Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test
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Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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BMW R 1200 GS Rallye, Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 8V, Triumph Tiger Explorer, KTM 990 Adventure, Kawasaki Versys 1000, Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak, Honda Crosstourer and Yamaha XT 1200 Z Super Tenere Worldcrosser in comparison tests on travel, country roads and off-road.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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On your marks, get set, go: Le Mans start at the Targa Florio – the Sicily tour is still ahead of the eight travel enduros.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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BMW R 1200 GS rally.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Winner country roads – classification: Ducati Multistrada.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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This is where I drive and I can’t help it: Great Ducati Multistrada engine – perfect for the country road.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Highway sweeper in travel dress – Ducati Multistrada.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Honda Crosstourer.

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Kawasaki Versys 1000.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Winner off-road classification: KTM 990 Adventure.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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All-terrain 21-inch front wheel from KTM.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Slim appearance – the KTM plays in a different league off-road.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 8V.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Winner travel rating: Triumph Tiger Explorer.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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What a debut: great engine – the Triumph impresses on the long tour.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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The cardan of the Triumph Tiger Explorer.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Yamaha XT 1200 Z Super Tenere Worldcrosser.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Experience, experience, broaden your personal horizons – traveling on a motorcycle has a very special quality. Travel enduros are hardly inferior to big tourers in terms of long-distance suitability.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Impressive: dinner in the old town of Ragusa, a world heritage site.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Leaning, accelerating, braking – only the country road conveys the essence of motorcycling. Especially in Sicily. Landslides, smooth asphalt, but also endless labyrinths of curves create their own and often very demanding attractions.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Majestic: Not only in the streets of Sicily do travel enduros look bulky and sovereign.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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Wonderful: Let your soul and legs dangle in the bay of Cefalù.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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With moderate off-road qualities, travel enduros occasionally allow you to push the boundaries of vacation or weekend tours. How much off-road spirit is still in the two-wheeled SUV?

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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BMW R 1200 GS Rallye, Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 8V, Triumph Tiger Explorer, KTM 990 Adventure, Kawasaki Versys 1000, Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak, Honda Crosstourer and Yamaha XT 1200 Z Super Tenere Worldcrosser in the comparison test.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

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In the end, the overall winner is the BMW R 1200 GS rally: “The whole is more than the sum of its parts”, Aristotle knew – BMW too.

Megatest travel enduro 2012

The all-round motorcycles for travel, country roads and off-road

All eight current travel enduros have already achieved the 1000-point rating. Now the all-rounders should put their special skills to the test on the journey, on the country road and in the field – on a tour around one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, Mount Etna.

The use of language already says a lot about the current status quo in the travel enduro segment. The league of two-wheeled SUVs is sometimes dubbed “GS class” in the manufacturer’s jargon. A verbal bow to the founder and long-time ruling ruler of this empire, the BMW R 1200 GS. But something is happening in her kingdom. Ducati and Yamaha have been shaking the city gates quite successfully for two years, and with Honda, Kawasaki and Triumph three manufacturers are sending reinforcements to the revolutionaries this year.

The queen was able to prevent the change of power again. Even after the latest comparison test of the big travel enduros, the Bavarian remains in office. However: the unruly competitors are getting more and more on her skin. Only in one chapter of the MOTORRAD 1000-point evaluation is the GS just ahead of the game. Ultimately, she wins through her balance.

D.och which machine can hold a candle to you in the special areas of application of a travel enduro? Is there a specialist for long journeys, fun bends on the country road or excursions into the countryside? And how many concessions does this concept have to make in the other areas??

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Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

Megatest travel enduro 2012
The all-round motorcycles for travel, country roads and off-road

Kawasaki Versys 1000 was not yet available) and went on a long journey. A total of 2200 kilometers of motorway (there and back) from southern Germany to the Italian ferry port of Civitavecchia, 1200 kilometers

on the ruffled country roads of Sicily and an off-road detour at the foot of Mount Etna should ensure clear conditions. The quintessence of this adventure trip are three separate evaluation blocks, for which the test drivers created a complex point evaluation and thus determined the respective test winners and the ranking behind them.


Majestic: Not only in the alleys of Sicily travel enduros look massive and sovereign.

The extremely changing road conditions, especially the many faults caused by landslides, place high demands on man and machine, but often limit driving pleasure considerably.

