How often have I been asked the question… “what is the best bike for the trip?”

Like all riders, I have a preference, and my preference is a 2011 BMW R1200 GS Adventure. Not for any particular reason other than I already own one… and I like it, a lot!

A Tiger Explorer, a Multistrada, a Tenere, a KTM, all great bikes and all probably quite competent for a trip of this distance and duration.

Let’s start with the dislikes. This monster is heavy! Drop it… and you have over 300Kg’s of dead weight to get vertical again. There will always be days when a ‘Postie’ scooter is a better option. The lighting on the GSA could best be described as ‘adequate’. For night rides a set of Clearwater LED’s would be a good option.

Now the likes. Reliable, very reliable, and surprisingly nimble for such a heavy bike. In 6 years of riding a range of BMW GS bikes I’ve never had a problem. Great service network with few countries not having an authorised dealer if spares are required. Long range fuel capacity means not having to carry extra fuel in a pannier… 33 litres converts to 750 kilometres of conservative cruising, or 450 k’s of tough going across mountains. The thumping 1200 boxer will chug along on poor quality fuel… and there is a lot of that around! The no-maintenance drive train is one less thing to worry about also.

A bit of detail.

• Tyres For a bit of bite up front a Metzeler Karoo 3. Noisy tyre, but very good in most conditions. On the back a Metzeler Tourance. This combination gets the Beemer about 20,000 k’s before its time for new shoes.
• Find Me SPOT A great little device that provides an added degree of personal security. Shows the tracks traveled and sends a SMS or email on demand via the GPS system. When the phone is redundant friends and family get a message on your position and welfare. Check it out at www.findmespot.net.au
• GPS Garmin Zumo 660 held in place by a Touratech locking mount. Not just a GPS, but an entertainment centre as well. Linked to an Interphone F5.
• Panniers The BMW panniers and top box are light, strong and secure. Enough on board storage for a long trip including 10 litres of fuel (just in case). Attached to the right pannier are two custom made 1 litre water bottles.
• Tool kit Sufficient to change tyres and perform basic mechanical repairs. Changing a tyre in Asia especially can present issues… no-one has the right tools! Getting a tyre shipped in is easy, but finding someone that will change it for you is challenging.
• After market Wunderlich shields on the electricals, clutch and brake reservoirs. Carry bags on the side crash bars for easy access to wet weather gear, and of course the lambs wool seat cover for a bit of long distance comfort.
• Camping gear Of limited use in Asia (why pitch a tent when you can get an aircon room for $AUD20) but in Europe there are plenty of opportunities to use the Black Wolf Mantis tent and sleeping bag. The Mantis is a 5 minute set up and only weighs 2.5 kg’s.
• An iCom IC-440N UHF transceiver mounted inside the top box, an added emergency feature that arose after 5 hours in 47 degrees near Lightning Ridge digging out of deep sand.

Any bike is a compromise! No motorcycle is perfect in ALL conditions, however, the R1200GSA does have a good track record for long distance tough terrain journeys, and is a very robust piece of machinery.

It’s not about the bike… it’s about the roads, the scenery, the experience, the new friends. It’s about the journey, the destination, the challenge.