The BMW R1200GS was designed to handle any terrain. Long travel
suspension, wide, flat foot-pegs and an upright seating position mated
to BMW’s punchy boxer twin combine to create the ultimate getaway tool —
this is the swiss army knife of bikes. It’s also the Motorad division’s
best seller. Ewan and Charlie may have helped move some extra metal,
but BMW’s GS bikes have long been a favorite for riders of paths less
traveled. This potential alone makes it a bucket-list bike for most of
us around the office, and its take-no-prisoners looks don’t hurt either.
History
At its launch in 2004, the R1200GS was 30 kg (66 lb) lighter than the R1150GS it replaced, and produced 100 bhp (75 kW), an increase of 19%. BMW continued to produce the R1150GS Adventure, releasing a final run-out special edition model, before launching the R1200GS Adventure at the end of 2005, for the 2006 model year.
Upgrades for model year 2008 included increased power to 105 bhp (78 kW), a new Integral ABS II anti-lock braking system was released without servo assistance and new options were added including electronic suspension adjustment (ESA) and the Automatic Stability Control (ASC) traction control system.
In 2010 model year, both models had a revised cylinder head with double overhead camshaft, an increased redline limit to 8,500 rpm, and an exhaust flap to give the exhaust a different tone. Power is increased to 110 hp (82 kW) @ 7,750 rpm.
At the 2012 Intermot, BMW announced that the 2013 model would have water cooling, deliver an additional 15 horsepower (11 kW), and weigh approximately 20 pounds (9.1 kg) more than the outgoing mode
As of 2007, the R1200GS is BMW's best selling motorcycle, exceeding 100,000 units.In 2006, the R1200GS was the best selling motorcycle in the United Kingdom with combined sales of 2,227 units. The next best selling bike, the Honda Fireblade, sold 2,067 units.
Nearly one third of the 100,000 units sold by BMW Motorrad worldwide in 2006 were R1200GS. In 2008, the R1200GS was again BMW's best selling motorcycle, with 22,845 standard models and 12,460 Adventure models delivered.
In 2012, Cycle World called the R1200GS "the most successful motorcycle in the last two-and-a-half decades" and credited it for creating the adventure touring category.[