BMW R1250GS Adventure - My BIG issue with BIG bikes (+ Parkrun & DONUTS) 

One of the best videos I’ve seen you do. Funny & entertaining. Seamlessly mixing in the story of the new bike with a run. I’m sure there there is a lot of hard work in the background that goes into making appearance of an effortless & natural delivery in story telling. Thanks!

It’s the video series where we try and like all the things that used to be considered rubbish. Apple Watch, BMW bike, what’s next?

Thanks for you motivating me in a realistic way. I just finished my first challenge with other people. Just a friendly company United Heroes challenge but came 56th out of 171 so nicely above average. And that's even without running because of a knee injury!

Hilarious video and one that I completely relate to as a biker. After years of saying you'll never see me on a f****ing GS I bought one in December 2020 and absolutely love it. Very jealous of the GPZ!

I’m not a motorcycle guy, but I found this clip illuminating. I even shared it with my older brother (he winced at your Ducati observation 😂.) I was a scuba instructor for many years and grew to understand that scuba and motorcycling have something in common: you get to buy awesome kit, experience marvellous adventures, and meet great people. But neither sport burns a lot of calories. When my belt size started mirroring my age, I substituted triathlon as my main form of activity.

Always entertaining chap. Good effort on the park run. And Mark, you are becoming my 80’s British action hero I never knew I needed but suddenly have. Hahaha. Great stuff.

15:24 cheeky flex of your kitchenaid kettle and toaster! 🤪

I am still in love with my G650GS.... I can pick it up!! I ride alone most of the time. It wont crush me either. Cracking video today Mark. Oh, 3 weeks, 3 days till my first ultra and starting to regret you changing my life.....

lol. Love your videos. I watch them while I'm busy biking while going nowhere on my Wahoo Kickr Bike. Keep them coming. Helps keep me motivated and slows down the onset of boredomnitis in my home gym. Thanks for taking the time and effort posting these videos.

Endless bonus points for the GlenGarry reference. After a year of owning a GSA, I sort of agree. They're amazing touring bikes that can chew up maintained fire roads with ease. A super skilled rider can do much more with them, but that ain't me really... and hucking a 600 lb beast through gnarly terrain is more sweat than fun.

i had a Ducati 1299S and then a V4S. i sold them, had 2 kids and drive a Tesla model 3 performance. i’m loving my Ultra and aren’t thinking about my garmin anymore. You have the perfect bike, nice buy! i ran 10km last week and am back at gym and will start the park runs again this weekend, 1 month old baby is doing well now. Thank you again for your videos!

Interesting post Mark... I found your channel because I was invited to a 5K at 54 years old. I thought why not? Hurt my calf muscle first time training. Went through trying to heal and ended up walking the 5K in about 45 minutes. Decided not to give up on running and looked on youtube for inspiring, relatable people who might help. "Hey, this Mark Lewis guy seems ok. He's almost funny as well." (kidding... your not funny.... kidding) Recently started running again. 5K in 30 minutes is the goal...along comes Jen, smashes it. Ugh. (well done Jen!) (whatever!) My best 5K so far is 33 minutes. I will keep trying. Motorcycles...yep, always wanted a beemer. Might have to try one out after establishing a Go-Fund-Me. You have had a positive influence on my training and outlook. I wanted to chime in as a fan. Cheers!

“..and wearing that stupid flip up helmets” and equipping a stupid flip up in the next clip. LOVE IT!

Fantastic video, matey. Loved the humour, and nice bike.

Mark if you press any of the two buttons on the Apple Watch case at the same time it will pause the activity, then you can end it from there if you are trying to get a well timed finish to the activity without messing with the touch screen

We used to run the Good Companion pub in woodley, know the area well.

The flip up lid bit and then the 'rugged green strap on'..... 😂

Yes, those G.S. bikes do a lot of things really well on any type of terrain. I rode one after servicing it in the late 90’s at the shop I worked at, and will never forget the way it handled. Took a while to check this vid out since only using more earth friendly pedal power these days, but was fun to watch -and you always get me laughing 🙏

BMW has had it right for a long time, I have a 96 R1100 GS and it rides exactly like you describe your new one. I inherited the bike unfortunately from my uncle and didn’t think I would like it, 5 minutes in I fell in love with it.

