2012 Montreal Moto Show: BMW

It was worth the trip.

One bike I absolutely wanted to see at this moto show was the G650GS Sertao…a welcomed Dakar comeback.

The Sertao is really a dual purpose adventure bike.  It is light and has enough power to comfortably hit the highway.  The taller windscreen has a decent wind protection for higher speed.    The engine is economic to run – which is appreciated when gas prices keep soaring.

Furthermore, this motorcycle comes with all required off road accessories: skid plate, handguards, heated grips (optional?), and wheels adapted for more difficult trails.

 

Summary of what I like:

• good enough for commuting;
• economic;
• able to comfortably accommodate a passenger;
• already adapted for intensive trails, albeit the tires could be more aggressive;
• rugged style. 

When comparing this motorcycle to smaller dual sport motorcycles, the benefits are obvious: more power, but still easy on gas, undoubtedly more capable and comfortable on long highway rides even with a passenger.

Because of its high ground clearance and lightness, this is one, or perhaps even the most appealing dual purpose adventure bike.  It is better adapted than any of the bigger adventure bikes as the 1200GS, Super Tenere or the Multi-Strada on tougher trails when a lighter bike is required (mud, big rocks or logs).

At the moto show, when I finally got a chance to sit on this bike (I was not the only one drooling), I noted that the seat comfort was…ok. But overall, I really like this bike and I will certainly consider it as my next motorcycle.

The minuses: maintenance fees scare me a little since my mechanical skills are limited.  As an example, the valve adjustment cycle is about 6000 miles… that means many vi$it$ to the dealer.  While browsing motorcycle forums, I noticed that many people do the valve adjustment task by themselves.  If you are like me…mechanically challenged, you could probably find a good soul on a dedicated forum to teach you how to do this task.

About wheels.  It would be interesting for BMW to adopt tubeless wheels similar to the Super Tenere – that would ease tire repair out in the wild.

Overall, kudos to BMW for getting back on the market with this superb bike which meets many of my adventurist expectations.

Next:  First 2012 adv ride report

ciao!

dsaventurequebec