5 Ways the BMW GS Encourages Learning to Ride Off-Road

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The 2023 BMW R 1250 GS. (Seth Richards/)

As we complete our first ride of the R 1300 GS, we reflect on some of the qualities that make the current R 1250 GS—and the entire lineage of GSs—a surprising gateway into adventure riding.

The GS’ dual nature is right in its name: Gelände and Strasse, “Terrain” and “Road.” Its capability as a roadbike is legendary. It’s user-friendly, refined yet engaging, effortless to push hard in the twisties, and comfortable for pilot and passenger on long stretches of highway. While there are a million reasons why 1 million boxer-powered GSs have sold since the R 80 G/S’ debut in 1980, its prowess as a streetbike just may be at the top of the list.

Related: Gelande/Strasse

Yet, if the GS was only ever meant to go on the street, it would be an RT. Somewhat paradoxically, the very traits that make it a great everyday streetbike also go a long way toward giving it a distinct identity off-road. The magic of ride modes, each with its own traction control setting, throttle map, and suspension damping (not to mention self-leveling preload) is certainly beneficial here, but there’s more to it than that.

While proper riding techniques transcend model type, the GS’ design facilitates a very particular mode of engaging with it. For riders who are new to the adventure bike game, or for GS owners who’ve never ventured off-highway, it’s an amazingly approachable entry-point—keeping in mind it’s still heavy, expensive, and not a Yamaha TW200. Sure, there are more approachable and capable adventure bikes for riding high-speed rally-style, but in slow-speed technical terrain, the GS is at home. With respect to the limits of physics, here are five ways the GS will encourage you to hone your skills and explore some gelände.

The Shape of a Boxer

The GS’ cylinder with a coating of mud. All is right with the world. (Seth Richards/)

As Kevin Cameron points out, one of the main benefits of an opposed twin is balance. Because its two crankpins are spaced 180 degrees apart, the shaking forces of piston motion cancel each other out. For off-road riding, where slow-speed maneuverability is paramount, another huge benefit of the layout is that the cylinders sit next to the crankcase instead of on top of it, creating a very low center of gravity.

Due to having long-travel suspension and large fuel tanks that sit high up—especially above an inline- or V-configured engine—some ADV-tourers can feel particularly vulnerable to changes in rotational motion; getting them off-center at low speeds can be dicey. In comparison, a boxer-powered GS feels far less cumbersome. The GS’ outriggerlike cylinder heads give tremendous stability—for the same reason a trapeze artist holds a long pole on the wire.

Related: Trophy Life—Training for the BMW GS Trophy With Ben Phaup

For riders who are venturing off-road for the first time or touring with camping gear and several days of food stowed on board, the GS’ low CG is hugely confidence-inspiring. Despite its big-bike stature, the GS is stealthily accommodating to riders of varying skill levels. As Executive Editor Justin Dawes points out in the 2021 open-class adventure bike shootout, “When the going is slow and technical, the GS shines. It seems to balance all by itself even at walking speeds, allowing riders to pick a line and and then pick it apart.”

Still, like all heavyweight adventure-tourers, riders must use their own bodyweight to their advantage. On a lightweight single-cylinder dual sport, riders can get away with a lot, but on a 600-pound ADV bike, gravity can become their enemy quickly. Here, the GS’ flat engine is once again an asset. In low-speed maneuvers, it affords riders a platform on which they can drop their outside knee to assist in counterbalancing the bike, preventing it from tipping over. Its built-in knee “rest” takes thinking about body position out of the equation to a large degree, making it automatic and repeatable. In this way, the GS’ design accommodates its proper usage. Its own shape dictates the shape the rider’s body makes and frees up mental space. As a bonus, when the bike does fall over, it only falls over halfway. It takes far less effort to lift it off its cylinder head than lifting a lighter bike that’s buried its handlebar in the dirt.

Low-Down Torque

The more time one spends on the GS off-road, the more it feels like that’s where it really belongs. (Seth Richards/)

The last time Cycle World put an R 1250 GS on the dyno it recorded 91.48 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,510 rpm. Impressively, nearly 80 lb.-ft. were available at only 2,000 rpm. In other words, the engine can chug along at idle all day, as the speedo registers 6 mph or so. At the same speed or rpm, plenty of other engines would require slipping the clutch. Such tractability gives riders the ability to run in a taller gear in rough terrain, which can help them make smoother throttle applications. Charging up hills with little run-up, breaking the rear wheel loose to make a corner, lofting the front wheel with just a blip of throttle: the benefits are practically endless. For inexperienced riders, that low-down torque can be a safety net.

Smooth Throttle Response and Linear Power Delivery

Cones set up at the local highway department for practicing 16-foot box turns. The GS excels at slow-speed maneuvers. (Seth Richards/)

The GS’ on-off throttle response is about as close to perfect as you’ll find this side of internal combustion. While power delivery is altered in its various ride modes, even at its most direct (in Dynamic modes), it’s buttery smooth from the moment the throttle butterflies open. Such clean throttle response helps riders give smooth inputs at the throttle, which in turn keeps the chassis settled.

On top of that, a glance at the dyno confirms the GS’ linear power delivery. While critics complain that the boxer engine isn’t as exciting as one that paints the dyno chart with peaks and valleys, when it comes to rideability, that’s for the best. Those peaks and valleys may make for an exhilarating ride, but come at the cost of traction. While modern rider aids can intervene to smooth a killer powerband, a naturally linear one that doesn’t break traction in the first place is still a better way to drive forward. When traction is at a premium off-road, the GS’ linear power delivery and smooth throttle response give the rear tire a fighting chance to get a grip.

Progressive Clutch Feel

A rider’s best friend. (Seth Richards/)

The slowest-speed maneuvers don’t require using the throttle, but to keep momentum, riders need to rely on the clutch for drive. To live happily in the clutch’s friction zone requires progressive clutch engagement and good feedback at the lever. The GS excels in both regards. Some hydraulically actuated clutches are notorious for having small engagement zones, which is mostly fine on the street, but when doing U-turns or riding off-road, requiring feathering the clutch, it can be difficult to effectively work the friction zone. The GS’ clutch has a broad, linear engagement zone that gives riders one less thing to think about as they weave through tight single-track at single-digit speeds. For riders new to going off-road, once again, the less there is to think about, the better.

Generous Steering Lock

Another GS strength is just how far those bars turn. (Seth Richards/)

Sweep the GS’ bars from lock to lock, and revel in how far they swing. There aren’t many motorcycles as adept at doing tight maneuvers as the GS simply because they don’t have the same degree of steering lock. For first-time GS riders, it can even take some adjusting to realize just how far the bars turn. Off-road, a tighter turning radius comes in handy no matter how good you are. When the trail is blocked or you just have to wave the white flag and turn around, that tight turning radius can help you conserve a whole lot of energy.

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