2017 BMW R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Rallye launch review

There will be at least one R 1200 GS competing in the 2017 Finke Desert Race, the iconic two-day event in NT that has long been a brutal whoop-laden test of man and machine.

Yes, an R 1200 GS, and it will be ridden by the indefatigable Miles Davis, the outgoing marketing manager at BMW Motorrad Australia. However, this won't be your standard R 1200 GS he's riding – as good as that model is – but instead the ultra-impressive new hybrid that combines the sports chassis from the R 1200 GS Adventure with the bodywork (and slimness) of the R 1200 GS. A cocktail that makes a lot of sense, and is brutally effective.

The partial genesis for the machine, called the R 1200 GS Rallye X, had its roots in Australia thanks to BMW Motorrad ambassador Geoff Ballard, a man who's such an icon in the enduro and off-road ranks that he's been awarded an OAM. And he's a genial soul, too.

Anyway, Geoff decided one day to manufacture his own R 1200 GS hybrid which, as most projects worth their salt, began with parts strewn all over his garage floor but ended in exaltation – his cunning plan had come off and the end result was worth the effort.

Images and performance briefs eventually made their way to BMW HQ in Germany and, a couple of years later, the R 1200 GS Rallye X is now on sale across the globe.

Of course, a lot of water has passed under the bridge between then and now, but certainly part of the grist for the Rallye X mill can be put down to some good ol'-fashioned Aussie ingenuity.

Please explain
Bikesales recently spent two days on the Rallye X criss-crossing Victoria on some spectacular dirt and tarmac roads, and in one fell swoop it's taken the mantle as our favourite Boxer-engined GS. It doesn't have a weak link.

The Rallye X, priced from $27,250, is the big-ticket release for 2017, but it's only one-sixth of the local GS menu. There's also the R 1200 GS ($21,850), which alone makes for an amazing entry point into the big-bore BMW adventure range, as well as the R 1200 GS Tour ($27,250) and the R 1200 GS Rallye ($23,250). And the R 1200 GS Adventure ($24,890) also continues as the patriarch of the GS range, complete with its whopping 30-litre fuel tank.

Optional equipment on the R 1200 GS includes the 'Touring' and 'Dynamic' Packages, which introduces such features as Dynamic ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment), keyless ignition, cruise control, LED headlight and indicators, two-way quickshifter, Riding Mode Pro (Dynamic, Enduro, Enduro Pro), ABS Pro cornering ABS, DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) and hill start control.

The Touring and Dynamic packages and seat/suspension variants also options on the R 1200 GS Rallye, which differs from the R 1200 GS with its unique Lupin Blue Metallic livery, full screen, spoked wheels and passenger kit.

However, the Touring and Dynamic packages are standard on the R 1200 GS Tour (called an 'Exclusive' in some other markets), as well as a comfort seat.

Optional equipment across all three models also includes a low seat, low suspension and alarm.

New accessories include a cylinder protection bracket, top case, off-road protection parts, radiator guard and frame guard.

R 1200 GS RANGE IN BIKE SHOWROOM

Rallye X goes to another level
Of the new models, the R 1200 GS Rallye X sits at the top of the performance tree, more so for its off-road ability thanks to the R 1200 GS Adventure 'sports chassis' lurking beneath the R 1200 GS bodywork.

The beefier chassis compared to the R 1200 GS variants and base Rallye includes an extra 20mm suspension travel and ground clearance, updated damping software, an 11mm shorter wheelbase and 4.6mm less castor.

As well as the Rallye X, a non-optioned R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Tour were also on the launch, fitted with spoked wheels and Continental TKC80 road-legal knobbies that are standard fitment on the Rallye X and an option on the R 1200 GS Adventure. The TKC80 works surprisingly well on the tarmac as well, but if you want the rear to last more than a few days keep the hard corner-exiting acceleration in check when DTC is switched off. Some of us failed on that count…

Down to business
A lot of people would argue the base R 1200 GS is all the adventure bike you need, and with the sheer volume of retail love it gets there's really no arguing the point. And that was the machine I started on as we began the launch from BMW Motorrad's Aussie headquarters in Melbourne, with the first dirt roads less than 30 minutes away.

The beauty of the R 1200 GS is that you can get on the thing and feel at home within minutes. The air/oil- and water-cooled engine (it's a 60/40 per cent cooling arrangement, in 'favour' of air) has a permanent halo – it likes to rev alright, but emits such a meaty and torquey message that it's ideal for both on- and off-road riding.

Moreover, it feels like there's 'anti-stall' software as part of the electronic DNA, because the way it churns up gnarly hills is magnificent. Miles implored us to use a higher gear to reduce the potential hair-trigger and destabilising effect of a lower gear on steep ascents, and it worked – the R 1200 GS (and all the other bikes at the launch) just kept on making headway despite at times feeling like a stall was imminent.

The Boxer engine on all the 2017 R 1200 GSs remains unchanged, other than now meeting Euro 4 emission laws. Peak power for the 1170cc engine is 125hp (92kW) at 7750rpm and torque is 125Nm at 6500rpm.

