2002–2005 BMW R1150GS ADVENTURE

WHY I HAD TO HAVE A...
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2002–2005
BMW R1150GS ADVENTURE
Fancy a trip to Siberia tomorrow? How about a visit to Tesco? The 1150GS is
the ultimate do anything, go anywhere machine
THE OWNERS
MARK
BROOKS
43-year-old
Lancashire lad
Mark has owned
his GS for five
months.
TED MORLEY
53-year-old
mechanic Ted
from Stockport
has done 22,000
miles in two
years on his GS.
PAUL
SHARPLES
42-year-old Paul
is an engineer
and his GS has
covered 100,000
miles in less
than three years!
WHY I HAD TO HAVE IT
Mark: “I had cruiser-style bikes for a while,
just to ride on sunny days really. Then a
mate of mine bought the new BMW
R1200 GS and let me have a go on that, and
I was well impressed. Because I rode MX
and did sand racing when I was young, I
went for the 1150 Adventure, as it is more
suitable for off-roading and I have been up
some trails in Derbyshire on it – a bit hairraising occasionally, but I made it OK.”
Ted: “I had loads of bikes; cruisers, sports
bikes, tourers and a fair few BMWs. I liked
the look of the Adventure, had a demo ride
and loved it straight away. It’s a bike which
you can tour on, commute on and not be
bothered about cleaning too often. It just
seems to suit me and my riding style. A
great two wheeled toy that is really userfriendly as well.”
Paul: “I had a few Japanese bikes, but this is
my first BMW. I decided I was going to do
some huge commuting distances between
Manchester and London by bike, rather
than car. The bike had to be shaft-drive,
comfortable of course and reliable. I also
liked the looks of the Adventure.”
28 | MOTOR CYCLE NEWS DECEMBER 21, 2005
PERFORMANCE
Mark: “I never read any road tests on the
bike. I just had a three-hour demo ride on
the Adventure and thought it was plenty
fast enough for the type of riding that
I wanted to do. When you ride the GS
you almost feel like the bike is wrapped
around you somehow, it feels so sturdy,
steers so accurately and, because of its
unconventional front suspension set-up, it
doesn’t dive under braking.”
Ted: “Before I bought it, I had people
telling me that the brakes wouldn’t stop
such a heavy machine, but I’m pleased to
say they were all totally wrong. It goes and
stops brilliantly and, believe it or not, you
can surprise many an R1 rider on the GS
Adventure.”
Paul: “I was amazed at how well the GS
Adventure cornered when I first rode it;
you really can lean the bike right over.
And, although it only has something like
80bhp, you can use every one of those
horses. It’s really user-friendy, too – not like
a big sports bike, where you’re constantly
wondering if the tyre is going to break away
coming out of a corner.”
RIDING
Mark: “I’ve only done 4000 miles on mine,
but to put that in perspective I used to do
about 3000 miles per year on my cruisers.
The wife keeps asking me where I’m going
all the time, but I just find excuses to ride it
anywhere. It’s great fun, as long as you don’t
try riding through sand that’s too deep. I
suppose doing the Weston beach race on
the GS might be pushing it a bit...”
Ted: “It’s a great handling machine
– no question. I recall racing this guy in a
Citroen in the Ardeche region of France,
racing down these sweeping corners, then
I thought ‘something’s not right here.’ The
odd feeling in the corners was due to the
panniers grounding out on the tarmac! I’ve
also been to Spain, France and Germany
– by accident – took a wrong turn at some
roadworks.”
Paul: “I find the GS Adventure is so well
balanced that I can ride it almost to a
standstill at traffic lights and filter through
traffic easily on it. Tyre-wise I like the
Conti TK380s. I also like the Metzeler
Tourances as I can get 12,000 miles from a
rear!”
OWNING
Mark: “The GS has changed my life, it’s so
fantastic to ride. I run my own business so
time is always short. The great thing about
the GS is that you can just get your biking
kit on and go – anywhere, anytime. The
weather simply doesn’t matter to me any
more – I just keep riding. It has inspired
me to plan a trip next summer to the war
beaches in France.”
Ted: “I’ve added a long list of extras to
it; fog lights, mainstand protector, bigger
screen to cut down on buffeting, plus a
Remus end can that makes the bike sound
like an old V1 rocket.”
