Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 – 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

17th pictures

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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Meeting of the Alpen Masters winners (from left): BMW R 1200 GS (2010/11), Honda CB 1300 (2009), BMW R 1200 R (2007/08) and Suzuki V-Strom 650 (2005/06).

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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No terrain places higher demands on motorcycles and riders than the Alps. This is why the Alpine Masters rating differs significantly from the 1000-point rating otherwise used by MOTORRAD.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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3/17
Suzuki V-Strom 650: Ironically, the most inconspicuous of the test field outsmarted everyone in 2005.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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4/17
Suzuki V-Strom 650, model 2012: Suzuki implanted the slightly livelier Gladius engine into the largely unchanged chassis.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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The V-Strom took the throne back then because of its powerful engine, excellent handling and comfortable chassis. The only negative thing was the inactive sitting position.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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Inhospitable and hostile to life – the other side of the Alps.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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BMW R 1200 R (current model): two-cylinder Dohc boxer, 1170 cm³, 109 hp, 113 Nm, 237 kg.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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The BMW R 1200 R scores with its powerful yet frugal engine. Only the hardly existing wind / weather protection has a negative impact.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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The highest paved road in the Alps.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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10/17
The airy throne of the Honda CB 1300: The 2009 Alpine King above his realm.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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11/17
Honda CB 1300: 4-cylinder, 1284 cm³, 117 HP, 117 Nm, 271 kg.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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12/17
Honda CB 1300: In addition to the silky smooth running of the engine, the very good brakes with their first-class ABS control were particularly popular with the testers.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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13/17
Motorbike kings of the Alps.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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14/17
BMW R 1200 GS: It is always amazing how this mountain of motorcycle can be playfully thrown around the bends.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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15/17
BMW R 1200 GS: two-cylinder Dohc boxer, 1170 cm³, 110 hp, 120 Nm, 246 kg.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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16/17
The kings of the Alpine Masters (2005-2011) are waiting for appropriate heirs.

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011
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17/17
The BMW R 1200 GS has been the market leader in Germany since 2005. Good to see in the sales figures: the model change to the Dohc engine (2010) – as well as the renovation of the R 1200 R (1200 instead of 1150 engine) in 2007. Suzuki is also hoping for an upturn with the latest model revision of the V- Electricity. Hardly any market presence: the Honda CB 1300.

motorcycles

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 – 2011

Alpine Masters 2005 – 2011
Comparison test: the winners of the Alpine Masters

Four machines share the victories of a total of seven editions of the Alpine Masters. MOTORRAD went on tour again with the successful quartet – and explained what is important in this special comparison test.

Peter Mayer

07/22/2011

Again the Stilfser Joch is wrapped in thick fog. Just like the second highest paved Alpine pass did during most of the exceptionally cool and humid MOTORRAD Alpine Masters 2011. A shame, because who else as the winner of all seven editions of the largest of all MOTORRAD comparative tests (2005/2006: Stilfser Joch, 2007/2008: Galibier, 2009/2010: Dolomites, 2011: Stilfser Joch) would have deserved great weather here: Suzuki V-Strom 650, BMW R 1200 R, Honda CB 1300 and BMW R 1200 GS. So the quartet only has the way down to begin with.

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From Trafoi, which is halfway up the ascent to the Stilfser Joch, down into the Vinschgau. No break in the leg, after all, the subsequent route over the Timmelsjoch, the Rettenbachferner and the Hahntennjoch back to the German Alpine foothills is good enough to confront this star ensemble with the very special alpine challenges. To explain why these four were made kings of the Alps.
Because even in comparison to the most demanding curve labyrinths between Flensburg and Fussen, a tour through the Alps poses significantly more extreme challenges for man and material. Nowhere else do the road surfaces change so abruptly, force tight bends to play with throttle and clutch so carefully, or boulders on the road require lightning-fast line changes. Not to mention the unusually heavy loads on the brakes in the mountains or the additional loads in two-person operation. For this reason, MOTORRAD deliberately reduced the regular 1000-point rating at the Alpine Masters to the criteria that are important in terms of driving dynamics, weighted relevant aspects more heavily and ignored less crucial elements in this regard.

