Favorites and Fails

In the spirit of one of my favorite YouTube motorcycle series, here’s a summary of likes and dislikes on the new bike.

Fav — POWER. Jeremy Clarkson levels of POWWWWWEERRRRRR. In an age where nearly every top-of-the-line produces between 150 to 200 HP, the 125 HP figures of the 1200 may not seem like much, but forget that entirely. Throw your worries about figures and numbers out the window. There is more power here than you can ever fully use on the street. The power is down low, so you can actually use it. There is enough power here to keep you entranced and accelerating recklessly for the lifespan of the bike. It has POWER, comparisons be damned.

Fav — Quickshifter. It took me nearly 1,000 miles to really internalize smooth operation of this, and now I love the damn thing to death. When done right, it’s buttery smooth, can be operated leaned over mid-apex, and makes those long days that much more bearable.

Fav — TFT screen. This thing is crisp, vibrant, works great under all conditions (even in direct sunlight), and is utterly delightful to look at. Everything from the transition animations between screens to the way the tach surges perfectly along with the engine, it’s all just amazing. By contrast, standard GS is equipped analog needles as old as time, and just completely fail to convey what the bike is doing with any refinement or excitement. I having spent two years on an F700 with BMW’s horrible needles, I am never going back.

Fav — Adventure. Adventure is a state of mind more than anything else. Shaft drive and build quality means I never have to ask “is the bike ready to go?” It always is. It’s ready for adventure. Ready to go out to tackle some twisties, relax on a back country road, carry me confidently through a rain storm, absorb the bumps when I suddenly hit gravel, or remain dignified in a sudden snow storm. I can trust this machine, it can take me into and out of the adventure. It urges me to go.

Fav — Anakee 3 tires. First time on these tires, and I’m in love. Yes, they really do SINGGGGGGG at high speeds. They also grip asphalt excellently, communicate in the twisties, handle gravel with aplomb, and make me feel confident everywhere. I will almost surely run these for the next many years to come.

Fav — Cruise-control. I find myself using this for just a few minutes at a time while on the highway, mostly to free my throttle hand to tug a zipper. However those moments are SUCH a relief and it’s ease to operate while keeping my eyes on the road. Game changer.

Fav — Looks. It’s pretty. I keep falling in love each time I look at it. To-date I’ve only owned ugly bikes. I still can’t believe this is mine.

Fav — Poise. Despite also being a fail (read more below), the fact that I can trust this thing is pretty much every scenario is damn impressive. As per my “snow” section, I never once had a concern even in that inclement weather!

Fav — Ride modes. These really work. The difference between “enduro” and “dynamic” does in fact feel like two different machines. Power delivery, ABS/traction control, and suspension all shift within seconds. Dynamic is a blast in a good twisty, giving excellent road feel, immediate power, hard brakes, and a tight suspension. Swap the bike into enduro and it’ll become soft and supple, but also slow down a good bit while absorbing any bump you throw at it. It’s really cool to be able to aggressively push corners on my favorite back-country roads in dynamic mode and then push a button and be ready for the upcoming miles of gravel.

Fav — Build quality. I love how they build BMWs, I just really do. I love Torx for everything. I love that most of the Torx heads have little BMW signage etched into them. I love the perfect amout of torque applied to each bolt. I love how effortless it is to work on this bike. It’s just the best build quality of pretty much any vehicle I’ve ever had the chance to wrench on.

Fail —TFT connectivity. The TFT package gets you not only the lovely screen, but a host of advertised bluetooth features. It’s advertised that you can browse and select music on your phone, change volume levels, make a call, perform turn-by-turn navigation… all the good stuff. Except it only works if you do it the BMW way. That way requires a “compatible” helmet headset — and even then it is likely to not work. My preferred mode of riding is with noise-cancelling earplugs leading directly from my phone. What I want is to control my phone via the BMW directly… sadly that appears not to be in the cards, at least for now. You should buy this option, because it’s sooooo pretty, just don’t believe pretty much any of the advertising. BMW, get your shit together here.

Don’t just take my word on this one, check out this big list of complaints on advrider.com.

Fail — Cruise-control power surges. Cruise control (CC) should be all about relaxing. Take a rest on your wrists and let the computer worry about maintaining an even speed. I guess this concept just isn’t very German… The CC on the bike is twitchy as all heck. Going up a hill? Let me slow down a bit, and then rev a bunch to make up for it. Adjusting the CC speed limit up or down by A SINGLE MPH? Ok, no problem, I’m just going to match that speed AS FAST AS I CAN!!! Seriously though, the way engine power surges in response to the CC is pretty disconcerting. The bike has sensor systems up to the wazoo, surely some basic readings of those could cause a slightly more gradual change in speed to avoid the herky-jerky.

Fail — Poise. This sounds silly, but because the damn thing is always so planted, always so safe and comfortable and trustworthy, I never feel in danger. I don’t have a wild beast to conquer. Instead, I am the one who has been tamed. There’s something important about feeling on the verge of control, about holding the reins. At least for me, I get none of that on the big GS.