Paul: “I’ve fitted Touratech panniers,
and some mudflaps. I also have the bike
dealer serviced every six to eight weeks.
Apart from commuting I’ve also been
over the Alps to Italy and back through
Switzerland – the best 16 days’ biking I’ve
had. Also done the Elephant Rally – that
was madness. I found myself pitching a tent
in -32°. A small blizzard on the Saturday
night woke me up when the tent collapsed...
otherwise I slept pretty well, all things
considered.”
MCN SAYS
THE big Beemer could well be
the only bike you’ll ever need
PROS...
✔ Taking the scenic route to
anywhere you fancy
✔ All day riding comfort
CONS...
✘ Stop-start riding for shortlegged bikers
✘ Being lifted out of a bog
when green laning
PARKER’S
PRICE
GUIDE
NOW INCLUDES BIKES!
LIGHT off-roading on this big beast? No problem
THE Adventure will eat up motorway miles, too
‘The wife keeps asking me
where I’m going all the
time, but I just find excuses
to ride it anywhere’
MCN quick guide
THE BMW GS series
kicked off 25 years ago
with the R80GS flat twin.
The later R100GS rapidly
became the benchmark ‘go
anywhere’ motorcycle.
The 2002 R1150GS
Adventure was a model
which re-connected many
BMW owners with that
original 800cc bike, in that
it was more off-road focused
than the stock 1150GS,
or its mid-1990s 1100cc
predecessor.
Featuring a taller screen,
a reshaped saddle, lower
top gear, longer travel
suspension, accessory
socket, handguards and
handlebar crossbrace
protector, plus a bigger front
mudguard and bashplate,
the Adventure is a bike
aimed at anyone suffering a
touch of Wanderlust.
There’s a bewildering
array of factory options;
heated grips, luggage kit,
front lights grille, fog lights
and engine bars being
among the most popular.
You can even obtain a
coding plug, so the motor
can run on low octane 91
RON grade fuel in remote
parts of the world.
Interestingly, some
newer second-hand models
will cost you more than a
straight-from-the-crate
2005 bike, as owners tend to
go mad on accessories.
EXPERT OPINION
Steve Scriminger, MotoBins BMW specialists:
“The 1150GS is pretty
much bullet-proof. We
mainly sell service items
and accessories. The most
popular accessories are
luggage kits and engine
protectors. If the GS has a
fault it’s the occasional fuel
injection ‘surging’.
“The most popular
aftermarket exhaust is from
Remus, which is often run
with a K&N air filter. Get
the bike set up on a dyno, as
it runs lean as standard.”
YOU want utilitarian transport? Look no further
BMW R1150GS
ADVENTURE
★★★★★
COST NEW:
OWNERS’ TOP TIPS
FUEL: 38mpg, 30 litres, 215 miles
SEAT HEIGHT:
840mm
RAKE: 27.1°
TRAIL: 121mm
£8810
USED PRICES:
2002-2003
£6500-7900
2004-2005
£7750-9400
POWER:
WEIGHT:
TORQUE:
Mark: “The one tip I’d have is that
you shouldn’t be afraid to take it offroad. It can handle more rough stuff
than you might reasonably think.
Ted: “ Change the stock headlight
bulbs for some brighter ones. The
standard lights aren’t particularly ideal
for plodding on through the night on a
lengthy tour.”
85bhp
232kg
72ftlb
YEAR CHANGES
2002: Model introduced.
Colours available: black or
silver/grey. Unchanged since.
Paul: “I really rate the Touratech
panniers – if for nothing else than the
sheer quality of them, although I know
there are other companies doing all
kinds of luggage kit.”
TECHNICAL SPEC
Engine: Air/liquid cooled 1130cc
8v four stroke flat twin.
Top speed: 125mph
Insurance group: 13 (of 17)
WHEELBASE: 1530mm
● MCN would like to thank Williams
BMW of Manchester for their help
with this feature
THE BEST BITS
THERE’S absolutely no mistaking
the Patrick Moore-style
headlights; owners wouldn’t
swap that 30-litre “see you in
Killarney for tea” fuel tank for
anything; and there’s room for
two proper-sized people on the
GS’s vast saddle
DECEMBER 21, 2005 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS | 29