Prad has been reached. The line of cars in the direction of Merano has long been part of the Vinschgau valley as well as the seemingly endless apple orchards to the left and right of the road. Overtaking is pointless. Time for a little flashback. July 2005, the premiere of the MOTORCYCLE Alpine Masters. The prelude ends with a bang: the Suzuki V-Strom 650 takes the title. In the enduro category, the inconspicuous duckling brakes the BMW, which at that time was still struggling with its loudly shifting gearbox, aggressive brakes and rocking suspension (without ESA) R 1200 GS the end. Even now, only a few days before the presentation of her successor model, little Suzi purrs almost shyly to herself. Minimal load change reactions, barely noticeable vibrations, relaxed seating position – the V-Strom is just as impressive in stop-and-go traffic as it is later in the hairpin bends. And with their price. The V-Strom tamer saves at least 4,000 euros on the 8,400 euros expensive Suzi compared to all the other alpine title winners.


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


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Inhospitable and hostile to life – the other side of the Alps.

Finally, the four of them thread their way out of the traffic collapse in Merano in the direction of Timmelsjoch. Wind! The engines of the three big bikes push forward with power. In the sprint from 0 to 140 km / h – one of the Alpen Masters special ratings – the other three distance the small V-Strom by a good two seconds. Logically, with a power difference of around 40 hp.
The real hour of truth only strikes when the asphalt loops get closer and closer. Here and everywhere else in the mountains the magic word is: draft. Anyone who has to switch a lot brings a hectic pace of action. Commuting relaxed between second and third gear, that’s fun. But for that you need a suitable translation and pressure from the lower speed range. Especially when – as with the MOTORRAD-Alpen-Masters measurements – the weight of the pilot and pillion are to be accelerated out of a tight bend in second gear.

A parade discipline for displacement cars like the Honda. The CB 1300 pushes forward massive, full and perfectly controllable. Although the two boxers get to work more lively and quicker, their sprint does not feel subjectively as powerful as that of the four-cylinder. It is understandable that V-Strom is lagging behind again. If there is no substitute for displacement anywhere, it is precisely in these situations. Nevertheless: It is astonishing how the 650 succeeds in concealing its displacement deficit. It is impressive how strong and supple the V2 is even in the lower rev range. In a blind tasting one would assume 100 cm³ more in this propellant charge. Especially since the load change behavior of the V2 is also successful. The play in the drive train, which can quickly ruin the line with a jolt during the transition from overrun to the acceleration phase, is one of the often underestimated brakes on fun, especially in the demanding alpine environment. In other words: if you fail here, you will not become king of the Alps. The Honda in particular shines here with its silky smooth transition.

Lively we screw ourselves up to the top of the pass. But this summit ridge would be too curvy to carry out the third and last of the Alpen Masters measurements: the passage from 50 to 100 km / h at more than 2000 meters above sea level. Incidentally, the record of all Alpine Masters candidates ever measured was delivered by the Yamaha Vmax (5.6 seconds).
South Tyrol is finally behind us. The road descends in wide arches and turns onto the Rettenbachferner in Solden. The ascent is not very adventurous, nor is the arrival. After all, the deserted ski station can claim to have the highest paved road in the Alps at 2,829 meters. Whom’s it helps. Back to Solden. Brake fading is no longer an issue with modern machines, even on this steep descent. But the braking behavior is likely. Because it is precisely here that the pitch compensation of the telelevers of the two BMWs always inspires. Especially in a direct comparison with the conventional chassis of the Honda and Suzuki, it is noticeable how much pressure the barely submerged front takes off the wrists when decelerating. In addition, the raised front section gives the pilot a better overview of the game in this situation as well. Two aspects that are valued again and again, especially in the Alps. Like the ABS. After the V-Strom won the first Alpine Masters even without the anti-lock device, that belongs to every motorcycle. To Alpenmeister anyway.

Speaking of electronic helpers. Anyone who has once enjoyed the ESA of the two BMWs is reluctant to accept hook wrenches and screwdrivers for adjusting the suspension from now on. With a simple push of a button, the right setting can be found for every driving situation. Great – and definitely worth the 680 euros extra charge for this part. Turning to refuel? Not necessary. Even the R 1200 R, which has the smallest tank volume of the four at 18 liters, covers almost 350 kilometers. Often overestimated: the increased consumption in the Alps. In the case of the two boxers, the fuel consumption of 4.6 (R 1200 GS) and 5.2 liters (R 1200 R) on the mountain and valley railways compared to the flat country did not increase at all, in the case of the CB 1300 (5.4 liters) only by half a liter, with the V-Strom (5.5 liters) by a whole liter. However: with the seven-liter Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 (maximum range: 214 kilometers), the thin supply network in the mountains can be quite annoying.

