All Duels – BMW Duel: the new 2013 R1200GS versus the old one – R1200GS 2013 or 2012?

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BMW Duel: the new 2013 R1200GS versus the old one

All Duels - BMW Duel: the new 2013 R1200GS versus the old one - R1200GS 2013 or 2012?

After a first test of the BMW R1200GS 2013 in South Africa this winter, the editorial staff of Site wanted to compare the new big German trail to the old model 2012. The benchmark of the segment will she remain so ? Fratricidal Duel !

R1200GS 2013 or 2012 ?

Upon discovering the brand new version of the R1200GS, GSman suddenly exclaims: "it’s great this wheel to adjust the height of the bubble! Well, I would have preferred it to be on the left so as not to have to reach out to the other side, but it’s really better than mine with its two screws".

He continues his turn of the owner and the remarks continue to fuse: "that is also cute", he says about the inflation valves fixed in a stick, perpendicular to the rim, so much more accessible.

The GS being equipped with a single-sided arm, it is at the level of the front wheel that we especially appreciate this delicate attention: "on mine, equipped with spoked rims, I always get my fingers or gloves dirty when I put on air. Moreover, it also indicates the tire pressure, the 2013 ?"The answer is yes, but it is an option.

"A 12V socket is located on the handlebars", also notes our apprentice tester,"this is also a good point compared to the 2012: much more accessible and practical than under the saddle! It can save some people from pulling wires to use a GPS occasionally".

Under the saddle of the old model precisely, there is not much to see. On the pilot side, the battery is available but the toolbox occupies the little free space. And on the passenger side hides a second luggage rack under which can slip a specific BMW U.

"For a bachelor like me, it’s great: the rubber legs ensure the stability of the bag and the two series of slots allow it to be securely stowed", he continues."I see that they did not use this system on the 2013, it’s a shame".

But the new GS 2013 has new tricks! The passenger seat, for example, has two positions: forward and backward. MNC advises the second for three reasons: as a duo, it allows the passenger to better cling to the pilot (very important, you will understand later) and solo, it holds the pilot better and avoids leaving a bad day between the two stool. Under this passenger seat, we can accommodate a disc lock but no U.

At the front, the rider saddle has no longer two but four positions: high or low (still 850 or 870 mm), but also tilted forward or backward depending on the arrangement of the two clever supports.

The LED headlight (optional) also catches the attention of GSman: "if it can avoid having to replace the bulb every 10,000 km and it illuminates even better, then why not", he remarks. From an aesthetic point of view, the change is not now overwhelming, because the design of the new lighthouse is inspired by the old one..

Contact cut, the look of the 2013 is darker, "but it is at the level of the flanks that the attitude evolves the most", realizes our rider: the presence of thin side radiators gives rise to covers whose false shape clearly energizes the front of the machine.

The sharper lines of the tank, the abandonment of round mirrors for more modern elements, the thinner hand guards – and poorly fixed on our test model! -, as well as the lower, longer and bevelled beak accentuate the sporty look of the new R1200GS.

In the list of cosmetic developments are added the arrival of more classic commodos: "auf wiedersehen" the mushroom-shaped starter and "tschuss" the exclusive system of indicators … "Frankly, the single control or the Behème system doesn’t change anything, it’s just a matter of getting used to", slice our reader !

On the instrumentation side, apart from the redesigned analog meters and the larger size of the LCD screen, GS owners will not be lost at all. The most attentive will note that the red zone is shifted by 500 rpm and that the maximum speed displayed goes from 220 to 240 km / h.

As for the finish, the inspection of the 2013 model calls for only two criticisms. On the one hand, as on the 2012, a few terminals and wires could have been better camouflaged, especially in the cockpit. On the other hand, the appearance of some welds on the rear loop is unacceptable for a motorcycle of this price (from € 15,150).

In the saddle, low or hollow

But it is high time to ride our Behemians … From the height of his meter seventy, GSman instantly notices that the 2013 is more accessible than the 2012, contrary to what the technical sheets predicted which scrupulously indicate saddle heights. identical.

Set in the low position (850 mm), the saddle of the R1200GS 2013 is thinner than the one that originally fitted the old one. The tank is also narrower at its base, so that the new GS allows our fellow traveler to graze the ground on both sides..

"That, I could not do on the 2012 and this is what prompted me to take the hollow saddle option, free when ordering the bike.". The 1.80m riders wearing road boots can put their heels on either side of the 2013 GS." Sehr gut " !

However, our GS expert prefers the 2012 saddle because it benefits from small lateral appendages extending further forward on the tank: "I find that it offers a little more comfort between the thighs", advance GSman.

At MNC, we note that this will be especially useful for adventurers who can lock the tank more firmly and comfortably between the knees when they are traveling standing on the paths..

The new GS has another surprise in store for us when it comes to lifting it off its crutch: despite its additional 9 kg, it seems a little less heavy! The Germans’ trick is simple: lengthen the lateral !

"It’s not stupid, especially since the old model tended to lean too much", notes GSman. According to him, it is even necessary to be careful not to park it on a slope, because the effort to put the 229 kg all full made vertically can become" kolossal ".

We just regret that the new side stand is not as easy to grab as the old one. Whether with the heel via the lug placed just in front of the footrest – grrr – or with the tip of the foot to grab it by its end protruding just behind the same footrest – regrrr -, the 2013 lateral plays with our nerves !

On the contrary, the central stand gets the congratulations of the jury. Already not very complicated to perch on the power plant in 2012, the GS is even easier to park in 2013! Finally, the two models require a good boost to bring them back down: action, engine !

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