BMW releases a new video starring the brilliant R 1200 GS, which a gang of enthusiasts led by the expert Joe Lloyd has ridden through the breathtaking landscapes of Utah. This professional footage gives us another chance to appreciate the acknowledged versatility of the successful model on surfaces as different as sand, rock and mud, showing us how the ‘GS’ overtook all of the adversities that the little American state has to offer.

Mr. Joe Lloyd is not new to this kind of challenge as he’s been riding other BMW models through several evocative settings, and his judgment on the R 1200 GS is utterly positive: the bike tackled all the difficulties with ease, finding its way through areas as diverse as the Monument Valley, the Canyonlands, the Valley of The Gods, the deserts and mountains of the Utah region without any issue, completing the trek in just 9 days.

The footage above features suggestive images of this amazing ride as well as a few contributions from the riders involved, providing us with yet another confirmation about the reasons why the mighty BMW R 1200 GS has become such a success in Europe and around the world.

Touching up an icon like the BMW R1200GS is no easy task and so the German company has decided to go all out and just rebuild the whole thing, including fitting out its world-famous adventure tourer with a brand new water-cooled engine. These new R1200GS spy shots published both by MCN and MotorcycleUSA show that new water-cooled engine thanks to some mechanical upgrades that show themselves, like the exhaust port at the base of the engine and the hint of a radiator fan.

The most interesting point of the new water-cooling exercise for the R1200GS is not that BMW wants to improve on power. The model already has 110 hp, which is more than respectable. Rather, sources say that BMW is interested in other benefits that water cooling can provide like reduced noise and emissions, and more comfort for the rider.

The BMW R1200GS will also get significant chassis updates, a new drive train and updates to the final shaft drive and exhaust - the latter’s canister will swap sides on the bike with the shaft drive. If the radial-mount calipers in these spy shots remain, the GS will also get updated brakes, but these are minor details compared to the shift to water cooling.

In fact, seeing BMW move away from its long love affair with the air-cooled boxer twin confirms just how good the competition in adventure tourer models has become. While BMW claims no power increase is being pursued, we would see it only as a benefit anyway, as the R1200GS gets an overhaul against the Ducati Multistrada and Yamaha Super Tenere. As we hope to see the new BMW R1200GS at the 2011 EICMA show, let the games begin on the adventurer tourer front.

BMW Motorrad is celebrating the milestone of having produced two million bikes since 1969 when the first BMW motorcycle rolled off the Berlin Spandau production line. A one-off, special-edition BMW R 1200 GS was presented by Chris Pfeiffer for the occasion, and the bike will be auctioned in the future as part of a project to promote the city of Berlin.

Pfeiffer of course did his motorcycle stunting bit for the gathered guests, using his F 800 R to mark out “2,000,000″ on the tarmac outside BMW Berlin facilities. The latest celebrations come after the BMW S1000RR won bike of the year in Japan, which is nothing short of an incredible achievement for a European brand among the Japanese supersport heavyweights.

Triumph through their official website and Facebook page has announced that they are currently working on two new exciting models, that will probably a road model and a maxi enduro that will try to take on the BMW’s R 1200 GS/F 800 GS , Yamaha’s Super Ténéré and considering the name on the video, Triumph Adventure, also the KTM Adventure.

The countdown timeline reveals that we’ll know all about the engines on August 4th, about the chassis on September 1st and the new clothing and accessories line on October 6th.

British website MCN has published some spy shots of the two new bikes in this week’s paper issue.

Here’s an MCN group test challenging the new Ducati Multistrada with the BMW R1200GS (a real tough competitor), the Triumph Tiger 1050 (a great allrounder) and the KTM 990 SMT (a ‘wow’ bike from 2009). The test includes riding the Multistrada in its four different modes: the sports mode, touring mode and urban and enduro modes, checking out the clever combinations of horse power, traction control and ABS that each mode plays with.

The BMW is probably the most significant competitor and therefore benchmark for the Ducati Multistrada, being a modern adventure tourer with plenty of electronics and technology to make the game more interesting. The only downfall of the Multistrada, if you want to consider one, is exactly what it was designed to be - a mix of everything meaning it can’t be a fully fledged offroad model, or an urban tourer.

