BMW R 1250 GS Adventure versus Ducati Multistrada 1260

Make
Model
Make
Model
Make
Model
BMW

BMW R 1250 GS Adventure

Adventure
Ducati

Ducati Multistrada 1260

Adventure

Year of construction / RRP / Test report

Built von 2019 bis 2024~
Built von 2018 bis 2020
RRP 19.950 €
RRP 16.990 €
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Pros:
  • Chassis comfortable and sporty
  • Powerful motor
  • Pillion comfort
  • Security package
Pros:
  • Powerful engine
  • Precise chassis
  • Windbreak
  • Comfort
  • Service
Cons:
  • Surcharge policy
Cons:
  • Nothing to get at low speed
  • Off-road capability

Dimensions & Weight

Wheelbase: 1.504 mm
Length :
2.270 mm Height : 1.460 mm
Seat :
890 mm
Weight :
268 (max: 485 ) kg
Wheelbase: 1.585 mm
Length :
2.190 mm Height : 1.495 mm
Seat :
825 mm
Weight :
232 (max: 450 ) kg

Engine

Motor design: Boxer 2 Cylinder
Displacement: 1.254 ccm
Hub: 76 mm
Hole: 102 mm
Cooling: Luft-/Flüssigkeitsgekühlt
Drive: Kardan
Aisles: 6
Motor design: V-motor 2 Cylinder
Displacement: 1.261 ccm
Hub: 72 mm
Hole: 106 mm
Cooling: Flüssig
Drive: Kette
Aisles: 6

Performance

Maximum speed: 200 km/h
Performance: 136 HP at 7.750 U/Min
Torque: 143 NM bei 6.250 U/Min
Tank contents: 30 Litre
Consumption:
5 l
Reach:
600 km
Maximum speed: 251 km/h
Performance: 158 HP at 9.500 U/Min
Torque: 130 NM bei 7.500 U/Min
Tank contents: 20 Litre
Consumption:
6 l
Reach:
350 km

Chassis

Frame type:
Two-part framework
Front suspension:
Telelever 37cm (travel 210 mm)
Rear suspension:
WAD mono strut with paralever (travel 220 mm)
Rear suspension:
Aluminum cast single-arm swingarm
Tyres at the front: 120/70 R19
Rear tyres: 170/60 R17
Frame type:
Tubular space frame (steel)
Front suspension:
Upside-down telescopic fork (travel 170 mm)
Rear suspension:
Adjustable central strut (travel 170 mm)
Rear suspension:
Single-arm swingarm made of aluminium
Tyres at the front: Width: 120 mm, 17 inches
Rear tyres: Width:190 mm, 17 inches

Brakes

Front brake
Double disc ( 305 mm) Rear brake
Single disc brake ( 276 mm)
Front brake
Double disc ( 320 mm) Rear brake
Single disc ( 265 mm)

Cheap here is nothing

All this also offers the normal GS. Also the extensive chassis with its complete programs and adjustment possibilities. Do you really need the additional equipment of the adventure? Certainly not, but you might want them. Our fully equipped copy put a lot of money on it at the list price of around 18,000 euros, so that no less than 23,000 euros would eventually be due. Aua.

In the end, however, it could also be argued that in these regions it is no longer important. So, with an additional price of 1,500 euros for the adventure, it remains ultimately a question of taste. And, as you know, everyone is responsible for that themselves.

The test bike was provided to us by Bergmann & Söhne in Pinneberg near Hamburg.

 

Standard:
Connectivity-TFT / Mountain Start Assistance / "Rain" and "Road" / LED / ASC (traction)

Packages:

Comfort (515€): Heating handles/RDC/chrome exhaust

Touring (€2,140): Dynamic ESA/Keyless Go/Tempomat/LED Position Lights/Navi Preparation/Case Holder

Dynamic (€1,040): Driving modes/QS/day LED blinker/DTC

Price / Availability / Colours / Years of Construction

  • Price: from 18.000€
  • Used (3 years old): 12,000€
  • Years built: 1250 from 2019
  • Availability: very good
  • Colours: ice grey, sandmatt, HP-Stle (white-blue-red with golden rims)

The Multi is at a crossroads

One has to pay the highest praise to the Ducati engineers that one hardly notices these extra pounds. And yet the multi is at a crossroads. The whole electrics are not only for safety because of the bearish engine, it must be to make the heavy vehicle manageable. The most striking example of this is the electronic parking brake. At the push of a button, the rear brake can be activated to pin the Duc to a hill for a start, thus facilitating uphill start-ups. The Multistrada 1260 S has nice but completely unnecessary things like the backlit switches on board. Impossible for serious use off-road would be the delicate blinkers in the hand protectors, which lead their meaning ad absurdum.

Ducati actually has the most sporty adventure bike in the range with the Multistrada 1260 S, because the competition from BMW or Triumph can't keep up (and probably won't). With her rousing style she won many friends in the Test team and gave us a lot of fun.

On the other hand, it is comfortable enough for the long tour, great to use and well crafted. That she can't get into the terrain – as a gift, she would only lie down next to all the other adventure bikes that were sunk by her riders there in a nod to reality.

The test bike was provided to us by Ducati-Hamburg.

Price / Availability / Colours / Years of Construction

  • Price: from 16.990€
  • Used (3 years old): 12,000€
  • Years built: 1260 since 2018
  • Availability: good
  • Colours: red, grey, white