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| The boxer engine has always determined the look of the GS. It looks just like more and more of the Pull-ups. |
The BMW R 1200 GS is the most emotional motorcycle that is currently being sold. It's like Steve Jobs: One only need to mention her name in the circle of interested people, and immediately ignited a debate about whether it is the best thing since sliced bread or the invention heralds the decline of Western culture motorcycle. The 2013er-incarnation of the GS idea will fuel further such discussions: the effort, the BMW has now, in principle, a more to make it look as suboptimal approach in light of the ever harsher high-tech modernity not only good, but not superior, has dimensions achieved, where you can compare him well with that of Porsche's rear-engine concept in the 911th The "Tuttelbär" as the Austrians like to call the GS, has become a veritable cyborg born in 2013 and we see him in the clear.
The water head
BMW has built its brand-defining two-cylinder boxer engine from scratch. Externally, for the end user starts with the additional water cooling. The marketing says something g'schamert of how the "cooling medium engine oil replaced by a glycol-water mixture" would, but yes, it still remains at an air-liquid cooling. And yet, each engine is air cooled and liquid. No matter. The GS-specific cooling water flows around a ring only in the thermally most contaminated area of the combustion chamber. Two mounted in front of the air filter box radiators carry the heat into the air stream. And when they were at the time anyway redesign, they have turned the gas flow by 90 °. Traditionally you build the outlet forward into the airstream and the inlet to the back for an airbox under the seat, the long lines of chassis boxer BMWs and Guzzis were the result.
The water cooling BMW can break with tradition: The airbox moves from under the seat to the front as with the little sisters with parallel twin. Other than where the tank can not the rear, so he remains the front to make room for the airbox. The snorkel has now. (Also like the 800), with which it sucks air from a great height If need be, the GS drives it almost to dive trip through fords. As is the 800: Caution, or bow wave Wasserschwälle not accidentally suck. It remains the same tank capacity, which is at the nearest point: The engine is more compact in the longitudinal direction. The main reason for the conversion was for BMW, however, finally be able to achieve a better flow ratio. Optimum channel design has always been the way in the camshaft drive. With the beginning the former Gekruschtel in the cylinder head is finally passé, there are now tidy twin camshafts with finger followers for four valves - easy to maintain and boxers typically reachable from the outside without cover removal. Instead of the previous car-building (dry clutch with flanged, separately lubricated gear and external generator) BMW is building a total of motorcycle-like: an integrated multi-disc wet clutch with anti-hopping ramp, gearbox and generator in the motor housing, all lubricated by engine oil and cooling, plus Starter motor with freewheel. The clutch is also finally more accessible front, so screwdrivers problems here do not have to disassemble the entire vehicle.
The throttle control is now an E-gas. These systems are now also in motorcycles has become quite common, so you can ignore the usual outcry of traditionalists confidently: Modern engines run better with a clean programmed system for the electronic control of the throttle, and the manufacturer has made it much easier, cruise control and a soft engaging Traction control offer. In the options list of the GS both available as an option. Naturally, there are also driving modes. I personally imagine the response of the motor once. Then I want the engine to predict always the same response, I want to acclimate myself because predictable torque response in the single-track cornering is essential. After all, BMW is called the modes is not "Driving Experience Control".
At the end, the important values of the great action: 125 hp (92 kW) rated power and a maximum torque of 125 Nm at 6500 r / min. More weight: 2.7 kg.
BMW R 1200 GS 2013 Image Gallery
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The long herb masher
Now BMW has only just introduced media attention the first active suspension for motorcycles in the HP4. Order that such a development is worthwhile, however, they should, of course, timely support in the quantity to be available, and that it is now. The front and rear struts (for the boxers yes Telelever suspension, not a traditional fork) with proportional valves provide the attenuation in very short intervals on the estimated respectively as optimum value. It processes signals from the system such as this, some of Delta's speed, engine speed and throttle position sensor plus one each travel per axis. This system was to be the biggest advancement in of newcomers due to its noise like to make a rustic perceived chassis. Competently it was before. Were permitted not only the eternal Geklonke Geklacker and bring calm, we just had to let go. Suitable for diving trip Depth: The chassis is now slightly higher (8 mm), and because the air box under the seat is gone, the driver is still better with the feet on the floor (optimized step length). This is a crucially important point that not everyone understood from the dance competition: Beginners can play footsie If more that helps the sales. The GS is in fact quite popular as the first motorcycle, if a new customer so with 40, 50 years of life and some capital but grabs the bike fever. Is, after all, "the BMW".
Finally, the cardan shaft final drive: He's like the boxer cause for eternal discussion. Is it better than a chain because he is encapsulated? But the weight! Let the discussion. Final drive, you do not need grease (ie chain case, belt or shaft drive), are selling at much driving tour audience entirely on really well -. Despite their costs The torque-supported version of BMW has been proven for a long time. 2013, it is on the other motor, and the arm is a little longer at the same wheelbase as before, because this is good for traction and the space is now. Optical exchange: It is fashionable to show for a single-sided swingarm to the free wheel to the right, so that it looks nice on the side stand. I, as a technology nerd was always nice, however, that so far the BMW shaft swingarm so proud right showed. Matter of taste.
Not a matter of taste: the GS now has a better brake. How far is the system from Brembo, but this time it is not BMW, but "Brembo" on it, it is larger sized and connected radially. "Brembo" and screwing are marketing these things are at the customer for "sporty". When sizing is hoped that BMW has made this change to eliminate the weaknesses of the old brake. Which was in fact the ABS range good for the time unrivaled short braking distances, but felt, as one handles in a bag of laundry. There was virtually no feedback, much mushy lever free play and still high operating forces. This went on even in their own home much better, and the update sounds as if they had the now consulted. See for yourself whether it really has become better because many of these weaknesses were on Continental ABS. And tell us about it then.
Most important: the set
BMW earns stupid on Vehicle Configurator, where customers can select their vehicle like a kebab. The only thing that surprises me in this draft horse, is: Why does not the competition builds on to clone motorcycles instead of the individual and wonder that this tactic is not as good as I thought? Anyway, there is of course a long list to click for the GS. Nevermind that all the things that we have already discussed in other models, so immobilizer, traction control with tilt estimation and self-adjusting suspension. Let's go to the two things that are specifically for the new GS.
First, an LED light that can automatically switch between low beam and daytime running lights. This is obviously not enough, if you work as an engineer at BMW. It lacks the whistle, it lacks Ah! A de-icing! All diodes of the lamp unit is mounted on the same cooling body made of cast aluminum. A blower blows the waste heat to the front of the lamp window. Et voilà: The diodes remain cool, the glass is heated, which frees them faster condensation or icing.
Also: Man the Garmin Zumo 660 GPS ("BMW Motorrad Navigator") may partially control of the handlebar. If you can consistently the last, there is a reason to pay the extra for the BMW-branded device. Until then, you're better off with Garmin itself, because it is less money for the updates earlier there (BMW also has some proprietary software in the device).
Those were the two special features of the GS in the Configurator already. It only reason the little, because the list is so big on all models.
The GS remains faithful to its basic ideas inclined to adapt a funny old concept by force of the future. BMW likely believes that they need all these unique features in order to sell the vehicle at the top of the registration statistics can. Determined that was once the case. However, I express once the heretical idea that now the influence of a strong brand is so big that you could also build a more normal motor. If the next-generation GS, for example, suddenly a large number of two-cylinder ascends, the BMW fans will praise it as the "logical next step". Doubters I would ask the rhetorical question: What was it with BMW's former USP standard drive ("sDrive") categorically in all classes?
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