Owners aren’t going to buy the new Adventure to ride like a loon, but it handles crisply, like a sportsbike on the twisties, like a smooth tourer on the motorway and an enduro off-road. It also boasts an enviable level of electronic sophistication, which helps you ride faster, safer and smoother. BMW reckon you can squeeze 350 miles from the new 30-litre tank and with its spacious riding position and loads of little luxuries such as heated grips and power sockets, not to mention the tall screen, this may well be achievable.
The new motor is a peach, mixing power, refinement and ground-churning levels of grunt. Spin the 125bhp liquid-cooled boxer engine hard and the Adventure leaps out of corners, emitting a pleasing, gravelly exhaust note as it does so. On the way into corners, the motor pops and bangs on the overrun. Select ‘Rain’ mode and you get an electronic comfort blanket that takes the edge off the power delivery and gives you full ABS and traction control. Many still scoff at electronic aids but when you are on a big bike like the Adventure, they really make a difference to your confidence levels.
The boxer engine is very reliable and the level of build quality very high. The Adventure is a rugged bike designed to take on the world, and win!
In basic specification it isn’t that much more than the standard GS.
The GS comes with two riding modes, traction control and ABS as standard. Semi-active suspension and cruise control are extra.