When we first rolled the BMW R12 G/S out into the daylight, we genuinely weren’t sure what we were looking at. Was this thing a dirtbike pretending to be an adventure bike? An adventure bike pretending to be a road bike? Or a road bike that had raided the Dakar dress-up box? It’s got the high-mounted guard, spoked wheels and chunky knobbies of a proper dirtbike rig, yet hanging underneath is that unmistakable big boxer engine. Throw in the broad touring seat, the suite of ride modes, and a gearbox that feels more autobahn than outback, and suddenly the R 12 G/S sits in a category that, at first glance, doesn’t quite exist.
But the longer you stare at it, the more it taps into something nostalgic. There’s a strong whiff of the 1980s Paris–Dakar BMWs about it, the ones that looked like desert tanks with headlights. It’s as if BMW took those old rally silhouettes, ran them through a modern design studio, and then sprinkled in a bit of “On Any Sunday” energy for good measure. It’s rugged, retro and futuristic all at once, like an old photo that’s been colourised without losing the grain.
So we did what any curious moto tragic would do: we set out to work out exactly where this bike fits. What’s it built for? Who’s it built for? And is it meant to live on the trail, the tarmac or somewhere in the strange no-man’s-land in between? The R 12 G/S blurs lines by design, so the only way to understand it was to test it in every environment it seemed to hint at.
And that’s when it started to make sense. The R 12 G/S isn’t trying to replace anything in BMW’s lineup, it’s carving its own niche. It’s equal parts heritage throwback, modern adventure machine and comfortable long-road companion. And while that sounds like a lot of hats for one bike to wear, it turns out this quirky-looking hybrid might just have found its natural place in today’s world of multi-purpose motorcycles.
The DNA
Power comes from the legendary air- and oil-cooled 1,170cc two-cylinder boxer engine running a four-stroke layout with dual overhead camshafts, four radially arranged valves per cylinder and a central counterbalance shaft. Bore and stroke measure 101 mm x 73 mm, with a compression ratio of 12.0:1. Peak output is 80 kW (109 hp) at 7,000 rpm and maximum torque is 115 Nm at 6,500 rpm. Fuel delivery is managed by an electronic intake-pipe injection system and BMW’s BMS-O digital engine management with throttle-by-wire. Top speed is claimed at 210 km/h.
Electrical power is supplied by a maintenance-free 12 V / 12 Ah battery. The driveline uses a hydraulically operated single-disc dry clutch linked to a claw-shifted six-speed gearbox housed separately from the engine, and final drive is via shaft (Cardan).
The chassis is built around a tubular space frame. Front suspension uses a 45 mm upside-down telescopic fork with adjustable spring preload, rebound and compression. Ground clearance is 240 mm, wheelbase is 1,580 mm. Wheels are aluminium cross-spoke units with a 21-inch rim up front and a 17-inch rim at the rear. Braking comes from twin 310 mm front discs with axial-mounted Brembo 2-piston floating calipers and a single 265 mm Brembo 2-piston floating caliper at the rear. ABS is BMW Motorrad Integral ABS Pro in partial-integral configuration.
Unladen seat height is 860 mm, with an inner-leg curve measurement of 1,935 mm so she’s got some girth. Tank capacity is 15.5 litres, including a 4-litre reserve. Dry weight is 216 kg, with a fully fuelled road-ready figure of 229 kg.
WHERE DOES THE R12 GS ACTUALLY FIT?
So, after staring at the R 12 G/S trying to figure out whether it’s a dirtbike, an adventure bike or some sort of touring-commuter hybrid, we decided to ride it everywhere and let the bike tell us what it is.
The boxer engine itself is a masterpiece. Everyone knows these motors make big power and huge torque, and this one is no different. It pulls like a freight train, and it’s easily one of the best big twin engines we’ve ridden. But the gearing is tall—proper road-bike tall—and that’s the thing that stops it from being a genuine “big-bore dirt bike.” In single track, we found ourselves working the clutch a lot, especially when turning around or negotiating tighter sections. It’ll do single track—it’ll actually smash through most of it—but the clutch work required is the part that reminds you it’s not a dirtbike at heart.
As for calling it an adventure bike? Well, the boxer motor makes a brilliant ADV powerplant, and the ergonomics are typically BMW: super comfortable, upright and neutral. However, the R 12 G/S doesn’t have a front fairing or windscreen, and the tank is smaller than the larger GS models. For long freeway hauls, the R 1250/1300 GS machines are still the better full-distance adventure bikes. And as for commuting? Sure, it’ll commute fine, but it’s wide—very wide—and lane-filtering isn’t its strong point.
