BMW R1200GS (2004 - 2012) Review

Version: Last of the Air/Oil cooled. Electronic suspension

Year: 2010

All in all, nothing compares: Plenty of power, great ride comfort, easy to have fun & scratch solo, great two-up tourer, economical 54+mpg is possible if not pushed hard. No nasty chain & sprocket hassle. Sadly, no cruise control either. Seemingly, every man and his dog’s got a beemer, now that tells a story! I’ve owned mine for nine years now and I still haven’t found a viable replacement despite wanting to, just for the sake of a change.

Version: With lots of Touratech

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £500

Fantastic ride but not faultless

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £700

Out of town, two up fully laden with the heavy vario luggage I can not imagine a better bike to be on. Impeccable hairpin handling and fuel economy into the 50's over 2000 Spanish miles. Back home commuting with the snatchy on/off clutch and shaft clunk in traffic not so nice.

Buying experience: Private sale, I paid £5.300 for a 2008 model in 2018.

Year: 2008

It's a do anything bike. You can get a great deal of fun riding sweeping bends and if there's a bit of gravel she hoists her skirt and gets on with it. You can work on it yourself you don't need a 12 year old with a computer. It is a heavy bike to move about and the seat is high so tip toing around when shuffling it about. It's an old fashioned boxer engine, not a smooth 4.

Buying experience: I bought new and had it delivered. 150 mile delivery but all went smoothly.

Year: 2009

Annual servicing cost: £800

Only broke down 1 time something to do with ignition. Not bad for 12 years old

Year: 2008

It's been excellent for reliability. It is safe and comfortable to ride in any weather. Straightforward to maintain yourself.

Buying experience: I bought from a dealer. A dealer at the other end of the country to me. They delivered the bike to me and the guy showed me the in's and out's of it.

Year: 2004

After years of sports bike I was trying to avoid adventure bikes but now hooked! The improved vision from the update position plus the instant grunt to overtake slower traffic and just get out of roundabouts makes my 80 mile daily commute a treat. Practicalities of luggage to carry kit plus get 40+ mpg. Heated grips as standard too.

Buying experience: I read guides on UKGSER.COM and knew I wanted one. I bought from Motorbikes4all following online advert. Pics and video didn’t do it justice but C-19 and distance prevented me seeing it first. Their support and excellent delivery service made it painless.

Version: Standard

Year: 2009

Annual servicing cost: £310

Great upright riding position giving unobstructed views of the road and surrounding environment. Comfy for all day riding and taking in high mileages. Loads of power / torque to handle easy two-up touring with luggage. Great reliability, so far, although genuine BMW parts are a premium. It's great handling and is excellent for the 'twisties' and then capable of going off-road as a bonus. True all-rounder. Pre-2012 model therefore has the unique BMW two indicator switches, like 'em or loathe them, you do get used to them. There are loads around and people say they are all too common, but I guess there is a good reason for that. It's my second one and I went from a newer model to an older one but still love it. I would recommend one to anyone.

Buying experience: Bought private and paid £4500 for it 3 years ago this May (which I thought was a great deal at the time (advertised at £4800 originally).

Year: 2012

Yes!!

Year: 2006

Annual servicing cost: £60

Super comfortable dream machine to ride, superb brakes. Great looks . Poor fuel consumption (4.8 l /100km), My wifes Toyota does better. Too many electronic gremlins. Yes I would recommend the bike, but difficult to get as only, perhaps, 20 in whole of the country

Buying experience: Privately, second hand @ ten years old with only 20k on the clock. Paid equv of Stg 8.5k in 2016 following a spares problem with my 1985 K75, since resolved.

Version: R1200gs

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £70

Corrosion all round but I use it all year

Buying experience: Bmw dealer good service Douglas Park motrad East kibride great staff

Version: Triple Black TU

Year: 2011

Annual servicing cost: £250

Would prefer more toys and integrated electronics.