Couldn’t agree more, didn’t think I’d ever be a GS rider and then I tried one…simply awesome, does everything you want it to do. And no, I don’t drink latte, I’m not middle aged, I’m not overweight, I don’t wear BMW adventure clothing, I don’t wear an adventure helmet and I don’t clean my bike every time I ride it. So, to all those GS haters who have never actually ridden one or refuse to nod back at a GS rider….just remember, it’s just (normally) another bike and it’s just another fellow bike lover inside that helmet 😉

I have the same bike, bought 10th June 2022, I've put on 8700km, and did a 2400km ride in 3 days, no latte drinking, only beer.

GS1250 and Apple Ultra.... all that youtube money has changed you 😄😉

Reminds me of the nickname for the fireblade when it first came out

The GS is absolutely the best thing ever. And if you want to play in dirt, put some knobbies on it and it’s incredibly capable. Bucket list item for you - GS Safari in Australia. Just about as good as it gets.

at 6'4", I actually went for Benelli TRK 502X, cheap and simple. Only a 500 CC but for just whizzing around and a bit off road it's fine. Also cost effective over a BMW.

Visualizing smone running a parkrun with "a rugged green...." i had to pause the video how much i was laughing 😂 btw. Im a runner and my partner is a motorbike mechanic and a racer (motocross and uphill street races called CIVS in Italy) - your videos are just awesome! Real talent - keep it going!

I ended up with a GSA in very similar circumstances, though mines a bit older, but it does just do everything so well, unlike my Parkrunning, the last of which 6 weeks ago ended after about 200 yards with a broken 5th metatarsal.

Great video I started out with the Triumph t120 for the first three years of raining 2018 then switch to the GS in 2022 what a difference ,the triumph did look like a toy to . I am 6 foot five so the GS is much better fit and I Ride 99.9% canyons down here in Southern California. And I do not stop at Starbucks.

The GS/GSA is sort of a cross between a Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman and an Erector Set. They’re fun no matter how you use them. I’ve put 8,000 miles on mine since February, mostly traveling to track school and meandering on the way home, for instance riding through Death Valley (where that extensive fuel range comes in handy). There’s a reason competitors’ bikes are generally described by referencing how they stack up against the GS. Having said that, all bikes are fun and anything that gets you outside and engaged with your world is well worthwhile. In fact, it’s also an adventure to tour on a race bike. As for the coffee run, I’ve often marveled at how a clowder of rugged individualists who scoff at convention (when not practicing law or dentistry during the week) manage to don matching tough-guy biker dude (or dudette) outfits as though they chatted online the night before to compare notes. They are also the ones shouting out their latte orders because they can’t hear anything! It’s all good.

Brilliant mate, great video. You had me chuckling with the slagging as I fit right in the typical GS owner. It’s a great bike.

Jens response to only being allowed half a donut is very accurate. You have also made me really worried because I'm 6'5" and ride a Triumph Bonneville - hopefully I don't dwarf my T100 the same as you. :O

The GS Adv. was the best bike I ever had. But ... at some point it was so good that it was boring. It's a little weird. I ended up on a Ducati Multistrada Enduro and love it. But sometimes .... I think back to my GS Adventure.

Very interesting video...super storytelling!!!

I've been one of those sports bike riders who hated everything GS. Now a proud GSA owner 😆

Spot on. I love my GSA. Like a big, comfy, capable SUV of a bike. That being said... I have a need for speed. Ordered a M1000R to scratch that itch. Keeping the GSA though. It's just too good at everything else.