As a special “Rallye” model, the defending champion travels south from BMW. Special paint, on-board computer, heated grips, off-road ESA and hand guards are standard, safety package, ABS, tire air monitoring and navigation drive the price of the BMW to over 18,000 euros. The Ducati Multistrada is also entering the race as a special edition, the Pikes Peak version. The difference to the series: three-color paintwork and various carbon attachments. On the test machine, the height-adjustable standard screen replaces the racing windshield. At more than 22,000 euros, the most powerful travel enduro is clearly above the competition in terms of price. The Crosstourer attracts endurance travelers with the only V4 engine of the ranks and a tidy design. Kawasaki is celebrating its comeback in the touring enduro segment with the Versys 1000. The four-cylinder bike hardly has anything to do with a detour into the countryside. The all-rounder is still an asset to the segment. At the other end of the scale, the KTM ranks. Last year, the off-road adventure already received standard crash bars and the 115 hp engine of the R model. Moto Guzzi Stelvio represents the traditional Italian forge with style. In the massive chassis sits the 90-degree V2 engine with a displacement of 1151 cm³. One of the most noticed new releases of 2012 is undoubtedly the Triumph Explorer. With a 1215 cc three-cylinder engine, cardan drive, lavish equipment and even optical borrowings, the British have clearly put the GS in their crosshairs. The Yamaha Super Tenere competes in the Worldcrosser edition – with carbon side panels and frame protectors. Andiamo – Direzione Sicilia.

Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

Enduro


Eight large touring motorcycles in a comparison test

The variety has never been so great

read more

travel


Experience, experience, broaden your personal horizons – traveling on a motorcycle has a very special quality. Travel enduros are hardly inferior to big tourers in terms of long-distance suitability.

The loading flap of the ferry creakingly lowers onto the quay wall of the port of Palermo. Outside, we can already see a graying man in blue off-road clothing, excitedly positioning a video camera. That should be Fabio. Without prior consultation, we line up and roll past the lens in formation with the travel enduro. The Lord is delighted, gives both thumbs up and rushes towards us. It’s Fabio. Hugs, shaking hands with both arms, an incessant torrent of speech – Fabio di Giorgi, his full name, fulfills the cliche of the hot-blooded Sicilian from the first minute of our acquaintance.

Fabio knows our plan from many emails. His website www.lasiciliainmoto.it, roughly translated as “Motorcycling in Sicily”, fits our mission perfectly. He will be with us for the next few days. He and his helmet camera. Fabio films everything and everyone, always and everywhere. He gestures, he speaks – and he honks. By the time we have reached the outskirts of Palermo, the Ducati Multistrada’s horn will have sounded more often than that of the MOTORRAD endurance test machine after 50,000 kilometers.

We have every effort to follow him in the chaotic hustle and bustle between cars entering, leaving, or otherwise parked, creeping tricycles, winding scooters and pedestrians casually strolling across the street. The situation only becomes clearer on the city motorway. Maybe because of habit. Yesterday we covered 1100 kilometers between southern Germany and the Italian ferry port Civitavecchia northwest of Rome on the motorway in one go. Drive, refuel, cappuccino, panino, drive again, refuel. For twelve hours.

Enough time to savor the travel qualities of this two-wheeled SUV. And – even if it sounds petty – counting peas shortly after leaving. Because high-speed travel is only legal in Europe in Germany and consumption at an average travel speed of 150 km / h can therefore only be measured there. The result: the majority of the travel staff asked for about two liters more consumption for the express train ticket. The most greedy was the Ducati (7.4 l), the most economical the BMW, which with 5.8 liters only consumed a liter more than on the country road. Splitting hairs when the machine costs up to 22,000 euros? Maybe not. As he drives past, Fabio points to the price board at the first motorway filling station. Super plus 2.07 euros.


Impressive: dinner in the old town of Ragusa, a world heritage site.

Back to the happier. Even after yesterday’s tour of violence, it still sits snuggly on the benches. The fluffy, but not too soft Yamaha seating is as first-class as a tourer. Hardly worse resides on the BMW and Triumph. Only the KTM can be stuck in this regard. The relatively narrow, one-piece bench demands athletic asceticism from the pilot and passenger. Speaking of the passenger, the Guzzi is the most comfortable and spacious place. BMW and Triumph follow closely. And as with the KTM, the passenger on the Ducati also has to pay tribute to the bike’s sporty facilities. The high seating position exposed to the wind and the narrow knee angle are uncomfortable in the long run.

We leave the motorway shortly after Termini Imerese. The road branches off inconspicuously towards Cerda. In the middle of the first corner, the breath of history blows towards us: the weathered pit lane and the grandstand of the Circuito delle Madonie. The long-distance race Targa Florio, which was held until 1972, made the 72-kilometer circuit on public roads world famous. Today the history only occasionally comes back to life in classical music competitions. We descend.