Buying experience: Was bought for me by my children 😆

Year: 2006

Annual servicing cost: £250

Cant give 4.75, had a few issues but overall does everything better than average.

Buying experience: Private purchase from a caring owner. Paid £3700 nearly three years ago. Bargain .

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £500

Generally very pleased with the bike, it has taken me all over Europe but like most things is not without it's issues.

Buying experience: Bought from main dealer, the initial experience when buying was excellent, but then tailed off.

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £400

Character has it in droves, awesome when you drive it like you dont have to pay for it.

Buying experience: Would buy another and would recommend, engine is a peach, if you are normal, and dont want 130+ Great bike for B roads and twisty As, you get home with your licence.

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £400

Nice bike but.......

Buying experience: Main dealer parts and servicing expensive. Considering brand reputation, the stupidest things fail - fuel gauge twice, final drive unit on a bike carefully ridden with low mileage. Could do better me thinks

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £150

Excellent condition. Full luggage New tyres. A bike built to tour.

Year: 2006

Annual servicing cost: £150

Perfect bike. I have ridden and owned all kinds of makes, models, types of bike and nothing has come close to be being as good as this bike at everything. Engine pulls throughout the Rev range, handles like its on rails, breaks are more than sufficient, comfortable on motorways, A roads, B roads, lanes and off road. Handles any situation you can throw at it.

Year: 2005

No more power than my '96 R11gs

Buying experience: Poor dealer service, BMW said that their dealers didn't have to work on it if they didn't want to!?!?

Year: 2007

good moto

Bought this bike as I'm an instructor and wanted an all round bike to replace my Fazer 1000 and Pan European 1100. At higher speeds and handling it's superb but due to the lean fuel injection mapping, it's terrible in town and at steady throttle setting. I tried de catting the headers, fitting a boosterplug electronic richener amongst other things and the local dealer said this is how they are so I sold it and kept my other bikes. If you like the smoothness of a Jap 4, leave this bike alone and if you say you don't like it in a review, you'll upset a lot of blinkered BMW owners.

I really don't understand when people slag-off the GS. The bike is the "ULTIMATE IRON HORSE". It was built for high mileage in comfort with enough power to take you and your luggage almost anywhere. It comes standard with steel hoses, hydraulic clutch, spoked wheels but tubeless and unique front suspension. It's a big bike but it weighs less than a Suzuki bandit and all the weight is in the lower part of the bike. Why do you think all the other manufacturers are TRYING to copy it? BMW have never claimed the bike can do what a trail bike can, it is for doing serious miles, ask kevin Sanders whom I think is the king of adventure biking, do you think if he thought the bike was unreliable he would set off from London to China on it? Get off your high horse and get on the iron horse mate! :)

1 word sums up - Unreliable. Engine - sounds like a sewing machine but is surprisingly useful. Annoying flat spot though. R&H - Handling surprisingly good. You get used to telelever very quickly. Ride - standard sreen buffets your head. Equipment. Good, if you spend a bundle. Heated grips hotter on one side than the other. Q&R - Disasterous. Will never buy another BMW. Fuel pump relay issue appears to have finally been addressed. Only left me stranded 3 times (that point - add in all the other failures and it's the most unreliable machine I'veever owned) Value - Given Q&R, very poor. Quite a laugh on dirt tracks too, nut better if its OPM (other peoples machine)

6 words sum up this machine the best bike in the world

Mines a 2007GS. 30k miles. Owned from New.Excellent machine. Only one Nark, Its easy to get the front seat off but try re-fitting it on the quick. What a twat!

Can do most things, and so a bike for all seasons. Very comfortable and in the twisties can easily keep up with most sports bikes. Loads of ways of personalising the bike, and support from a well subscribed dedicated web forum. Should have done it years ago. Mine is a 54 plate, in terrific nick.