After many years of saying I'd never buy a GS I've just ordered a GS Adventure. LOL. I can't run however, worn-out body so was after the upright riding position and the shaft drive. Already have a Guzzi so another one was out of the question. The aprilia I've just sold was the first chain driven bike I've owned since 1984. Never again. I'll probably not use half the tech that the BMW'S have and have no intention of doing any gnarly roads, big adventure bikes generally make great road bikes. Torque laden engine, long travel suspension, with the incredible telelever front end, enough comfort for a 188cm rider and decent weather protection with a few gizmo's thrown in, what's not to like.

Brilliant vlog, was wondering at the start then realised it was a lot of tongue & cheek reality..lol . I ride a triple black I like a flat white, I do 10 k miles a year holiday on my bike it does every thing for me and sat nag on the back. Oh I had a KLE , R1 Track bike, several Ducati's 916 etc. and a power ranger suit while riding them all ! , but I'm ok now. Just remember there's a bike for every one "horses for courses" .

Mate I want what you’re on 😂😂 . But seriously that was very entertaining 👍

We’re so similar in sooooo many ways! I too fell in love with the GS touring Peru in 2016 and had to have one as soon as I got back to Devon. Love your videos Mark, cheers for the entertainment. Let’s meet for a latte at some Starbucks soon and compare notes on how cool we look! Being half Italian frankly is ALL about how I look - that perhaps why I’m addicted to exercise; vanity!

"Rugged green strap on" ... drum roll, cymbal! I see what you did there. It needed a cut away to a Basil Brush "Boom Boom!".

Sweet bike, bro! Love that you’re posting more.

Should have tried the Ducati V4 Multistrada, brilliant bike. Did South Africa, Canada and NZ on a BMW GS and they are great bikes.

Yeah BMWs 😂, My first bike was an 888 Ducati, which i still have then an aprilia rsv1000r then a 998 then I got the rallye TE 1250 Gs in January with all the options, rose it to switzerland in one hop just stopping for gas. Cruise control at 130kmh. Got off yeah like I had just popped to waitrose. Incredible machine with 100kg on the back. My co-riders then rose through italy. It’s not an off-road bike it weighs 600lbs. Great channel. Thanks for the content.

Rugged green strap-on, whatever makes you feel manly Mark 😂

Lovely bully 😍 and a very nice bike 🙂

I've been watching these vids to add to my running motivation, but all this talk of donuts and take out is influencing me in other ways. Fortunately, I run so I can eat what I want, I guess I won't be quite as lean this summer as expected. Good content, thx.

Best review ever on the BMW GS

After my extended absence from motorcycling I was going nowhere near a GS . I had a Triumph explorer 1200, great engine but awful switchgear. Changed to a K1600, awesome engine, very comfortable but too top heavy. Had to realise my extensive girth and reduced leg power meant I needed a GS. It flatters me and makes me think I can ride like I did 40 years ago. I can't but it doesn't matter now. I just have fun!

Got the Fat Bob and used it tent camping solo the NC 500 this year (all the other old chaps have the GS). Due to injury went to watch the local parkrun on my bike to inspire. My thoughts are that the Harley is a cooler to bike to watch the parkrun and the BMW better for everything else. Born 1959 PB at 60 22.05 I need to get sub 22 and avoid thinking about the GS.

The hunchback impression during the 5k gave me confidence to also make it one day no matter what. thanks :)

Had 3 GS over 8 years. Settled on a Yamaha Tracer 900 2016 then 2019. My mate traded a 21 GS for 19 plate 1200 Tiger - happy boy !!

The best motorbike in the world is whatever motorbike you happen to be riding mate! Looking good.

Great video.. very true and very funny!

Pink socks-awesome-, Back in the day running gear was generally black,blue,green,red but triathlon gear was loud & fluro, and I was in love, Fluro pink shorts, etc ,etc. However my friends wouldn't have been seen dead with me. I don't know why, back then I was fast and dressed cool.😁

I'm just turned 21, and eyeing up doing my bike license. Raced Motocross for years, and miss that feeling of being on a bike. Been eyeing up a MT-03 to learn on 🧐

Nice to see you back on a bike. The test ride of a big GS does seem to sell a lot of them. You're not the first to be swayed.