The R 1200 GS has only rain and rode riding modes, so it covers both bases, but the DTC really has to be turned off on dirt roads unless it's super smooth and grippy. That's because there's no Enduro mode (unless you take up the Dynamic package option) to allow the back to hang out a little, so even corrugations on the road trigger the DTC and slow progress.

Speaking of corrugations and larger road imperfections, it's best not to use the quickshifter when you're ploughing through them as the powertrain has to be under a constant load for it to work at its optimum. However, there's no denying the quickshifter setup is magnificent, and I'd nearly take up the Dynamic package (where it's an option) just for that feature alone.

I digress. While DTC is a survey-the-scene type of affair in the dirt, I really can't envisage too many situations where you'd have to switch off the ABS. Certainly not on steep descents, as it adds another layer of stability and reassurance, especially at the front end.

What the R 1200 GS, and the R 1200 GS Tour and R 1200 GS Rallye for that matter, don't have is the R 1200 GS Rallye X's sports chassis, and that's self-evident in the bush.

X marks the spot
Which leads me to that very machine – the main reason BMW Motorrad let us loose for two days. Visually, the Rallye X mainly differs from the Rallye with its one-piece seat and small screen compared to the – yep, you got it – two-piece seat and full screen (adjustable by a hand wheel) on the Rallye. The seat height on the Rallye X is also higher at 880mm thanks to the sports suspension.

If I was a heavy road user, the first thing I'd do when I purchased the Rallye X is fit the taller screen, just to create that 'bubble' to make long-distance riding more comfortable and less of a neck strain. But beware the trade-off if you're pushing hard in the bush with the bigger screen and your head crashes into it. Horses for courses, that one.

The Rallye X introduces Dynamic ESA as standard, which offers three preload settings: Minimum, Maximum and Auto, as well as two damping settings for the Road (Dynamic or Road) and the Enduro setting for off-road.

The preload settings all make perfect sense, and I simply used the Auto option most of the time, but switched to Maximum to get the longest and plushest suspension stroke in the tougher off-road sections. The Rallye X really does soak up more than you'd think for a 244kg bike, but it's not a 450cc dirtbike so you still can't hit downhill washouts at full noise, for example. Well you can, but the end result may not be so pretty.

A button on the left-hand switchblock adjusts the ESA, as it does for the integral ABS and traction control.

The slimness of the Rallye X just about goads you to stand up all the time, and why not: the ergonomics are spot on, and the accessory enduro footpegs add another layer of sure-footedness. The launch Rallye Xs also came with a number of other accessories: headlight guards, engine guards, and a Garmin Navigator 5.

Dynamic alright
The Dynamic Package on the Rallye X adds the 'Riding mode Pro' package with two more riding modes: Dynamic and Enduro. Dynamic produces a more direct throttle response on the road, and Enduro has the same characteristics as the Rain mode.

Enduro mode allows the rider to hang out the rear end a little bit, while ABS remains at both ends – unless you switch it off.

But there's also another string to Riding mode Pro, thanks to an encoding plug that you can get off BMW Motorrad that attaches to an outlet under the seat. The two riding modes, Dynamic Pro and Enduro Pro, are fully customisable in the set-up menu for throttle response and DTC, and you can also deactivate the ABS on the rear but leave it on the front.

The entire Rallye X launch fleet was fitted with the encoding plug, but here's the crux of the matter: do you really need it? I'd say for the majority of riders, probably not, but for those who want to really hang loose on the way into turns – which does have steering benefits for the absolute off-road guns – then go for it. Personally, I'd 'encode' to add a little cream onto the top of the Rallye X pie.

I particularly enjoyed the steep ascents and descents on the Rallye, as that's where the sports suspension really showcased its more hardcore DNA. On the descents, I left the ABS on and, combined with the hefty amount of engine braking from the Boxer engine, the Rallye X never got away from me.

For the record, ABS can only be turned off when the bike is stationary, while DTC can be deactivated on the fly. I tried to climb a few hills with DTC but I eventually switched it off – the Rallye X chassis had more than enough resourcefulness to look after me.

A few punters did get caught out on the ascents, which was a good time to test out the hill start assist. Just hold on the front brake for a few seconds and a light will illuminate on the dash to tell you the system has been activated. Then just let out the clutch and take off…

R 1200 GS DETAILS AND SPECS

Road runners
Eventually the dirt tracks gave way to twisty tarmac as we began the journey back into Melbourne, and the blast along the famed Reefton Spur was magic -- even with the 19-inch front wheel leading the show. The TKC80s were tested to their limits, and it really did reinforce that BMW Motorrad's GS engineering exercise to produce the Rallye X has hit the jackpot.

The 125Nm water-cooled Boxer engine is just so hard to fault, and the Brembo brakes are magnificent – although they did start to fade a little after 20 minutes of hard work through the Reefton.

A massive chunk of local BMW Motorrad sales are from the GS range (so the parallel twin F models as well), but the 1200 Boxers remain the favourites. With the Rallye X now joining the parade, there really isn't a 'gap' in the 1200 GS range.

The Rallye X certainly isn’t devoid of competition – the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro and KTM 1290 Adventure R spring to mind – but what you get for $27,250 is impressive.

It's tough, fast, competent, refined and seriously savvy in the electronics department – signature BMW Motorrad adventure stock, really. If you want a bike that is supremely adept at its craft, look no further.