BMW R1250GS vs R1200GS Review | How much better is the new bike?
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- Опубліковано 14 чер 2024
- BMW R1250GS vs R1200GS | Performance Testing and Datalogging - we take the king of the sales charts and its successor and pitch them head-to-head with a datalogger and on the dyno plus we uncover just how Shiftcam works...
For the full analysis and reviews, head to: www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial...
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It is interesting how the poorer or inferior brakes on the 1250 are glossed over and the rest where the 1200 is worse off is significant.
3 meters into the vehicle in front of you can mean death but 1 second slower acceleration is neither here nor there.
I rode my 1200 then the 1250 back to back and I like the power difference but I prefer the feel and sound of the 1200 , both are superb riding machines and Im keeping the 1200 !
I like how we are told that the 1200 is a bit "breathless" and the fuelling is rather jerky only AFTER the 1250 appears and is claimed to have fixed that. Until now the 1200 was perfect :-))
LOL! You're not suggesting for one minute that all the journo's are on the BMW gravy train are you?!?
@@I_am_Thursday Noooo, the "journos" are probably not. Not sure about those two, though.
That said, they don't have much of a choice, really. In order to stand out in this flood of information they need to be amongst the first to publish and the only way to do that is to be given access by the manufacturer himself. Obviously, the manufacturer will only give access to a selected few - selected by him.
Journos know if they say a bike is shit then the manufacturer won't give them an exclusive next year or pay for the launch weekend flights and hotel to the Algarve in Portugal. So yeah, they're corrupt.
Another reason why the journos aren't pitting this machine against any other marque...as if the only choices for bikes in the world are BMW or BMW.
I like journalists being enthusiastic for new bikes... I tend to attribute it to the 'new bike smell' and keep it in mind when I shop. ;-) The boxer is a stout motor but it does run out of steam right around the rpm when the higher HP bikes are starting to scream. I find myself bouncing off the rev limiter quite a bit on the R1200's... so it's not like power goes flat, but bikes like the Multi and XR have this feeling of THRUST as they range above 7500rpm that the 1200 lacks.
Lots of small things to criticize on the R1200GS (I have a 2016): Lack of back-lit controls on a bike at this price point is a pretty serious oversight, the switch gear in general has little feel, especially with gloves on, the instrument display is very hard to read in sun glare (TFT screen fixes that), no factory heated seat option, only one power point... all minor points but minor points are major points at this price level. I had no idea the 1250 wasn't using Brembos. After riding the 1250 for 4-5 hours on and off road, IMO the extra power was noticeable but not a selling point. One thing I have never done is lamented the "lack of power" on my 1200. Fix the small things!
First proper back-to-back review I've seen: really excellent. Simon Hargreaves is a class act journo as well. Miss his wonderful writing in "BIKE" magazine.
As a 1200GS Rallye owner, I really enjoyed the comparison. I only got mine new in May of this year, so was interested to see what I missed out on by not waiting for a 2019. The new engine is more evolution than anything too radical, so I'm still more than happy with my purchase.
I've just come across this channel and is awesome. What an incredible well done video. Congrats
Pretending shiftcam is some new technology while Honda has been using it since the 90's called VTEC.
new in motorcycles?
@@1glopz No Honda has the VFR 800 with v-tec that was made around 2000
These "airheads" are getting too complicated.
tubejorrit
And in cars it was 10 years before that..! Even Yamaha/toyota did it in late 80s
Since the 80's*
liking your videos more & more, great content and presentation. good work guys keep them coming !
awesome review, answers to pretty much all the questions a potential 1250 client wanted to know
thanks from Italy
Great review. Just ordered my new 1250 Exclusive TE from Lovett's of Bristol, UK. Gave me a great deal. Thanks guys!
The difference between the 1200 and 1250 is too marginal for me. Good time to buy a second hand 1200, while the rich set are salivating at the 1250.
Oldfogey Oldfogey I couldn’t disagree more. In my opinion there is a massive difference. The better gearbox/quickshifter alone is worth the cost to change. I’m so glad I sold my 1200 and utterly loved the 1250GS.
And you don’t need to be rich either. Just put your priorities in order.
@@maxflight777 no change in the gearbox/quickshifter between the outgoing version of the 1200 - the 2017.5 - and the 1250.
@@samsara3694 I’m sorry , that’s an idiotic claim. It’s like night and day.
@@maxflight777Yes, it's night and day difference, for bikes pre the 2017.5 1200 and the 1250. The major change in the gsp was introduced in the 2017.5 models. But no real offense taken.
