compared bmw, yamaha and ktm adventure bikes.
bmw did not quite come out on top
compared bmw, yamaha and ktm adventure bikes.
bmw did not quite come out on top
"Enemy fighters at 2 o'clock!...Roger, What should i do until then?"
2010 r1200r, 2009 harley crossbones, 2008 triumph/sidecar, 1970 norton commando 750
Yes, but in the real world ... ??Originally Posted by f14rio
Paul Glaves - "Big Bend", Texas U.S.A
"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution." - Bertrand Russell
http://www.bigbend.net/users/glaves
BMW does not hold a candle to Yamaha or KTM in the dirt bike arena. I have had and still have all three. The BMW always stays home unless it is an improved dirt road and never crosses my mind when one truly goes offroad. We are talking no road at all! (offroad)
In my twelve years of enduro racing all over the US I never saw or competed against one BMW.
Jack
"All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific."
A friend of mine had a KTM Adventure. Said it was a great bike for it's purpose. He sold it after a trip to AK. Oil Changes are apparently a major production and when he was stuck needing a new tire, there were plenty to fit a KLR at the local tire shop, but none for a KTM. Not enough demand.
Just another couple of factors in the total cost of ownership.
His favorite bike is his R100GS.
BMW's bags came off.
Pjk
When God created roads, He painted an invisible line of perfection. Then He created Ducati motorcycles to follow it.
That's why I didn't buy that issue.BMW didn't quite come out on top...
And I can read Peter Egan's column at the newsstand.
Rinty
"When you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."
And that is why they used them in the "Long Way Around", they didn't want to at first but were happy they did and then again in "Long Way Down",.................hmmmmmm?
John
2007 R1200RT Blue
Contact me 4 (1&1) training, Expert witness in motorcycle crash reconstruction
Where the Ewan McCharlies whined about how it was so hard and proceeded to blow out the rear shock(s?). I'm not sure how much of an endorsement that was.
They also didn't have the Yamaha to choose from at the time.
Anyway, a little competition can only make the GS a better bike. Maybe a 1250 prototype would have faired better. Who knows, I probably won't read the article anyway.
Last edited by rxcrider; 01-20-2012 at 02:40 PM.
The shocks that they blew were aftermarket Ohlins. That's not to say the stock Showa shocks would not have failed. Ohlins are wimpy for off road applications, alum bodied with a weak ring set up.
They only made an enduro bike for 2 years, so you probably could only ride for those two and never see one, legitimately. BMW did ok in the extreme enduros around the world, and in Europe. They never bothered to introduce into the US market, there was a big deal going on with Scott Summers that fell through. Plus they picked probably the worst possible economy to enter the dirt world, again.
I myself raced a G450X in three ECEA enduros last year. My friend Jim S came in 3rd overall in Vet A in the NEtra series, and another dude from VA won the overall down there, so I see that they begin to hold a candle. They just sure as hell didnt have the factory behind them in any way, although the product was decent... just missing a few honest years of R+D.
But the original tpoic was adventure bikes, and the last best offroad adventure bike by BMW had an airhead. The rest are just mile-eaters.
Stagehand.
Interesting - I wonder how many others assumed it was a factory part failure - maybe it was just me
The bikes were over loaded, witness the scene in LWR with the pile of crap they left behind. Ewan & Charlie's bikes each had frames crack at weld points. Don't recall if shocks failed in LWR, maybe they kept the stock units? Maybe just a coincidence in LWD that Charley, the most experienced rider, did not have a suspension failure.
1983 R80RT
2007 R1200RT
Yup - the bike tested had the flimsy plastic cases
Thought that was interesting how they equipped it
2011 R1200 GSA Smoke Grey Metallic Matt
2009 G450X White
IBA #35651
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