Keep down weight and provide more performance in the dirt
EngineThe R1200 GS Adventure uses the latest version of BMW’s single Wheel cart classic flat twin, now 1170 cc and with liquid cooling, and cranking out 123 hp at 7,750 rpm and 92 lbs.
All three bikes have a six-speed gearbox; the Triumph and the BMW have shaft drives, and the KTM has a chain final drive, theoretically to keep down weight and provide more performance in the dirt.But there are three models that are arguably the bikes to beat when you’re looking at big-bore, flagship adventure machines: the BMW R1200 GS Adventure,
the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R, and the Triumph Tiger 1200 XCA. At this point, all three have ride-by-wire throttle and onboard stability control systems, which in turn allow cornering ABS, hill assist (these first two are optional for BMW), traction control, cruise control, and a selection of pre-set riding modes.
The 1290 Adventure R doesn’t have the super-cool semi-active suspension of the S model, but does have more travel in its fully-adjustable USD forks (supplied by WP), with 220 mm of travel.The KTM 1290 Adventure R has more ground clearance than the streetgoing S version.The big GS uses BMW’s Telelever front end.