High-heeled travel enduro bikes are not made for those with short legs. Although the seats of the BMW, Guzzi, Triumph and Yamaha can each be fixed at two different heights, 845 millimeters is still the minimum in terms of seat height. With the next swing in the saddle, the Ducati (840 mm) and the Kawa (830 mm) will demonstrate how noticeably beneficial even the smallest differences in this relationship can be.

Is Fabio already in racing fever? First we let it rip on the old piste. Fall space? Not the slightest. However, other things cool our courage. “Frana”, landslide, signs repeatedly warn of faults. And none of them exaggerate. Desert demolitions, often more than a hand’s breadth high, stretch across the street in all directions. If you approach it at an angle or too fast, you have no chance.

Gas out, pleasure mode. As with seating comfort, the travel enduros are also geared towards tourers when it comes to wind protection. Except for the Kawa, Guzzi and Triumph, all of them round off the weather protection with standard hand guards. First-class is the Triumph with a higher retrofit plate (139 euros). The driver is almost completely spared from the wind. A grid that can be adjusted with two knurled screws also ensures individual adjustment. Technically almost identical, the BMW remains with a slightly narrower shield – again – just behind it. The Honda, which is also equipped with a larger windshield (159 euros), and the Yamaha, whose shield was mounted in the highest position in the test, are also sufficient. The narrow window of the Ducati is deceptive. Due to the low seating position, she also skillfully keeps the hurricane away from the driver, while the winds on the Kawasaki and KTM are a little stronger.


Winner travel rating: Triumph Tiger Explorer.

The race track turns left, we are drawn to the south. Curve follows curve. Nobody thinks about stowing the utensils on the ferry this morning. Least of all the BMW driver. The Vario cases, which can be expanded using a hand lever, are simply awesome. The luggage systems of the competition can all be installed and dismantled largely without complications, but in terms of quality they can hardly compete with their BMW counterparts or are simply twice as expensive as the Honda and Triumph suitcases. By the way: The suitcases on the Kawasaki that were presented at the presentation in November are not yet available in the series. She has to do without a main stand because of the front silencer. Not ideal for chain service. After all, Ducati drivers can retrofit a central stand (203 euros), which is part of the standard equipment of the KTM. However: Of all the machines, only the BMW can be lifted onto the center stand with moderate effort, while the rest of the league needs quite strong arms. During the time in which the trio is lubricating chain, the rest of the team is allowed to smoke their first cigarette. Cheers to the maintenance-free cardan drive.

Only on the national road before Vallelunga does the asphalt strip stretch out again. Back to the dead of travel. Again the triumph stands out. Almost vibration-free, the three-cylinder hums to itself, with its sleek appearance complements the sovereign impression that the British woman has already left on the long journey. In terms of touring suitability, even the GS – despite the ESA chassis and all the strengths mentioned – has to admit defeat to the Triumph, which is clearly focused on long-distance comfort.

A duo follows with a respectful distance: on the one hand, the new Honda Crosstourer, which loses ground despite a homogeneous overall package and a very sophisticated V4 engine, but with a lot of pounds on the ribs and suspension that is too soft for pillion rider use. On the other hand, the brave Yamaha, whose undeniable travel qualities are only slowed down by minor weaknesses (volume of luggage system, weight). Not bad either: the Moto Guzzi, which with its huge 32-liter tank and great comfort makes up for its record weight of 291 kilograms and thus even the Ducati, which is less touristy in terms of comfort and smoothness of the engine, the somewhat colorless Kawasaki on a long tour or the KTM, which is too off-road, puts it in its place.

Country road

Fabio flashes to the right. In front of us lies a hilly landscape reminiscent of Tuscany. A constant uphill and downhill. Not a meter even, hardly any straight ahead. The anticipation of the curve swing finally dispels the sober thoughts of luggage storage or long-distance suitability. After all, driving fun and emotions are what count for the country roads classification – and therefore the core competencies of a motorcycle: engine characteristics, handling, steering precision, chassis tuning and braking.

But already after the first turns, these signs slow us down again: “Frana”. The streets seem to be dripping down from the slopes like hot wax. The fact that the asphalt shimmers smoothly almost everywhere on the island and offers little grip doesn’t make the ride any easier. The Moto Guzzi rider is least concerned about that. Because the serenity of the Stelvio carries over to the staff. The 90-degree V-engine pounds its way up the speed ladder calmly and only really gets going from 5000 rpm. What the hell? Guzzisti take some time for low-noise shifting, are happy about the comfortably tuned chassis, the neutral steering behavior and balance the impressive mass of 291 kilograms (all details with a luggage rack, without suitcase) without hectic from curve to curve. This is how you can be happy too.