Ok if you can get around the stigma of either being accused of being old and wearing slippers, or being a Charlie and ewan wannabe, then this is quite a nice bike. it is very comfy and will go for miles and miles without any need to stop, unlike most bikes with a large tank, you can actually ridit for a full tank load. I still hate BMW switch gear though. burns a bit of oil if you park it up on side stand, but then most BMW flat twins do that. Build quality wasn't quite what I would have expected from the hype of BMW, but it wasn't bad.

My 56 plate bike was only a year old with 4500 miles when I purchased it from a main BMW dealer. The Gripes - So far only the original battery needed replacing under warranty. Anyone in the mid 5' range will have trouble putting both feet on the ground. It my opinion this will limit the sales appeal of this great machine. Being 6'1" I found the bike easy to mount/dismount ( with the seat in the lowest position) and both feet are flat on the ground I love the upright riding position which keeps me free from back and neck aches, and is great for long journeys. The boxer engine delivers a huge amount of torque at low and mid range which means if like me you are lazy, there is no need for too many gear changes - just leave it in 6th and open the throttle !.The claimed 100bhp is more than enough for every day use. With the panniers full, and 2 up the trottle response is still startling. With the original screen in the fully forward position, my shoulders and the top of my helmet tended to get plastered with bugs. I have now fitted a Wunderlich screen which is about 6" higher and makes all the difference. I was not that impressed with the dipped beam headlight, so I fitted an HID unit which has completely transformed the night vision. The exposed cylinder heads are very vunerable to damage if the bike falls over, and are veeery expensive to replace. Mine nearly fell off the stand in soft tarmac - so I fitted a set of engine bars just in case. In my opinion the R1200GS is a brilliant bike to ride, own and enjoy + the depreciation is very low compared to most Jap bikes.

Having read all the reviews ownersMCN included and watched Boorman and Mc Gregor I really wanted to like the bike when I took it out fora test ride today. Owning a Blackbird I was well prepared for to make allowances for the difference in performance etc. But although I only rode it for 50 miles I just could not get dialed into it at all. I loved the ability to be able to look at the scenery but the vibes and roughness of it just did not suit me at all.To be fair even though I have been riding for over 40years I did not feel that I had the capability to ride it how it should be ridden and I wonder if I should have been ringing its neck more.Each to their own though so if you do enjoy riding a GS good luck to you as for me I was glad to get back on my Blackbird.

I'm on my third GS from new, one 1150 and two 1200's. The 1200 is a lighter and more agile motorcycle. An off-roader it ain't. Firstly it is too heavy and it gets heavier each time you pick it up! I spent a muddy wet day in the Brecon Beacons with Simon Pavey(BMW Off-Road Skills) and a 1200GS and by lunchtime I was fantasising about small, cute F650's and crying for my Mammy! Secondly its too expensive to be thrashing around the woods. The off-road capability isn't wasted however as the bike is supremely composed on poor road surfaces. It vibrates, this takes a bit of getting used to if you've come from a 4-cylinder. It goes around corners in a way that flatters the average rider. Of the five BMW bikes I've owned, my current GS is the only one to have caused problems - battery failure(a software problem according to the dealer) and a fuel pump sensor/widget(water damage - a common problem on the GS1200 and sorted on later models) The standard screen is a disgrace and vibrates intrusively at all engine speeds. I changed mine for the Adventure screen which is a huge improvement. Other mods are Wilbers shocks giving the bike a more planted feel and Akrapovic exhaust which gives a meatier sound. In Ireland the bike has been a victim of its own success with so many used models about that prices for second-hand bikes have become quite depressed. Overall I love it despite the flaws. If you have never ridden one, take one for a test ride and don't give it back until you have put 100 of the twistiest of your favourite miles on it. If you still don't get it then its not for you.

