BMW R1200GS Adventure (2006-current)

Having owned my GSA for nearly two years, I can say it rides superbly, but like so many others the rear drive is a definite weak link. Mine has had two rebuilds and then BMW put a updated one on it. Corrosion is atrocious for a bike of this cost. Have BM heard of stainless steel fasteners!! Front engine casing...not a problem according to BMW.Other than that, a superb bike.

I think that it is about time MCN updated their revue of this machine, stick three words, final, drive and failure into any search engine and see what comes up, pages and pages of BMW final drive failures. The fact that some do 100,000 miles with no problems and others only 10,000 smacks of poor quality control. The corrosion on the front engine cover is a result of poor design with the water channels behind the cover directing the water over the rigid foam noise insulation behind the cover - not very clever. The fixing bolts tend to rust but I have seen this on most other makes of bike when ridden in all weathers however at this price it shouldn’t be. My engine hasn’t missed a beat so far but in heavy rain water is getting into the electrics somewhere causing the tyre pressure monitoring system to pack up; again not very clever for a bike that is supposed to be an all weather, all terrain motorcycle. Its good points for me are that it has kept going in all weathers, has good weather protection (GSA), it handles really well even when loaded and fully fuelled, reasonably good on tyres and good fuel consumption providing you keep it legal and the finish, at least on mine, has been good although in the winter it has plenty of ACF50 sprayed all over it. Needless to say with 33 litres (actually it is probably nearer 35 if the fuel pumps are correct) the range is brilliant with 300 miles easily achievable ridden hard and over 400 when ridden gently. Overall I have to say I lack confidence in its ability to be fault free and hence took out the insured warranty, which at my current annual mileage will only be for this and another year after which I will probably look elsewhere if I haven’t changed beforehand.

Having owned 43 bikes since 1978 this is by far the best and with committment can be ridden as fast as any bike on the road. I have covered 26,000 miles from new 08 and toured 12 countries! It should be higher than 21st, TOP 5 for sure number 1 for me now nothing else comes close.

Great bike let down by poor quality. Good to ride - I did 10,000 miles in a year on mine. The corrosion was atrocious & BMW didn't want to know. Got shot of it while it was still worth something and got a KTM. I'm very glad I did

Personally I think the 1200 GSA is a great bike and cant imagine going back to anything else. It's great in the winter or the summer, on short trips or long and you can carry a ridiculous amount of luggage etc etc. My only issue - and it is quite an important one - is that the build quality of BMWs is clearly not what it used to be. I bought my first Adventure in 06 thinking that I would have it for years and years but have just swapped it for a new one given the problems that I have had with it. If you are paying £12,500 for a motorbike that is built to go around the world (ish) then you shouldn't have to worry about the wheel starting to corrode or the rear suspension failing after a couple of years. The long and short of it is that there is no point owning an Adventure outright anymore as it wont last much longer than 3 or 4 years so just get one on the options scheme that BMW offer and you can get a new one every 3 years. Although there are still lots of reasons why you should buy a BMW - and especially a GS Adventure - they can no longer claim that they produce bikes that are of high build quality.

BMW should be producing bikes that are very high quality based on the cost of the them but they dont my 1200GSA has now been sold due to major brakedowns including three Final Drives,Master Cylinder and Slave Cylinders being fitted ALL under 6K Dealer was superb at trying to sort out the problems but i'am afraid after 14 previous BMW this was my last..to conclude very comfortable and great to ride when running but to unreliable for a bike that is built? to travel the world....buyers beware!

My 2007 R1200GSA has done 21k (in Japan) and is as good to ride as everybody says. Vibey, rough engine between 4 - 5k rpm. The biggest let down is quality: 3 ignition blocks; 2 fuel pumps; new front suspension; new wheels (rotted); new crash bars (rusted); new stand (ditto); new disk retaining screws (ditto) and the list goes on. Very sticky 1st to 2nd gear change when cold and a generally clunky box. 3 breakdowns... Despite these shortcomings, a brilliantly devised and executed concept. BMW do need to get their act together on quality and reliability and I hear they have been listening.

I love this bike...it is fast enough, roomy enough, stable enough, fun enough to do anything. It commutes, it tours, it does track days... and I go over 300 miles between fill-ups. The only thing I would change is the wind screen... but I haven't found a viable alternative yet.

I bought my bike 6 months old nearly 2 years ago. It had already got 14k on the clock as it had been used by a serious rider who did road trips to europe but had been very well looked after. I chose it for a number of reasons: I was sick of sportsbikes and wanted something different, I'm tall and so is the GS, I wanted a bike I could ride all year round without complaint, with great weather protection, could cope with traffic, inner city riding, A-roads and motorways in equal measure and wouldn't fall apart in a few months. In short it's been brilliant. Fabulous handling, grunty motor, very practical, you can see for miles and it's got enormous road presence so you don't get bullied by the traffic. The reliability has been superb and the fit and finish is remarkable. I've ridden through 2 salt encrusted winters and not really washed it much and it still comes up gleaming after a jet-wash. Shaft drive is a godsend - no fiddling around, chain lube or tensioning. Heated grips are great, BMW recovery are great (I ran out of petrol!!), fuel economy is around 45mpg, it's unbelievably practical and I'm struggling to find a reason to not buy another one. The downsides? It's bloody heavy stationary or paddling out of a parking spot (not noticeable on the move), the battery is a bit weak (replaced under warranty) and the gearbox is a bag of spanners but you get used to it. If you're a shortie you won't like it so much either. Overall, fabulous bike.

Previously, I had an 1150GS for five years and loved every one of the 50k miles I did on it. I then went to a Varadero which was nice, but bland, and a KTM 950Adv, which was fun but lost out on some practical things. The 12GSA is as quick as the KTM on the road, and a bit more stable too. It's more comfortable and has better weather protection than both. The enormous tank lasts for ages and I really dont miss the twin filler caps of the KTM - fun for the first day but a PITA each time you fill up afterwards! It holds its value very well, so the high initial cost is mostly returned back to you when you decide to move on - though you will probably get another GSA! You cant say the same for pretty much any other bike out there which depreciate horribly in the first year. The dealer network are very professional and capable. The servicing for the newer models is actually cheaper now than it was for the 1150.