For the Honda, too, there is strength in calm. Not only the lush wheelbase, the longest caster and, at 283 kilograms, the second-highest weight of the group of eight slow down the rhythm on the country road. The fork and monoshock also set early limits on bumpy roads with their soft spring rates, weak damping and the shortest spring travel of 145 millimeters. The engine sets the counterpoint to this alignment. The 76-degree Vau-Zwo pushes powerfully and extremely cultivated, and only lets its cardan drive clack quietly in tight bends when the load changes. Flawless: the finely dosed and, in extreme cases, sensitive control combination brake.

Shortly before Mussomeli, the Castello Manfredonico, built on an 80 meter high boulder, towers impressively into the sky. Fabio, who sits on the Yamaha, proudly presents the sight with his arms outstretched while driving. Trust is the key word for the Super Tenere. Everyone will warm up quickly with her. Superbly coordinated suspension and the best controllable brakes on the test field meet calm handling and an easy-to-control engine. Nevertheless: What is the uncomplicated dream partner for some, others perceive as an honest housewife. You want more pep in the somewhat sluggish engine and less fat on your hips (weight: 267 kilograms).


Winner country roads – classification: Ducati Multistrada.

The eight kilo heavier Triumph (275 kilograms) cannot shine with a wasp waist either. The British woman defines herself – as on the trip – by her extremely powerful three-cylinder engine. The 1215 cm³ triplet pushes so confidently and smoothly, as if the six-speed gearbox was only needed as an optional accessory. It is hardly surprising that the chassis struggles to keep pace with this excellent partner in the winding curve.

The handling pays tribute to the sheer mass, the steering precision of the clearly overdamped fork and the lean angle of the wide footrest system. The 17-inch front wheel – besides the Ducati, the only one in the test field dominated by 19-inch models – defines the driving experience on the Kawasaki. The Kawa, which has been converted from the Z 1000 to the Versys, turns razor-sharp, lets itself be thrown playfully from one lean angle to the next and blatantly shows its sporty genes. Which complements the only inline four-cylinder in this class in proper style. The 1000er pulls effortlessly from the low revs to the highest revs through the rev range, leaving the pace to the pilot. On the one hand, even in sixth gear, he whispers through the villages piously, on the other hand, he bites aggressively from 5000 tours and turns the Versys into a road sweeper. Only the underdamped shock absorber and the moderately adjustable brakes play the spoilsport especially here under the extreme conditions of the asphalt wavy belt.

The KTM is least of all impressed by these conditions. With 210 millimeters, the longest spring travel of the octet soaks up even the sharpest edges, and with huge adjustment ranges can also be optimally adapted to every taste. The narrow and tall front tire (90 / 90-21) cuts its way into the asphalt in tight turns like a cutting disc, giving the Austrian a high degree of steering precision. The fact that the front cannot muster the liability reserves of 19 or even 17 inchers at deeper slopes only disturbs the good-natured character of the Pirelli Scorpion MT 90 in a secondary way. It’s more that the handling is a bit sluggish due to the high center of gravity and – above all – the front brake is far from the class standard. Dough to the touch and with a moderate effect, the stopper tarnishes the driving pleasure in the bends. Which is fortunately refreshed by the engine. If you can come to terms with the rough run under 3000 tours (the rough hacking of earlier models has been pacified for some time), the lively 75-degree V2 offers an emotionally charged performance.

BMW has also been committed to this at the latest since the model change in 2010. The dohc cylinder head from the HP2, larger throttle valve diameters and an exhaust valve revived the boxer, which was no longer sluggish. And so the 1170 pushes out of the hairpin bends with a deep bass, and the gears can be drawn along the intermediate straights.


On your marks, get set, go: Le Mans start on the Targa Florio.

Well, it takes time to get used to the Telelever front wheel suspension, and you still miss the feedback later. But the good roadholding and, above all, the front that hardly plunges when braking brings a lot of calm to the chassis on the Sicilian mountain railway. Speaking of the chassis. In the fifth model year of the ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) launched in 2008, the range of suspension settings that can be set at the push of a button is also impressive.

