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Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler in the driving report

Reckless GS

Until now, Touratech was less well known for omitting components. With its BMW R 1200 GS, however, the accessories specialist is now showing what weight reduction can look like for water boxers: the "Rambler" weighs 199 kilos with a full tank.

"Simplify, then add lightness." Simplify, then add lightness – that was the motto of Lotus founder Colin Chapman. The man was right: nothing improves the handling of a vehicle as immediately and sustainably as the lack of weight. But instead of “less is more”, especially in the popular enduro segment, the motto has long been “Bigger is better”. More space, more, equipment, more comfort, plus protectors, cases, headlights, etc. Manufacturers and finishers deliver what the customer demands. Anyone who walks in a gravel parking lot next to a fully ornated and refueled BMW will confirm that the result is more touring motorcycles but less enduro R. 1200 GS Adventure.

Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler in the driving report

Reckless GS

50 kilograms lighter than the standard R 1200 GS

So it’s doubly nice that the Touratech add-on experts in consultation with BMW have made the vision of a radically lighter R 1200 GS a reality. Around 50 kilograms were saved compared to the series machine. The goal was not a competition machine, but a relatively light, near-series hiking enduro, after all, "Rambler" means something like "Wanderer". In other words: a reinterpretation of the short-lived HP2 Enduro.

But the basis is not a GS, but the Telelever-less BMW R 1200 R, which donates the engine and frame. The latter was modified, stiffened and given a flatter steering head angle. The 21-inch front wheel carries the fork of an F 800 GS Adventure (Touratech cartridge insert), the cardan swing arm comes from the BMW R 1200 GS Adventure and, together with a specially manufactured shock absorber, offers enduro-compatible spring travel. The original exhaust, sheet metal tank, lead battery and rear frame have been omitted, titanium Akrapovic, a self-supporting, hydroformed aluminum tank rear combination and a small lithium-ion battery have been added. Air filter box and engine protection made of carbon fiber, fine aluminum add-on parts as well as a few delicacies from the 3-D printer complete the diet regimen and also illustrate the design and manufacturing know-how of the Niedereschacher. In Spain, MOTORRAD was able to move one of the two prototypes exclusively – on and off-road.

Interview about the Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler

The pilot sits more than in the motorcycle

Even when maneuvering, the lack of a round hundredweight is strikingly noticeable, and that applies even more to excursions on loose ground. Where a standard GS, with its ever-present mass, demands a lot of routine and a lot of getting used to it every time, with the significantly slimmed-down Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler, it can be graveled intuitively from the first meter. Sure, the water boxer will not become a 450cc piece of sports equipment, but it feels like the Rambler marks the middle between the same and the civilian travel enduro base.

In addition to the haggled down pounds, the long suspension travel, the large front wheel and, last but not least, genuine enduro ergonomics make a significant contribution. Very high, more open than in a motorcycle and tends to be closer to the steering head, the rider enjoys the freedom of movement that is needed for active off-road driving and that a standard GS largely lacks. The tank-seat combination of the Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler is wide for a real Enduro, but sensationally narrow for a GS, and with its one-piece support it is sporty. It fits almost even better when standing, then the high, not too wide handlebars fall perfectly at hand, and your legs can be nicely placed against the sides of the tank. Grippy footrests as well as brake and gear levers, which can still be operated with motocross boots, complete the picture.

Boxer is good for unexpectedly violent acceleration

A particular revelation is the milled Magura radial pump for clutch actuation. Precise dosing combined with child’s play of one-finger operation as with the small single cylinder, so the K199 also moves internally
baptized Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler playfully through slow passages. This is where the boxer shows its strengths in particular: excellent running smoothness, spontaneous power delivery and readiness to begin at the lowest speed. At a brisk pace, a slight top-heaviness becomes noticeable, which is, however, much less pronounced than on the production motorcycle. Its Telelever is known to iron very comfortably even over coarser rock, but in return leaves little feeling for the nature of the ground. The 45 millimeter USD fork of the Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler can do that much better. Tight springs are due to the prototype status, but they help the machine to have enormous reserves. The large, narrow front wheel rolls much more unmoved over grooves and holes, and also creates a lot more guidance in curves than a 19-inch model, which folds quickly on loose surfaces. The Rambler goes so confidently over hill and dale that even larger tires than the Metzeler Karoo 3, which can still drive, would look good on it. Speaking of the street: the boxer really bangs there. The 1200 is good for unexpectedly heavy acceleration if you free it from a hundredweight of braked weight. Colin Chapman would certainly be proud, the Touratech developers can be too.

6 disassembled motorcycles for 2 prototypes

In case you’ve pulled out the checkbook: You can’t buy the whole thing at the moment. Apart from that for
the two prototypes a total of six motorcycles were dismantled: The modifications to the frame mean that a new typing would be necessary. This could perhaps be shown in large-scale production, there is not much priceless high-tech in the Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler. Only Touratech is not a manufacturer and BMW landed on the nose with the high-priced HP2 at the time. The profitability of a production naturally depends on the number of items and thus ultimately on the customers. In any case, the HP2 is now a sought-after collector’s item. Perhaps the market will rediscover the light sense and want a real boxer enduro? It would be a step in the right direction. Certainly no coincidence that the second K199 prototype has a white, blue and red decoration.

Touratech R 1200 GS Rambler

engine

Air / water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine, one balancer shaft, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, rocker arm, wet sump lubrication, injection, 2 x Ø 52 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 620 W alternator, 12 V / 4 battery, 6 Ah, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch (anti-hopping), six-speed gearbox, cardan shaft, secondary ratio 2.909.
Bore x stroke: 101.0 x 73.0 mm
Displacement: 1170 cc
Compression ratio: 12.5: 1
Rated capacity: 92.0 kW (125 hp) at 7700 rpm
Max. Torque: 125 Nm at 6500 rpm

landing gear

Bridge frame made of tubular steel, upside-down fork, Ø 45 mm, adjustable spring base and rebound and compression damping, two-joint single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, adjustable spring base and rebound and compression damping, front disc brake, Ø 300 mm, four-piston fixed caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 276 mm, double-piston floating caliper, ABS.
Spoked wheels with aluminum rims 2.15 x 21; 4.25 x 17
Tires: 90/90 R 21; 150/70 R 17

Dimensions + weights

Wheelbase: k. AT..
Steering head angle: k. AT..
Trailing: k. AT..
Suspension travel front / rear: 200/230 mm
Weight with a full tank: 199 kg
Tank capacity: 16.2 liters
Price: Prototype k. AT..

Offers used BMW R 1200 GS

1000PS marketplace app

The selection of used BMW R1200GS is enormous.

The BMW R 1200 GS is not only suitable for long tours, but also, as you can see, for cool conversions. On the used market you have an almost endless selection of used BMW R1200GS, which even starts relatively cheap. Here is a current overview: used BMW R1200GS in Germany.

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