5 November, snow storms shut the Stelvio Pass for what could be winter. 4 November, Ben Lindley pops through on a 2018 R1200GS Adventure heading for Milan, and EICMA. At least that’s the plan...
AT THE MOMENT’ starts the email from the Bormio Tourist Office, ‘we still don’t know exactly when Stelvio pass will be closed. For sure it will be open on 4 November, but from Saturday evening to Monday there will be a snow storm.’ The fourth of November, so that’s in two days. So I need to thrash this 2018 BMW R1200GS from Yorkshire to the Stelvio in under 48 hours…
Easy work for this particular motorcycle, surely. It’s the R1200GS Adventure TE-spec: £17,120 with heated grips, cruise control, keyless ride, clutchless gear shifting and tyre pressure monitoring all included. On top of that BMW have fitted the £220 anti-theft alarm, the £595 new TFT Connectivity system that connects the all-digital dash to phones and earpieces, the new £295 emergency SOS button on the right switchgear, and the £675 Navigator VI sat-nav. There are also panniers and a top box (£1250 fitted) and waterproof inners (£89 each). Total price: £20,422 ready to ride. Considering that a base GS is £12,400 otr, that’s the price of a Yamaha MT-09 in accessories.
To make sure nobody steals the thing I pack a heavy-duty lock and chain along with thermal undergarments, glove inners and neck warmers. There’s also a laptop, camera, two lenses and a selfie stick for EICMA once I get through the Stelvio and reach Milan. So I guide the fully-laden GS out of my Yorkshire driveway, mount up and tap the ignition. The boxer barks into life with an ECU-controlled blip that sets off the alarm on the Peugeot parked opposite.
Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Bike UK.
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Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Bike UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mae Rasys Ffordd Yn Mynd
Look out Isle of Man the Welsh are coming, August 2018…
Ready For Take-Off
Bike heads for Bolton to watch the first CCM Spitfires roll off the production line. Expect tales of proper engineering, an if-we-build-it-theywill-come business plan and bacon sarnies…
Motorcycling: The Next Ten Years
Imagine a world where bikes know where cars are coming from, and vice versa. A world where there are no traffic jams, far fewer collisions and no filthy smog. In this building a very different future of motorcycling is being created. And it’s got an awful lot going for it, especially for bikers…
The Cuba Option
In 1996, adventurer Chris Baker shipped his BMW R100GS to Cuba. He learned a lot in three months and even wrote a book about it. It’s a great place to ride a bike…
BMW R1200GS Rambler
Accessory giants Touratech show how far the big GS can really go...
Suzuki SX-S750
You have to feel a bit sorry for poor ols Suzuki,they tick all the right boxes with their new GSX-S,but it's still not enough.
Ride Like The Wind
Named after a Pyrenean breeze Triumph’s Tramontana tackles the Panafrica Rally and proves it’s more than just a PR stunt…
Into The Valley
5 November, snow storms shut the Stelvio Pass for what could be winter. 4 November, Ben Lindley pops through on a 2018 R1200GS Adventure heading for Milan, and EICMA. At least that’s the plan...
Ducati Monster 821
Revised middleweight takes style advice from Monster 1200, but is it enough?
Honda GL1800 Gold Wing
After four decades at the top of the tourer pile, the legendary Honda Gold Wing gets a thorough reworking for 2018. And Bike have already ridden it...
