Last week, we were whizzed down to Mpumalanga, popped onto BMW’s GS Range and pointed in the direction of the twisties and gravel roads that make this part of South Africa riding heaven…
It’s 6am and the sun is just starting to peep over the edge of the mountains at the World View lookout point. It is, simply put…. SPECTACULAR!
Moments like these make dragging your ass out of bed really early on a chilly winter’s day just so worthwhile! The start to the day got even better when Motorrads event photographer Rob Till arrived with a tray full of steaming hot coffee. Great friends, motorcycles, hot coffee in one of the worlds most glorious motorcycle areas… What could be better?
This event took place over two days in the Lowveld.
Day 1 was used for all present to sample four of BMW’s offerings on the road. Present for duty were two GS800’s, the new 900 Adventure and the GS1300.
Our route took us from the airport for a 200 kilometre jaunt along some of our best loved mountain passes. All along the route, we stopped off, swapped bikes and war stories and took off again under the beady gaze of the good guys from Country Tracks.
From the Kruger Park International Airport, we wound our way through the towns like White River, Sabie, Lydenburg, Ohrigstad, Pilgrims Rest and eventually, up to our overnight stay at the fairly spectacular Angels View hotel in Graskop.
Now, join the dots and if you know the area, you’ll know that this route was custom built for motorcycles. Lydenburg, Pilgrims Rest, Sabie, Graskop. The good news is that most of the roads are in a good state of repair and those that are not, look as if they are about to receive some attention.
If not, then WHEN you do go and ride this area, just be aware that the road from Lydenburg out to Ohrigstad is quite possibly the most challenging, thanks to the enormous potholes scattered all over the place. Thankfully one of the local people has circled each hole with a ring of bright, white paint, so especially at night you can see where they are. Needless to say, holding a straight line on that road is impossible and the cars and bikes alike looked like drunken fools as we weaved through in avoidance mode.
The Bikes:
By now, if you have any interest in a GS, the chances are good that you probably know what we are going to say about each of the bikes because you would have visited your dealer to take a spin. Up to this point, we’ve only been able to bum the GS1300 for a ride and you can read that story here.
Present for road duty were the F800GS, the F900GS Adventure and that R1300GS.
This day started on the new F900GS Adventure: Here’s a quick reference:
- New, fully adjustable forks.
- LED headlights.
- New side panels.
- Heated grips.
- Aluminium engine guard.
- New Ride Pro optional equipment package.
- Optional Dynamic ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) electronic suspension.
The 6.5-inch full-colour TFT display is clearly legible and changing rider modes is pretty simple. The bike is equipped with a large 23 litre tank, a big touring screen, protection in the form of crash bars and an aluminium skid plate and brackets for touring boxes. It has a very well padded seat, wide footpegs and a carrier out back. LED lights all round make sure that you are visible. The bike has adjustable front forks, and the one we rode had BMW’s ESA system out back. The 900 range is powered by BMW’s parallel twin engine. The engine has been bumped up to 895cc over the 850 which they tell us reaches a peak output of 77 kW (105 hp) at 8,500 rpm. The broad torque curve offers up to 93 Nm at 6,750 rpm.
Here’s the big one: The bike is 14 KG’s lighter than its predecessor.
But hey! You can check out all the specs on line – what’s it like to ride?
Not overly bulky:
Quite the opposite really, the bike has a big bike feel without you ever thinking “Man it’s huge!”
Comfortable:
The thing about GS Adventure is the fact that BMW knows exactly how to build comfortable bikes.Whizzing along all of our favourite passes was an easy, comfortable affair.
Not overly powerful:
The 900cc donk is best described as “Perfectly suited to the bike.” And that’s a good thing. The more we rode it, the more we came to enjoy the whole relaxed vibe. It’s not lazy by any means and will happily accelerate to speeds well in excess of the national limit, but she’ll also bumble along quite happily at lower speeds.
All the while, the rider is in a little calm bubble, shifting happily through the quickshifter, gearing down into the turns and opening up to accelerate out as the world whizzes by. The suspension and brakes all work really well, it all adds up to a really comfortable, chilled, refined riding experience. Which is kind of, exactly what you want from a bike like this…
The F 800 GS’s.
