Comparison test of BMW enduros

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Comparison test of BMW enduros
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Comparison test of BMW enduros

Quo vadis, GS?

Preferably far away. At least suggests the martial look of the Adventure. But the siblings are no couch potatoes either.

The euro changeover has undoubtedly its positive sides. Like the other day stow away with change. Something is weird ?? exactly that one five cent coin. The back of the Italian copy shows the Colosseum in Rome. Rome? Exactly, that’s it. From the autobahn over alpine passes and gravel trails, everything can be found on the way there. Ergo: ideal test terrain for the GS family from BMW. After all, the youngest offspring, the long-distance travel amazon R 1150 GS Adventure, needs to be thoroughly scrutinized. It is also exciting to see whether the two big ones get along with the little ones, i.e. the F 650 GS plus the »Dakar« version.
Well, it’s a bit frosty when you leave early in the morning. No, not the mood – only the temperature is almost zero. In contrast to the live weight of the GS models themselves. Oops, the adventure pilot almost involuntarily got to know the world of gravity. Six hundred pounds, long suspension travel, expansive aluminum cases plus a topcase require a bulging 30-liter metal tank (surcharge 250 euros) of moderately grown acrobatic talent. At least when maneuvering and getting on. Short formula: uneven floor plus short legs mean falling over.
But then! Take a seat on the perfectly padded bench, nestle against the gently swelling tank flanks and let yourself be washed away from everyday life on the torque wave of the sonorous, seething boxer. Larger leg angles and a less stretched arm position than in the not exactly uncomfortable sister model guarantee pure relaxation. Nothing more tweaks, everything fits.
Marathon session on the freeway? No problem, just take cover behind the larger, non-adjustable pane and accelerate to the stop. The giant cattle run almost 200. And straight ahead, even with a full suitcase grate, which applies to both 1150s. So you can, but you don’t have to, especially since the Adventure turns 7000 tours with its “short” sixth gear at full throttle ?? penetrating vibrations included. With its long sixth, the normal R 1150 GS makes fewer remnants.
Still, slow down, and whoosh, the little sisters reappear in the rearview mirror. The two weren’t that far away. The agile 650s or the nearly 50 hp, injection-fed, G-Kat-cleaned singles shake constant speeds beyond the 160 mark. In addition, the »Dakar« rivals the R 1150 GS in terms of comfort and wind protection thanks to its well-padded bench and high-rise windshield. The F 650 GS is different: when tested with a flat bench, it is recommended for people for whom a low seat height is more important than long-distance comfort. Because of the economical upholstery, untrained buttocks hurt even before the first refueling stop, which is a good 300 kilometers at 130 km / h. The boxers consume as much on the track as the singles, but benefit from the larger tank volume and can travel a good 400 or 500 kilometers. And it’s painless for the passengers. respect.
This also applies to the transport volumes. The pilot of the R 1150 GS Adventure grins. Two aluminum boxes with a capacity of 36 and 38 liters respectively and the top case with a further 30 result in a huge 104 liters of loading volume – and a commercial vehicle-like rear view, overall width 112 centimeters. Be careful with sensitive cargo: the cap nuts for attaching the luggage eyelets protrude into the – painted – boxes, but that doesn’t matter with inner pockets. At a whopping 76 euros each, they’re not exactly cheap, but at around 1300 euros for the complete case system, that doesn’t make the cabbage fat anyway. Passionate freight forwarders are happy, however, because after all, additional luggage can be attached to the solid eyelets of the aluminum containers, which can be loaded practically from above, while the one-piece bench, which is flattened towards the rear, creates additional storage space for solo drivers. But be careful, only ten kilos are allowed per side, five on the luggage rack. The plastic cases of the Normalo-1150 GS, including the carrier, also available for the Adventure, look less monstrous, but are sufficient for even traveling couples. Practical about the 650 containers: They are adjustable in width and offer a choice of 20 or 30 liters. In addition, the necessary fastenings are ideally integrated into the bike. When it comes to empty weight, all containers are practically the same at around five kilos each.
