This is how much our 2nd PMS costs 

if there's an R1250GS, there's an R1250R

Hola! Hola! Hola! 

look at the sky 

although there are some clear spots in the sky

looks bright and sunny

but from where I came from, In Los Baños, it was raining hard

even our gloves are soaking wet

how are you, MoTouristas?

we are nowhere at Calamba, Laguna

again, from Los Baños, Laguna

today is another PMS 

there are lots of viewers waiting for this review

of course, we want to use it for a longer period of time

so we can give a more extensive review

you won't see some important things by just riding for a few kilometers alone

where are we heading now? Where are we getting it serviced?

We are going to MotorAce BMW in Daang-Hari

in Alabang 

of course, we are taking the national road since it is not permitted on the expressways (400cc minimum displacement)

it's ok, we'll manage

heavy traffic

at least you'll see how it fares on heavy traffic

as most of you know, when we review bikes, we do it systematically

we go directly to the pros and cons

what I like about it or the things I think are advantages

and disadvantages or stuff that I think could be better or needs improvement

or basically what I didn't like

before we head there, just a quick backstory

when the G310GS was launched I was excited

the R1250GS is too expensive for ordinary people like me

that's why when they released this "baby GS"

I think it was promising

especially for those people who are switching to beginner adventure bikes

then to be brutally honest

when I found out that it's not made in Germany just like most of its bigger bikes

I was a bit saddened

it made me very hesitant

although they have partnered with TVS in India

If you're familiar with Apache RR310, it's its sibling

I became reluctant about its quality, considering the BMW standards

don't get me wrong, TVS is a huge and reliable company

but still, I was hesitant

so the time came when I and my fellow moto vloggers were invited by BMW

we rode and reviewed this in Rizal province

we did some off-roading near Marilaque

that's where my mind was made up

later, I'll explain how and why

fast forward, this is what we're using now

a lot has been asking why I didn't get an expressway-legal bike instead etc

and how much is that?

watch out for the answers shortly

you know the story. I got this last Feb 2020 and now is December 2020.

basically 11 months or more than 10 months

let's stay on the shoulder slowly and carefully

as much as possible do not stay on this lane since there are lots of stuff here that can puncture your tires

we are running late so we're a bit desperate

on the inner lanes, there are lots of incoming vehicles and we don't want to counterflow

the first pro is the biggest, in my opinion

it is a combination of 3 advantages or pros as well

these 3, individually, are not advantages on each and every kind of bike

and what are the contributors?

if you think about it, it's average. A bit heavy for a 300cc bike

but it's lighter in actual

even my Duke 390 with 160+kg feels heavier than this

and I'm not just talking about the usual lighter when running

even heavier bikes like the 1250gs with a weight of 250kgs feel light when running

I'm taking about even from side stand, you can wrestle it

even if you get out of balance, you can save it using your legs

for me that's how light it is

more so when it's already running

that advantage is very evident especially on long rides

during your stops, when you park or place the bike on tight spaces, it's very manageable

for bigger and heavier bikes, when you are backing up, sometimes you need assistance from other people

this is easier

Later I'll discuss the seat height. And because it's a dual-sport bike, it's a tall bike and I'm tiptoeing 

I'm 5'6

and because it's lighter, it's easier to manage

the reason I said that individually, they are not necessarily advantages on all types of bikes,

because there bikes that are better off being heavy

example are sportsbike or baked bikes with big displacements

it has to have weight to be more stable on higher speeds

it can't be very light

the wind will have a big impact

especially on high speeds on expressways or any road that you are safe to speed up

there are also handle bars that are placed in a taller position but the foot pegs are sportier

even if you have an upright position, your legs are not relaxed

my legs here are on a relaxed position

we did Bicol before and other long rides and it's very comfortable

using my Duke before, I had some pains on my wrist

as I mentioned on my previous vlogs before, I used to ride an nmax and it has a very relaxed riding position

as they say, it's like sitting on a sofa

but since I started using manual transmission bikes, the one with tanks between my legs

My legs always wanted something to embrace

it's like riding a horse, compared to something you are just sitting on

 In general, its suspension is too soft

there are dual-sport bikes that have stiffer suspension

when it comes to small potholes or uneven roads

you are not worried. Somehow, you have peace of mind

of course not those extreme types of road conditions

just like this, normally if you're using a scooter, you'll avoid it

that's actually the first thing that struck me during our test ride. The suspension is very comfortable

what I like about it is you are not as anxious as before about what the road condition is right in front of you. It contributes to a more comfortable riding experience.

it still depends on the rider. But for me, it's a bonus. 

that's the biggest reason why I chose this bike as my horse when I tour Mindanao.

that's really high

especially when compared to the bigger sibling, the R1250GS which has a 185mm ground clearance

again, it adds peace of mind that most minor road obstacles will not stop you. For example, you need to go over gutters, deeper potholes, high humps etc

even on flooded areas or bumpy terrains, it has a higher chance of surviving

As you know, when we review bikes, we want to be as brutally honest as possible

at the start, it was hard for me to come up with the cons

eventually I found some but majority are minor concerns only but still worth mentioning.