You don’t need records to win the Alpine Masters. Perhaps the opposite is true. Because a motorcycle that wants to shine in the Alps has to have one thing above all else: a homogeneous overall concept. It has to master mundane tasks such as luggage storage just as confidently as high-end sweeping scrapes on the last flute, it has to avoid stress for the pilot and pillion passenger, and yet still be fun to drive. The successful quartet has proven this universality.

Alpine Masters winner 2005/06: Suzuki V-Strom 650


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


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Suzuki V-Strom 650

The premiere of the MOTORRAD Alpine Masters in 2005 could hardly have been more spectacular. While bets on the BMW R 1200 GS, its tourist-oriented sister, the R 1200 RT, or the Honda CB 1300, which was still undisguised at the time, had long been running behind the scenes, the most inconspicuous of the test field outsmarted everyone: the Suzuki V-Strom 650. The main reason was the completely uncomplicated character of the small travel enduro. The jury was impressed by the low-vibration and easy-revving engine, as was the unapologetic driving behavior. “Everyone feels comfortable on the V-Strom”, MOTORRAD calmly justified the choice at the time – only to bring the V-Strom back to the throne a year later. The fact that she was able to put the lively but nervous KTM 990 Supermoto and BMW’s enduro battleship, the R 1200 GS Adventure, in their place in the enduro / fun bike category speaks volumes about the qualities of the 650s. The overall victory in front of the Honda CBF 1000 was also due to the ABS, which has been part of the standard equipment of the V-Strom since model year 2007. The fact that the Euro 3 homologation took away a bit of liveliness from the V2 did not change its top position. And certainly nothing about their – taste or not – old-fashioned appearance.

The Suzuki designers got to grips with this as part of the current model revision (see photo on the right). With a completely new styling of the plastic parts and an equally pleasing silencer, the Japanese succeeded in sprucing up the model, which, with 700 units sold in 2011, is still among the top 20 on the sales hit list. On top of that, the technicians put the slightly more powerful and lively engine from the Gladius sister model in the lower speed range into the almost unchanged chassis. And because the ABS has also been upgraded with a more modern pressure modulator, it will be interesting to see how the completely redesigned V-Strom will fare in the 2012 Alpen Masters.

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Tourer


Suzuki’s new all-purpose weapon put to the test


Top test: Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS


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Alpine Masters winner 2007/08: BMW R 1200 R


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


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BMW R 1200 R.

In 2007 the time had come: as the last model in the boxer series, the R 1150 R received the revised engine of the GS and RT, which was enlarged from 1130 to 1170 cc. More torque and more peak performance were promised – and the promise was kept. But not only strengthened to 109 PS (1150 R: 85 PS), but also refreshed with new integral ABS, ASC anti-slip regulation and clear visual modernization, the Bavarian faced the Alpine Masters – which now runs from the Stilfser Joch to Valloire at the foot of the legendary Galibier in the French Alps.

The result: The new R prevented the hat trick of the V-Strom in a stroke of hand. Significantly more pressure from the low revs, great handling and the Telelever front suspension, which initially took getting used to, but worked excellently when braking hard downhill, spoke in favor of the new nude – which a year later even got its much more popular sister R 1200 thanks to a very tight jury decision GS in its place. Especially the BMW R 1200 R But it also shows how much motorcycle fans react to the manufacturers’ commitment and enthusiasm for innovation. As a result of the technical revision, sales of the no-frills boxer model soared four-fold to 2400 machines compared to 2006. A boost from which the “R.” could benefit for three years – and which was maintained by the new model change this season.

With larger fork legs (41 instead of 35 millimeters standpipe diameter), a newly designed exhaust with a storage flap and 60 millimeters shorter silencer, a revised and lighter rear frame and, above all, the new dohc cylinder head of the R 1200 GS model, the BMW technicians put a lot of effort into it Bavarian. These modifications and the current trend towards classic bikes catapulted the R 1200 R with 1300 units this season to third place among the best-selling machines in Germany (as of June 2011).