Stop. How was it? All roads lead to Rome, including those winding off the main roads along the slopes of Latia. Then, turn signal right and – hurray! The finest mountain and valley railway. Every now and then it is contaminated with chippings and potholes, but it is always deserted and winding to the limit. The right thing to drive dizzy. First of all, the Adventure. 20 millimeters more suspension travel plus WAD at the rear can prove their worth. WAD? Well, the rear Showa strut operates with travel-dependent damping. A second piston ensures that the pressure damping increases progressively with increasing compression travel, in contrast to conventional systems, the progression of which is determined solely by the immersion speed. And WAD can do something: Despite the lush unsprung mass of the Paralever-Trumms, slight to medium bumps evaporate practically without leaving any residue, without the rear end going rough with the rough bumps. In favor of a soulful springing down, the overall set-up turned out to be very comfortable. Solo means comfort on cloud nine, but when fully loaded the rear section starts to pump when you accelerate out quickly on undulating parquet. Hydraulically up the spring base with a handwheel, close the pressure stage with a screwdriver ?? now it fits. The longer spring strut at the front soaks up bumps just as meticulously, allowing the Adventure to respond more slowly than the R 1150 GS to quick commands, for example in the case of radical changes in lean angle. This seems a tad less comfortable, earthier, and gives a more direct feeling for the road.
In the end, both hum, driven by boxer punch between 2500 and 5000 rpm on country roads of all kinds, incredibly fast, stable and unspectacular. Hair-sharp switchbacks? Thanks to the Evo brake (for a surcharge of 910 euros with ABS II) fine and brake-nod-compensating Telelever slow down late, if necessary into the bend, flip it and let it slide out full of newton meters, that’s how the boxers love it.
The F 650 GS is much closer to the asphaltic action. Comparatively close to the ground and a good 60 kilos lighter than the fat ones, the compact little one shaves neutrally and easily over slopes that are not too porous. The easy-revving six-fifties always keeps drivers who like to change gear within striking distance of the large-displacement sisters. Just like the F 650 GS Dakar. It feels right like GS. Increased suspension travel and the 21-inch front wheel cope with poor distances better than its short-legged sister. The only drawback: their somewhat limited steering precision due to the comfort–oriented coordination of the non-adjustable 41 fork. But when two of you are rushing over furrowed ground, the »Dakar« doesn’t give the normal sister a chance. Where this is painful on the block, the Dakar simply whizzes over it. Just like the two big ships, who don’t care whether there are one or two passengers on board, whereby the rear single seat of the R 1150 GS is more comfortable than the one-piece adventure bench.
The Telelever ensures calm even when you stop on the last groove, in contrast to the conventional forks of the 650s, which dive down powerfully. After all, stabilizers prevent twisting at the front when braking. Nevertheless, passionate late anchorers don’t get their money’s worth on board the six-fifties. On the one hand, the non-adjustable hand lever sticks out quite a bit on both, on the other hand, the single-disc stoppers require a lot of manual strength and feel woody. The digitally operating ABS costs 510 euros extra and works inconspicuously at the front if necessary, while at the rear it regulates it when the lever is only moderately stepped.
And it can all be switched off at the push of a button. Fortunately, because the allegedly paved pass road turns out to be an unkempt gravel trail. If only the Adventure were equipped with the Conti TKC 80, which is available at no extra charge, and the short first gear … This is how the assembled Metzeler Tourance have to set it up. The two fat ones chase each other towards the summit like young dogs. Stable and with thick smoke on the rear wheel, speeds beyond the 120 mark are not rocket science. Among the drivers standing in the pegs, they even devour terrible potholes and cross grooves like nothing. Top again: the long-stroke adventure chassis.
Uaahh, where does this turn come from? In the border area, the GS big ships can no longer hide their enormous weight and push tangentially outwards. Jesus, that was close. And whoops ?? the »Dakar« flies past casually. Although the Michelin Sirac also comes with a compromise tire, even temporary drifters let it dust off with it. At the end of the trail, the three of them have to wait briefly for the F 650 GS, whose spring elements recommend a more leisurely pace. Break. Time for the gravel conclusion: With the exception of the small GS, which is somewhat handicapped due to shorter suspension travel, nobody shies away from off-roading, but for ambitious hustle and bustle, clumpier skin should be on it. Really large jumps are still not possible, otherwise there is a risk of contact with the stop buffers.
KThere are other types of contacts threatening the last few kilometers towards the Colosseum. In the middle of the Friday evening hustle and bustle, places with a view facilitate orientation in the multi-lane jumble, but the expansive adventure requires trucker qualities. In return, their ellipsoid fog lights (surcharge 470 euros) instill such respect even in local after-work racers that the GS team can form a group picture in front of the Roman landmark, the destination of our trip, faster than expected. And spontaneously makes plans. “Tell me, what’s on Greek five-cent coins? Or Portuguese? ”We’ll find out. At the latest when the next GS comes at some point. Promised.

