wud be ideal for this route.
Dynamic pro?? Madness
Andrew maybe if he rode it in the right mode he wouldn’t have needed to spend so much money on aftermarket suspension 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
@@TheJerseyBiker You mean Enduro Pro mode?
@@TheJerseyBiker I've only started learning about this bike in the last week, and I knew right away that he was in the wrong mode.
You can still ride in Enduro Pro and turn the TC and ABS off.
Thanks, yes, of course. But for me the biggest problem in Enduro Pro is rebound damping. It is too loose and doesn't keep that rear end planted. Dynamic Pro is much better in this regard. At least on my bike.
Maybe try it again in enduro pro ride mode ?
Why would I?
Nice video. However, one of the things I do not like about the GS is the gearbox speedo - you are barely moving but it shows you going 70. Come on BMW.
Gut that electronic suspension and get a set of Ohlins...night and day.
Steve Austin If I was in a market for a new GS today, I would definitely go with non ESA bike and swap out stock suspension with Tractive Extreme shocks 😊
Kādu karti meža navigācijai lieto?
Raitis Ozols To apvidu jau no galvas zinu 😊 Vispār ap Rīgu īpaši navigācijā neskatos, braucu uz dullo, apmaldīties jau nav kur.
Jā, man arī! Bet intereses pēc... lietoju Latvijas karte ar visām sētām. Bet nav detalizēti pa mežiem un pļavām. Skatos kopā ar Googles karti kombinācijā ar Latvijas karti...
Arī balticmaps.eu tur ir topogrāfiskā karte.
May I ask where you are riding this track of land?
Rick Watson Around here:
goo.gl/maps/nKh7rXK5sk1i5xYR8
Feins video. būtu intresanti blakus Gs-am(rally) nolikt 1290R 👍🏻
Pats nevaru izškirties starp 790R un 1290R.🤔
Aigaro Ja tu daudz brauc pa sliktiem ceļiem un bezceļiem, tad es ņemtu viennozīmīgi 790R. Tālākai ceļošanai gan 1290R būs ērtāks un var arī paplosīties off roudā pie vēlmes. Tev vajag izbraukt ar vienu un otru 😉
Ves una liebre y te vas a por ella. Vamos champion
jalperri je je, tengo miedo gue la liebre va a ser mucho mas àgil que mi GS 😊
Get yourself a small dirtbike, boy!
You know what is gs stand for?
titan titan Gelände/Straße?