2018 BMW R1200 GS Rally Review

S1000RR  FORUM

Help Support S1000RR FORUM:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Oli

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 10, 2017
Messages
3,497
Reaction score
1
Location
Essex & Aberdeen
Had the opportunity for an extended test ride (2 days) a brand new GS this week, prior to collecting my RR following the warranty repair work. So here goes my ~ 600 mile experience onboard a 2018 GS Rally.

A little background, prior to getting my motorcycle licence I started out my 2 wheeled adventure with Enduro and MX bikes. Whilst it?s been a long time since I?ve ridden an ?off-road? bike, I test rode an S1000XR a couple years ago and, whilst the riding position felt alien to me after exclusively riding sport bikes for the past half decade, all was well. As a result, I always imagined that a GS would be a supremely easy to ride couch of a bike. When I first set off from Cannon?s, that bubble was properly burst lol ...
So, with that in mind my initial impression having literally just sat on the bike was how insanely soft the suspension felt. It is like no bike I?ve ever been on, just bobbing up and down before pulling away brought a 70?s Cadillac to mind lol. People say the seat height is intimidating, but in all honesty I really didn?t have a problem with it as there?s so much ?drop? when you get onboard the seat height is somewhat irrelevant IMO. Ergonomically there?s loads of leg room and the bars are extremely wide offering massive amounts of leverage.
So, from the moment I pulled away heading up to the junction at the entrance to Cannon?s, that bubble I was talking about, was burst, because that ride home was the first time I?ve felt genuinely ?uncomfortable? in a not-in-control kind of way on a bike in I literally can?t tell you how long. There was a couple of reasons for this, firstly, I found the spongy suspension made it very challenging to get ?planted? when stationary, I felt very wobbly at slow speed and when stationary due to this IMO. Secondly, I found the pistons on a boxer engine took me by surprise, as not only can you feel the horizontal pulsing from the engine when turning the bike on, but when I normally stick my leg out and in front when coming to a stop, with a boxer engine this is not possible due to the pistons being in the way. This took a little while to get used to and I ended up cracking my shin on the pistons several times lol. Finally, the engine is on a different planet to the S1000, it?s a uniquely different character and so takes a considerable amount of time to get used to IMO.
So, bricking it from the moment I first pulled away I got to the junction and when finally there was a gap in the traffic, clunk, I stalled lol, can?t remember the last time that?s happened before either ...
Eventually I got out of Cannon?s with my MoJo well and truly lost and my first riding impressions being very poor indeed. Getting back to the suspension feel, it?s like nothing I?ve experienced before, in that coming from a superbike, or even a XR, which give the ?solid? feeling of security and road feel that I am now accustomed too, the GS instead wafts along on the big wheels incredibly smoothly, but with absolutely no road feel whatsoever, which felt totally alien to me.

Engine and gearbox:
I found the engine surprising as I was expecting it to be massively refined, but instead it feels quite the opposite, it strangely reminds me of the single cylinder KTM 690 LC4 engine, that pulsing clattering character coupled with massive torque and, to my surprise significant vibration. It seems, in my experience, that all twin cylinder engines vibrate in a characteristic high amplitude/low frequency way that is in my personal opinion far more noticeable than on an i4, which typically display a high frequency low amplitude buzz.
It took me a while to get used to the engine as at first I was riding it like an i4, keeping the revs high in search of top end power that wasn?t really there. Instead, I discovered that to get the best of the engine you surf the low and midrange torque, and when doing so you are not only rewarded with a smoother experience, but also a novel soundtrack. To anyone who subscribes to Royal Jordanian on YouTube and have seen the Africa GS tours that he goes on, it?s exactly the soundtrack from those videos, which I really enjoyed.
The gearbox is really good, shifting both up and down the box is consistently crisp and provides a very ?positive? lever action and engagement feel. I have only two criticisms of the gearbox, firstly when using the quickshifter from 1st to 2nd there is an almighty jolt in the drivetrain, not in a botched shift kind of way, it feels like the gap in gear ratios is huge (probably by design) resulting in a massive and immediate drop in engine speed. It?s not pleasant, so I found myself using the clutch for 1st to 2nd shifts and the shifter everywhere else. The second criticism is when using the auto-blipper from 2nd to 1st, on a couple of occasions it popped back into neutral after what felt like a positive engagement into 1st. This reminded me of the early days with the 15 RR prior to the firmware update. As the big boxer engine has so much engine breaking when it pops into neutral it is alarming to say the least as all of a sudden you loose engine breaking.

