BMW R1200 GS Alpine 2016

[Treehead3000]

Hi everyone,

I used to own an 07 GS1200 and it was brilliant and went all over europe on it.
I had to sell it but i am now in the market looking to buy another.

I have had been to look at a GS1200 Alpine and it looks a really nice bike but wanted to know if anyone has the adventurer and what there thoughts of it are?
It looks a little too big to be nipping in & out of traffic.

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers

[Wombat3]

Treehead3000 said:

Hi everyone,

I used to own an 07 GS1200 and it was brilliant and went all over europe on it.
I had to sell it but i am now in the market looking to buy another.

I have had been to look at a GS1200 Alpine and it looks a really nice bike but wanted to know if anyone has the adventurer and what there thoughts of it are?
It looks a little too big to be nipping in & out of traffic.

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers

Do you need a fuel tank that big? Do need to take it off road ?(i.e. do you actually need the aggravation of maintaining spoked wheels).

[HammyUK]

I have the Alpine TE.
Love it.
I did consider the Adv for the range but it is a considerably larger bike physically.
Plus the spoked wheels only really are worth it if you are definitely going to go off-road.
Otherwise there is no point and the cast ones are superior.
So other than the larger tank and a few winglets, little tank pocket and larger screen, there really isn't any point.
Besides - there is the Wunderlich catalogue for anything else you need

[308mate]

What extra maintenance do the spoked wheels require?

[HammyUK]

308mate said:

What extra maintenance do the spoked wheels require?

Spoke tension, checking the nipples, more difficult to clean, etc.
They also can need an inner liner to make them seal although most don't nowadays.

Advantage off-road is that they will flex more hence being used in MX, etc.
Spokes are easily replaced if damaged.
Cast will crack if subjected to some of the loads involved.

Unless you really are planning on going off-road properly or sodding off to fkknowswhereitisstan its purely an astetic choice.

[308mate]

HammyUK said:

308mate said:

What extra maintenance do the spoked wheels require?

Spoke tension, checking the nipples, more difficult to clean, etc.
They also can need an inner liner to make them seal although most don't nowadays.

Advantage off-road is that they will flex more hence being used in MX, etc.
Spokes are easily replaced if damaged.
Cast will crack if subjected to some of the loads involved.

Unless you really are planning on going off-road properly or sodding off to fkknowswhereitisstan its purely an astetic choice.

Hmmm, that does make me rethink a GSA as a commuter. That said, the RT's alloy wheels are BY FAR the WORST fking wheels to clean I have ever experienced, both in design and thanks to some mystery coating that makes dirt and brake dust stick like st to blanket.

[Treehead3000]

Thanks guys,

The alpine model i am looking at does have the spoked wheels which do look really nice.

Also how does the new water-cooled engine fair up to the older air-cooled version.
Has anyone ridden both?

[HammyUK]

Down on torque right at the bottom apparently.
Un-noticeable in real life.

[Harry H]

308mate said:

Hmmm, that does make me rethink a GSA as a commuter. That said, the RT's alloy wheels are BY FAR the WORST fking wheels to clean I have ever experienced, both in design and thanks to some mystery coating that makes dirt and brake dust stick like st to blanket.

They can't be as bad as spoked wheels. They take absolutely forever to clean. My last bike had em, I was so please when I got it as they look so much cooler. But, now I can say I would never have another road bike with spoked wheels. 20 mins to clean the bike and 40 mins on the bloody spokes.

[308mate]

Treehead3000 said:

Thanks guys,

The alpine model i am looking at does have the spoked wheels which do look really nice.

Also how does the new water-cooled engine fair up to the older air-cooled version.
Has anyone ridden both?

New engine is miles better, as is the gearbox attached to it. Worth getting the newer combo I think.

[black-k1]

308mate said:

Treehead3000 said:

Thanks guys,

The alpine model i am looking at does have the spoked wheels which do look really nice.

