Riding the BMW R1200GS Adventure - and comparing it to the Kawasaki Concours 14

There are a few motorcycles that have always been "itching" me. The itch to test them, ride them, run them through their paces - as much as I could anyways without actually owning them - best completed through "test rides" I got in contact with Tyler, one of the sales reps at Moon Motorsports in Monticello. Since it's only 200 Miles to Monticello, MN and Moon Motors is the closest "local" BMW dealership, the path was pre determined. A quick phone call ahead, a quick chat later and Tyler confirmed that there are 2 BMW R1200GS Adventures on hand, one of them ready to be taken out for a test ride.

Before I dive into the actual assessment and subsequent question for you, the avid rider and reader, I have to give praise where praise is due. Tyler, the sales rep at Moon Motors was incredibly helpful, easy to deal with, talk to, fun and witty. Just like a sales rep should be, yet so few of them are.

Gearing up at about 8am, the 200 miles to Monticello appeared to take longer than they should have, most likely because of the anticipation to finally get to ride one of the motorcycles that I've been drooling over for many years.

After arriving in Monticello and the obligatory administrative matters, I quickly departed on the BMW GS Adventure. The start was a bit wobbly as the seating position is quite elevated as compared to the Concours14. But, once used to the different outlook, feeling like sitting on a high chair, I quickly realized that there's a monster under the hood between the pegs. The 1200 engine, with its massive low end torque, brings the GSA to live with a dark, unmistakable throaty roar from the exhaust. The GSA I was able to test, had an aftermarket windscreen, higher and wider than the stock windshield, providing added protection from the elements during the first part of my trial - the highway test.

At 80 mpH, the BMW's revs about 1k higher than the Concours 14, which is easy to explain based on the difference of engines; boxer vs inline 4.

The GSA's power can easily be felt by its vibrations, the entire bike is shaking while in Neutral - once rolling, the vibrations and shake are absolutely not noticable. On the flip side, the Concours 14 has comparatively no vibrations and is a monster in the power department.

Comparatively, you're looking at 105 HP on the 2008 model of the GSA vs 155 HP on the 2008 model of the Concours 14.

Once on the highway, the GSA felt fantastic. Well rounded, stable, fun, nimble, responsive. However, the wind exposure differs between the GSA and the C14 as in, I got hit around my shoulders and chest with unequally more wind on the....GSA!

On the positive side though, the seating position, which makes up for the wind exposure, is by far more comfortable on the GSA. I'd call that one a draw - I can deal with a bit more wind, in exchange for a more relaxed seating position.

Generally, as the GSA is by far higher, the seat inseam is at 35.2" + an option to change the stock seat height (!), the position of the legs is more stretched out, leading to less tension, locking of knees and also provides more opportunity for shifting the bottom of the riding boots into different position, providing some well needed change of position of the knees. The GSA on the test ride, had additional highway pegs; unusual, yet very welcome!

Comparatively, the Concours 14 feels very crunched and space challenged. Particularly for a rider over 6ft in height, the seating and leg position may become an issue on longer excursions.

Street v Gravel. The GSA is famous for being one of the best allround bikes, or Dual Sport as they're called nowadays. The BMW delivers impeccable long distance tarmac performance, while remaining quite capable off road on gravel, dust, mud, etc. Basically, just watch "Long Way 'Round" and "Long Way Down" to get an impression what the GSA can really do. If the owner knows how to handle the beast.

The Concours 14 is a road warrior. A tarmac fiend. It eats miles like hardly any other motorcycle in its price class. It is so forward thinking that Kawasaki even felt compelled to coin a new term for it's inception. The "Super Sport Touring" Bike era has been opened by introducing the C14.

It's a toss up in my eyes. Given that the majority of US roads are NOT paved (according to statistics), the question is; where will I spend my time at? On tarmac or offroad or in a blended environment to get the most of everything? Tough one to answer. While I don't want to restrict myself to just one, I don't think I'll be spending exorbitant amounts of time offroading. Then again,...who knows what the future holds? I might just run out of fuel and spark to stay on pavement! Speaking of which....

One of the legendary facts about the GSA is its tank volume. Coming in at 8.7 Gallons, the Concours doesn't have anything to compete with. A kindergarten lunchbox sized 5.5 Gallon tank, accommodates about 220 miles of worry free riding. A distance that forces a mild smile on the GSA. The test bike showed 41.2 mpg and at little over half tank left, it board computer displayed a massive 245miles range remaining! Point GSA - the C14 doesn't even come close.

So you have a man purse? Congratulations! The GSA knows how to accommodate your packing habits. Massive side cases and an even larger top case, all available at an extra charge - and not small one I might add - can carry a payload of several hundred lbs! The numbers are actually quite interesting: Given that the GSA weighs in at 500 lbs and can frame a total load of just over 1000lbs, this leaves 500lbs to be divided between rider and cargo. This should even satisfy the most make up minded GSA owner. (all numbers roughly estimated)

In contrast, the Concours 14, although delivered with side cases by our patrons at Kawasaki, doesn't offer anywhere near the mass storage capacity of the GSA. Frankly, the C14 would look ridiculous with the cases the BMW has available. Regarding storage, the point goes to BMW. Regarding pricing and feasibility, Kawasaki wins hands down.

Since I'm talking about pricing already: The GSA, with all it's options of ABS (optional!), ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment - Optional), Cases (optional) and some other minor additions, comes in at a healthy $19,700!

On the other side of the spectrum, the Concours 14 comes in at $9,900 for the 2009 version and $14,000 for the 2010.

The crucial question comes at the end: Which one do you think I should ride? Yes, it's always a personal decision in the end, but, what would you choose and what do you think I should ride? Yes, your poll will be taken in consideration once the purchasing decision will be made...

MJ