Summary of the bike and various accessories
Hey folks. I used to blog about the Suzuki Bandit 1250 at http://kewwibike.blogspot.co.nz but now I'm a converted R1200GS owner, thought I'd carry on and talk about this thing.
I bought this bike, a 2014 R1200GS K50 model brand new in Wellington New Zealand in 2014. I had everything BMW offered at the time fitted, so it came with:
Performance/reliability/maintenance
The GS has been surprisingly cheap to maintain. The engine is accessible so labour costs aren't bad at all, and basic maintenance hasn't been particularly costly. I had to replace the fairly soft rear brake pads at about 11,000 km but they've been fine since and still on the original fronts.
I've run the OEM fitted Michelin Anakee 3 tyres. They stick well in all kinds of weather, wear well and give plenty of feedback/ I get around 10,000 km for a rear, and around 12,000 km for a front, although tend to replace them as a pair. I've kept it dealer serviced as well, as although it's out of warranty now, BMW will still honour major issues and recalls.
From new the bike had a metallic "tick" from the right hand side. Only obvious when hot, it was a quite loud and annoying noise and would coincide with a sight hesitation at idle. The BMW techs locally had a good look and could find no fault, but logged it with BMW. Looks like there were quite a few with that noise, as at the 40,000 km service they found a new exhaust cam was being offered by BMW to replace for free. The issue is the decompression mechanism on the end of this cam. It works centrifugally and can fly out and make a noise. Instant fix and no more noise. Thanks BMW and Motomart Wellington NZ.
Also replaced under warranty were the front brake master cylinder cap which would weep a little bit of brake fluid, and the rear brake line, which was turning a reddish colour under the clear plastic. It wasn't leaking but was some form of corrosion.
Otherwise the bike starts and runs like clockwork. The finish is exceptional. I keep the bike very clean, but stainless fasteners and good plastics mean it looks as new with no visible wear or corrosion on anything, despite being ridden in all weathers.
Performance is fantastic. It's not as powerful on paper as bikes like the KTM 1290 but the 125 hp is right where you need it in the real world and more than enough. I don't want for power, even fully laden. It sounds like a WW1 biplane on full song and the ride modes make a real difference: rain, road, dynamic, enduro and enduro pro.
Handling is very good. The electronically adjusted suspension is easy to set and forget and you take it for granted until riding another bike. I find the Telelever front end very predictable, with excellent Brembo brakes. It's a fast bike, whether as an adventure or a road bike.
BMW Shift Assist Pro and Cruise Control
This came out as standard on bikes from 2015 onwards. I managed to source an almost new unit and had it retrofitted by my local shop. You need to purchase a code to tell the computer on the bike that it's there. It's not something I really thought would be all that great, but it's fantastic. Just hold the throttle open and change up through the box without touching the clutch. The bike pauses the fuel for a microsecond meaning you change gear smoothly without clutching in. Far faster than doing it the old way. Changing down is simple too. Close the throttle, keep off the clutch and just change down and the bike even "blips" the throttle to stop wheel hop. Cool.
Cruise control is a treat, even in NZ without massive long straight roads. Really simple to use and saves throttle hand cramp on long trips.
Accessories
Starting from the front of the bike, I have fitted a Touratech front fender extension. It looks OEM and makes the bike a bit more GSA-like. It seems to stop a lot of spray coming up. You can see it on the photograph below. Also fitted at that time was the Touratech white hand guards (which go well with the Alpine White bike), the Touratech headlight protector, Touratech upper bars and the OEM screen.
Since that photo was taken, I have fitted the Puig touring screen. It's slightly higher than the GSA screen and is a nicely made piece. It'll be my winter screen as it keep the weather off you completely. I really like it. I have also fitted Cymarc screen braces as the OEM mounts are quite flimsy and the taller screen put a lot of pressure on. They are stainless and powder coated and easy to use.
You can also see the OEM BMW headlight protector in the previous image. It integrates in with the OEM and Puig screens. While I also have the Touratech clear acrylic and mesh protectors, they don't give the same protection as the BMW one. The LED headlight is hellishly expensive so a good protector is a must.
The upper crash bars fit the OEM BMW lower bars and are very sturdy. The same finish so they look integrated. If you get them and have the OEM fog lights, you will also need to order the fog light mount kit to go with them.
I also fitted the Touratech rear brace for the OEM bars. They aren't reinforced at the rear and can bend into the cam covers. This bar again integrates in and looks like it is meant to be there, making the setup very strong.