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Driving report: BMW R 1200 R Classic


BMW’s naked bike with a new look and a new boxer


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Alpine Masters winner 2009: Honda CB 1300


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


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Honda CB 1300

Honda has certainly not done a lot of pen reading with the CB 1300. Presented in 2003, then modeled extremely cautiously, the big bike has been largely untroubled to this day in the model range of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. It’s a shame, because the massive bolide doesn’t deserve to be deprived of love by any means. After all, the CB 1300 already shows its power visually. The 1284 cm³ four-cylinder rests in the chassis like a boulder. And even with the seat, half fairing and exhaust system, no attention was paid to the gram or the centimeter – everything seems massive, stable, inspiring.
Perhaps it is this sedate and upright exterior, perhaps the break in style between the classic stereo struts and the water-cooled engine, or perhaps the impressive price of 12,500 euros that deprives it of people’s favor. The fact is: With just 100 machines sold, the CB 1300 has hit a new low in popularity this year.

In doing so, she would have to offer unexpected qualities. A silky smooth engine run, load change reactions limited to a minimum, fantastic steering behavior, first-class brakes with first-class ABS regulating, very good seating comfort and a no less comfortable pillion seat, decent wind protection – and even the Alpen Masters victory in 2009. Earnings after all against the BMW F 800 GS and the BMW R 1200 R. A competition against which some bikes that have already been rated higher – and sold better – have failed. Maybe this last call will help her. She deserved it.

Alpine Masters winner 2010/11: BMW R 1200 GS


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


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BMW R 1200 GS

Which motorcycle is the ultimate alpine master? If you look around the parking lots at the top of the pass, you don’t have to blink twice to find the answer: it feels like every second motorcycle between Friuli and Grenoble has a boxer engine between its wheels, and a good half of them have the GS logo on the tank. Not surprisingly, after all, the R 1200 GS replaced the Honda CBF 600 S from the top of the approval list in 2005 and has not given up the executive chair since then. Last year, the runner-up in the sales hit list, the Suzuki Bandit 1250, found not even half as many fans as the GS, which has been sold 5600 times. This season the market dominance became even more extreme. After the 4400 GS models sold by the end of June, the BMW F 800 R is in second place with less than a third of this amount (1300 machines) – incidentally followed by two other BMWs, the R 1200 R in third place and the S 1000 RR on four.
Why is it? The basic concept and a lot of experience. After all, Bayern invented the travel enduro segment with the R 80 G / S in 1980 and have consistently developed the GS since then. Nevertheless, at the first MOTORRAD-Alpen-Masters in 2005, the unspectacular Suzuki V-Strom 650 from the Bavarian flagship was already in the preliminary round. The reasons: the gearbox that needs to be shifted loudly, the brakes that can only be dosed moderately by a brake booster and the rocking shock absorber. The Bavarians revitalized all of this with the 2008 model and also gave the GS the ingenious electronically adjustable suspension system ESA for the first time – only to experience that the international jury at the Alpen Masters improved the, albeit with the same updates, but less voluminous R. 1200 R was preferred.

So the GS had to wait two years for its breakthrough until in 2010, with a new dohc cylinder head and new exhaust flap, at the MOTORRAD-Alpen-Masters it was finally where it had long been chosen by motorcycle buyers: right at the front.

If this position is likely to remain unchanged in the favor of customers for a long time to come, the GS should not feel too safe for the future Alpine Masters. The 2011 victory was only a hair’s breadth ahead of the KTM 990 SM T.

CONCLUSION


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


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The kings of the Alpine Masters (2005-2011) are waiting for appropriate heirs.

Abrupt pad changes, extreme inclines and declines, the whole range of curve radii – nowhere else are more extreme demands placed on a motorcycle than in the Alps. And no other comparative test compresses the test criteria so much to the aspects that are important in terms of driving dynamics in this terrain as the largest comparative test by MOTORRAD, the Alpen-Masters. The fact that machines like the Suzuki V-Strom 650, the BMW R 1200 R, the Honda CB 1300 and the BMW R 1200 GS were able to prevail in the end speaks for the qualities of these respective models, but even more for their concepts. Travel enduros and powerful big bikes manage this balancing act between sportiness and comfort, between fulfilling duty and driving pleasure, clearly best. By the way: Such qualities also count in the lowlands.

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011


Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Pictures: Alpen-Masters 2005 – 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

Jkuenstle.de

Comparison test: The winners of the Alpine Masters 2005 - 2011

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