“If you want to ride the more challenging off-road route you need to wear motocross boots,” the BMW lady had insisted, politely but firmly, before we set off. I’m glad of my hefty footwear as I take a quick dab, then bash my boot on a rock as the GS grunts out of a rut with a shower of stones, before charging on up a bumpy dirt trail in the hills near Almeria, Spain.
Sturdy boots are useful in such situations, but what’s helping most on this fantastic afternoon’s dirt riding in southern Spain is the bike. BMW is billing the R1200GS Rallye as the “sportiest series production GS of all time,” by which they’re referring to its unprecedented off-road ability. And it’s difficult to argue with that.
Along with comparably well-equipped but contrastingly street-focused GS Exclusive that we’ve already tested on the Andalucian roads, the Rallye represents an attempt to broaden the boxer’s appeal still further with more precisely targeted models.
“The GS is known as a motorbike you can do everything with, and our idea was to enlarge this, or at least to give the customer more choice,” says Reiner Fings, the GS Product Manager. “We now have so many GS customers, and everybody is different. So we took the chance to offer the GS in a range that is more diverse and interesting.”
Selecting Enduro mode puts throttle response, traction control, suspension and ABS into off-road mode, and at one stop I fitted the under-seat dongle (part of the Riding Modes Pro option) that actives Enduro Pro, with its extra fine-tuning options. The Rallye Sport includes the optional Gear Shift Assist Pro quick-shifter, which was very welcome although when standing on the pegs I still sometimes struggled to get my big motocross boot under the lever to change up. At least as simple stamp was all I needed to change down, accompanied by a reassuring crackle from the auto-blipper.
The stiffer, longer-travel suspension coped brilliantly with the bumpy terrain, helping the BMW over the ruts and bumps, and managing to make it seem improbably agile for a tall, shaft-drive machine that weighs roughly 250kg with fuel. Although you can’t afford to forget about the weight, the GS’s versatility and off-road ability for such a big bike is remarkable.
BMW R1200 GS TE Exclusive
By contrast, the GS Exclusive (above) that we tested on the Almeria roads in the morning is a similarly high-end boxer aimed at a very different type of rider. The Exclusive is essentially a cosmetic revamp of the normal R1200GS TE, the upmarket version of the standard boxer. Its claim to fame is a finish based on paintwork in Iced Chocolate metallic, plus grey tank panels and frame, and gold-finished front brake calipers.
Spec is otherwise identical to the TE’s, which means the bike includes a long list of features that are extras with the standard GS. These include hand-guards and heated grips, keyless ignition, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control, daytime riding light, LED indicators and Hill Start Control, plus the two-way Gear Shift Assist Pro quick-shifter.
The Exclusive also comes with BMW’s more advanced Dynamic Traction Control (the standard GS gets the basic ATC system) and Riding Modes Pro, with its additional dirt-friendly Enduro mode for throttle response and traction control settings. And it comes as standard with the new-generation Dynamic ESA semi-active suspension that is an option on the Rallye Sport.
On the launch roads near Almeria the Exclusive is great fun and hugely impressive, not least because of the power, flexibility and character of its 1170cc engine. The boxer lump grunts out its 125bhp in addictively flexible, sweet-revving fashion, enhanced by the quick-shifter, which changes smoothly both up and down the box.
The Dynamic ESA works very well, notably in the way that it firms-up the front end under hard use of the powerful Brembo front brake. The rear end is firmed under acceleration, too, resulting in a superbly stable cornering feel for an adventure bike with a generous suspension travel of 190mm front and 200mm rear.
Even on a cold day the GS Exclusive is fantastic fun on those twisty Spanish roads. It’s so enjoyable to ride yet practical, with its heated grips, protective and easily adjusted screen, comfortable seat and capable chassis. BMW has sold a phenomenal 100,000 units of the liquid-cooled GS in just four years, and when you ride one it’s easy to understand why.
