As unlikely as it was for the original 1980 BMW R 80 G/S to launch the Adventure Bike Movement, it was even more unlikely that this motorcycle would also become the basis for the machine that won the most epic long-distance off-road rally in the world—Paris-Dakar.And it didn’t just win it once, it did the deed four times with legends Hubert Auriol (1981 and ’83) and Gaston Rahier (’84-85).

Visions of those cigarette-money-sponsored rally bikes danced in my head as I saddled up on the 2026 BMW R 12 G/S. I wasn’t in the African desert and I really wasn’t even that close to Paris, the old starting point for the rally. I was in Enduro Park Hechlingen a couple of hours north of Munich and hoping this nicely styled, R 80 G/S–inspired adventure bike wasn’t just so much rally cosplay.

Happy to report the G/S may be a retro-stylish modern interpretation of the original ADV, but it’s not faking anything—it works really well off-road. Even better, it is a lot of fun to ride and slide and climb and descend. The R 12 G/S was in fact pretty reminiscent of the 2006 HP2 Enduro I tested in the Sierras (“Anytime, Anywhere,” May, 2006). Not quite as light (a claimed 432 pounds for the HP2 versus 505 for the new G/S) but the R 12 G/S remains a spare interpretation of the current BMW adventure bike, and a lot lighter, narrower, and more playful than its technology-forward R 1300 GS stablemate in terms of bulk, dimension, and mass (BMW claims a 593-pound wet weight with the 7.9-gallon GS Adventure fuel tank full).

While the R 12 G/S is spiritually similar to the HP2 Enduro, it’s got a new chassis that features a remarkably similar engine with nearly identical claimed output. Props, however, to the BMW powertrain team for kicking compression up a point to 12.0:1 on an air/oil-cooled engine and for keeping us rolling with this powerplant even in the face of Euro 5+ emissions standards.The BMW R 12 Family Backbone Is the New FrameWhile this bike may be channeling the visuals of the R 80 G/S and the spirit of the HP2 Enduro, its steel-tube frame is a new design that forms the basis for the R 12 model line, with alteration leading up to the steering head to accommodate the geometry and stance of the G/S versus the other models like the R 12 Cruiser, R 12 nineT, and R 12 S.

“We started with the frame, the backbone,” designer Bart Janssen Groesbeek says. He likened it to a fashion model with the right proportions. “If the correct underlying structure isn’t there, no matter how fine the clothes are you hang on it, it won’t look right.”It also wouldn’t work right. The HP2 Enduro frame featured a vertical shock at the rear, while the intake/airbox sat on top of the engine sharing space with the fuel tank. This new frame gives a lot more latitude for rider and component placement with the inclined shock and general layout. The Urban GS and Scrambler based on the previous R nineT platform were really more styling exercises that evoked dirt-oriented feelings but didn’t back that up with real off-road chops.

The R 12 G/S changes that entirely, both from having a truer visual signature (its silhouette lays nicely on top of the original R 80 G/S) and a technical design that makes it a true off-road-capable adventure bike. And while the G/S is fairly agile for its length, the 26.9-degree rake and 4.8-inch trail (with the 21/18 Enduro Package Pro wheels; see specs) give it a somewhat out-there-feeling front end. It turns nicely in any case, and with its 62.2-inch wheelbase, stability is a hallmark of this motorcycle. Which is fine by us.That said, there was a saying that bees somehow were defying the laws of physics by flying, and this notion applies to the G/S, which, despite its range-y feeling, is very capable in the dirt (and superslick mud, it turns out).

The 45mm diameter fork has 8.2 inches travel and is fully adjustable. The single shock has travel-dependent damping and it is also fully adjustable, working in 7.8 inches of travel and on a 20mm (0.8 inch) longer swingarm for this dirty application. Damping front and rear were very well tuned for our day in the Enduro Park. We look forward to testing a G/S and playing with suspension settings on familiar roads.We spent a lot of time in the Enduro Park in first gear and rode some very tight trails. There were times we sort of wished for a shorter first gear, although the considerable flywheel and tractability of the R 1200 engine made it a nonissue. The engine would just pull cleanly and predictably from idle rpm. So despite a day spent doing a lot of crawling, we never stalled the G/S and the idea of wanting lower first gear was outweighed by reality of our experience.

We also ventured outside the park to ride on winding roads and on dirt roads amid beautiful rolling farmland (by special permit) and found the ride swift, stable, and capable. We wished we’d been able to turn the front wheel toward Spain or Portugal, where off-road riding opportunities are greater, and we could burn through the 4.1-gallon fuel tank.ErgonomicsThe Enduro Package Pro bikes we were testing mostly off-road have a claimed seat height of 34.4 inches thanks to the 18-inch rear wheel (versus a 17-incher and 33.9 for the standard bike). I’m 6-foot-2 so I added the optional $255 High Rally Seat (with harder foam and suedelike cover) which raises the seat to 35.2 inches. On top of that, the handlebars can be rotated forward 10 degrees (it’s marked on the bars for ease of execution), which moves the grips up 1 inch and forward about one-half inch. I really like this setup for my size, although seated while road riding my hands felt a bit high, even on the tall seat.

