BMW GS has been one of the most popular bikes of the last decade – now it just got better with the 1250 GS Adventure
For 2019, the GS Adventure has a Shift Cam motor – a hi-tech method of achieving strict emissions regulations – as well as more power and torque
THE best just got better. Without doubt one of the most popular bikes for the last decade, the BMW GS has dominated the sales charts in pretty much every country it’s sold in.
It rose to fame in what many bikers view as the perfect storm.
Rising insurance rates for sports bikers, coupled with a growing social stigma concerning high-speed machines, meant sports bikers were looking for something else to get their teeth into by the end of the Nineties.
When Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor rode around the world in 2004, it was on a pair of BMW GS Adventures, and the resulting Long Way Round TV show fired the boxer twin- engined mile muncher to stardom.
The fact the bike is so good is what’s kept it at the top for so long.
Over the 15 years since then, the GS has had a few upgrades, mostly to suit the wealthy and slightly older target market.
For 2019, the GS Adventure has a Shift Cam motor – a hi-tech method of achieving strict emissions regulations – as well as more power and torque.
We hit the roads and trails in Spain to see just how good this new model is and have to say, we were massively impressed.
It’s a big, tall thing, but once you’re on the move the weight vanishes and you’re left with a playful machine that has pin-sharp manners.
Multiple riding modes, cruise control, a seamless quickshifter and toasty heated grips all play their part in keeping you focused and comfortable.
Of the many party tricks the GS Adventure has, the 30-litre tank is a stand-out feature. It gives the GS Adventure a tank range of nigh on 400 miles. Incredible.
You really could do long stints on this bike, it’s that comfortable.
When you get to where you’re heading, you could quite happily stand up on the pegs and hit the trails as well.
And don’t be put off by the size – the GS Adventure is a capable bike in the dirt.
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Of course it’s likely that, like most 4x4 cars, most of the GS Adventures sold will only ever have to cope with bumping up the curb outside the local pub.
But it’s on the road where this bike shines, and with the new Shift Cam motor there’s little chance of it being knocked off the top of the Adventure bike perch anytime soon.
Prices start at £14,415 and stop at £18,100. The more you spend, the better the spec.
For more bikes search “Bike World” on YouTube or find Bike World on Amazon Prime.