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BMW R 1200 GS (2008) - Review - Test By, Trevor Hedge |
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| BMW R 1200 GS Page / 1 - Intro / By, Trevor Hedge  Our
test machine was shod with Continental Twinduro rubber which proved
really quite outstanding. The dirt grip they offered was quite
staggering considering the size of the tread blocks and once on the
tar those blocks proved taut enough to get down to boot-scraping
speeds with nary a hint of the tyres moving around in protest. We ran the tyres at around 25psi on both dirt and tar and found them to be much better than we imagined in any terrain. A few more psi would have been beneficial on the road, but the main benefit obtained by upping the pressures would be to dramatically increase the life of the tyre. The tyres were far from new when I hopped aboard the GS but after my 1000km on the machine the rear in particular was severely cactus. If you really want to keep an eye on your tyre pressures then tick the optional RDC box to select BMW’s tyre pressure control system. When fitted the system displays the current tyre pressures, both front and rear, as a bar measurement. Thus our 25psi equated to 1.7 bar on the dash. For dedicated road work I would be tempted to up them to around 35psi (2.4 bar) to extend tyre life or perhaps even more if carrying a pillion and/or luggage. The RDC system costs $380 and for those that like to run their rubber on lower pressures for dirt work can have their dealer deactivate the warning light on the instrumentation. In a perfect world the rider would be able to set their own parameters for the tyre pressure control system via a button on the dash. As you would expect the riding position is very comfortable and while the standard GS does feel smaller due to the slimmer tank its narrow footpegs can be a pain for those that stand up on the pegs all day. They are rubber topped but the rubbers are removable and you would certainly do this before heading off road. The GS Adventure comes with much wider pegs and a massive screen that really helps in the comfort stakes on the long haul. The R 1200 GS comes with alloy rims, hand guards, on board computer, chrome header pipes, clear indicator lenses. The Adventure also scores heated grips, crash-bars, additional spotlights, pannier fastenings, wider pegs, adjustable gear and brake levers, a better screen, spoked rims and a seat better shaped for off-road work. The spoked rims are a $500 additional extra on the standard R 1200 GS while an integrated anti-theft alarm system adds another $505 to the total of either machine. Get some panniers to fit to those pannier fastenings and that will cost you around $1500 for the pair. Add a top-box and the luggage total approaches $2500. Grab a tank bag and the inner bags for the panniers to really round out the package and you won’t see any change out of $3000. Continue to Page 6... |
BMW R 1200 GS (2008) - Review - Test
By, Trevor Hedge
Page / 1 - Intro /