BMW Motorcycle Road Tests
& Reviews
BMW Motorcycle Guide
BMW, an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke, is a German motorcycle, automobile and engine manufacturing company founded in 1917. BMW motorcycles were first manufactured in 1923, powered by an air-cooled, horizontally opposed 'boxer' twin engine, a much modernized version of which still powers several models in BMW's current lineup.
2012 BMW G 650 GS Sertão Road Test
Greg Drevenstedt
April 3, 2012
Sertão is Portuguese for hinterlands or back country, particularly the arid badlands of northeastern Brazil, the sort of place the new offroad-ready G 650 GS Sertão is designed to explore. From 2000-2010, the rock-hopping variant of BMW’s F 650 GS was called the Dakar, after the legendary rally that... Read more »
BMW C 600 Sport / C 650 GT Scooters – First Ride
Mark Tuttle
March 28, 2012
If you live in a large city, it doesn’t take much thought to figure out why BMW is jumping into the scooter market now. Traffic congestion and parking restrictions are escalating, and in the new economy some of us just can’t afford to waste time with either—we need to get there, dang it, and ASAP.... Read more »
2012 BMW C 600 Sport and C 650 GT Scooters – First Look
Greg Drevenstedt
February 7, 2012
Having shown its Concept C scooter at the Milan Show in late 2010, few were surprised when BMW unveiled its C 600 Sport and C 650 GT maxi scooters the following year. Both models are powered by a 647cc parallel twin said to generate 60 horsepower and 49 lb-ft of torque. If they have the same engine,... Read more »
2011 BMW R1200GS Adventure vs. 2012 Yamaha Super Ténéré Road Test
Rider Magazine
January 6, 2012
photography by Kevin Wing This 2011 BMW R1200GS Adventure vs. 2012 Yamaha Super Ténéré Motorcycle Comparison was originally published in the January 2012 issue of Rider magazine] 2012 Yamaha Super Ténéré (left) and 2011 BMW R1200GS Adventure can do it all: touring, sport touring, dual-sporting,... Read more »
2011 BMW G 650 GS Road Test
Greg Drevenstedt
November 25, 2011
When I started working at Rider a few years ago, a friend of mine asked, “Now that riding is work, what will you do for fun?” I scoffed at the suggestion that motorcycling would ever feel like work, but my friend’s comment proved to have merit. Since I ride and write about motorcycles 9-to-5, my... Read more »
2012 BMW K 1600 GT vs. 2011 Kawasaki Concours 14 Road Test
Rider Magazine
November 22, 2011
photography by Kevin Wing [This 2012 BMW K 1600 GT vs. 2011 Kawasaki Concours 14 Road Test was originally published in the December 2011 issue of Rider magazine] Concours: Helmet: Shoei Qwest / Jacket: Tourmaster Jett 3 / Pants: Tourmaster Flex / Boots: Forma. BMW: Helmet: Arai Signet-Q / Jacket:... Read more »
2012 BMW G 650 GS Sertão – First Look
Mark Tuttle
October 20, 2011
In much the same way BMW produced a more offroad worthy (and subsequently very popular) F 650 GS twin with its F 650 GS Dakar, now the German company has announced it will offer a “dirtier” version of its entry-level G 650 GS single called the G 650 GS Sertão. Named after a desert in northern... Read more »
2011 BMW R1200R Road Test
Rider Magazine
October 6, 2011
photography by Kevin Wing [This 2011 BMW R 1200 R Road Test was originally published in the October 2011 issue of Rider magazine] Helmet: Shoei Qwest / Jacket & Pants: Rev’It Cayenne Pro / Boots: Forma / Seatbag: Wolfman BMW calls the updated 2011 R 1200 R model tested here a “roadster,” which... Read more »
BMW G 650 GS Approved for Training
Rider Magazine
August 5, 2011
Photos by Chris Johnson Ride West BMW in Seattle, Washington, will evidently be the first dealership in the United States to offer the factory-modified “low frame” or low suspension BMW G 650 GS, with its 29.5-inch seat height, to the state’s rider safety training courses. According... Read more »
First U.S Ride: 2012 BMW K1600GTL Road Test
Rider Magazine
June 21, 2011
photography by Rich Cox [This First U.S. Ride: 2012 BMW K 1600 GTL Road Test was originally published in the July 2011 issue of Rider] When upbeat reports started hitting the Interwebs from the very first evening of the BMW K 1600 GT/L world introduction in South Africa in February, including some from... Read more »
