I've never made a public review, but when I got the chance to test this 2018 BMW Motorrad R1200GS Adventure, I had to share my thoughts on it!

I know my opinion might not be consensual, but it is one that sits on 3 main premises:

- my age (31)
- a deep love for machines that have soul and personality
- price tag vs what you get

I strongly believe BMW did an INCREDIBLE job on this bike. I really do! I did 650kms on it and it felt like a ride around the block. However, it is not a bike for me, and I also believe that on this BMW 2018 R1200GS Adventure they did not pay as much attention to detail as they could, not for the price tag it sits at.

Although with an extremely round engine, that I like, I did not connect with it. The bike felt too loose, the gearbox didn't resonate with me - and I ride the worldly known F800GS clunky gearbox - and it gave me more the feeling of a glorified scooter with a clunky gearbox than a GS. I felt like the GS soul was removed from the bike. However, I do admit, the engine kept on giving! If you are aiming for a bike that at the end of the day will be easy to drive and full of power, well, search no further!

I did not get around the weight feel. I felt a big gap between the actual weight of the bike and the "feeling weight" it transmits. Feels like 100kg, when it weighs closer to 300kg. That is an amazing engineering achievement, and on the road, I'm all up with that!!! However, the GS, as the name indicates, is a dual sport adventure bike, and as such, goes beyond the highway, and that means uneven terrains. I would have liked to see a more balances real weight vs feeling weight. I believe that a smaller gap between them would make the bike safer to drive on all terrains as opposed to safer and easier just on even roads.

Finally, I feel that with all the attention to detail BMW likes to give to their products, they stepped on the ball hard with this bike. None of the GS's so far as had retro lit buttons, however, none of them has had a full LCD display before! With the technological leap decision to remove the analog from the bike, it would have been fantastic to see retro lit buttons on the controls. With 12 buttons (13 if you have fog lights) on the left hand and no lights on them, until you memorize their position, you are on trial and error basis once night sets in.
Will you get used to their position and will they become second nature even in the darkest night? Yes! However, at the price tag the bike brings, I hate the idea that I will not be able to fully use it until I precisely memorize the position of AAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL the buttons. Makes no sense at all for me, especially when retro lit bike controls have been on the market for years now.

In the end, a fantastic bike, that I'm sure will make innumerous riders happy for years to come, and one that if I'm offered, will gladly keep on my garage, for instance, to take on a European road tour. If I had to choose, however, I would go with the 2010 model, which for me has the most soulful engine of the GS family since the 1150.


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