Wow BMW is never letting Ryan review another Beemer ever again after this massacre

That Heisenberg's uncertainty principle joke was genius!

Ryan, so much respect for making this review. It's telling that BMW is afraid of letting one of the most trusted motorcycle channels on youtube review their bikes. In the end, that's going to come back to bite them (and I say this as a happy owner of an old BMW).

This was just too good for youtube!!! You guys deserve a TV-show

"That's the motorcycle reviewing me-" The writing on this show. A+

“Can’t know the location and speed at the same time” Ryan F9: quantum physicist

I think for an ADV, reliability would be my number one concern. So I'd probably be going for one of the Japanese options.

“AL GORES NIGHTMARE” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 “sorry Greta” Ryan u crack me up bro

The level of raw, practical, functional knowledge combined with the consistent writing and delivery of this show continues to astonish me. New F9 videos are legitimately one of my favorite experiences. Two thumbs up to the whole team at #FortNine

At 1:10 - "we push cruddy air out... Sorry Greta." Classic Ryan F9. Sharp and witty in the moment with just few words. The man is a Genius! I'm not Canadian, but if he runs for PM of Canada, I'd vote for him!👍👍👍👍

Next : " our sales are down 30% Helmutt , why?? Why??? - its not my fault Herr Schnafell !! It was that guy in youtube!! "

Thank you for the great explanation on how BMW's version of VVT , VVD, VVL ... all the VV's work and their short comings. I love your videos and your no bullshit approach! I do not disagree with your overall assessment. But to be frank I do own a 2019 R1250 GS and the reason I chose it over other bikes is simply that it fits me and my needs (2 up long distance trips with camping gear for 3 to 4 weeks at a time) better than others on the market when I bought it. (Who knows what the future will bring!) There are a few details I disagree with. The GPS blocking the view of the speedometer is an easy fix. If you own the BMW GPS just set the screen to speedometer. I don't need to see where I am all of the time. If you don't own the GPS simply remove the cradle. The Hill Assist is engaged when you squeeze the bake lever hard and all you have to do to disengage it is squeeze the lever again and you are free to move the bike as you wish. I personally find it useless and avoid engaging it. The worst update is the Gear Shift Assist Pro, It does not work well at all on the upshift and makes shifting very abrupt. On the downshift it works okay. It is not really usable below 3rd gear. If I could have bought the bike without it I would have. The good thing is all you have to do to avoid it is use the clutch to shift! Reliability, there have been many problems over the past with faulty receiver antennas for the chip key, warping brake discs, leaky seals at the drive shaft and yes drive shaft failure to name a few. And if you think that they have all been taken care of think again. You still have to replace the driveshaft at 100,000 miles because it will fail. It can not last forever since it has sealed u joints that can not be greased. It is not a perfect bike because as everyone knows the perfect bike doesn't exist. So am I worried about the electronic actuation of the shift cam breaking? Yes. Is it a deterrent? No. There are other things that worry me more than a motor that is out of sync while I limp home. What if the TFT screen breaks and I can no longer adjust any of the parameters and have no access to any information. Will that shut down the bike? What if the electronically adjusted suspension breaks? I think I can still get home. But most of all what if the fly by wire throttle breaks? Now that will leave me stranded and that is my number one worry! But would a bike from a different brand in the same category be more reliable? Triumph has fly by wire, KTM has fly by wire, Yamaha has fly by wire and now even Suzuki. So is BMW the benchmark bike for technology? No! Is their new Shift Cam a technological advancement? Not really. But I have to say it performs well and the R1250GS is a well rounded bike that suits my needs and since I could afford it at the present time I decided to splurge. As for the lull in power I have to admit that I have not noticed it in the 7,000 kms I have put on the bike so far. I certainly will be looking for it now! Final note, today's large adventure bikes from the major manufacturers have a plethora of electronic aids that in my opinion limit their lifespan. I simply don't think that they are being built to be around 30 to 40 years from now. To Ryan F9 and the entire team at Fortnine, Keep up the great work, I really enjoy all of your videos they are extremely well done. Bravo!