Now before I end up in GS fans bad books for life (that?s @JimmyMac @soofsayer and @MacRR to name a few lol), bare with me a little while longer, because whilst when I got home I honestly found the bike horrible ... after riding the bike more and more, something a little strange happened ... I started to get acquainted to the big girl ... and then something even more strange happened ... dare I say, I started enjoying myself!!!

As the miles increased, I became more and more comfortable with the bike. I started sitting back in the seat more with my posture bolt upright which made the riding position way more comfortable, I started riding in the sweet spot of the engines rev-range and everything started to click. With regards to the handling, the lack of feeling I explained at the start of this review, whilst it never went away, I found that as you press on and start riding based on ?experience? rather than on feel, the bike really came alive so to speak. As you carry more and more lean through the corners that spongy suspension felt like it would suck down to the ground, as if the bike was getting more planted the more you pushed it. It was a really satisfying feeling that encourages you to push the bike further and further. I throughly enjoyed the dynamics of the bike at speed, though it is on a different planet to a sport bike or any performance bike for that matter.

Electronics:
The TC in ?dynamic? mode was still very safe, when opening throttle at lean you can feel the power being fed back in stages as you stand the bike up.
The ABS was excellent and never felt it being overly intrusive at the rear and I never felt it intervene at the front.
I found the dynamic ESA-2 suspension kind of underwhelming though, in that with the auto-preload adjustment set to, well, ?auto?, after trialling booth the road and dynamic suspension settings I didn?t actually feel that much of a difference. The overwhelming characteristic was a very softly suspended ride regardless of the suspension mode. This is in stark contrast to the DDC on an RR, which varies considerably depending on the default mode and/or specific damping settings you use.
One feature I loved, was the keyless ride, it?s one of those features you immediately get used to and then revel in the practicality. It?s fantastic just being able to have the fob in your pocket and then operate the fuel filler cap and ignition without having to fumble around for the key. I really hope BMW include this in the next generation S1000 range.

The bike was absolutely brand new when I got it, prior to the run in service, so I spent pretty much the entire 600 miles on country lanes giving it a proper run-in (that?s a hard run in btw [emoji6]) out of respect to the future owner(s). Luckily the GS doesn?t have the electronic run-in limiter as on the S1000 range, so you really can run the engine in however you see fit.
Whilst I have only limited duel-carriageway experience with the GS, I have no doubt it would be a very accomplished mile muncher, despite the vibration (varies depending on what speed you?re cruising at).

So in summary, if this would?ve been a 30 min test ride I?d have said this was one of the worst bikes I?ve ever ridden. However, I?ve been lucky to have spent an extended period of time with the bike and I can honestly say it?s got to be one of the best all-round motorcycles in the world. It handles incredibly well at speed, only limited by ground clearance (scraped toe sliders several times) and at speed the steering is much slower than on a sport bike. But really those dynamic attributes aren?t criticisms as it is an Adventure bike, not a super bike.
 
My criticisms and features I?d want if I was buying a GS:
- I don?t like the stock seat, found it very uncomfortable (but then I reckon I have an abnormal bottom lol).
- I found the vibrations disappointing, though they?re not a deal breaker.
- I also would want a different screen to provide more wind protection, as at my height (6 ft 1.5 ?) even in the up position it buffets too much.
- I also think I?d change the handlebars for a further forward and flatter profile. This would open up the riding position for a taller rider and most importantly for me provide a better angle at the wrist.
- The bike I test rode had the traditional dash, not the TFT job ... I did not like. It reflects badly in the sunshine and has an analogue speed readout which I found a pain in the arse to read, I like being able to quickly glance and see exactly how naughty I?m being lol. For this reason, I?d say the new TFT display is worth every penny!
- I?d also want the GSA and not the standard GS, I can?t see why one wouldn?t chose the same bike with a larger tank, it?s essentially the same just with added practicality ...