Sensational review. Covers all the technical stuff brilliantly
A credit to you boys.
Nice review; I really enjoyed watching it and I second that the folks at Balderston's are solid chaps, as they're just up the way from me. I do have to wonder though, why no mention of the KTMs when you talk about direct competition to the GS? I saw where the new Ducati came up, as did the Triumph, but not the Super Adventures.
Eye of the beholder... paint on the 1250 is gorgeous!!!!
finally someone who actually does a proper testing and comparison. Good job
These bikes are far to heavy and gaining (cc's) weight. When all an adventure bike rider is a twin cylinder 50 hp bike for nimble off roading. And an easy lift when ya drop the bike. The art of Overselling the customer starts at the factory and keeps going to the dealers
Excellent review..!! Great work guys..your riding gears looks amazing. Kindly share the links for such amazing gears too.
Absolutely a cracking review. Well done!
excellent review guys, good work
Great vid! Just the way I like them, short but very informative giving us all the numbers! Nice guys!
Short , precise, and to the point. Thank you gentlemen!
Glad it was helpful!
Great comparison video!!!
If you want a GS, just wait until early spring when all the low-mile, rarely-seen-dirt 2013-2018 examples start showing up on Craigslist for massive discounts off original MSRP, tossed aside by those who have to have the latest and greatest. It may not be new, but it'll do exactly the same thing as the new ones.
Get an urban GS and install propper suspension on it and you are good to go :)
I just picked up a 2000mile, just factory-serviced 2018 GS with Touratech Paniers and crash bars for $20,000 out the door. Case in point.
I bought a 9k mile 2015 GS with the premium and touring package for only 16k back in February of 2019. It's the best bike I've ever ridden. I think the 1200 is a much better bike than the 1250, when looking at it from a simplicity and complexity balance, as well as a fit and finish standard.
Excellent video, guys. Very informative.
Sharp and smart....At last, I despaired lately, so much fudge and wishy washy videos. Will remember this one...Thanks guys!
great review guys
Clean Simple and on point comparison... Good Job
Keep the content coming 👍👍😎
I love it how it eventually ended up in a cafe drinking coffee with a laptop and coffee pot and all the gear on with the ADV bikes in the background 🤣👊 It was a very informative video gents, we really appreciate it.
Nice comparison. Please do the same with the Multistrada 1200 enduro and the 1260 enduro. There are some ergonomics differences but it could be interesting to compare the engines as well.
Great review, great riding. Love It!!!
I like the presentation of the data.
This was a good round of testing. I was impressed with both bikes on the dyno test regarding how close the power at the back wheel came to the claimed torque and horsepower at the crank. That suggests a really efficient drivetrain design. There was certainly nothing wrong with the old engine, but I have ridden both and it is true that you can clearly feel the increase of power and the consistency of power delivery across the rev and load range. Also, I think the new front calipers are fine, and you need to keep in mind that the tires are different as well. Again, great video!
Good point
Had to be a kick in the pants, you sounded like a little kid having the time of his life. Good for you man, great video!
Splendid video chaps!
Excellent and realistic comparison review of the R1200GS and R1250Gs. Enjoyed it immensely. Thank you ✌🏻
Great review. Enjoyed listening to your Texas accents.
This is a very good video for street riding but can we compare them the may they are designed to be used, off-road? Is there a big difference for a bike buyer to choose between the 1200 over the 1250 when they are looking for off-road riding? The speed and torque aren't that important, it's handling and balance which are the key elements to off-road riding. Are there videos for this comparison? Thanks guys for the awesome video. I learned a lot about each bike. Best wishes. M.B. San Antonio, TX
Wonder if the much lower miles on the 1250 had an effect on the breaking - due to bedding-in.
How about the same straight line shoot out with the R1200 GS actually warmed up...? The red line on the the TFT dash on the R1200GS was at 7000 RPM... at 2.36 mins in the video. I have ridden both bikes, they are both awesome but I am afraid to say I would not buy a R1250 if you already have a 2016 onwards R1200. It simply isn't worth the extra money just yet to change. Also, like others have said the Brembos fitted to the R1200 are MUCH better. Performance isn't all about power and cc's...
Good on ya lads a great info vid and Balderston are ace....
