RUST magazine: RUST #44

ADVENTURE
Quick spin
BMW
R1250GS
RALLYE
BMW has dominated the adventure market
with its GS for some 40 years. How does
BMW stay aead? Little steps, year after year
(and the odd big stride!)
Words: JB Images: Markus Jahn
Up to the point where Clint flipped his
brand new BMW R 1250 GS Rallye TE/
HP into the Manx hedge he’d looked very
impressive. And to be fair, that flip was
pretty impressive too. Riding the KTM 1290
Super Adventure R (long termer) I’d been impressed just
how easily Clint and his BMW had shadowed me around
the first third of the Adventure Spec IoM 500 lap, on road
and dirt.
Clint had obviously thought he had some speed to
spare, so had sailed past me up this rocky two-track, but
a momentary lapse of concentration – or just sheer bad
luck – had seen the GS skid sideways then flip. Luckily
for Clint he slid off uninjured, and even more luckily for
him the GS (just a few hundred miles old) landed wheelsupwards
in a super-cushioning hedge. But for one crack
in the beak, the odd scrape and a broken indicator the GS
sustained no damage. A lucky escape. Both Clint and the
BMW continued as if nothing had happened, whipping
along. For sure he’s a better rider than I, but equally his
BMW had no issues with hanging with the mighty KTM
despite the difference in claimed power outputs. On all
accounts I was impressed.
w
42 www.rustsports.com