BMW R 1250 GS Pro Review: The off-road contrivance from Bavaria!

ADVs might be a niche in the country, but, as of late many mainstream manufacturers are somewhat inclined towards these motorcycles. The one you see here is, perhaps, lauded as the most capable motorcycle that’s suited for all terrains.

At first, I was a little sceptic about this bold claim, considering the Beemer is surrounded by the likes of the Honda Africa Twin, Ducati Multistrada Enduro, Triumph Tiger, and many other ADVs for that matter. Therefore, intrigued by this, I decided to borrow one to see how sufficing the Beemer would be to those claims.

But, first, let’s address the elephant in the room. My first impressions of this 249 kilos Beemer were quite overwhelming. And then the fear of riding it in the exorbitant city of Delhi was just the icing on the cake. Secondly, there’s the price. The Pro variant you see here will set you back by north of Rs.20 lakh. Now that’s certainly a lot of money. But let’s look beyond that to see what lies beneath. Here’s our take on this ADV from our BMW R 1250 GS Pro review.

There’s no denying the fact that the BMW R 1200 GS was the most capable and successful ADV in the world. So, this time around, the Bavarian manufacturer knew that they had themselves as their biggest competition.

A brochure to brochure comparison reveals a sprightlier 1,254cc boxer engine replaces the older unit and is capable of churning out 134bhp and 143Nm of torque – a 9 per cent gain in power and 14 per cent gain in torque. Aside from the increased cubic centimetres, the idea was to introduce variable valve timing, or as they call it, the ShiftCam system. It still has four valves per cylinder, but the engine is now capable of optimising the cam timing according to the rider’s requirements.

Just before I swing my leg over the GS, it’s worth a mention how grown up and uncannily tall the 1250 GS is. But as soon as you step on, there’s a sense of familiarity that this BMW associates. The first thing that catches the fancy is the 6.5-inch TFT colour display that lightens up with the GS animation. The display is crispy clear and almost lag-free. The centre is dominated by a large tachometer, in the middle sits the digital speedometer, and the current riding mode is displayed on the top left. There are a lot of options and customisations to choose from, and it’s better not to fiddle around too much, for you can get lost in it!

I decided to opt for the Road mode, and before you know, I was trailing off in the streets of Delhi. All my fears were gone, as the Beemer proved to be an easy and light handler in the city. The Road mode ensured a soft suspension setup, which made the ride even more versatile and accommodating. The GS was also very comfortable on cruising at highways, as the electronics made sure it just doesn’t fly away with the rider.

As soon as we entered the highway, we switched to the Dynamic Pro mode, and the GS just another beast. The throttle response was now extremely urgent and only a slight twist of throttle made the GS – and me – momentarily forget the speed limit. But now, it was time to put it through its prime test. And that was off the tarmac.

A switch to Enduro Pro mode tightened things up a bit, and the change of personality, this time around, made it a fun off-roader. It just glided through the gravel and not only for a second it felt underwhelming. The fun part about it was that it had enough precision to exit trails with slight wheelspin so as to exude joy without harnessing the confidence.

And all in all, that whole experience led me to believe there is simply no other motorcycle that comes close to the GS. This ADV is just another beast. It rides well in the city, it picks up pace extremely well on the highway, and it trails off-road like there’s no tomorrow. There are all kinds of electronics that ensure that the rider doesn’t kill himself/herself in the action. But the only grouse, yet again, remains to be the price and height. For now, I wish I was a bit taller and perhaps filthy rich. To read our full BMW R 1250 GS review, be sure to visit us at autoX.