BMW Invented the modern Adventure market when it comes to Motorcycles. They made it, and they own it, and despite what everyone else says and does, nothing has changed that. Because of the GS.
When I first came to Motorcycles of Charlotte, I had never ridden a BMW R 1200 GS before. And to be honest, it was intimidating. These bikes are huge. And the GS Adventure version, what we call the “GSA” is even more so. I had never even really looked at one up close before… and initially my impression was that “it’s a water buffalo”. I had no interest in even throwing a leg over a water buffalo, let alone take one out for a ride.
Triumph Motorcycles had a nice event planned for it’s Triumph Champions, and I was invited to go to represent Motorcycles of Charlotte. I happily agreed to attend. The event started in the Florida Keys, all the way down in Key West. “Key” is evidently Floridian for Island. Key also means critically important, so it’s a little self aggrandizing for them to call their islands keys.
This is me, having just landed at the world’s smallest airport. We actually had walk between different aircraft to reach the terminal.
This is the terminal. It has statues on it. The statues have more clothes on than most of the people on the island.
That’s the aircraft I flew in on. It’s made in Brazil. So it’s basically a Taurus of the Sky. Half of them have to go back to the factory for a Fluff and Buff, under warranty. But they have great customer service. And no resell value to speak of. But I did land safely. So I go that going for me. Which is nice.
I’ve talked about the Ducati Multistrada before. But this one is a bit different. This is the Enduro version. Now, everything in the Enduro is based on the 1200 S version. The 1198 CC V-Twin is on board, cranking out the same 160 Horses of Power pulling the same 87 Foot Pounds of Torques through the same 6 Speed transmission.
The differences come in all the areas making the Multistrada more Off-Road Capable. Now, it was alright off road. As long as that off road wasn’t too off the road. But it was lacking… The Enduro fixes all that.
New on the Enduro is larger spoked wheels, taller ground clearance, a heavy duty bash plate under the engine, and new suspension programming and calibration. There’s also a different seat and handlebars… and a shorter first gear. The changes all add up to make the Enduro almost a completely different bike. The 1200S is a great bike for anything on the road. The Enduro is just a great bike for anything. I put a lot of miles on one this weekend, and that included some off roading… and any shortcomings it had before are all gone.
The Enduro isn’t just a motorcycle like the 1200S is. The Enduro is a full grown, well trained, War Horse.
