BMW R 1200 GS (2008) - Review

BMW R 1200 GS
Page / 1 - Intro / 2 - Engine / 3 - Traction Control / 4 - Suspension / 5 - Summary / 6 - Specs & Images
By, Trevor Hedge

BMW have dubbed their optional traction control system ‘ASC’. The system has three modes available that are switchable on the fly from a button on the left handlebar. The settings are normal, off-road and deactivated.

In normal mode the system uses wheel sensors to pick up any difference between front and rear wheel speeds and dramatically reduces engine power to save a potential rear wheel slide that otherwise might put you on your head. The system reacts quickly and is most suitable for general road riding.

It is particularly valuable in low traction situations such as wet and slippery roads. In normal mode the intervention is dramatic and far from pretty but it does have the ability to save your bacon. It’s something that I would not consider turning off in real world use.

The off-road setting is much more subtle and allows for plenty of slip before putting a stop to your fun. If you are a ham-fisted throttle jockey, the system will intervene quite early as the difference between your front and rear wheel speeds will often be great and as widely varying as your misplaced throttle inputs. However, better riders that are capable of performing graceful sideways slides aided by momentum on the way into the turn that helps keep both wheels at similar speeds, while allowing the rear to start to break away prior to the apex to aid turn in, can have the big GS in wonderfully satisfying sideways drifts with the rear spinning nicely on the way out through the use of smooth applications of the throttle.

Using this method, the traction control system never activates but is still there to intervene if a huge difference in traction occurs that makes the wheels turn at a dramatically different rate. Even the most experienced riders can enjoy a very satisfying day sliding around in the dirt without feeling the system spoiling their fun. I spent some time riding with World Enduro gold medallist Geoff Ballard and even he marvelled at the traction control system. Geoff can ride an R 1200 GS as quick in the dirt as most people can manage on a hard core 450 enduro bike. If he can have fun with it on, so can you.

The system can also be deactivated at the press of a button for those that want to get really radical or just can’t stand the thought of any electronic intervention. I spent most of my first day with the system off, as like most riders, I trust my self-preservation limits to my right hand rather than some boffin’s interpretation of what an engine should do when I twist the throttle. But after a few hours I was converted. The off road setting is unobtrusive enough to allow experienced riders to have plenty of fun. It only really intervenes when a rider is riding poorly. I spent the rest of my time with GS in the off-road mode and never found it a hindrance. Of course the safety benefits for lesser experienced riders cannot be overstated.

If you are new to big off road bikes I thoroughly recommend ticking the ASC box on the options list. Then get yourself on one of BMW’s Off Road Training courses and you will be ready for just about anything. ASC is only available in conjunction with the excellent ABS system that is also activated or deactivated at the press of a button. While the ASC is a quite reasonable $385 ask, it is when the mandatory ABS option that must be ticked with it that things get a little rough. The integral ABS II system commands a heady $1775 which makes the ABS/ASC combination a $2160 premium.

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