Nice marketing move from BMW as they pitted a 2013 R1200GS against an H4 on asphalt of Spanish Circuito de Almeria. While we just know a fast and aggressive rider when we see one, we can vouch that the HP4 was not even trying too hard.
However, a marketing stunt as this may be, we have to admit that the idea is great and shows one side of thr R1200GS many riders tend to overlook: this bike can go fast and can also lean into turns, when the right rider is behind the handlebars.
We ourselves did some funny racing years ago with a Honda Transalp and a CBR600F3 on winding roads and it was more or less down to similar results: the sport bike blows the tourers out of the water in straight lines, but if the tourer rider is not afraid to lean into the turns and has street tires, his chances to put up a good fight are increasing rapidly.
And with the liter-class (or bigger) engines, riding these BMW bikes on the track is definitely twice as fun. This video brings back to memory the words of an old rider: “learn hot to lean and you'll start to understand what motorbikes are really about!” Seen on Asphalt and Rubber.
Check out the massive 2013 BMW R1200GS and 2013 BMW HP4 galleries.
We ourselves did some funny racing years ago with a Honda Transalp and a CBR600F3 on winding roads and it was more or less down to similar results: the sport bike blows the tourers out of the water in straight lines, but if the tourer rider is not afraid to lean into the turns and has street tires, his chances to put up a good fight are increasing rapidly.
And with the liter-class (or bigger) engines, riding these BMW bikes on the track is definitely twice as fun. This video brings back to memory the words of an old rider: “learn hot to lean and you'll start to understand what motorbikes are really about!” Seen on Asphalt and Rubber.
Check out the massive 2013 BMW R1200GS and 2013 BMW HP4 galleries.
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