I later rode a G/S with the stock seat with rotated-forward bars, and the high-hands feeling of course was amplified a bit more. It’s a pretty easy change to loosen the handlebar clamps and move so I’d just plan my bar position to match my intended riding. Personally I wouldn’t give up the tall seat in any situation, but its dark cover wasn’t as cool looking at the bright orange inspired by the original G/S.The shifter is adjustable via an eccentric, while the Enduro Pro brake lever has a two-position flip-up toe piece to make it easy to change for stand-up riding. Both clutch and brake hand levers are reach adjustable. With all this it was easy to make the bike exactly what I wanted ergonomically. The off-road-oriented footpegs of the enduro setup provided a lot of grip and broader interface than the more narrow base footpegs.

We had the navigation setup with a rally-tower-like tall fairing and, sure, there was moderate wind protection. But rightly for the spirit of this bike, the rider is out there in the breeze. And with less bodywork and its engine-protection bars in place, a dirt tip-over is merely embarrassing (sorry about that, guys) and much less likely to be costly. Hand guards are included in the Enduro package.Boxer Engine and ElectronicsThe R 1300 GS and its liquid-cooled 130-hp (on our dyno) output have taken the boxer engine to a new level. It’s still got that familiar flat-twin feeling, but the R 12 G/S 1170cc engine resonates a bit harder by its sound and torque delivery, while delivering the right amount of power for the application. The 1300 is technically superior and the right engine for the GS (and RT and R), but BMW is chasing (and catching) an “experience” with the G/S that is not codified wholly on a spec chart or in the engineering house.We dyno’d a version of this air/oil-cooled engine several years ago and it produced 94.6 hp at 7500 rpm and 72.9 pound-feet of torque at 6000 rpm, with torque staying over 60 lb.-ft. from a little below 2000 rpm all the way to 7800. It’s a beautiful, broad torque curve that makes it easy to chug along at rock-crawler speed.

Ripping along fire roads, the engine’s strong midrange and the stable chassis make the bike easy to slide on power. Disabling traction control is an easy button push, and Enduro Pro ride mode gives the same snappy throttle response as Road, while also turning off rear ABS. Fun times sliding on this well-balanced motorcycle. We rode with the lean-sensitive and well-tuned rider aids on and they work very well here, intervening in a useful way if you leave ABS on at both ends and utilize TC. The bike remains fun to ride with the rider aids on even if you can’t be quite as flamboyant, but they provide a great line of defense against tipping over. Other niceties included in the Premium package on our testbike are Gear Shift Assist Pro for clutchless up- and downshifts, heated grips, tire pressure monitoring, cruise control, and the adaptive Headlight Pro.

We also rode on some of the slickest mud I’ve ever encountered while navigating through a stand of trees after a good rain. I’m not sure if the engine drag torque control helped here but I suspect it did. Sometimes engine-braking alone can cause the rear end to slide when off throttle and we rode plenty of slick downhills with none of that off-throttle “rear wants to pass the front” feeling.

Overall, the charm here with the G/S engine is that it’s not as fierce and refined as the R 1300 GS’s engine, and it works in a truly capable chassis with highly adjustable electronics. We enjoy the flexibility Enduro Pro adds and would definitely include that in our options. But we love to get dirty.What Is the G/S All About?The 2026 BMW R 12 G/S is an appealing version of BMW’s many-faceted adventure offerings. It’s also very different from the new R 1300 GS. BMW is really treading two paths with very little overlap, so in this sense the G/S looks like a successful play to expand the customer base. The as-tested price of $20,720 includes $880 for Enduro Package Pro, which for my money is a must-have.Price with all the bits (including accessories not listed in “as tested”) on our main testbike shown in action photos ends up around $24,000 starting from a bare-bones MSRP of $16,995. (Check out the photos and captions for paint and finish options. See below also for a list of pricing and options.)A 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure we recently rode had a base MSRP of $22,745 with the $2495 Option 719 Aurelius Green Metallic Matte paint (and some other Very Nice Stuff) plus $858 Automatic Shift Assistant (automatic clutching and full auto shifting or hit the foot lever) plus Premium Package and more puts a very optioned 1300 Adventure at $32,895 and we are definitely in “Premium” territory.

The 1300 GS is a lot of motorcycle, even with its tighter, lighter, more compact design versus the 1250 it replaced. But it’s also a lot of motorcycle in the sense of features, comfort, and performance. Living on the road with long days in the saddle (especially with a passenger) and it’s 1300 all the way.But the R 12 G/S is also a lot of motorcycle, but also much less of one, in a way that’s much harder to quantify. But as has been the case with companies like Harley-Davidson and now Royal Enfield, the focus at BMW has been to get design, engineering, and testing to work together on delivering a riding experience on models like this. It’s an artistic, holistic approach to delivering a feeling that starts when your eyes lay on the bike, continues when you hit the starter button and release the clutch, and stays with you when you get off the bike after a long day in the saddle. The R 12 G/S is a technically good motorcycle and a legitimately capable retro rally adventurer. But even better, the R 12 G/S is a great experience.2026 BMW R 12 G/S Specs