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Comparison test of BMW enduros

Comparison test of BMW enduros
Quo vadis, GS?

“Not consistent enough?

Brave, the new BMW R 1150 GS Adventure. A motorcycle that, strictly speaking, only addresses a very small target group. Well-heeled long-distance travelers are a rare species. But it’s probably like a Range Rover, the Mercedes M-Class or a BMW X5. Sells like sliced ​​bread. The matter of prestige. And because you could drive it to the end of the world if you only wanted to. The feeling alone seems to be enough. Many at least. But would I really be better with it than traveling through South America for six months in the saddle of my BMW R 1100 GS “Monster Cow”? I will never know. Because at sixty-five I’m too small to roughly hold this motorcycle upright. Too bad. Because I would have liked the longer suspension travel on the slopes in the Andes just as much as the new bench, a shorter first gear ratio and the switch to normal gasoline. But not the noticeably higher center of gravity: On the Adventure, a plastic tank that is pulled further down would make more sense than the heavy and wide, optional 30-liter steel tank, which also acknowledges a fall on rocky ground with unsightly dents despite the crash bar. And no long-distance journey goes without a fall. The marks on my “monster cow” as well as on the motorcycles of other travelers speak for themselves. And an adventure won’t be any different on the scree slopes in the Andes or in the Hoggar Mountains. How long the well-intentioned auxiliary headlights can withstand such hardships remains to be seen. The same applies to the aluminum case system, which hangs on not exactly lavishly dimensioned straps and whose locking mechanism could not have been placed more exposed – on the outer case bottom. In other words, exactly where the first contact with the ground takes place. The new GS has yet to prove that it is suitable for long-distance travel and slopes. For adventures like this, the collector with the catalytic converter should be replaced if possible and bellows should be installed to protect the fork seals. A visit to the accessory specialists is still essential. Despite the full equipment, the BMW R 1150 GS Adventure leaves a half-finished impression. As I said ?? we are talking about the requirements of a long-distance journey. And only that is mentioned in the lavishly produced brochure. But BMW seems to want to play it safe on page ten at the latest: “At the end of the world you can trust exactly two things: cylinder on the left, cylinder on the right.” Sure, the basis is right. No question. Just some of the trappings don’t seem well thought out for the big adventure. But somehow that doesn’t matter. Because the new GS will look great on European roads. Just like a Range Rover, a Mercedes M-Class or a BMW X5. Very few of these vehicles will conquer the desert. mis

2nd place – BMW R 1150 GS Adventure

The colossal. It advertises with the scent of the big wide world, incomparable comfort and an abundance of accessories. However, six quintals including suitcases are not a sticky stick and a load of 160 kilograms is a bit poor. Those who can come to terms with it will find happiness in the saddle of the Adventure and overlook the steep accessory prices. Because: Show talent is free on top of that.

1st place – BMW R 1150 GS

The balanced one. The R 1150 GS is and remains the first choice. Regardless of whether it is to get bread rolls or go on annual vacation. Without a lot of bells and whistles, “the GS” embodies the loyal friend for every day, who neither takes cover from fast cornering nor the long gravel pass. Incredibly agile and powerful, it will continue to hum into the hearts of fans. Even without aluminum boxes and monster tanks.

3rd place – BMW F 650 GS Dakar

The clever one. Slightly more suspension travel, high bench, windshield. “Dakar” driving means pure GS feeling, and all without a boxer engine. Especially off-road people with normal skills find it easier with the agile 650 than with the boxer bolide, without having to do without G-Kat, ABS and the typical BMW accessories. Even with a pillion passenger, the long-legged single does not show any nakedness. A real insider tip.

4th place – BMW F 650 GS

The down-to-earth. Not only because of the lowest seat height. If you are just looking for motorcycle fun without fuss, you should get involved with the compact, fast-paced F 650 GS. Maneuvering, turning, swinging curves or a real journey ?? Beginners and advanced learners alike enjoy the quicken single because it can do almost anything without demanding too much. Kind of casual.

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