Final words:
Would I want to own a GSA ... Yes, but not as an only bike, if I were in a position to own a second bike a GSA would be right up there!
GS vs XR, I?d have to test ride an XR again to give a verdict, but from my recollections I enjoyed aspects of both bikes, if I could merge them that would be my ultimate second bike. I personally ?much? preferred the XR?s engine, I preferred the slow speed dynamics of the XR as felt in far more control.
However, I really like the shaft drive of the GS, I really like the 19 ? wheels as found the GS handles the potholed and ridged British B roads way waaaay better than the XR, or RR for that matter, and I like the concept of auto-preload adjustment.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with the GS and I can totally understand why they have been such a massive success worldwide, they do so much so well, and as far as performance goes, it?s literally all you need on UK roads ...

Sorry I?ve waffled on quite a bit, hope you?ve enjoyed nether the less?

Ride safe and have fun!

Oli
 
43a71c45e710ff130306abcdff4f4618.jpg
3d8653fb3235508ebe1a746143220843.jpg
 
Very good write up Oli, yes the telelever front end does initially feel a bit remote and you have to place your faith in the front tyre gripping more than std forks but tbh you quickly get used to it and soon don't give it a second thought. I prefer the substantial feel of the GSA compared to the std GS and you can really hussle them along despite their size. I agree the gearbox does feel a bit agricultural at low revs but the LC motors rev pretty freely and don't have that 'about to seize' feeling I got when hammering an air cooled GSA. I never found the seat particularly comfortable, getting numb bum quite quickly and it was a nightmare to clean because of all the nooks and crannies, rusting surprisingly easily if not done properly. As a fun, all weather, do it all bike the GS is very hard to beat, and brilliantly complements a sports bike, however if I was going to have just one bike to do everything on I'd go for a KTM 1290 SA as it combines everything a GS has (apart from shaft drive) and can do with a genuinely powerful motor and sporty handling.
 
Very good write up Oli, yes the telelever front end does initially feel a bit remote and you have to place your faith in the front tyre gripping more than std forks but tbh you quickly get used to it and soon don't give it a second thought. I prefer the substantial feel of the GSA compared to the std GS and you can really hussle them along despite their size. I agree the gearbox does feel a bit agricultural at low revs but the LC motors rev pretty freely and don't have that 'about to seize' feeling I got when hammering an air cooled GSA. I never found the seat particularly comfortable, getting numb bum quite quickly and it was a nightmare to clean because of all the nooks and crannies, rusting surprisingly easily if not done properly. As a fun, all weather, do it all bike the GS is very hard to beat, and brilliantly complements a sports bike, however if I was going to have just one bike to do everything on I'd go for a KTM 1290 SA as it combines everything a GS has (apart from shaft drive) and can do with a genuinely powerful motor and sporty handling.

Thank you Mac, I agree once you get used to the lack of feel you don?t give it a second thought.

Yea you can definitely rev the LC boxer engine out, I did multiple speed runs during my test ride and it gathers pace into fairly high speed well. However, I found it far more suited to the low and mid-range grunt than exploiting the top end power. It also seemed very well judged for the road in that you can enjoy the torque and shift through the box without immediately getting into triple digits.

I?ve not tried the KTM 1290 SA, but after riding the GS and XR I?d be very curious to try one.
If you?ve not tried an XR, I?d recommend it.

All that being said, I?m very glad to have my RR back lol [emoji6]
 
Oli, great write up....... this was on my short list.....hmm not so sure now. As you say need longer on the bike to get a real feel for it (Lind 🤬)........ I aware everyone is different and I suppose nothing will feel as good as the rr..... I am going to test ride one and have a look.....am still leaning towards the super duke ....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Oli, great write up....... this was on my short list.....hmm not so sure now. As you say need longer on the bike to get a real feel for it (Lind 🤬)........ I aware everyone is different and I suppose nothing will feel as good as the rr..... I am going to test ride one and have a look.....am still leaning towards the super duke ....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The issue I will have is that this will be a second bike......... whichbiketouse.com....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Thanks Mark.
I think you definitely need a good couple of three hours at least on it to get to know it, especially if you don?t have experience with ADV bikes. I reckon you?ll get to grips with the engine much quicker than I did though as you have owned V-twins in the past.
As a second bike I think it?s certainly a short list contender, though I would strongly recommend testing the XR and as Mac says the KTM offerings (SA and SD?s).
Cannon?s and Jim Aim Motorycles (now in Braintree!) have always been very accommodating for test rides in my experience
 
Cheers... doing my head in trying to choose...
Need to get on a couple ... Superduke GT🤪
 
Sorry I’ve waffled on quite a bit, hope you’ve enjoyed nether the less?