Brilliant! Was really hoping someone would find your glasses! 😂

clad you seen sense in the end 😉

I bought the ktm superduke gt love it ! Thinking about taking it to a park run 😂

Very entertaining. I hate frickin’ hate GS’s, yet I’ve only gone and bought one too, go figure. Cheers. G.

Rugged green strap on killed me 😂

Gave me a good start to the day with laughing. You’re right though, here in the south of Germany it’s wall to wall shiny BMW‘ (bikes & cars) along with Porsches fitted with baby seats, all immaculately clean. The car wash bays are often cleaner than a hospital operating theatre as the owners head for the wash at the first sign of a few Flecks of dust landing. Anyway young man, ride that lump of Boxer motor metal down to Touratech in the Black Forest town of Niedereschach for all things GS. You might get lucky and run into a couple of The Long Way Round lads. Personally I‘ve never got on with the Boxer motor despite owning a couple in the past with my two all-time favourites being a BSA Bantam back in my earlier days and more recently the F800GS which is a fun dream to throw around everyday bike with which I toured over 4K of the Alps on. Ride safe buddy, and watch out for the flying Doughnuts that the four wheelers throw out of the window. 😅

Many, many, many, many years ago I had two accidents on my Honda CB500. First one was a car driving out in front of me. Second was me speeding and then in a corner hitting some wet dirt and mud from a tractor. After that I knew that a third accident would be the one with me donating organs. Never been on a bike since !

They are great bikes I left them for a KTM 1290R , which was awesome , but decided the best is a GSA and an ktm 890R for the days I feel my immaturity kicking in 😅

Glad you got your sunglasses back, you ready for hyrox Birmingham?

Not everybody buys an adventure bike for off road riding, they are great for touring as the suspention is great plus luggage capacity is usually better.

Lovely bike

I had a lot of fun with Honda CRF 250L - it's more fun to drive fast with slow MC than slow with fast MC :) Great video as always !

Seems like the useafe of the GS between the UK and US is SO different. We have so many dirt roads and places with no signal and the GSA makes so much sense to ride all day and explore, while having fun in the twisties, and being able to tackle moderately challenging terrain. The Brits always say nobody uses their ADV bikes off-road, whilst everyone I know with a GSA here in the US uses it off-road. We usually don’t have as much hard small trails with thick mud though. Every ADV bike I’ve ever had has been cracked within the same month as getting it from the factory, the only bike that hasn’t damaged anything ever, other than the protective gear I’ve put on it, is the GSA. Plus, it’s at least twice as easy to pick up that my Tiger 900 Rally Pro, yet so much easier to do miles on. I do 8-12 hours at least one, often 2 days, a weekend, I’m more comfortable, and less tired when I drop it. Tough to think what else could do that.

The venerable GPZ 900, I bought one new in 1986, what a great bike, pity it was so heavy, 4 years and 60 odd thousand kilometres later traded it for a ZZR 600, and stuck with 600s ever since. As for a GS, wouldn’t touch one with a barge pole, best bike ever ? Nah, a Yamaha T700 will go the same places as a GS but a GS won’t go the the places a T700 will. Seen a T700 cross the Simpson desert in Australia, never seen a GS do that yet. 😂😂😂😂😂

Living in Bracknell, I'll keep my eye out for you when I'm in Reading on my Africa Twin. Thanks Mark

My first bike was a Varadero 125. Nice v-twin that could go for miles on not much petrol, but was never tempted to get the 1000cc version. The Fazer is a nice mix between sports and a tourer.

Who cares what you ride, ride whatever you like. I'm off back to the sofa now with my 6 doughnuts!

Awesome to see a motorcycle review, hope to see more of these from you. I would love to see you review a sport tourer or even the Niken if it's still sold there.

This is grossly entertaining, I should be charged 😉

I call the BMW GS ‘Hemorrhoids’, as every other arsehole has one.. nice video thank Mark!

Your Garmin just got a huge update package.

