Today, I’m going to write just few lines about these great adventure bikes and then expect the owners of each and every one of them to comment and confirm why, in their opinion, the one they decided to buy is the best when compared to the other …… we’re obviously talking about the BMW R1200GS and the Yamaha Super Tenere XT1200Z! What else if not these two? Some might wish to add the Ducati Multistrada 1200 and the KTM 990 Adventure. They’re all good motorcycles and motorcycles that have dominated the world of adventure travel but the ones that made a big hit, in my opinion, are the BMW & the Yamaha! I do like the KTM too but decided to leave it out for this article. As for the Ducati, it can be a good bike but I really don’t like its shape 😛
So, let’s stay on the BMW R1200GS and the Yamaha Super Tenere XT1200Z for today. To begin with, I prefer the look of the BMW more than the Yamaha, somehow feels more authoritarian, it’s kind of the King of the road! Starting with comparing their weight, they’re both in the region of 200 – 210. The BMW adventure is usually marked as a 219 kg bike while the Yamaha a 209 one. Not much difference but might help when doing some off-road with them!
Some argue that, for the money they’re paying, they don’t get a lot from the Yamaha but on the other hand they’re amazed with the handling, torque, etc …. The BMW is somehow impressing people more and more; it’s expensive but it keeps surprising its owners with its uniquemess, it gets better the more it goes, the more one drives it! It’s a big bike but it has some kind of personality!
I honest don’t know what to say, they might be both great motorcycles but the BMW give me somehow more confidence. When I see a GS on the road I just keep turning with it and this doesn’t happen much when seeing a Yamaha. I might be bit biased but until now I couldn’t find so many persons saying good about the Yamaha Super Tenere XT1200Z as much as I heard others talking positively on the BMW R1200GS Adventure!
Do you drive one of these bikes? If you do, then write your comments and let’s see how many of you think that one particular bike is better than the other!!! Am waiting, guys, gals!!!!
I have owned a BMW R1200GS for 3 years, and have done 95,000kms since new in that time. It has never missed a beat. I rode it around Australia last year (18,000kms in 7 weeks), it performed flawlessly on both bitumen and dirt. I have ridden it at Phillip Island on 3 occasions, and it holds its own very well with sports bikes. My most frequent ride on the bike is around the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Despite its large appearance, it is very light and responsive on the curves. I have done a lot of riding in wet and very cold conditions (in the Victorian Alps) as well as long rides in very hot conditions. It handles all weather conditions very well. It is remarkable to me that an air cooled engine can sit at idle at the traffic lights when the ambient temperature is 44 degrees C (and the temperature on the bitumen much higher) without overheating. The variable suspension settings make for great comfort on a long trip. It really is a bike that when you put it on the stand and walk away, an admiring look back over the shoulder is hard to resist. I have a GPS mounted on the bike which of course shows me the shortest route to my destination at any point. Most days, daylight permitting, I take the longest route possible. It’s a bike I just love to ride.
I started out on the F650GS, then graduated onto the F800GS and am now on my second R1200GS and have found them all outstanding. I don’t think there is a manufacturer out there that can match these machines. Its been 30 years of the GS, that’s 30 years of design and manufacturing experience that can’t be beaten. The KTM’s, Teneres and Dukes have there place and are good in there own ways, but they’re not the all-round package that the GS invariably is!
I bought a 2010 R1200GS Adventure….loaded. It WAS my dream bike. Almost $23,000.00. I’ve owned a lot of motorcycles, and operated a motorcycle dealership at one time besides, so I have ridden a lot of different bikes. Without a doubt…. the BMW was the worst piece of junk that I have ever owned. A HUGE disappointment. The dealers …. suck. They are arrogant, don’t even own delivery trucks, Exhibit little or no customer satisfaction. They…could care less if you live or die. My GS Adventure …. wouldn’t start ….. after sitting 3 weeks …… with only 200 miles on it! Know why? The FUEL PUMP was shot! Are you kidding me? After reading forums from the UK, now I know why. Evidently …. BMW was growing too fast … and building too many of the GS’s. They were outsourcing more and more parts. They knew that the fuel pump relays were bad …. but decided to deliver the bikes to customers anyway …… and only repair them after the bikes died. Hence … avoiding yet another in a long, long list of RECALLS. The Yamaha …. HAS to be better.
I must agree the service of BMW suck big time. It is a beautiful motorcycle. Yamaha 1200 is built in 2010 and believe me that it is a great bike. I first owned a XT660Z and then the XT1200Z. I will never look back again. I drive a lot on gravel road and never ever had problems. My average speed is 110-120 km/h. The fuel consuption is between 18 and 20 km/l. I don’t think BMW can beat that. Both motorcycles are good and good looking but the service part I will stick to Yamaha.
I own several bikes, a Suzuki 650DR, R1200GS Adventure, ZX600 Ninja, Ducati 800SS and K1200S. The adventure is not a good looking bike, in my opinion, but it is the most useful of all the bikes i ever owned. It’s more capable off road then people would ever imangine. I owned my first motorcyle at age 6 and was a dirt only ryder till I was about 16. The abs system on the adventure works very well and it actually lines up the bike when going down loose steep hills, the bike will go thru just about anything the lighter machine do, but always keep in mind it is a heavy machine and it takes lots of effort to pull it out off the ditch! On the highway feels like a luxury sedan and with 105 ponies runs pretty good.
I’ve only just landed on this blog so forgive me for leaving a reply so long after the original blog.
I’ve owned the 1200XTZ now for 2 and a bit years. I’m on 30,000 kms without any major mishaps. Reason for picking Yamaha – price and back-up service. The GS is the grand daddy but spares and services are ridiculously expensive (in my country anyway). Too many reports of final drives packing up and no local dealerships (only one in Cape Town some 150km from here). Had a gearbox glitch at around 20k but that was sorted with synthetic oil. Not a great fan of gravel roads but have done some 2000 kms on dirt/gravel and so far no issues. Fuel consumption is excellent (16 to 24 km/l) with some very high speed riding included. Never been on a GS and I doubt if I ever will. Don’t feel the need as I’m totally “in love” with my Yamaha.