BMW R1200GSA Review - The Pregnant Cow Turns 45,000

Pretty nuts hey? 45,000km since May 1st last year.

I used to always estimate that I averaged about 45,000km per year, some years were more but some were less it always came down to trips (of which I have only done a couple on the beemer). I hope that adding a second bike to the stable means I can do more trips.

The BMW or 'Pregnant Cow' as I've come to know her has more or less performed flawlessly, sure I had an issue or two. Well three:

• Left Aux. Light replaced under Warranty
• GSAP Replaced under warranty
• Short lifespan on disks

I have around 40% left on my third rear tyre, (my second Heidenau k60 Scout) and my third front tyre (also a Heidy K60) went on about 1000km ago. I'm seeing around 15,000km on the rears and 25,000km on the front which is mighty good. Sure the K60 Scouts aren't the greatest on slippery bitumen but you ride accordingly, let the traction control do its magic and its not really worth complaining about. Having the ability to do dirt when ever needed is certainly a bonus.

It goes without saying that this moto si a bad weather bike. Its really have to be bad for you to get soaked through. My feet stay mostly dry behind the cylinder heads. My torso is toasty behind the screen and behemoth of a tank and my hands are slow cooking on the heated grips.

Try as hard as I can I don't have much to complain about. The pegs could do with being an inch lower, the screen could be a bit higher but neither are detrimental. I thought my crash bars were rusting but it turns out they just needed a better scrub (as opposed to just bathing them in truck wash and hosing off).

The removable luggage is the biggest winner. Some days I go box less, other days I run the top box and occasionally I run just the two side panniers. Its pretty rare that I run all three because I never need to carry that much. The side panniers and the suspension in 2 helmets is still my favorite. It puts your seating position on a little more of a forward lean but I tend to ride standing up more in that config anyway.

In terms of upgrades I want to do the pegs and screen before next summer I also want to fit a more substantial bash plate and maybe swap out the handle bar guards for real bark busters. I also have a line on a cheap pipe but none of these changes are boring issues so they may wait another 20,000km. Surprisingly the bike also excels in the last place I expected it to - a second car. I get shopping, ferry kids around, do any and all errands and much more all with a smile on my dial.

The only negative to report is that at 40,000km I was up for a new set of front braking disks. At over $1700 for 2 disks and 4 pads plus labour to fit that's a tall order in the first year of ownership. I had hoped for double that life time on my disks but no doubt a combination of lots of stop/start riding coupled with mud and dirt have probably contributed to the short lifespan. I'm looking into other options for pads that see more life in my disks and also changing up my riding style a little to try and see if I can get more life out of the next set.

The bike is ageing much better than I expected. The abundance of plastic in comparison to my Harley was a rear worry for me but surprisingly the plastic has not faded in any way and the only show of the mileage is the header pipes which went a nice shade of blue before turning to the rusty red they are now.

Lets see what the next 45,000 reveals hey.