I have also fitted a Stebel Nautilus horn. The OEM horn is a typical bike one, but the Stebel is super loud. I have fitted them to many bikes. I made up a bracket to bolt to the bracket under the steering head and it sits nicely between the fork tubes without fouling anything. I used a relay from the live accessory terminal under the right hand side cover. I also bought an adapter from Max BMW to connect to the OEM horn connector so I didn't have to cut into the wiring harness to switch the relay. (You can get the adapters from Denali as well). This is a stock photo but my setup is the same. Note the horn outlet faces rearwards to protect it from road spray
The adapter looks like the image below
I've fitted clear plastic scuff stuff to the tank and front guard. It's quite a bit of work but it's been on there since new with no issues.
Moving down the bike, the OEM front guard allows stones and spray to etch the paint on the front of the engine cover. I have fitted a MachineArt Moto front fender extension which looks good and is the best I've seen. I use this in conjunction with the OEM BMW bash plate and a stainless steel front engine protector from Cymarc
The front fender extension clamps on with screws and is very well made.
Moving along the bike, I replaced the OEM skinny footpegs with Touratech folding ones. These are stainless similar to the crash bars and much better for standing. The photo below shows them in place. You can also see another view of the lower crash bar support.
Moving up the bike, some Touratech 25 mm risers were fitted as the OEM setup is a bit short for me standing. An easy fit with all cables reaching OK. Makes the bike a lot more comfortable for me (I am 6').
I have fitted a Mudsling from Machineartmoto behind the rear shock. It covers the gap in there that allows the wheel to throw abrasive mud and grit onto the expensive electronics. Sits invisibly in there but keeps the shock clean. A good piece as the ESA shocks are a terrible price
And while we are down there, a Touratech rear brake reservoir cover:
I bought this bike, a 2014 R1200GS K50 model brand new in Wellington New Zealand in 2014. I had everything BMW offered at the time fitted, so it came with:
- ESA/ESC/Cruise control
- RDC (tyre pressure monitors)
- On board computer
- Wire wheels
- Nav V fitted
- BMW Vario side cases and top box
- BMW OEM headlight protector.
- BMW LED fog lights
- LED headlight
- LED indicators (turn signals)
- Heated grips
- BMW Shift Assist Pro
Performance/reliability/maintenance
The GS has been surprisingly cheap to maintain. The engine is accessible so labour costs aren't bad at all, and basic maintenance hasn't been particularly costly. I had to replace the fairly soft rear brake pads at about 11,000 km but they've been fine since and still on the original fronts.
I've run the OEM fitted Michelin Anakee 3 tyres. They stick well in all kinds of weather, wear well and give plenty of feedback/ I get around 10,000 km for a rear, and around 12,000 km for a front, although tend to replace them as a pair. I've kept it dealer serviced as well, as although it's out of warranty now, BMW will still honour major issues and recalls.
From new the bike had a metallic "tick" from the right hand side. Only obvious when hot, it was a quite loud and annoying noise and would coincide with a sight hesitation at idle. The BMW techs locally had a good look and could find no fault, but logged it with BMW. Looks like there were quite a few with that noise, as at the 40,000 km service they found a new exhaust cam was being offered by BMW to replace for free. The issue is the decompression mechanism on the end of this cam. It works centrifugally and can fly out and make a noise. Instant fix and no more noise. Thanks BMW and Motomart Wellington NZ.
Also replaced under warranty were the front brake master cylinder cap which would weep a little bit of brake fluid, and the rear brake line, which was turning a reddish colour under the clear plastic. It wasn't leaking but was some form of corrosion.
Otherwise the bike starts and runs like clockwork. The finish is exceptional. I keep the bike very clean, but stainless fasteners and good plastics mean it looks as new with no visible wear or corrosion on anything, despite being ridden in all weathers.
Performance is fantastic. It's not as powerful on paper as bikes like the KTM 1290 but the 125 hp is right where you need it in the real world and more than enough. I don't want for power, even fully laden. It sounds like a WW1 biplane on full song and the ride modes make a real difference: rain, road, dynamic, enduro and enduro pro.
Handling is very good. The electronically adjusted suspension is easy to set and forget and you take it for granted until riding another bike. I find the Telelever front end very predictable, with excellent Brembo brakes. It's a fast bike, whether as an adventure or a road bike.
BMW Shift Assist Pro and Cruise Control
This came out as standard on bikes from 2015 onwards. I managed to source an almost new unit and had it retrofitted by my local shop. You need to purchase a code to tell the computer on the bike that it's there. It's not something I really thought would be all that great, but it's fantastic. Just hold the throttle open and change up through the box without touching the clutch. The bike pauses the fuel for a microsecond meaning you change gear smoothly without clutching in. Far faster than doing it the old way. Changing down is simple too. Close the throttle, keep off the clutch and just change down and the bike even "blips" the throttle to stop wheel hop. Cool.