Also how does the new water-cooled engine fair up to the older air-cooled version.
Has anyone ridden both?

New engine is miles better, as is the gearbox attached to it. Worth getting the newer combo I think.

New water cooled engine is light years ahead of the old one.

[Ceeejay]

HammyUK said:

Spoke tension, checking the nipples, more difficult to clean, etc.
They also can need an inner liner to make them seal although most don't nowadays.

Cleaning is a ball ache, but spoked wheels on a GSA need none of this other stuff. No liners either.

I get where you're coming from with a MX bike used in anger... But not necessary on the GS

[HammyUK]

Ceeejay said:

Cleaning is a ball ache, but spoked wheels on a GSA need none of this other stuff. No liners either.

I get where you're coming from with a MX bike used in anger... But not necessary on the GS

Take 260kgs of GSA off-road Ceejay......

[Ceeejay]

HammyUK said:

Take 260kgs of GSA off-road Ceejay......

Have done a few times... some of the byways in the Yorkshire Dales. Ok not exactly Mongolia.

I guess if you are doing it regularly and ride it like a MX then you may need what you say. I hardly think that is applicable to 99% of GS riders though.

[HammyUK]

Thats DUAL CARRIAGEWAY in Yorkshire Ceejay!

[spareparts]

I'm on my 2nd GS LC. Seriously considered a GSA before buying the GS again. The GSA offers fractionally better weather protection at speed because of the bigger tank. But otherwise, it is significantly heavier, bigger, and taller compared to the GS. And it carries the weight right up top in the fuel tank which is where you don't want it.

If you are using the bike in urban traffic, I found the GSA too big when I test rode it. The GS, however, is perfectly fine in London gridlock. The GS is sharper handling and is at least 1" shorter in overall height, in addition to being a good 15kg lighter. I am 5'11" and 100kg, but I still find the GS a far better overall design than the GSA. It is only in the UK that the GSA is more popular, but across Europe and worldwide where these bikes get more rigorously used, the GS is the far stronger selling model. It is better offroad, offers better handling on road, and besides, after the 200mile range of the standard GS, you really would be happy to get off at the next fuel stop.

Re the spoked wheels, the BMW spoked wheels do not require a tube and are a tubeless design. They are stronger and look great!

[Ceeejay]

boxxob said:

is that dales? looks more like South Pennines, to me

Yep its the Cam High Road south west of Bainbridge.

[Jezz172]

I'm test riding both the 1200 GS and GSA tomorrow as a replacement for the Tracer that got stolen.
I love the look of the GSA but thinking that massive tank will make filtering too tricky

[poo at Paul's]

Been looking at GS's recently as want to get a more suitable bike for pillioning with my 9 year old daughter. But they seem to vary in price enormously, 800's being cheaper of course, but still "seem" flipping expensive for what they are.
Is it a branding thing, or are they "that good". For example, is a £17k low miles second hand Iconic twice as good as a brand new V Strom with panniers, available for £8.5k? I borrowed a V Strom in the summer and was quite impressed on road of course.
How about the Honda cross tourer at about £12k, or more off roady, the Africa twin at £10.5k and 0%? The GS seems so much pricier, is it that much better?

[Dr Jekyll]

poo at Paul's said:

Been looking at GS's recently as want to get a more suitable bike for pillioning with my 9 year old daughter. But they seem to vary in price enormously, 800's being cheaper of course, but still "seem" flipping expensive for what they are.
Is it a branding thing, or are they "that good". For example, is a £17k low miles second hand Iconic twice as good as a brand new V Strom with panniers, available for £8.5k? I borrowed a V Strom in the summer and was quite impressed on road of course.
How about the Honda cross tourer at about £12k, or more off roady, the Africa twin at £10.5k and 0%? The GS seems so much pricier, is it that much better?

The Iconic is a special case, you can get a low mileage GS for around £10k -£11K. It might depend on how important shaft drive is to you.