When you shift gears, it feels rough. It's not as decisive. 

sometimes you can't feel if it already shifter to another gear

there are moments like that, and the travel between gears are short

it's hard to put it on neutral. 

I just don't know if it's just my bike and other owners don't experience it

shifting is not as smooth as other bikes I've tried

well I got used to it already

that's my biggest gripe or the thing that I didn't like

later during PMS we'll mention it and see if it will improve somehow

next cons are just minor ones

well older model bikes really have halogen lights, but it could've been better if it's already LEDs

at night, I wished it was brighter

although its brightness is ample and I didn't have a hard time, still LEDs will be better

New B6-compliant models launched in India already have LEDs

It's really cute and doesn't fit the muscular design 

when you look at vader, it's a relatively big bike

but when it beeps it's very cute

the sound is pretty standard but it's on the weaker side.

my Duke's horn sounds the same, only louder

What else.. it's like I'm just forcing to come up with cons

Again, too soft suspension also has its downside

especially on corners, it's less stable

you have to be careful when braking on corners

It's nitpicking because it's not his fault being an adventure bike

again, it comes with it. A high ground clearance, being a dual-sport bike and all

I included it still just so you know

you can adjust preload settings but only to some extent

again I'm 5'6 and really tiptoed. So if you're a newbie rider, this might be more challenging.

If you notice, there's not much cons

it was hard to find major faults. I'm not trying to flatter you Vader, but this is a solid package.

Yeah, just go ahead folks. Squeeze in that tight space.. which I can't because of the wide handle bars

Another pro.. yep, I'm forgetful. 

it's very easy to make a u-turn compared to other bikes

it's worth noting that being a single-cylinder bike, the vibration is there, but not that annoying. 

of course,  that's when you compare it to 2clinder bikes. I didn't include it in the cons because it's just how most single-cylinder bikes are.

it's very nimble

 It's not designed for speed.. especially topspeed

power has been enough for me for typical pacing. Unless you are riding with liter bikes with 140-150kph cruising speeds. You will want more oomph

like in Bicol, there are roads there where you can speed up safely

cruising speeds of 120kph will be fine with it

I can even consider it as my daily driver

some of you might be scratching your heads right now

of course,  smaller bikes like small scooters or underbones still win when it comes to beating the traffic and squeezing in tight spaces, but this is not far behind

there's also the fuel economy

but as I've  said, this is the sweet spot

it will not beat the smaller bikes on filtering through traffic, but it is still capable

and it's not as heavy and powerful as much bigger displacement bikes

which is very challenging when it comes to low speeds

for instance, on second gear, the engine is not stressed. Unlike bigger bikes who are very eager to speed up and upshift.

after the traffic light...

it's on the right side

you can immediately see it

"for service, sir?" 

let's hangout upstairs

You can see BMW owners in the South hanging out here

ohh F900XR is here!

I was surprised

Eversince I test drove the F900R, I was curious when the XR would come out

and then it suddenly appeared here

let's put down our stuff first

We're settled down and just wait for the bike. I will also share with you the cost of regular PMS

In the meantime, let's enjoy the XR

If there's an R1250GS, there's also an R1250R

the boxer engine is very prominent

It's like smaller version of the S1000XR

it's light

even the seat is lower

this is my bill (not final)

don't be too scared of big bike's bills

it's highly dependent on the model and what services or parts needed

our unit is already downstairs

at par with my guess. With my KTM before, it's also on that range

If you decided to buy a big bike, be ready for a bigger cost as well.

Here's the thing. Oil is changed every 5,000 kms compared to my 155cc scooter before which I change every 1,000kms (depends on the owner and type of riding). 

Especially since most of my rides are really long rides.

 If you compute them, the gap is not that big considering the displacements

let's head out

observation: It's easier to shift now

sure, you can argue that there are tons of options out there with that price and some are even expressway-legal

but most of them are not adventure bikes

those adventure bikes with the same price range like Royal Enfield or Versys X,

Either it's much heavier or personally, I don't like the design

in my opinion, it has the meanest style among the line up

I've used it for more than 10 months already

that's why we will use this for our Mindanao Tour