Back to the future with the new air-oil cooled BMW R 12 G/S

BMW R 12 G/S

Don’t want all the technical wizardry that comes with the latest technology tour de force that is the R 1300 GS? BMW might have the answer you’re looking for with the pending release of the somewhat back-to-basics offering that is the BMW R 12 G/S.

Designed to capture the essence of the original R 80 G/S released 45 years ago, the R 12 G/S is a far cry from the 800 cc and 50 horsepower original but there is no doubt the family lineage is there in the DNA.

In R 12 G/S guise, the Boxer powerplant is the heralded 1170 cc air-oil cooled engine that makes 109 horsepower at 7000 rpm with a strong and characterful 115 Nm of torque peaking at 6500 rpm and driving through a Paralever cardan drive rear end.

‘Rain’, ‘Road’ and ‘Enduro’ modes are all standard along with part-integral ABS Pro, switchable Dynamic Traction Control, and MSR engine braking control. A quick-shifter is optional, as are Heated Crips, Cruise Control, Hill Start Control Pro, Tyre Pressure Control and Connected Ride Control (Bluetooth), that suite of options come as part of the $3000 ‘Comfort Package’, which also includes Headlight Pro.

The R 12 G/S rolls on a 17-inch rear and off-road-ready 21-inch front, however, a more off-road-specific rear rim can be optioned as part of the ‘Enduro Package Pro’ package, which also comes with off-road pegs and bar risers better suited to a stand-up riding posture, along with hand-guards, engine guards and a longer side-stand.

The ability to get dirty flows through to the fully-adjustable suspension with at least 200 mm of travel available at both ends and 240 mm of ground clearance, which is then upped to 255 mm when riding an ‘Enduro Package Pro’ optioned bike.

Seat height is 860 mm, while the Enduro option raises that to 875 mm. The standard bike is set up for solo riding with an optional Pillion Package ($315) required to carry a passenger.

A one-piece tubular steel frame forms the backbone of the machine and is shared across all of the current R 12 variants. However, the steering head on the R 12 G/S is positioned slightly higher and more forward than its siblings to provide more steering range.

The instrumentation is minimalist but functional, with a single round display containing an LCD inset facilitating the interface with the riding modes and other functions.

The range to empty function will be very useful as the fuel tank holds only a modest 15.5 litres. However, the frugality of this powerplant should still mean that the touring range of the R 12 G/S will still exceed 250 kilometres.  An optional mounting system provides for the mounting of a GPS unit.

Axially mounted two-piston Brembo calipers and 310 mm rotors will provide plenty of reliable stopping power when required to haul the 229 kg (ready to ride) R 12 G/S top a stop with ample assistance from the 265 mm rear disc and twin-piston caliper.

Australian deliveries are expected to start around the middle of the year. The BMW R 12 G/S will be priced from $23,990 plus on-road costs for the basic black version. The up-spec R 12 G/S Enduro variant is priced from $27,990 and includes the ‘Comfort’ and ‘Enduro Package Pro’ option suites.