I've had the GS now for 2 yrs and put over 30K on. It's fast, very comnfortable and complete stable so a good road bike. It's unreliable and left me stranded once with numerous trips to the shop to fix this and that. The seat is crap so factor in a new Corbin or Bill Mayer seat in to the cost of ownership. Also, adding an underseat gas tank [Touratec] is a must to extend the range. Last but not least add an airflow screen. Bliss! Not wind blast at any speed, I can hear my i-Pod no matter how fast I'm going.

The BMW 1200GS is a cracking machine. It's a versitile, capable bike that provides many a nirvana moment. It's also as reliable, well built and potentially as expensive as a crack addict. Bought first bike in December 2004. Suffered multiple gearbox failures, electrical failures, battery failures (etc, etc, etc). Average distance between breakdowns under 1,000 miles. After gearbox number 3 imploded on the M4 less than 300 miles after installation BMW finally appreciated that this might have been a bit of a "friday afternoon" bike and gave me a rather advantageous trade in for another 1200GS The January 06 1200GS is twice as good as the bike it replaced. This one has almost averages 2,000 miles between breakdowns or failures. Things of note: * gearbox / clutch replaced under warranty (both bikes). Replaced more than once too... * fuel pump electrics failed (both bikes) * battery failed (both bikes) - In fact I've never made it through a winter without the bike dying. * Top boxes - three flew off the back of the bike before I got really fed up & BMW refunded my money. Design has since been changed. *ABS failed *gear position indicator failure (so bike won't start) *neutral indicator failure *sudden loss of power under acceleration *speedo / rev counter failure. *steering lock failure *total loss of electrics (no lights, horn, try stopping that bike without servos......) The only area of ownership that is more disappointing than the reliability is the "customer services" After 8 years BMW ownership I won't be getting another one (2 or 4 wheels). Back to Honda. Maybe they aren't as much fun or as trendy but they do appear to work!

My R1200GS was bought second hand and its been superb. However, looking back through the service manual it has had a few things replaced but for me it is awesome. I've done thousands of miles on it and I don't use my car any more. I have a full set of luggage and it lugs everything with ease. It is the first bike I have had that I want to lavish attention on. I keep it clean and service it on time. I love it.

Tried this out after having loved my superb blackbird for 3 years. Rugby injury to neck meant I needed a more upright riding position, and the R1200GS has a superb upright riding position - but that's where the compliments stop! It is plasticky and full of vibration through the handlebars from the rough boxer engine, especially when cruising at speeds above 85 - that is if you can stay on long enough enduring the wind buffeting and turbulence. It may have been great for Charlie and Ewan around the world, but that's because they were never travelling for any long periods of time above 40mph and passing any lorries! Considering the cost, BMW need to improve the basic screen size rather than expecting people to buy the after market additions; they need to change the engine for their new K engine which is brilliant; and they need to reduce the price! Thank God I didn't sell the Blackbird!!

Well i have read horror stories on many places, yet I have owned 3 of these over the years and currently have a year old 06 model. I haven't had a single issue with any of them over the years so maybe I am lucky! I tend to run the bikes in quite hard and keep my eye on the oil. and stick firmly to yearly service periods. I know one guy who complained about his falling apart and he rode it for 2 years through the winter and salt doing his own servicing and not even cleaning it. sure enough his forks pitted and the machine wasn't prestine, but I get the feeling that some people feel just because its a BMW that it should just last forever without care and attention. This is obviously nonsense. Some tips? use high quality oil, get it serviced properly and coat it just before the winter with ACF 50 and clean it once a week. mine always looked like new! Sure I don't think the build quality is quite as good as the older models however with a little TLC they will keep fresh and the added engine power and lighter weight more than make up for this. Don't be put off by the comments in there, still one of the best all round bikes you can buy, especially if pick up a 1 year old minter with 5,000-10,000 miles on the clock.

