BMW 1300GS vs R80 G/S - Off-Road with GS Trophy Team Rider Niko Wecker

3 bikes, same rider, same course.

Thanks to all those that support the channel:

Video Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:49 Technical Course
4:00 Brake Distance
4:49 Hill Climb
7:05 Times - Which Bike Is Fastest

[florislok]

Outcome was no surprise to me 😊. Cause I’m riding an ‘old lady’ since 1991 and testrode many new GS’es but never was really impressed enough to let my trusty airhead go. Who is with me?

[stevesanelli]

Absolutely brilliant Scott! 2 champion fellas right there giving you a hand! Niko's adventures will be incredible to see. Will be following.
Thanks again Scott. Have a great summer!

[ronalddurkin]

Interesting comparo, however the outcome was precictable in that the 80G/S wil hold itself well against the modern series in technical settings quite simply by far less bulk and nweight!!
Thats why I dont own a modern GS and have retained my 42 yo R80G/S since new. However I noted the compressed forks at one stage that 36mm front end really needs an update.
Before you shoot me, I also ride 'older' and modern KTMs a 950 & 1290. The 950 would perfom better in the same circumstance for very similar reasons. Thanks and nice work Nico!

[stephenchapman]

Certainly thought provoking. New isn’t always necessarily better. 👍

[mikemerrill]

Fun piece. I’d offer that when it’s time to strap on the luggage and head 6 states over on a 2 week trip the 1300 will get the nod every time

[Weltbummler]

So the light bike was the best at hill climb, technical, and braking, essentially all offroad categories. The performance diffence between heavy and light bikes still exist at high rider skill levels.

[vfgphrc]

Really depends on the goal of the rider. Small, light bike is going to be easier to handle on technical challenges; large, heavy bike is good for loading up gear and moving between locations.

Having been on adventure rider website since 2009 (didn't know much about such things before information age), it seems like adventure riding is divided into many camps 🫣. Generally speaking, some do it just to ride and say 'look what I did' and others do it to go places not easily/normally accessible because they actually wanted to go to those places. Personally, I think the latter is the minority.

That said, the most practical would seem to be bikes like Yamaha WR250R, Suzuki DRZ400, or Kawasaki KLR650 and best selected based on rider size. But those are also the least glamorous and require more work (packing/unpacking, etc.) than just filling side cases and riding off at high speed.

GS seems best suited for long treks covering large distances, but not necessarily technical off-road.

Same dilemma in (bicycle) bike packing versus bike touring: what do you want to do? Except in that realm, things are going the opposite of what they did in moto world. People are leaving the heavy touring frames and endless bags of gear in favor of lightweight, minimalist gear.

Proper tool for the job usually garners the most enjoyment despite those talented people who become a marvel for doing what others can't or won't do 🤷

[bannor_murphy]

R80 great bike really low center of gravity great handling especially low speed no good on the road above 80mph as you have to hang on for dear life

[Dan-]

I’ll take the R80 GS thank you 😉. Lighter weight, less to go wrong, and I can service it without having to plug it into a computer.

[jbmoto]

That comparison was so cool!

What did Nico attribute the relative success of the R80GS to?

A lesser mass?

Tractability?

More importantly, how must BMW amend the design of the latest GS models to achieve a better outcome off-road without compromising on-road performance?

Regardless of the outcome, I’m still working on how to convince my Better Half that I deserve the latest Trophy X…

[ElGreco]

Okay. Do I have a massive deja vu or did you re-upload that video? 😕
I like that the old R80 isn't far off. But that shouldn't be surprising. Most people will still choose the newer models. Because or despite of the electronics.

[kyocott]

I'm the most happy with my hp2 enduro, because it's the strongest.🤣

[ΗΛΙΑΣΤΖΑΒΑΛΗΣ]

BMW must produce a Euro 5 R80GS, under 12000 euros.

[khakimzhanmiras]

bmw should have at least had the decency to offer a 21” front

[vfgphrc]

Also, at a certain level, namely, Niko's level, one can see the bike is largely irrelevant, though I'm sure he would most enjoy a tool suited to his task.

[j.w.]

Hi
This little test shows the old rule:
"weight is everything"
best wishes from OWL

[paul.vanhout]

Interesting test and what a great place to work on skills👍

[franktechmaniac]

Pretty tendentious. They could have filled up the panniers with gravel to make the differences bigger. Don't get me wrong, I like my R80 GS but there's way better motorcycles even for light terrain.