Ride safe and have fun!

Oli
Thanks Oli, very good read.

I have never had a ride on a GS, never even thought about riding or buying one... I really dont like the look (each to their own and all that :sorrow:).

Gs's are so yesterday lol.
 
No worries Mark and good luck.

Jim Aim (Braintree) have their Superduke GT demo up for sale, might be worth a look? Ask for Alastair and tell him I sent you.
 
Thanks Oli, very good read.

I have never had a ride on a GS, never even thought about riding or buying one... I really dont like the look (each to their own and all that :sorrow:).

Gs's are so yesterday lol.

Thank you Phil, I?m glad you enjoyed it [emoji4]

I know you?re not a fan of the looks lol, I think they look quite cool in a badass rugged/utilitarian kind of way [emoji41]
They certainly have massive road presence, especially the GSA.
If you do test ride one at some point I?d be interested to hear your feedback, particularly as you have considerable experience with the Tiger.
What do you think of the XR?

Haha, that?s blasphemy! Half expect Soof and Jimmy will have something to say any minute lol [emoji23]

I?ve got to say there really is a lot to be said for having a 2 bike garage [emoji848] ...
 
Just been having a read oli. Very good write up.

The GS rallye, its a bit shite tbh, the screen is small, its a very strange special edition bike, never could understand it. We had them as our bikes for the offroad bmw training and it felt small and rough.

The GSA to me is a different beast. The road GS has a lighter flywheel which doesnt help the gearbox and the suspension is set slightly softer I believe. Also the GSA sits higher. The two bikes GSA/GS are remarkably different bikes to ride, if you get the opportunity to try a GSA I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
 
A big hand to Oli for that fantastic write up.

bfb918f130a9a899957dd3051188e7b6.jpg


At only 5'8" and with an inside leg of 29" I have been told often that the GSA is too big for me, but I would never be without one.
The LC is very refined Oli compared to the earlier 1100,1150 and 1200TC which is my favourite, had 4 now and am not keen to make the move to the water cooled one. I appreciate it is more refined but for me the go anywhere, fix most things with a hammer and some gaffa tape is what brought me back to motorcycling.

You are absolutely bang on about the suspension, the more it is loaded the better the handling on tarmacadam roads. If I could only have one bike for the rest of my life it would not be the HP4 (as much as I love it) but the GSA all day long.

I took part in the GS Trophy a few years back and racing these monsters around an Enduro track is a fantastic way of finding your limits of control, a bit like riding a racehorse at speed, you are that high above the ground.

The bike is just the tip of the Adventure Iceberg and the more difficult and dangerous places you ride them the more you learn about your own limits but so far have yet to find the limit of the GSA.

This is the most scary picture of all my trips so far, no phone, no Sat Nav, a map from a petrol station and temperatures in the 40's, thought it was funny to start with until I remembered I only had a little water and a Kendal mint cake left..........and a few hundred miles of desert to the nearest civilisation.

c36493401b096cc8b756e61c479b260f.jpg



You WILL get one now Oli, you have been bitten, mark my words, lol.

JimmyMac
 
Last edited:
Just been having a read oli. Very good write up.

The GS rallye, its a bit shite tbh, the screen is small, its a very strange special edition bike, never could understand it. We had them as our bikes for the offroad bmw training and it felt small and rough.

The GSA to me is a different beast. The road GS has a lighter flywheel which doesnt help the gearbox and the suspension is set slightly softer I believe. Also the GSA sits higher. The two bikes GSA/GS are remarkably different bikes to ride, if you get the opportunity to try a GSA I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks Andy!

?A bit shite? lol, and there was me trying to sugar coat it all [emoji6]

The GS Rally I test road had the normal screen fitted and I think the normal seats too. I suspect these are both options most Rally customers will opt for.
I think it?s a strange line-up at the moment, seems a tad convoluted. I think the idea for the Rally models was to make a more hardcore off-road variant to compete with the likes of the KTM Adventure R models. However, after riding it it certainly feels too softly sprung to handle rough off-road use (can?t imagine it would handle jumps well).
They offer the GS exclusive model which is supposedly more road biased.
As for the GSA?s there?s several variants now which all seem to overlap. I think it would be better if they just did 2 GS?s and 2 GSA?s, road biased and off-road biased respectively, and then utilise the excellent optional extra system BMW employ.