- TFT display as standard
- Heated grips
- LED headlight
- Hand protectors
- Variocase carrier
Stop…. Have a chat…. swap bikes: That was the order of the day as the F800GS was mounted. Two of them were present for duty, a standard and one with a lowering kit. If you are a shorty, chat to your dealer.
For 2024, the F 800 GS gets the same 6.5-inch colour TFT used by the F 900 GS models, including phone connectivity and, with the BMW app, turn-by-turn navigation. Like the more expensive models, there are two riding modes as standard – Road and Rain – and you can add a further three with the Riding Modes Pro option pack, which also brings engine brake control to the mix. Other standard kit includes heated grips, LED lights and hand guards, which were an option on the old F 750 GS.
The 800 does have a small feel to it which will appeal to many riders out there. The position of the bars and general ergonomics are sensible. Around town and for general commuting, the engine feels quite punchy, but out in the twisties and on the open road, you do tend to mix it up a lot more through the gearbox. Potholes and bumps feel more harsh, but not to the point of getting you squirley. The Brembos are not as trick as the latest radial monoblocks, but they worked well throughout the ride.The seat is firm yet comfortable. On the lower bike, there is less padding, so we reckon that “Numb Bum” will set in.
Despite the title the F 800 GS is actually nearly 900cc in size, just as the ‘F 750’ was actually an 850 and the ‘F 700’ that preceded it had an 800cc motor. It’s all rather confusing. So it’s really a budget F 900, not really an F 800, we’ll explain: The F 800 GS gets an extra 43cc, bringing it to 895cc and adds 10hp. Those are the same changes seen on the 2024 F 900 GS and F 900 GS Adventure engines, but the 800’s peak power is limited.
On the day, the bikes we rode had the Comfort Package, which includes keyless ignition, cruise control and the Gearshift Assist Pro (up and down quickshifter). You get non-adjustable 41mm telescopic forks, but you can adjust the rear shock’s preload and rebound. There’s much less suspension travel than the F 900 GS has on offer, 170mm at each end, compared to 230mm front/215mm rear…. and the wheels are road-oriented alloys, 19-inches at the front, 17-inches at the rear, it also has a small wind screen, which translated to what is basically a naked bike. But, BMW does have a larger screen on offer and we’d fit one. This ride on the GS 800 was a short one, we’ll try and scrag one at a later date…
The GS1300
Ok so by now, you’ll have read our previous feature and you know exactly what we are going to say…. BMW really has done such a good job on this one. Some of the guys on the ride don’t like the new styling and commented that they prefer the more traditional BMW styling, and this is a challenge that BMW has. Their traditional buying base is an older crowd. We like new…
That headlamp is super cool and the bike feels smaller and better in every way than its predecessor. And that’s high praise given that the previous models sold all day long.
It’s slimmer and has a lower, narrower fuel tank that’s a litre smaller than the previous model. It’s still familiar though. When you climb aboard, from the shape of its wide handlebars to the colour dash that contains lots of new functions like a sports display, it shouts GS. The screen operation, together with the heated grips control and options like heated seats, radar cruise control and electronic suspension are all controlled by a single switch without complicated dashboard menus.
The 1300 is still a big bike, but it feels smaller and lighter than the 1250. It’s easy and fun to ride. The short stroke engine still has a great rumble at low revs and rumbles out of the stainless pipe when you open up. With 9 extra horsepower and 12 kilograms less to drag around compared to its predecessor, this bike feels light, compact, punchy and powerful. There’s not a single lazy bone in its body. The new R1300GS is a great tourer and scratcher in the twisties. It’s more agile, accurate and superbike-like than before. It’s a whole new bike and we do like it. A lot.
Conclusions:
There’s more to say. Overall, all of the models ridden today feel more refined. The gearboxes are less “Clicky”, the quickshifters are improved over previous models. All in, BMW seems to have given everything a bit of an overhaul. Conservative seems to be a word of the past.
In a motorcycle market that is getting tougher, they have sharpened things up significantly.
For more opinions on this lot in the dirt, please go and have a look at Dirt And Trail magazine…