As at least 2 other punters below, very disappointed with quality and reliability especially given that this is meant to be a premium product. Bought it with 1,100 miles on the clock from dealer and had it almost a year to the day. Since February replaced gearbox, clutch, rear frame (cracked), fuel electronics (water damage - replaced with 'modified' seal), headlamp failure (electrics), paint flaking off revealing corrosion. Luckily all under warranty and well looked after by dealer. Recovered once. Second time had to find workaround as BMW assist unable to help much at the time. Lost confidence and currently in discussion with BMW. Love it when it goes but in my opinion not worth the money spent and never expected so much to go wrong with a BMW. Never had issues with Jap machines before. Disappointed at being disappointed.

There are a number of things which you need to get used to with these BMWs if, like me, you have been accustomed to Japanese machines. After my 2 hour test ride I was impressed with the handling and comfort below 50mph but still unconvinced that it was the bike for me. Bolstered by all the glowing reviews and the knowledge that 2 hours wasn‘t enough to adapt, I decided to buy one and see if I could get used to it. The bike was very tall which made it and unwieldy when moving it round the garage. The height also made getting on and off difficult - the overall impression was that the bike is too big. I am 5’11’’ and had the standard seat on its lowest setting. I wanted a lower seat but the BMW dealer advised me not to get one as this would have less padding, so I didn’t bother. I found it difficult to get used to the indicators and always felt that having to use my right thumb to cancel robbed me of proper throttle control in a series of corners. Riding smoothly is the key to enjoying these bikes. This is difficult on a neutral throttle as the engine feels lumpy but is ok when accelerating except when you forget yourself and try to change up too sharply and let the revs drop too much, which results in an unsettling lurch to the right as the clutch engages. The front suspension set up keeps the forks from diving, but makes it feel that the rest of the bike pivots up and down behind the headstock. This means that on rough roads your body is bouncing up and down but your hands are not, which makes throttle control difficult, and given the snappy throttle response, a bumpy corner can be a bit of a nightmare without good clutch control. Having said all that, the handling was otherwise excellent, but I cannot say the same about long-distance comfort on the motorway. The wind buffeting and noise caused by the standard screen can be lessened somewhat (but not eradicated) by the use of Tobinators, but I think that BMW should have addressed this problem rather than let owners trying to solve it - chat rooms are full of talk about this issue and as far as I can see there is no universal cure. The bike also seems to be very prone to turbulence from other vehicles, so the bars often shake at motorway speeds. I found the seat no more comfortable than my previous GSX1400 and ZRX1200. Whatever the shortcomings of my previous bikes, they have all had some redeeming quality - style, performance, chuckability, exhaust note etc. which made them fun to ride. After a year I realised that I couldn’t use the word fun when describing the BMW, so I sold it.

A good multipurpose bike for all occassions. BMW should improve the seat and optional footrest availabilty for longer ride.

A great bike with a great engine, very comfy, you could ride it for days without ever being uncomfortable. It handles surprisingly well for such a big heavy bike. My only complaint is BMW insistance of using those cumbersome indicator controls.

I bought a 05 1200GS - i love the looks, handling, ride position etc, the only thing that lets it down is its reliablity, i have been stranded now 3 times (once in Italy) key immobiliser x 2, fuel pump x 1 - BMW Assist are very good at customer care but, a brand like BMW should in my opinion have better quality components on their bikes.

I have just ordered my 2nd GS after doing 14K miles on my 05 model I got 2nd hand. I have had a couple of warrenty issues but each time they have been sorted out without any problems. It is a fantastic bike for 2-up riding and excellant for touring. It could do with 20bhp more but otherwise I love it.

Bought new 03. 2005 had failed clutch, throttle jamming on, brake failure, overheating. Refused to ride it after 2nd brake failure. Negotiated replacement with cash, adjustment,  failed fuel pump, stranded again. Bought a 4 year old valadero and sold the beemer 'nuff said, good when it runs though ...never buy out of warranty you have been warned! Strengths: Really good all rounder. Weaknesses: Terrible reliability problems, you have been warned!