Prompted by your park run goal of 4:10 pace: today I had a threshold run with 10mins warm-up, 16mins at threshold (4:10 pace), 5mins recovery, and then another 16mins at threshold, and a cool down. It ended up being my fastest ever 10km! 43:19. Chuffed with that! Thanks as always for being one of my biggest motivations.

Great Video. Shame its inspiring me to get the bandit out the garage as we go into winter. Two wheels are great, maybe you could be encouraged to start your ironman journey again! :D

My friend is 6’8” , he has the new V4 multistrada and love it’s !!! What track was your photo taken ?

Great motivational content. I was feeling a bit tired this evening, thinking shifting my running to tomorrow. Now half way into the video I'm laced up and ready for my round around the Alster. Best regards!

Mark, this was an excellent video , I think You should reward yourself with a donut for making such a good video !

Thanks

Rugged green strap on 😂😂😂

Not buying a GS. No way. Test rode one, bought one. Dang! Fact is, it's the ultimate all-rounder when realistically you have just the one bike.

Hi mark Did you test a KTM 1290? I found the beemer good but a little bland In comparison. Love my KTMs they definitely give me the fizz

Noooooooooooooo. I just decided that the time is not right for buying my first bike and I see this. Oooooooh, I am so tempted.

Wow, fantastic video from a slightly overweight 62 year old. I've owned a 1250 GSA for 3.5 years so appreciate them but do ride green lanes as well on mine. Perfected the art of picking one up, easy when you know how. Now all I need to do is work on my fitness as recovering from broken femur and on crutches for last eight months, and BMI of 30. Help..............gulp. Fitness level 0.

1.07 is so on the money 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

So funny; your bike history is very similar to mine, except I’m 5 feet 6 inches tall and so a GS was always out of the question. An Aprilia Pegaso had to do. I even had the shock modified to sit lower which was fine until I tried to put the side stand down…..an angle grinder sorted that out. 😊

Killing me with this humor... also, nice flip up lid.

They are from your island. Lisa and Simon Thomas. I followed their journey for ages. Surprisingly they were a couple on heavy GS bikes. Simon did break his neck. Maybe that wouldn't have happened on a ktm. But that's unfair because the ktm would have broken down before that could have happened. (Triumph tiger xcx800 owner who tested a ktm but ended up getting another triumph. Tested the GS as well but it was so much more expensive. At one point I very likely will get a GS. Although the new triumph tiger looks awesome)

I toyed with buying a GS, but in the end I couldn't bring myself to do it. I bought a ZZR1400 instead, and have a CBR600 as an alternative option. Maybe one day I will go down the ADV bike route, but not just yet :)

Had a few GSA! Brilliant bikes. Gone for a multistrada now 🎉❤

Almost mirror image, but mine was a MTX125 in ‘87 which was perfect for those figure of eights in the Part 1 before finally waking up to the joys of the GSA (by 2nd now!!). I’ve seen those Motorrad showrooms littered with 5k mile bikes which have never been ridden in the wet, but there are still plenty which have👍I love mine too, 120 mile daily commuter ✅ EU tourer ✅ with pillion ✅ without pillion ✅ UK camping trip’s laden with all the gear ✅ 30k in 4 years (2 of which in a pandemic) and still I live them👍🥰👌BTW which off road course did you do as that’s my next challlenge?🤔

I have a Burger King a year cause my local is so badly managed every time I go it takes a year to forget how awful it was and accidently go back. You think McDonald's lies about their ice cream machine being "broken"- This place literally had to send theirs away for repairs! I walked in one day and they were OPEN, they're like, "our grill isn't working". I'm like "???? Do you expect people to just come here and buy fries?" Hours long drive through waits... and this was all going on before Covid so obviously it's worse, not better.

Recognise the Oracle 👍🏻

If someone saw you at a Hyrox starting line with that Ultra watch, are they thinking “…oh, makes me want to buy a skinny latte…”?

A range Rover balanced precariously on two wheels...... top vid 👍

Oh man, that pacing feature with the coloured dials looks kickass I hope it comes to Garmin Enjoyed the video. Did you have a latte with the donut?