BMW R 1150 GS reviews

I picked up a GS in February 2009 after trading in an RT. I was hit head on in March by a driver who was interested in texting more than driving. I suffered a minor concussion and the bike was totaled (you should have seen the car!). Thought I would try out a different brand. I lasted about two weeks on that bike before I realized what I had done. I sold that bike and went back to the R1200GS. It truly is the best in its class and better than bikes in most other classes. It is a jack of all trades, and depending on how you look at it, a master of quite a few. I got the new bike on April 30 and already have 5500 miles logged. I will log another 3K this week, heading up the coast and taking a few forest roads along the way. It is one of the most well-balanced bikes I have ever ridden. I can keep up with most sportbike riders on Palomar Mt. and the bike rips up the track (I didn't even have stickies on)! The bike seems to glide over gravel and sand alike. The suspension when off road has to be experienced to be believed. I teach a sportbike riders course on this bike and you should see the faces of all those squids when I demo the course with all cases on. I would shill for this company for no money. Wait, I AM shilling for no money! Great company and a truly amazing riding experience. Next stop: Baja and then Latin America. Show less

I am the second owner of this bike. I have had it 3 mo. So far it has been better than I hoped. Good smooth power, nice ride. I have had many bikes this is the first BMW should have bought one a lot sooner. I think anyone will be pleased with this motorcycle.... Show less

I have put 10k miles on this bike in 4 months. Weekend mountains and canyon twisties, San Diego to LA slabbing, San Diego cruising, and a recent 1200 mile weekend. Rider comfort is superb and this is a smooth machine. I had some initial issues with the seat, but after changing to a high seat I can ride for hours with no discomfort. This bike has all the get up and go a body could want and handles the tightest corners like a dream. The suspension was obviously not designed for someone as fat as I am but it does a remarkable job. Have I mentioned I love my R1200R? Show less

The perfect all around bike. Nice looking, lightweight, low seat height, fuel injection, low center of gravity, and BMW's expandable side cases make this bike perfect within town and out on the highway. Enough power overall without getting yourself in trouble. The cons are: not be most fun to ride (lacks character), front end is not as balanced when coming to a stop, combination trip/odometer defaults at odometer at startup, and the rear seat rack is plastic. It is one bike that can easily do all. Show less

This is the second review I've posted for this bike. First one was July 2007, called Worth the Wait! I've owned this bike for 3 1/2 years and have put around 8,000 miles on it. I know that's not much, and I wish I could ride more, but I have a family and a demanding job. Like the title says, I'm STILL LOVIN' IT! How can you not enjoy riding such a superb machine as this? It's a beautiful machine, too. It's red and I keep it immaculate, so it gets a lot of looks. I'm in the middle of replacing the battery - wow, talk about open heart surgery! You damn near gotta take the whole bike apart to get to the battery. I hope the replacement battery lasts five years like the original lasted. And I pray I get it all put back together the right way! ;) I can't say enough good things about this bike. I feel lucky to own it. Will write again in a couple more years. Show less

Great bike! Handles any type of riding conditions. Does anything it is asked to do. Show less

Kinda fun on the twisties but it ain't no touring bike. Commmuter or weekend warrior just fine, but don't try to go for a long highway trip. Show less

My first concerns with the use of the new F 650's for our expeditions was that they just didn't look robust enough for some of the terrain we cover out on the road, not that the rides are technical, it's just that there is rough gravel in places and countless miles between BMW servicing centres. My first encounter with the new look F 650 GS was at a motorcycle exhibition, I had a sit on the bike but was not able to ride it at the time. Once Compass Expeditions decided to go with the new twins for a number of reasons, I was there to pick up the first bike, so I thought I would take it through it's paces before shipping it off to South America. That is where the first of my surprises and quick change of mind begin. Riding it through the busy streets of Melbourne heading out of the city, the bike handled very well in the slow congested traffic and maneuvered lightly and accelerated rapidly when the chance arrived to scoot past a few cars, great! When I finally hit the highway and some more winding open country roads the bike really came into its own, responsive in the corners with easy handling, good smooth braking and excellent performance even with the added weight of my girlfriend on the back, I barely knew she was there. The bike passed the first test, however before sending them off to Chile we bought a number of accessories to beef the bikes up for the rigors of the expeditions to come. We purchased bark busters, radiator and headlight protectors and a sturdy bash plate to protect that exposed oil filter and cooler. The bikes now looked quite a bit more the robust touring type and I felt a little more at ease. The second test; Patagonia. On the first tour of the season, non of our passengers had ridden the new model before, but the first morning as they strolled out to the carpark their faces lit up as they saw the sparkling new machines lined up in the stunning summer sunshine. The passengers were certainly not disappointed as all of them rated the bikes highly, with 2 Ex-passengers actually purchasing new F 650 GS twins since returning to their home countries. One particular day on a Patagonian tour is one which I thought would be a good test for the 650's, that is the journey from Esquel in Argentina to Perito Moreno, a total distance of 590 kms. The first 460 kms are on reasonable bitumen with a few potholes and only one small section of about 10 kms of roadworks, this ride day heads into quite a remote region of the country. At the end of the bitumen we gathered our energy by having a coffee, snacks and a bit of a rest in the dry, windy town of Rio Mayo on the Patagonian Steppe. Once we left here it was about another 130 kms of quite challenging riding on gravel roads, and in my experience, it is always accompanied by strong winds. To make the ride a little more challenging they are currently doing a lot of roadworks on this section thus making the many rough detour tracks very draining. But the bikes handled this ride very well, given their responsiveness and relative lightness the riders are much less tired and more at ease on the challenging roads, seats are easier on the backside and the riding position is much more comfortable than riding the older, cramped single cylinder GS 650's. I recognize that the older models are good robust bikes, but in comparison to the new 650 twins they are slow and heavy and it seems to me as the changes are so huge that there has been 10 years between the 2 models instead of 1. I would liken the change from the old bike to the new, like going from driving a tractor to a car. So yes, once beefed up a little in the robust department two thumbs up from me for the new BMW F 650 GS twin, survived Patagonia should be adaptable to anywhere. Show less

I bought this baby in late April of '09 and haven't stopped riding it. I use it everyday for commuting into Manhattan from Brooklyn and the motorcycle handles like a dream. Potholes not a problem, tight squeezes thru traffic not a problem. It is very responsive and just right amount of power for my needs (de-tuned 798 cc). I have also tested it on the NJ Turnpike at high speeds and pulls like a demon, it is no race bike but it will make you smile and keep up with other bikes. It is very well designed machine. The gas tank is under the seat for a low C.o.G. I got the package with heated hand grips, center stand, on board computer with tire pressure monitor and alarm. They are all very very useful. In my honest opinion I think it is a much better engine that the single cylinder of the previous generation. Absolutely the best. Show less

Ditto to the previous reviewer's comments. But if I have just one negative; it's also the SEAT. Those Germans obviously have cast-iron BUTTS--the seating position pushed me too far forward. After an hour or so, I'd end up with two lumps in my neck---they were my testacles! SO here's the solution (found on U.S. web-sites)--one AIR HAWK seat-cover (you sit on a cushion of air) it WORKS! AND a kit to raise the handle-bars. I have recently returned from a (VERY) quick 2,000 mile ride to the Out-Back after fitting these accessories. It's a different bike. My fourth BMW. Why change when the product delivers ?! Show less