Good over all review, Ive just brought the 1250 GSA HP and was on a 2016 1200 GSA. Biggest thing I have noticed is the increase in power and torque. The breaking test that was done was only done once and as is with these types of test you would need to do that several times to find the result, I find the new breaks just as good if not marginally better but thats more from the feel they provide. One thing I dont like is you can't change the level of the tire pressure warning its fixed, small issue but thats all Ive found after the first week
Really professional review, thanks, well done. Great content, well presented, right pace and length. Please do more
Hilarious, every microscopic improvement was called "notably better" but the extra ten feet+ braking distance of the new bike (which in the real world is a stop or crash into something factor) was dismissed with "the new brakes possibly felt better".
All the people praising this report need to remove your BMW blinkers and bear this in mind, if these hacks slate a model then we won’t buy it and they won’t be invited to the next free holiday, sorry I meant unbiased press review.
(In a nutshell just about as reliable as BBC news)
Alan Hopkins did you even bother to listen to them? They flat out stated the test was only performed once, which is why they dismissed it. If it’s repeatable, I get it. I’m more curious why they only did it once, instead of proclaiming this as a fact.
I agree the brake test is not make me feel comfortable. Its hard for those guys to be objective since they are dependent on BMW
Not a BMW guy....just a interesting comparison. Now you sound like a BMW hater. What do you ride, a Vespa?
FYI: I've owned both these models now. I have had the 1250 for 12 months and the Brembo brakes on the older model (2015) were better than the newer ones. Not a great deal better but you can notice it.
*puts on tinfoil hat* Bennets is an insurance company, so they'd rather you bought the more expensive and newer bike which will cost more to insure and make them more money
Please blend in metrical units next time
No I don’t think I will
Nice comparison! Are the power and torque figures at the wheel or at the crank?
You guys do a great job getting down to the nuts and bolts of these two bikes and get the information out in a entertaining way. Good Job!
Your fuel consumption experience is similar to what I've seen with my 2020 R1250rs, which replaced my 2018 R1200rs. The 1200 was slightly better using on average 4.7L/100 to the 1250's 4.9L/100
The RS is also still fitted with brembos which maybe a reflection on the leaking issues BMW have had with the Hayes units.
Many thanks for this guys…
However, I would love to the new 1300,1250 and 1200 all together for a review like this.
Hi , Very good these comparisons! 👍🏽! But we must take into account the running-in, which in the case of flat Twin BM is rather long for the engine to be completely free! A flat twin plus it takes kms and more it works better! how many kms have these two GSs already done? I imagine that the R12 has more logically? ✌🏽
Statistically the 1250 is a better bike, in real life there is not much difference, especially when riding on small back roads. The 1200 still is no slough and personally I am very happy with my triple black LC adventure.
Good job boys, thanx a bunch...
Great comparison
70 MPH is average road speed in parts of the US so I am glad you used a higher speed for a baseline. The R1250's use brakes sourced by a company called Hayes, rebranded as BMW. Beemer seems to be distancing itself from Brembro.
Wow, that is QUALITY journalism. Subscribed!
Incredible review. Great balance of data and real life user interest. Lovely bike also helps.
Yes we need backlit buttons!
Anyone know what suit Micheal is wearing? This was a great video!
Informative review ty +Bennetts Bike,
10 years still left to see how well those powerful young ladies get older -reliability/cost-wise-, air-cooled GS's seem to do well as in my experience after tens of thousands of km. Thinking about KTM for its extraordinary off-road performance though these beauties still seem to reign overall.
nice test, thanks
And now it doesn’t cut out randomly below 3k like my 2018
Yea great comparison guys, especially for a numbers geek like me.
Not sure why these guys are so surprised about the caliper change. Brembo owns Hayes’ Brake Components Division; they have for over ten years. And since Brembo just pumped 32 million pounds into a production facility in Mexico that is pumping out their calipers for this market, I’m sure the financial upside is good for them.
I had to rewind a few times and then pause at 4:59 to see both bikes catch air together. WhooHooooo!!!!
Can you do this with the new XR and the old one and add the RR to see if it has more bottom end is more with the shiftcam.
How many miles are on each bike? It seems like more power is on tap after 'break-in' when German engines are involved..
Change the fueling on the 1200 to match the 1250 and the gap closes on the power. The 1250 may be a ringer, richer fueling and still meeting Euro 4?
Simon!!! Wow, memories of 90's Performance Bikes and waiting that new Oasis album to drop.
absolutely with you there.
Not enough for me to trade in my R1200GSA Triple Black TE 2018.
I’ve a 2016 Triple Black also and it’s too good to switch from too..
Brembo Please....Great review....
By far the best comparison review on the net uptil now. For those questioning the journalistic independence & rightly so; I think, as usual, one needs to read between the lines. For those among us who are truly interested in the real story: Make a note of the observations made in this review and then take a test ride on the 1250.
