Confession to make...

[NorthumBryan]

Yes, I have to confess to the fact that I'm taking a BMW R1250GS Adventure out for a test ride today. A couple of my mates have them (standard GS') and they have been goading me to take a test ride, so I finally caved in. I had a sit on a standard GS lat weekend and they are tiny, quite surprising, so the big adventure version seems to fit the bill (I'm 6' 21/2"). I took a 1200GSA out way back in 2008 and absolutely hated it ! I couldn't get away with the goofy indicators, flat, gutless power delivery and it had more than a little hint of instability, coupled to a numb front end. I have been assured all the previous issues have been sorted on the 1250.

I shall report back later how I got on with pics if I remember to take some...

[Speedy]

I have had 3 older GS's..
The last was a 2017
They are a very accomplished machine..
I suppose the thing I noticed was the lack of "Biker Nods" when I was riding them..
There really does seem to be a disdain from other bikers!
All that said the low down centre of gravity is good..
I dont know what year you are looking at but put the bike on the centre stand and then grip the reap wheel.. Rock the wheel to and fro and feel for any play..
There should be None !!
If you are looking at post around 2016 then the rear wheel bearing failure should not be a problem..
Join the forum and have a good read. (I did)...
Generally a nice bike that handles surprisingly well..
I wish you well with whatever decision you make.
Regards,
Simon

[NorthumBryan]

Well that was an interesting test ride. The GSA has come a LONG way since my last test ride way back in 2008. The motor is now an absolute peach and revs like a horizontally opposed twin shouldn't, with loads of grunt everywhere. The goofy indicators are gone, the suspension is remarkably normal and rides very smoothly and the brakes are mega - best rear brake I've ever used. It's comfy, the riding position is OK and could be easily tweaked with a set of bar raisers to be near perfect and the seat is very comfortable. The screen is way too small for me, like all bikes so I can forgive it that. Again, an aftermarket option will (should) sort that out as there are literally hundreds out there. If you think this is all going too good to be true, well there is a fly in the ointment. It's the gearbox, a bit notchy on the way up, horrific on the way down. The 'shift assist' isn't very good and not a patch on the Triumphs. Downshifts require use of the clutch (it is an up & down quickshifter) and a hefty stamp. This will get tiresome compared to the silky smooth Triumph gearbox and shift action. I have been offered a longer test ride rather than just two hours so I may take them up on that to see if things improve with time ? As it stands the tigger is going nowhere !

Pic of the big hector in triple black

[chris1982]

While confessions are being made, I have to confess that I've been looking at the 1250 GS too. I test rode the standard GS around the same time that I first looked at the Tiger 1200 three years ago. I found the new shiftcam engine was fabulous, and I also noted the significant weight difference and CoG compared to the Gen 3 Tiger. However, at the time, the 1250 GS was new to the market and would've set me back about £3.5k more than the Tiger XRX that I bought and it wasn't £3.5k better.

However, three years down the road, I am looking again and the GS is suddenly good value when compared to the new Tiger 1200 as far as I am concerned, so I am looking out for suitable ex-demo / low mileage GS's, especially as I know I have an expensive 3 year service coming up soon for my Tiger and I could put that money towards a new bike. One thing I felt the Tiger was better at than the GS was the suspension settings, did you try the Dynamic setting on the GS? I remember I found it a bit 'choppy' on a B road and preferred the smoother Road setting. I think the settings are pre-programmed and automatically set, unlike the Tiger where you can adjust the firmness of the suspension to your liking. I also prefer the electric screen on the Tiger, very useful if you get caught in a shower or change from A/B roads to Motorway, to be able to put the screen up/down at the touch of a button. To be honest, I'm quite happy with the Tiger, it's a great bike, just got that 3 year itch I think!

[NorthumBryan]

I know what you mean when you get the itch for a change... I couldn't access the 'dynamic' mode as the bike hadn't had it's first service so was still quite fresh. In 'road' mode the suspension was surprisingly normal and had a very similar amount of dive as the tigger. It does feel lighter due to that low centre of gravity and you could throw it around surprisingly well, I just can't get past the horrible gearbox.

[chris1982]

Could the gearbox thing just be because it is so new? If the bike hasn't even had its first service, then it's nowhere near broken in yet. The Tiger was much better in that regard for me, from the first few miles I put on the bike from new, it was lovely and smooth. I remember when I had my Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport, that was clunky and felt like a bit of an animal for the first few thousand miles but once fully broken in, it mellowed out really well and I kept that bike for five years, longer than any other bike I've owned, just because it was so much fun to ride and really stood out from the crowd. Maybe if you get another test ride on the GSA, see if they have one with a few more miles on to see if that bike is any better?

[NorthumBryan]

It's a good point about mileage and I have seen on a few forums the gearboxes do get better with age. I had a Guzzi Stelvio and the gearbox on that was several times better than the 1250GSA I rode yesterday ! That also got a lot better with age in most departments and it's the longest I've had a bike at 3 1/4 years. I would probably still have it if it didn't need a pair of front brake discs every year... Every year it went in for it's annual service it needed a pair of discs, as soon as it was out of warranty it went the journey.

[Hawkeye]

Horrible gearbox? Yes at first they are a bit notchy, but they do improve - the one on my GS shifts absolutely no problem at all now and is silky smooth (was a bit notchy at first), whether I use the quickshifter or use the clutch (I swapped my Gen-2 XRX for an R1250GS Exclusive TE a couple of years back)

[NorthumBryan]

On Saturday I'm taking out a Gen 4 Tigger in GT guise. I have horrible a feeling I may well like it...

[XCaTel]

Originally Posted by NorthumBryan

On Saturday I'm taking out a Gen 4 Tigger in GT guise. I have horrible a feeling I may well like it...

In which case it won't be horrible