Whether that really affects what you want from it is your decision, but if you’re looking for a pure offroader, the BMW, with less electronics and specific offroad design, has got the Multistrada beaten on that front. In sports mode, the Multistrada has got all the power and handling Ducati is famous for, and in touring and urban modes it has both comfort and agility. Overall, if you want an all-in-one bike, this is as close as you’ll get.

This motorcycle tour takes us through British Columbia, to Telegraph Creek. It’s a detour on an itinerary for the West Canadian Arctic, and if you love the combination of scenery and riding, this video is for you. The bikes in question are a BMW R1200 GS Adventure, the KTM 990 Adventure and the BMW F800 GS. One of the first pieces of advice is not to forget the wine for a little celebratory drink at the destination. My kind of tour…

Source | OneWheelDrive

After taking a look at the new BMW R 1200 RT, here is the 2010 BMW R 1200 GS model, with a more powerful engine and greater torque, taking on the same BMW DOHC technology (double overhead camshaft) as the HP2 Sport and the 2010 R 1200 RT.

The main features of the 2010 R 1200 GS are:

* New, even more dynamic engine now with two overhead camshafts per cylinder and valves in radial arrangement.
* Increase in engine output by 5 per cent to 110 hp at 7,750 rpm and maximum torque to 88 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm.
* Increase in maximum engine speed from 8,000 to 8,500 rpm offers a wider range of useful engine speed.
* Significantly better acceleration and torque.
* Electronically controlled exhaust flap for an aggressive muscular sound.
* Color variants of the R 1200 GS: Alpine White non-metallic, Magma Red non-metallic, Ostra Greymatt metallic, Sapphire Black metallic.
* Optional extras and accessories tailored to the model with BMW’s usual high level of quality.
* New additional headlight in LED technology for the R 1200 GS (accessory).

After the jump are more pics of the R 1200 GS and the full technical specs (USA) for the 2010 model.

BMW R 1200 GS 2010

Continue reading: 2010 BMW R 1200 GS

The new BMW R1200GS gets some significant engine updates in a bike perhaps not meant to be revolutionary, but that has become an icon in the world of European motorcycling. It has DOHC cylinder head and cam set-up, with different valve positioning and overall lower emissions.

For full details on the whole valve cover/cylinder head cover and camshaft modifications, see Hell for Leather’s comments section which has some nice technical info. The BMW R1200GS should have 115 hp, with spark plug and cylinder modifications for greater fuel emission and to enter into Euro4 emissions laws. The BMW R1200GS will appear with the R 1200R and R1200RT at this year’s EICMA so stay tuned.

The R1200GS is already in production, ready for sales success in 2010, and we should see an interesting battle between it and the road enduro Ducati Multistrada/Stradaperta. Take your bets now…

BMW R1200GS engine pics

Fancy a ride through the volcanic deserts of Iceland? Or how about the ice deserts of Northern Siberia? Motorcycle adventurer and desert expert Michael Martin will be doing just that this year, as he tours the world’s major ice and volcanic deserts in a project called “Planet Desert”.

Martin’s vehicle of choice for his tour is the BMW R 1200 GS, after also have travelling deserts in Asia, Australia and America. The trip will become a kind of documentary as Martin focuses on the people who live in the extreme conditions of these areas, and the changing climactic conditions of the world.

Martin is geographer and will go to some regions he has already visited, while also travelling to the Patagonian desert, the Tibetan Chang Tang desert and other places, before heading to the ice deserts of Antarctica.

Continue reading: Fire and ice: Michael Martin's world tour with a BMW R 1200 GS

BMW Motorrad has developed this new R 1200 GS Alpine White Version to celebrate 500,000 GS units produced. 300 models of the special version will be made, after the last GS was produced on May 12th.

The R 1200 GS has been a successful model for BMW with over 35,000 units sold around the world in 2008 across both the R 1200 GS and the GS Adventure. The special Alpine White version will have a new colour, as the name suggests, with black spoke wheels, wider mudguard, black spoiler, bronzed windshield and black and grey seat.

The new seat can be adjusted to modify the height between 870 and 890 mm, slightly higher than the standard version, though a lower seat is also available at 820 mm. Post-production suspension kit can be purchased to further lower the bike to 790 mm.

Continue reading: BMW R 1200 GS Alpine White Version