Compass Expeditions became the first Adventure Motorcycle Tour company to offer the 2013 BMW R 1200 GS as part of its Australia Motorcycle Rental fleet with the purchase of two of BMW’s latest addition to the famous world conquering GS brand.

We have received quite a few reservations already from people wanting to be some of the first to ride the new motorcycles through stunning Australia and the waterboxers are all run in, serviced and have their new SW Mototech crash bars, Touratech panniers, radiator protectors, headlight protectors and dual purpose knobbly tires fitted. In other words the BMW R 1200 Waterboxers are all ready to explore the roads and trails of Australia. The lucky first Australia motorcycle hire of the new bike will be from Melbourne across to Perth and then from Perth back to Sydney. The other bike will be starting and finishing in Brisbane and is going to be exploring the beautiful east coast of Australia and the surroundings.

So, you may be wondering what the new bikes are like? How do they compare to the previous air-cooled models?

Well, when times are tough and the work is hard some people step up and take one for the team. In this case, with Mick and Jerry being away in Brazil taking care of training, Shaun selflessly stepped up to the plate and calmly accepted the keys to the brand new motorcycles.

How are they? In a word…amazing!

Firstly the 2013 R 1200 GS feels really light and responsive in the steering and the ergonomics have undergone a vast improvement. The bike is thinner in the mid-section than the previous air-cooled models so when you pull up at some lights or on the trail you can easily stand flat footed without any hassle. That gives the whole bike a more maneuverable light feel, much more like riding the F800 GS. It also makes for a more comfortable off-road feel especially when in a standing position.

The new engine has plenty of pull from low down and also runs smoother and with less struggle higher in the rev range which obviously works better for those times when you’re on the road.

The Electronic Suspension is simple to adjust on the fly and works well with the fly-by-wire throttle system. We tried out the rain, road, dynamic and enduro settings and all offered noticeable changes in the power delivery and suspension settings. We’ll need to do more off-road testing to explore that side of the new 2013 R 1200 GS but initially it all feels really light and responsive.

One thing we certainly noticed was the new clutch which makes a pretty solid clunk when first gear is selected.  It sounds a bit agricultural but works well and apparently the “anti-hopping” feature that BMW has engineered into the new clutch will make downshifts smoother and that should help especially in off-road circumstances when a sudden downshift can send the back end into a panic….

Finally the new 2013 R 1200 GS “waterboxer” looks like a more road-oriented look than the old air-cooled GSs. The new radiator covers protectors cut forward like a pair of daggers and the new tank/inlet manifold section looks smooth and moulded more like you would see on a road bike. At first I thought it was too much but it is a look that really grows on you. By the time the panniers, engine crash bars and various headlight and radiator protectors had been fitted the bike looked stunning and looking at an air-cooled model felt odd. Like looking into the distant past.

Plenty of time to get used to the new look and to explore….good job BMW!

Compass Expeditions has 2 brand new 2013 R 1200 GS available for Australia Motorcycle Rental or Motorbike hire from its base in Melbourne or from all major Australia cities for a one way fee.

To learn more about our Australia Motorcycle Rental visit www.compassexpeditions.com