Despite all these merits, only one can become queen of the highway in this field: the Multistrada. As much as the designers try to expand the range of uses for the Ducati, the Italian finds her calling on the country road. As directly as the beefy 1198 cm³ V2 hangs on the gas, as brutally as the 150 hp at the exit of the bend push the buttocks against the edge of the bench, as light as the front wheel suddenly becomes at these moments, none of the eight can offer this experience value even remotely.

This Testastretta engine even lures calmer minds than Fabio from the reserve. For a long time no one is surprised when the black and red beak of the Duc displaces the Sicilian landscape from the rearview mirror. The fact that the electronically adjustable Ohlins suspension – similar to the ESA from BMW – is not able to cover the enormous range of its Bavarian counterparts is less painful against this background. Mainly because the basic tuning of the chassis underpins the powerful appearance of the engine. The 17-inch front wheel pulls the high-performance lady from Bologna precisely around the bends as if tightened, lets her fall casually at an angle of just 232 kilograms, brake brutally with the potent stoppers – and all in all, set herself apart from her colleagues on this terrain.

The Valle dei Templi, the Valley of the Temples, in Agrigento finally signals the end of the roller coaster. Right next to the main road, 2500 year old Greek temples document the changeful settlement of Sicily. We are drawn on. The landmark of this largest of all Mediterranean islands, the currently very active volcanic cone of Mount Etna, 250 kilometers away.

Offroad


With moderate off-road qualities, travel enduros occasionally allow you to push the boundaries of vacation or weekend tours. How much off-road spirit is still in the two-wheeled SUV?

Timeskip. Ragusa with its historic old town, the Ibla, is well behind us. We are swinging north when the haze suddenly lifts near Francofonte. As if an imaginary veil had been drawn from it, it fills the horizon – Mount Etna, the symbol of Sicily. 3369 meters high and currently in an eruptive phase. It broke out for the last time in April 2012. A little later we screw our way up the road to the Rifugio Sapienza. A route through a lunar landscape. Freshly renovated pieces of asphalt are a reminder that the lava flows only recently melted the roadway – and everything else that stood in their way. Shortly afterwards the disenchantment. The ranger looks gloomy and repeats himself again and again: “No fuoristrada”, no excursion into the Etna Nature Park. Our plan to climb up to the snow line on gravel roads with the enduros has failed. Fabio does what he has been doing for days. He calls a friend. Further down the valley, in Francavilla, the Enduro World Championship took place last year. Half an hour later we are allowed to drive on the field and forest paths of the community at least there.

First of all, the basic question arises: How much off-road affinity is there still in these travel enduros? Are engine protection plates, crash bars, sufficient ground clearance, the ability to switch or switch off traction control and ABS, and moderate weight at all? The relatively fine profiles of the Pirelli Scorpion Trail or the Metzeler Tourance EXP alone demonstrate the focus on asphalt. Especially the Kawasaki. It is your own fault if you go off-road with the Versys, which is equipped without any off-road attributes. Basta. The adventure look of the Guzzi is also deceptive. More than a leisurely excursion into the countryside makes little sense with the heavy Italian, who is much too softly sprung for use in rough terrain.

The same goes for the Honda. Despite the species-appropriate tubeless spoked wheels and traction control that can be switched off, the impressive weight and the, similarly to the Guzzi, extraordinarily soft suspension setting, including the short spring travel (front 145, rear 146 mm), push the Crosstourer to its limits fairly early on.

The excursion into the countryside is taken more seriously by the Ducati. The Enduro driving mode increases the spring preload of the shock absorber, adjusts the damping of the spring elements, allows more slip for the traction control and cuts the peak power from 148 to 100 hp. And because the Italian does not have to carry too much ballast around with 232 kilograms, the road sweeper behaves unexpectedly well off the road. Nevertheless: The sitting posture is inactive off-road, the ground clearance is the lowest at 14 centimeters, longitudinal grooves quickly throw the wide 190 mm rear tire off track off-road, and steering precision that inspires confidence is alien to the 17-inch front wheel.

Only Triumph creates the connection to the real adventure league. Technically, the Tiger with two-way adjustable or deactivatable traction control, deactivatable ABS and above all a 19-inch front wheel has favorable conditions. In fact, the Briton can be used to rush along country lanes while standing instead of sitting, using the delicate engine to sensitively call up performance. However, the Tiger pilot should not stumble. 275 kilograms need to be held in a vertical position with force – and crash bars or engine guards cost extra.


Winner off-road classification: KTM 990 Adventure.