In the end, we landed on this: the R 12 G/S is a chameleon. It does a bit of everything. It has enough dirtbike DNA to let you thread it through single track without a giant fairing smashing your chin. And because it runs a conventional fork – not BMW’s telelever – it actually feels firm, controlled and surprisingly dirtbike-like in rough terrain. We found the fork very stiff, in a good way, letting us plough into rocks, potholes and braking bumps without it diving or wandering. The shock was equally solid and stayed composed through all the off-road stuff.
We ran Enduro Pro mode for pretty much all of our dirt riding. It still leaves a whisper of ABS active, which occasionally got in the way, and the traction control definitely needed to be turned off for single track. Like every adventure bike, traction control interferes too much at low speed, especially when trying to loft the front wheel or claw your way out of slick sections. But once the electronics were dialled back, the low-slung boxer weight made the bike extremely stable and easy to balance between trees.
The downside, again, is the gearing. Because it’s tall internally and the shaft drive prevents you from playing with final ratios, we sometimes ran into corners hotter than we wanted, relying heavily on clutch modulation. In tight turns, that could push the bike wide or make it feel unsettled unless your body position was spot-on. Shorter internal gearing would genuinely turn this into the ultimate giant dirtbike.
Adventure riding, however, is where this thing is happiest. It’s comfortable, it eats kilometres, and without the big fairings and tanks of a full-size GS, it feels lighter and more playful. The only question mark for proper adventure trips is luggage, there’s not much in the way of racks or tie-down points unless you go aftermarket.
Ergonomically, it’s spot-on. Standing is comfortable even for tall riders, with no hunching or awkward bar position. Sitting feels dirtbike-like in knee angle but with BMW’s trademark plush seat.
The mapping system works well, offering Rain, Road, Enduro and Enduro Pro modes, plus the option to run with minimal intervention. Rain gives maximum traction control and ABS intervention, Road lets it open up on tarmac, Enduro softens response for open dirt roads, and Enduro Pro gives the most aggressive engine feel with the least intervention. That last mode was perfect for popping over logs or climbing ledges, as long as you were ready to give the clutch a workout.
One thing this bike doesn’t have is BMW’s fancy auto-adjusting electronic suspension found on bigger GS models. And honestly? That’s a win. The suspension on the R12 G/S feels dirtbike-firm and predictable, without electronics getting in the way. It also has an excellent quickshifter; smooth shifts in both directions with a nice throttle blip on downshifts. The are solid too, we spent much of the single track dragging the rear brake to settle the bike, and it handled the heat without complaint.
And yes, the dry clutch does reveal its limits. Work it too hard, especially in tight single track, and you can smell it cooking. It absolutely hates abuse. If you stick to fire roads, scrambler-style riding or mild trail work, you’ll never have an issue. Push it into technical terrain and it’ll let you know.
Despite that, the bike still surprises. It handles whoops better than expected, it stays balanced through rocks thanks to the low centre of gravity, and it has enough torque to pull from almost anywhere. The only real mechanical gripe is the gearing and the dry clutch; everything else is top-tier.
The do it all
It looks like a dirtbike. It feels like a dirtbike. It rides like an adventure bike. And it cruises like a road bike. The R12 G/S is all of them and none of them. An old-school Paris–Dakar throwback wrapped in modern tech and scrambler simplicity. Shorten the gearing and ditch the clutch abuse, and it could be the ultimate mega-sized bush-basher. As it stands, it’s a brilliant adventure-scrambler hybrid that can surprise you in single track, crush fire roads, commute comfortably and make every ride feel like an “On Any Sunday” moment.
BMW R 12 G/S
ENGINE
- Engine: Air/oil-cooled 1,170cc two-cylinder boxer, DOHC with four radial valves
- Bore x stroke: 101 mm x 73 mm
- Compression ratio: 12.0:1
- Clutch: Hydraulically operated single-disc dry clutch
- Gearing: Claw-shifted 6-speed gearbox with separate housing
- Final drive: Shaft (Cardan)
Dimensions
- Wheelbase: 1,580 mm
- Seat height: 860 mm
- Tank capacity: 15.5 L (approx. 4 L reserve)
- Weight: 216 kg (dry)
SUSPENSION & Brakes
- Tubular space frame
- Front Suspension: 45 mm upside-down fork, adjustable preload, rebound & compression
- Rear Suspension: Monoshock Ground clearance: 240 mm
- Front brake: Twin 310 mm discs, Brembo 2-piston floating calipers
- Rear brake: 265 mm disc, Brembo 2-piston floating caliper
- ABS: BMW Motorrad Integral ABS Pro (partial-integral)
WHEELS & BRAKES
- Wheels: Aluminium cross-spoke
- Front tyre: 21-inch Metzler Karoo 4
- Rear tyre: 17-inch Metzler Karoo 4
Price and Contacts
RRP: $26, 540 Ride Away
Browser: www.bmw-motorrad.com.au
Warranty: 5 year warranty