Informative review thanks. Based on your review I did take a brand new GS 1250 HP out for a test ride. In fact rode it the whole day! The New Delhi Lutyens dealership was amazingly kind to give me the bike with no instructions except to have fun.
I ride a 2018 GSA 1200 rallye (Low) with 13000 km on the odo. Having previously owned the Triumph Tiger 800 xrx & 1200 xc (explorer), I miss the triple. But the GSA is a far better bike to ride. As mentioned in the review I too think lack of back-lit switches is a shortfall. TOTALLY REQUIRED. Driving on indian highways/off road, at night with high beam oncoming traffic, rain splashed visors, pothole roads; finding the button/switch is probably like foraging n fumbling through a ladies handbag for something with gloves on. And I ain't a Lady n don't fancy such activity :-).
My opinion post test ride: Would I like to change to the 1250..? Yes. Is the difference so much that the 2018 R1200 feels dated? Inferior..?? NO..NO..NO. So that's 1 YES vs 3 NOs. The 1200 is powerful and fun enough I think. To clarify further here's an example: I sold my brand new Tiger 1200 Explorer barely 8 months later for 60 % of the price. It hurt. But the GSA R1200 replacing it was/is far far superior. Improving my motorcycling enjoyment level significantly. This is not & will not be the case with the 1200/1250. Even though I could afford it. Period. So don't fret & waste your money. For the present anyway. Cheers
Interesting, thanks chaps for the good review. I would say in my experience of owning GS's and other boxers the power will increase quite significantly as the miles go on the new bike I would say maybe between 5-10% .
Why only do brake test once?
How hard to do it 3 times test?
so the 1250 is an improvement overall vs the 1200? and the 1200 was an improvement over an 1150? i ride all types of bikes and can appreciate most of what they offer. I am actually surprised by the 1/4 times, seemed a little slow compared to seat of the pants performance. who knows
My only issue with R1200GS LC is the suspension which is incredible harsh on potholes at times, never had any issues with the engine and power delivery. Sure KTM 1290S & R are way faster, yet they are also chain drive and are completely different beast.
No suspension improvements, no weight reduction, no comfort add-ons. I'd love to see that heated seat, Triumph Tiger has one. And then you get the Hayes brakes.
Those were crap even on the mountain bikes and people would replace those quite often. I hated mine and bought a Magura as a replacement. Fail to see how did they manage to fit them on one of the most expensive touring motorcycles in the world.
Guys, great review. Helped me make the decision to buy the recent GSA 1200 and not a brand new GSA 1250... Also agree that its not a significant set of upgrades to justify a new 1250 bike with all the taxes !!!
yeah I went with 2018 even on the eve of press launch for 2019 model. I have no regrets.
Wonder if the warrantee guy is going to rag on shift cam to sell you extended warranted.... maintenance issues?
In the 20-25 years you've known mark, He never told you the difference between BHP and RWHP? The minimal drivetrain loss is impressive.
Excellent review..👍
Thanks 👍, glad you enjoyed.
Cheers, Michael
Should I get older 1200 GS from 2018 if I don't care about the power? Brambo brakes, potentially more reliable simpler engin, lower weight seems more appealing to me.
Lovely.good job👍
Yes more power but that increase does still fall short, doesn’t it? And it is not stopping as good as the Brembo 1200GS is it? It does cost more doesn’t it?
Great video, guys!! I wonder why BMW went with Hayes calipers instead of Brembo's, is it some kind of cost cutting? I hope not. Interesting, because you mention the new bikes costs less than the old model. Also the GS' of the recent years seem more road biased. Eager to see how this compares with the new XCA, Multi Enduro & 1290 SAR.
Doubt that it's cost cutting. Could be due to the addition of the dynamic brake control.
@Simon Hargreaves simon, fair enough!
Hayes are part of Brembo, I think the new brakes are better on the 1250 than my 2015 Brembos...much better feel.
Please compare to a KTM 1290 SAR... thanks
Interesting to me is the big increase in power and over a broader range. Take away the 1200 was not a bad bike and the 1250 is an improvement in evolution. Many makers are not able to make improvements like this to an already good bike. I just bought a 1250 RT if they were still making the 1200 and not the 1250 I would have likely have bought a 1200.
Looks like a great bike to own either way you go.
New brakes have to be broke in before they stop at full potential right?
Thanks for the awesome video but I wish your tests were a little more scientific. Why do a braking test if you're only going to do it once and then say the results don't matter? Would it have broken your budget to do the test five times?