Lowered suspension

TL;DR: Buy your suspension based primarily on your height. Don’t overthink it or worry like I did. If you want to do serious off-road work on the GS, get the Rallye (aka “sport”) suspension (and be a tall person). If you’re a normal-height non-crazy-person, you’re probably happiest with the lowered. Over 6'? You’ll probably prefer the standard height. I’m 5'9" and the lowered was the right choice for me.

The choice of suspension for my GS was a constant source of angst for the entire 7 months between putting in my order and receiving the bike. However, from the moment I started riding my GS, I knew I had made the right choice to opt for the lowered suspension. For all those months leading up to that point, I would question this decision on an almost daily basis. I scoured forums and youtube, looking for hints or arguments to justify my decision or convinced me I should plead with BMW to undo this great mistake. So much anxiety, and all for nothing.

Ok, so let’s run the numbers and concerns then.

Travel. The lowered suspension cuts about 1" out of the suspension. Therefore the standard suspension should handle rough roads and off roads situations a bit better, at least on paper. I think there’s probably some truth to that, but in my experience I didn’t notice a difference (I’d previously rented a standard GS for a day of rough roads). How the weight of the GS factors into traction concerns will be a far larger concern for through-speed in such environments than travel. I’ve also found no major lack of travel on the lowered. Set the lowered into “enduro” mode and it’ll handle rough roads very pleasantly. It even did a bumpy water crossing without batting an eye. I’ve yet to want for lack of travel.

Firmness. I was a bit worried that the lowered might be too firm. Bullocks. The dynamic suspension offers a surprisingly dramatic variety of options here. The enduro mode is down right soft, wallowy, and disconnected (I’d never use it on road), but it’s existence assures me that the bike has so much travel available, if and when I need it. The dynamic suspension mode (aka: sporty-type-go-fast) is firm, direct, superbly planted, but never back-breaking. I can’t find any meaningful difference here against the standard height. I think the choice of electronic vs manual suspension will be a far larger factor in your experience than suspension height.

Height. Ah, the thing that matters. I am so very happy coming to a stop on my lowered GS. I can put both feet down. When the bike is loaded up for touring, having that much more boot-traction is great for scooting around a parking lot. I also feel so much more psychologically prepared for any gravel or off road situations knowing that I can easily put down either foot in a rough spot. Even on an off-camber situation, I can put my boot down on the downhill side and feel confident. It’s only an inch or two, but boy, does it really make a difference. This is a no-brainer for me.

Not pictured: Some very rough and steep unpaved roads just before this spot.

Riding impressions

Highway: 8/10

The stability and power of the 1200 really shine through on those long highway days. The miles disappear and when I dismount my aches are minimal. Ranked strictly as a touring bike, the big GS undoubtedly belongs in a top 5, if not #1 due to it’s luggage capacity paired with comfort. The stock windshield is the only disappointment here, but there are tons of aftermarket options.

Twisties: 7/10

Gobs of power, good road feel, surprisingly quick handling… what’s not to like? Well, even though the weight is handled well, it’s still there. Recall to my “fail” note on poise, and in fact this amazingly well balanced machine is just… too good. I want to be a bit more engaged than just point and vroom. I want a challenge. I want to feel on the brink of death… just a bit.

Snow storm: 9/10

Ok, to be fair I’ve only experienced this twice now. The first time was on my 690, with knobby tires and 80lbs of gear. That was a horrid experience and I tucked tail and ran. It’s hard to articulate what exactly makes the 1200 such a different experience. I think a mix of aeros, weight, the rain mode, protection, and of course heated grips. At any rate, what would otherwise be a bit scary was absolutely delightful. I not only had a blast, I want to go back for more. Read more on my experience in the trip logs further down.

Rain storm: 8/10

The stock screen will put a ton of water into your face. An upgraded screen brings this to 9/10. The rain mode is excellent and turns the bike into a downright boring experience, concerned only with maximizing traction, and that’s exactly what you want in a rain storm. The low center of gravity pulls everything together into a package that is deeply confidence inspiring when the weather gets bad.

Wind: 8/10

Good, not perfect. You’ll feel gusts, but not feel to the extant that you might lose control. Points a knee into the wind and you’ll be a happy camper.

City: 7/10

Pretty good! The clutch is light enough that my hand doesn’t cramp. The big boxer engine lugs low and pulls at all gears, so quick stops are easy to recover from. Starts in 2nd are easy if you get caught off guard, and you can stay in 2nd up to 50mph without feeling too unnatural. Good balance means not too much exhaustion from foot down/up at stops. Sight lines are excellent, drivers see me and I see them. Pretty good.

Lane splitting: 6/10

Doable, but not fun. The wide handlebars really induce paranoia. Inadvisable with panniers as they’ll stick out farther than handlebars.

Long riding days: 9/10

On those days of 8 hours of saddle time and hundreds of miles, I’m ecstatic with the GS. Sure, I’m tired, but I’m not exhausted. After coming to camp for the night or pulling up into my hotel, I’ve still got energy to go out for groceries.

Gravel roads: 8/10

For traveling at a relaxed pace (20–40 mph), I vastly prefer the 1200 vs my KTM 690 Enduro. Weird, right? The weight and suspension of the big bike add up to it feeling more planted. Whereas my 690 bounces a bit from rut to rut, the 1200 is a tank that plows through. Give me a miles of gravel and I’ll choose the 1200 every time.