Thanks for your insights Andy, I?ve heard of the different flywheel weights between them and it makes sense the GSA would have heavier weight springs to handle the added mass. Unfortunately Cannon?s didn?t have one to test ride at the time, but I?ll certainly look forward to testing one in future!

A big hand to Oli for that fantastic write up.

bfb918f130a9a899957dd3051188e7b6.jpg


At only 5'8" and with an inside leg of 29" I have been told often that the GSA is too big for me, but I would never be without one.
The LC is very refined Oli compared to the earlier 1100,1150 and 1200TC which is my favourite, had 4 now and am not keen to make the move to the water cooled one. I appreciate it is more refined but for me the go anywhere, fix most things with a hammer and some gaffa tape is what brought me back to motorcycling.

You are absolutely bang on about the suspension, the more it is loaded the better the handling on tarmacadam roads. If I could only have one bike for the rest of my life it would not be the HP4 (as much as I love it) but the GSA all day long.

I took part in the GS Trophy a few years back and racing these monsters around an Enduro track is a fantastic way of finding your limits of control, a bit like riding a racehorse at speed, you are that high above the ground.

The bike is just the tip of the Adventure Iceberg and the more difficult and dangerous places you ride them the more you learn about your own limits but so far have yet to find the limit of the GSA.

This is the most scary picture of all my trips so far, no phone, no Sat Nav, a map from a petrol station and temperatures in the 40's, thought it was funny to start with until I remembered I only had a little water and a Kendal mint cake left..........and a few hundred miles of desert to the nearest civilisation.

c36493401b096cc8b756e61c479b260f.jpg



You WILL get one now Oli, you have been bitten, mark my words, lol.

JimmyMac

Wow Jimmy, just wow, that first photo! My jaw literally dropped! It?s incredible, where is it/where were you? Tell me more lol.

I fully appreciate what you?re saying about the ease of repair for the air cooled variants, as you?re a hardcore adventure rider I imagine it?s the same sort of principle to say a Land Rover Defender, easy to repair is very important when you?re in the middle of nowhere.

And even more wow ...
I didn?t know you did the GS Trophy, I?ve see footage on YouTube and it looks incredible! Seeing such massive bikes tackling such tough terrain seems a serious challenge for man and machine.
Whilst it?s been a long time since I ventured off-road properly, I did ?technically? take the GS off-road on my test ride ... I did a U-turn on some gravel road ... I wobbled ... lol [emoji23]

That second picture, given the context, would put the fear of God in me. I?d get in a mild panic if I got lost in England let alone being temporarily stuck in a boiling desert with no communication. Must have felt like you were on Mars at that moment in time.
The only thing I have in common with that experience is Kendel Mintcake from my DofE day?s lol. The chocolate one is good, from memory.

I tell you again, when you eventually write ?life, the world and beyond, by Jimmy Mac? it?s going to be the first non-textbook I?ve ever read!

Haha, hmmm, very possibly, in the far future though. For the only reason that I don?t have the funds for a second bike, and as I say in the review I really couldn?t have that genre of bike as an only bike, though I totally understand why they are so popular (amazing all-rounder).

When I rode my RR back from Cannon?s, literally 10 miles or so away, I was having a deeply sexual moment hearing the full system roar and slicing through the gearbox ... needed a cold shower after that lol. It?s like when Jeramy Clarkson compared an Ascari to a Kia, in most ways the Kia is the better vehicle, but as he said repeatedly ?yes, but the yellow one is muuuuch faster, so it?s better? lol [emoji6]
 
There are 3 real variants of both GS/GSA (standard, TE, rallye) plus the exclusive, which is a TE with a paint job, essentially a pimping exercise. Most sales will likely be TE and rallye, as the standard version misses the good bits and the TE package is good value against individual options. So it does come down to a choice between 2 for most buyers.
 
As an aside it amuses me that the rallye versions come with radiator guards fitted. It wasnt long ago I was told by bmw not to fit guards to my bike because they would have a negative impact on the cooling, and were not necessary even in the harshest environments. Lol.
 
Back
Top