The experience of the designers in the matter of sporty thick-ship construction can be seen in the Yamaha Super Tenere. Although also blessed with plenty of pounds (267 kg), the Yamsel impresses with a lot of freedom of movement, a well-balanced weight distribution and, above all, sufficiently progressively tuned spring elements, which give the 1200er much more chassis reserves than Tiger and Co. The fact that the ABS of the Yamaha cannot be switched off does not have to be a mistake given the current state of development. In volume 5/2009, MOTORRAD proved in comparative measurements that modern ABS technology is equal or superior to humans even under difficult conditions in the field.

There is a good reason why this measurement took place with a BMW R 1200 GS of all places: the off-road qualities of the legendary concept have been adequately demonstrated by hosts of globetrotters. This is ensured not only by the surprisingly well-functioning off-road ESA and the extremely neutral driving position, but also by the low center of gravity thanks to the flat boxer engine. Nothing seems to throw the Bavarian out of balance like a stand-up man. Only the hard-acting slip regulation should be switched off before the excursion into botany.

Nevertheless, like everyone else, the BMW driver has long since swallowed the dust raised by the KTM. Because the adventure plays in a rough run in a league of its own. Slim silhouette, 18/21 inch wheelset, enduro sport ergonomics, perfectly coordinated suspension with plenty of reserves, plus a lot of ground clearance – the KTM transforms every dirt road into a Dakar stage, only warms up when the others are already cooking. It couldn’t be much better.

The wind blows the last of the dust out of our clothes as we continue north on the road. It seems as if Etna has dressed up for goodbye and raised its smoke trail in the cloudless sky especially for us. Maybe Fabio arranged all of this too – he knew our plan.

MOTORRAD final evaluations / conclusion


In the end, the overall winner is the BMW R 1200 GS rally: “The whole is more than the sum of its parts”, Aristotle knew – BMW too.

Travel rating:
1. Triumph Tiger Explorer
2nd BMW R 1200 GS rally
3. HONDA Crosstourer
3rd YAMAHA XT 1200 Z Super Tenere Worldcrosser
5. MOTO GUZZI Stelvio 1200 8V
6. Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak
7. KAWASAKI Versys 1000
8. KTM 990 Adventure

Country roads – rating:
1. Ducati Multistrada
2nd BMW R 1200 GS rally
3. KTM 990 Adventure
3. KAWASAKI Versys 1000
5. TRIUMPH Tiger Explorer
6th YAMAHA XT 1200 Z Super Tenere Worldcrosser
7. HONDA Crosstourer
8. MOTO GUZZI Stelvio 1200 8V

Offroad rating:
1. KTM 990 Adventure
2nd BMW R 1200 GS rally
3rd YAMAHA XT 1200 Z Super Tenere Worldcrosser
4. TRIUMPH Tiger Explorer
5. Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak
6. MOTO GUZZI Stelvio 1200 8V
7. HONDA Crosstourer
8. Kawasaki Versys 1000


BMW R 1200 GS rally.

Overall result:

Overall winner: BMW R 1200 GS rally
“The whole is more than the sum of its parts”, Aristotle knew – BMW too

Winner trip: Triumph Tiger Explorer
Wind protection, smoothness and equipment – the Brit sets the bar for the tour

Country road winner: Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak
The lowest weight, the most powerful engine, the handiest chassis. Any questions?

Winner off-road: KTM 990 Adventure
Where others burn up, the KTM only warms up. A dream bike when the asphalt ends

Conclusion
There is a reason that enduro bikes have been one of the most successful motorcycle segments for decades. While athletes, naked bikes or choppers have to show the courage to accept a conceptual gap, the two-wheeled multitools pursue the holistic approach. To reconcile the core criteria for enjoyable motorcycling (powerful and sophisticated engine, handy and well-sprung chassis) with the conflicting practical constraints (wind protection, range or luggage storage). This species does this with great success. Nevertheless: The much-cited egg-laying woolly milk sow will never exist.

The winners of the individual ratings show this impressively. The Triumph Explorer, the new boss on the big tour, pays tribute to its weight and dimensions both on the country road and off-road. The Ducati Multistrada, which is so nimble and agile on the country road, only stays on the ball to a limited extent from a tourist point of view and loses a lot of terrain in the off-road anyway. And the KTM, which is so formidable off the road, can still keep up with the chasing group on the country road, but with its ascetic orientation it owes a lot of comfort on the journey.

With which the egg-laying woolly milk sow comes back into play. Because only so much about the winner of the 1000-point classification, the BMW R 1200 GS: Three second places are again enough for the overall victory.

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