So it accelerates marginally better at illegal speeds, brakes marginally worse at legal speeds, does the same mpg and no longer uses the best brakes on the market for a spurious brand from the USA. Um...........
Sounds a great fit for an insurance company doesn't it?
Best Brakes???Only Good Brand is Bremo wich are used eaven for GP.
BMW is saving money on breaks ? WTF
@@markjurczyk I totally agree with you, this is supposed to be a premium product and is priced accordingly. I guess the marketing men at BMW dont think their sales will be affected enough to warrant them fitting Brembos. Not impressed.
baggerly boy its weird because they have Brembo on the back and BMW on the front🤔
How and where can i buy that gs1250 if im here in the Philippines
I don't understand some review points and comments below either. This is touring adventure bike. It is not race bike. The purpose of touring bike is to cover huge number of miles daily in relative comfort, with relative economy (meaning lower revs at higher speeds). Adventure part means ability to carry significant luggage and have decent suspension to go off road or just more comfort on dirt road. It needs to be heavy to fight wind and to have big tank for range. If somebody is looking for a dirt bike or race bike, well, go look for bikes in those categories. This change is mostly for marketing purposes to create some buzz as there is barely, if any competition in this category.
Love my GSA!
I love the way he says it has new calipers as if it is a good thing. They are new because they are cheap. And they leak.
Has this improved on the 2020 models?
...and under recall if I understand correctly.
1250gs is worth the extra 50 cc's for sure. Love the analysis of the shift cam vvt.
Could be another point of failure.
Great comparison guys! The prices are not quite as you describe. 1200GS TE is £750 ish cheaper than 1250GS TE - not sure how close they are on spec for spec
Thanks Craig, we got the prices from BMW Motorrad UK who supplied both bikes. I guess the 1200's accessories pushed the price up a little. The PCP deal will mean the 1250 is slightly more expensive per month but only by about £5.
They confused the pricing by comparing a base model to a higher spec model. Because they are adding lots of extras the TE price ends up being higher than if they'd gone with a different model where many of the extras are included in the package and don't increase the price accordingly compared to buying extras separately. They should have compared a 1200 Rallye to a 1250 Rallye.
Why cant bmw put back lit buttons on the gs? Every car has had them for 25 years. In a car you have a dome light to see. And make electric screen a option. Why they put the knob for the wind shield on the right who knows. The 1200 makes good power but 3rd gear willies should be standard on a 1200cc bike that cost $ 23,000.
I totally agree with Matt that BMW missed the mark by not back lighting the control buttons. I am constantly wondering where the buttons are at night if I haven't done any night riding in a while. I don't mind the knob for the windshield being on the right, but it would be nice to be able to adjust the windshield higher at highway speeds without fearing that you have to slow down to get the pressure off the windshield. The bottom line is you have to adjust the windshield before you get going too fast or you can't move it. As far as pulling 3rd gear wheelies, I test drove a KTM 1190 and like you say, when I cracked open the throttle in 3rd gear, the front wheel came 3 feet off the ground. I decided right then that the KTM was too fast for me and I would probably kill myself on it so I bought the R1200GSA instead and I have the best bike for me in the garage. Mine is a 2016 with a 7 year warranty so when the warranty expires I will buy another one. Mine has 43,000 kilometers and it is a great bike.
50-100 test is a little misleading, the top end of the 1250 is going to have more of an effect when you’re going all the way to 100, which, how often do you need 100 to overtake? I would be curious about 40-70.
With a more complicated engine, it would have been interesting to know if the service cost have raised and if the service intervals changed as well. Nice review but I guess I stick with my R1100S -99 :)
at 10:34 why is there a royal enfield on the work table in a BMW showroom
supercharged petrolhead the dealership also sells Royal Enfields
@@bennettsbikesocial Oh!!! cool
Good review. Now I just have to find £17,000 plus another £1500 for the luggage and Nav 6.
I would be very surprised if that fueling curve is as homologated. They might have put a non emissions map in for better performance and smoothness. It's especially noticeable when you go back to a bike that stumbles and snatches due to lean running...
That in turn might explain the fuel economy differences, since the "shift cam" allows for milder profiles in the low to midrange, which should be more frugal despite the 4% increase in displacement.
The brakes might still need bedding in properly, for best friction. A lot of the feel comes from design, so the Brembos will feel less grabby according to how BMW designed the whole system, from master cylinder, through all the lines, ABS unit and so on and then finally the caliper, pad and disc. Perhaps they wanted the Hayes to seem superior, so made them a little sharper, by design. Might only be a difference in pad construction / material.