Cruise control is a treat, even in NZ without massive long straight roads. Really simple to use and saves throttle hand cramp on long trips.
Accessories
Starting from the front of the bike, I have fitted a Touratech front fender extension. It looks OEM and makes the bike a bit more GSA-like. It seems to stop a lot of spray coming up. You can see it on the photograph below. Also fitted at that time was the Touratech white hand guards (which go well with the Alpine White bike), the Touratech headlight protector, Touratech upper bars and the OEM screen.
Since that photo was taken, I have fitted the Puig touring screen. It's slightly higher than the GSA screen and is a nicely made piece. It'll be my winter screen as it keep the weather off you completely. I really like it. I have also fitted Cymarc screen braces as the OEM mounts are quite flimsy and the taller screen put a lot of pressure on. They are stainless and powder coated and easy to use.
You can also see the OEM BMW headlight protector in the previous image. It integrates in with the OEM and Puig screens. While I also have the Touratech clear acrylic and mesh protectors, they don't give the same protection as the BMW one. The LED headlight is hellishly expensive so a good protector is a must.
The upper crash bars fit the OEM BMW lower bars and are very sturdy. The same finish so they look integrated. If you get them and have the OEM fog lights, you will also need to order the fog light mount kit to go with them.
I also fitted the Touratech rear brace for the OEM bars. They aren't reinforced at the rear and can bend into the cam covers. This bar again integrates in and looks like it is meant to be there, making the setup very strong.
I have also fitted a Stebel Nautilus horn. The OEM horn is a typical bike one, but the Stebel is super loud. I have fitted them to many bikes. I made up a bracket to bolt to the bracket under the steering head and it sits nicely between the fork tubes without fouling anything. I used a relay from the live accessory terminal under the right hand side cover. I also bought an adapter from Max BMW to connect to the OEM horn connector so I didn't have to cut into the wiring harness to switch the relay. (You can get the adapters from Denali as well). This is a stock photo but my setup is the same. Note the horn outlet faces rearwards to protect it from road spray
The adapter looks like the image below
Moving down the bike, the OEM front guard allows stones and spray to etch the paint on the front of the engine cover. I have fitted a MachineArt Moto front fender extension which looks good and is the best I've seen. I use this in conjunction with the OEM BMW bash plate and a stainless steel front engine protector from Cymarc
The front fender extension clamps on with screws and is very well made.
Moving along the bike, I replaced the OEM skinny footpegs with Touratech folding ones. These are stainless similar to the crash bars and much better for standing. The photo below shows them in place. You can also see another view of the lower crash bar support.
Moving up the bike, some Touratech 25 mm risers were fitted as the OEM setup is a bit short for me standing. An easy fit with all cables reaching OK. Makes the bike a lot more comfortable for me (I am 6').
I have fitted a Mudsling from Machineartmoto behind the rear shock. It covers the gap in there that allows the wheel to throw abrasive mud and grit onto the expensive electronics. Sits invisibly in there but keeps the shock clean. A good piece as the ESA shocks are a terrible price
And while we are down there, a Touratech rear brake reservoir cover:
I have fitted frame protectors (Touratech - who knew) to the area above the footpegs. You can see them in this side shot of the bike below. Also visible on the bike is the Givi XS508 tank bag. That fits with the Givi locking system and looks as if it's made for the GS.
The OEM Vario top box will just fit a full face standard helmet but ones with peaks are a struggle. Both that and the side cases have levers that expand them if you need, and I've bought some internal bags that make loading and unloading easy. Not as tough as the big alloy cases but handy for touring. I got to test out the toughness of the bags and the crash bar setup recently after finding some soft mud (own fault) and came away completely unscathed.
Last but not least I've fitted a Touratech Cardan Guard to protect the underside of the rear drive. Very solid plastic and should be good.
Summary
The bike is addictive. I've owned it longer than any bike I've had before and nothing I ride comes close to it. It's great as a commuter and I've done some 600 km days and been perfectly comfortable. All I'd consider trading it on is a late model GSA, but even then it's much the same bike with more fuel range and slightly taller suspension.
Would I recommend it? Yes. Quality is excellent but cost is high. Buying one to turn it over in 12 months would see a big financial loss, so keeping it seems the way to go. I've bought this thing as an all roads tourer rather than pure adventure bike. They are good, but too heavy and expensive to go throwing around in the mud. Gravel roads and paper roads are fine but a lighter bike would be better in the tight stuff.
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