I test rode the 1250 GS HP spec bike last Sunday. As soon as I sat on the bike I realised how much I had missed owning one after riding a KTM 1290GT for 11 months. I really liked the look, the finish is what we've come to expect from BMW.
The TFT screen is great, a real leap forward in technology from the old style clocks. The self cancelling indicators are a nice addition as is the black switch gear. Its a shame its not illuminated though. The weather was awful here on Sunday, so I was riding in rain mode most of the time, and the times I did get into road mode I have to be honest, I didn't feel any quicker than the last GS Rallye I owned. The bike felt great though, comfortable, well equipped and enough power to keep most happy.
One thing I did notice though was the vibration. On downshifts its awful, and at cruising speeds it's bad enough to spoil any ride out over 30 minutes long. I pointed it out to the sales guy who agreed it was excessive on the downshifts and a number of the Motorrad staff had commented on it.
The thing that amazes me is, with the millions BMW invest in their products and product development. The testing, lessons learn't from old models etc, who the hell signed this bike off as ready for production? The vibration is awful.
I would have placed an order on Sunday if it wasn't for this issue as its a lovely bike, I really miss owning a GS, but BMW need to sort out this issue before I commit to buying one.
With a few hundred miles under my belt on my new r1250gs, I’m pleased with the positive aspects of the engine over the 1200: it’s great to have a smooth engine in the low gears rather than the spluttering of the euro 4 1200s, the flexibility of the engine on country roads is noticeable, and the additional torque low down provides more confidence when overtaking.
However, one thing I’m disappointed about is the vibration. On the 1200 the vibes only felt nasty when the low-frequency vibes fell into the 4.25-late 4ks range (and, as I recall, just sat below motorway speeds). Otherwise, the vibes were what you might call ‘characterful’. On the 1250, however, they seem to be more high frequency and a bit of an annoyance, with noticeable harshness at motorway speed. Not good.
Speaking with the service manager at the local BMW yesterday, he reported that others had commented the same. Yet I don’t see too much about this on this forum other than the above post and a thread that seems to refer to a specific issue.
So the question I have is, do the bikes indeed vary for some reason, the most common reason being tyres?
Mine came delivered with Michelin AAs. Perhaps too early to give them a fair review at the moment, though if they are indeed designed as 80/20 tyres, then give me the other 20 back, please. They also seem noisy, more so the A3s. But could they also be making the vibration worse?
What are other’s views on this aspect of the 1250 vs 1200, and if you also found the 1250 a bit vibey, did you manage to find improvement in any way?