2014 BMW R1200GS Adventure vs KTM 1190 Adventure Shootout

Instead of two specially-prepped BMW R1150GS Adventures, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman should have split Long Way Round riding duties between stock versions of the GSA and KTM’s (at the time) 950 Adventure. An epic shootout of 20,000 around-the-world miles! Alas, they did not. Leaving us moto hacks to venture less than twenty-hundred miles within the confines of the state of California. Kind of the opposite of epic.

At least we were aboard BMW’s and KTM’s latest and greatest Adventure models – the BMW R1200GS Adventure and the KTM 1190 Adventure – both equipped with the kind of electronic wizardry Obi-Wan and Boorman could only dreamed of having back in 2004.

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[JustMeTalking]

I just bought a BMW R1200GS Adventure. I'm 50 years old this year and it's my treat. All downhill from here but then I've done fast riding for so long, want to just chill out now. Getting old is not so bad.

[kuhndj]

Extreme conditions... down to like 60 degrees... you Cali guys kill me.

[BFDi]

Hey guys. Great video, enjoyed watching it.
In my opinion you compared the wrong bikes. On top of the food-chain there is the GSA (or, as we call it: the Leopard 2 on two wheels) and the 1190 Adventure R. So put the GSA against the R or the standard 1190 Adventure against the standard GS.
That would've been a better comparison in each way (price, performance, etc).
However, I think you got some facts wrong. KTM labels their motorcycles weight without gas while BMW includes the gas.
So the GSA weighs 260kg WITH 30 litres of gas while the KTM 1190 Adventure weighs 217kg WITHOUT gas. The real difference is about 15kg (~30lbs) or so, not 60-80lbs.

[luclaviolette]

Thank you for a very good, detailed review.

[abcusamich]

One thing I'd like to see added to these reviews for these heavy bikes is an actual pick-up test. I'd recommend laying a bike down and lifting it with a cherry-picker with a scale on it and see what the reading was just to get it barely off the ground. While the BMW is heaver it has it's weight lower so I'm not sure how much harder it is to actually up right. They should run the test with the tanks 1/2 full. I had a test ride of an R1200GSA and they had me fill the bike (they paid) from empty to full. You can feel the difference, if I do get the BMW I think I'd try and manage my fueling so I wasn't full up off road if I could.

[MrNipperz]

German, Austrian, Dutch...European...outside US ahhh " all the same to me " 

[danielthompson]

The GS is a great bike but it could never keep up with the KTM 1190 if you're riding both hard.

[MrSlowestD]

Well it was a pretty good comparison, so I can see the reason for the double upload :-P.

I think I'd rather take the BMW as I think my type of adventure riding would have a lot more highway stretches between trails, but realistically I don't think you could go wrong with them.

I was saying in the previous upload:
I think it's hard to keep in mind that you really can't go wrong with either of these bikes.  It's their job to nit pick which ones do what better, and for 5k it really may seem like a trade-off between 'quality' vs 'price' - but to be fair you really can't go wrong with either of these.  There may be some pros and some cons when compared back to back but fact of the matter is that they're both great bikes that would highly deliver to an adventure enthusiast.

[jonhouse]

No kidding, 60 degrees is perfect riding temperature, especially with all the proper gear. Also, the KTM 1190 Adventure is 150 hp with traction control OFF. So, its clear why the KTM pulls away from the Beemer.  And even us "mature" riders like the feel of acceleration pulling out of the curves.

[drn]

2015 KTM 1290 Adventure, Soon to be king !

[mhilde]

Ok. You lost me when you said, "60° was extreme you ever listen to yourself?

[zatoichi]

Nice video -- but it would have been better if you had been running dual-sport tires, instead of the street tires you had on both.

[keyboarddancers]

Driveshaft spline maintenance; is that a deal breaker for anybody re BMW? By the way, I get totally confused between Canada and the USA!😅🤣 (What's that annoying racket in the background?)

[chrisvantassel]

Owned em hands down.  It seems BMW greases the palms of the big mags for these reviews.  Just go out and ride and you will instantly feel the ya, take that GS off road and you will soon be spending some serious dough on fixing parts because you WILL fall.  It is no good aside from dirt roads.  KTM is a beast in some pretty gnarly situations especially the Adventure R.

[majorgunn]

get over it, BMW is nice for old guys and KTM rocks for all that want much much, or did I forget to mention much more

[moulin]

You guys need to do the R1200gsa vs Ktm 1290 ADV next!  Would be great to see....
Great review!!!   Will subscribe!

[yair]

Very useful non bias review however and as mentioned before, a more relevant review will put the two Big Puppies 1200GSA & 1290 Super adventure one verses the other
.. tnx u so much

[koosktmsupermoto]

Sorry fellows, German and Austrian is not the same by any means. It's like saying that American and Canadian is the same. No proud KTM owner is going to like that.
BMW is a wonderful piece of enginering, too bad only accountants and lawyers seem to ride them. The only rider I've ever seen riding it in a cool manner is Ari Hennning.

[indokobak]

The 1290 Super Adventure would be a better choice to compare with the 1200GS since its out. Probably BMW's F800GS falls into the same category with the 1190 or more so with the 1150 IMO. But I don't give much credit to Motorcycle.com anyways.

[MrJPacato]

"...Austrian, the same thing to me" HEHEHEHEHEHAHHHHEHEH :D