The production of these videos is spectacular -- the music, the choreography, the editing, and of course the content. Stupendous.

"We push cruddy air out.....sorry Greta" "Our piston expels Al Gore's nigthmare" These are the quotes that keep me coming back! Oh, and the unbiased reviews and technical expertise - can't forget that 😉

"A dyslexic nightmare but a dual sport dream" -RyanF9

Ryan's honesty is what irks the moto-marketers, and endears him to those of us that ride. The writing and production though, makes these little movies worth watching for any and all...

Finally a brutally honest review of all stuff that can break..

Bought mine in February 2019, and had to have them pick it up a month later when it shut down after starting, with a ShiftCam error. The computer believed it failed to fully engage in High-HP mode (when it does initial tests, on start) and shut itself down for safety. Haven't had an issue since, but gave me *severe* pause for a bike I'd otherwise been loving. Now it's been another year and I haven't had any issues at all - I turned off the auto-hillstart right away, and it's super easy to manually engage when I want to, but otherwise the bike has been amazing. I use it exclusively on roads and highways, and it's the most comfortable bike I've ridden.

Brilliant! A man after my own heart. May the honesty never stop, Herr Kluftinger!

This channel produces pure gold They are the philosophers stone

On most channels new tech gets praised as the solution to everything, nice to see you putting your word out against needless complexity. Stuff like this special oil cap need a special kind of engineer to come up with, ridiculous. Kee up your great work :)

2:53 true canadian in that volvo

Great review Ryan, when you consider that most GS’s are mostly used for touring there are much cheaper options out there but for similar money the new 2020 XR gives impeccable performance and also puts a smile on your face!

Brutally honest review another great video! I loved the engine explanation as well really gave insight into the workings and reasoning behind your review.

I gotta say, FORGET about the bike...I love seeing how far you've come! Your review became something that should be in like a "The Bike Section" in Top-Gear/The Grand Tour! Well done Ryan (and the entire FortNine team of course!) Keep it up!!

This mans honesty is why he's at the top of the list. The other guys continue to enjoy their paid for mini vacations and nice press rides and then don't say shit in fear of never returning. I have yet to hear anyone mention the feeling of that powerband.

When I first saw the solenoid, my reaction was “what idiot puts electrical devices in a high heat environment like that ???”. Nice single point failure mode ! Nice review of the situation 👍

Another great vid Ryan, keep up the good work! Biggest diff w GS's is post 2013 going from oil to water cool and all the tech extras. I own 2016 GS 1200 and don't see the need for the 1250 "upgrades". This bike is so great, hard to make better. Excited to see what they can do in the electric space.

Finally someone willing to take a shot at the almighty GS1250. I love your honesty Ryan!

The heisenberg uncertainty got me XD

Well I'm a BMW motorrad tech in the UK, And we are the Number one dealer in the UK, We have not had a single shift cam actuator fail yet.. and we have seen some bikes with 60k+ miles already.. just saying..

I've owned a Honda VFR800 for 90,000km so far. I still think that VTEC is a solution to a problem nobody actually had. There is no way that you could ever accuse it of being smooth when it transitions. I love the bike, but I do prefer the KISS principle more though. I'm not quite grey enough to make the leap to a Beemer....yet. Excellent review, I'll repeat what everyone else says, you deserve a paying gig for your quality of program.

BMW was kinda forced into this. The #1 complaint from GS riders is "OMG WE NEED MOAR POWER THE 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE HAS 160HP!!" It's absurd, but these are customers spending LOTS of money and much as BMW would like to ignore them, something needed to be done. But we're dealing with a boxer engine better suited for a tractor than a pretend-superbike performance, while at the same time going to be used worldwide with widely different grades and qualities of fuel. Hence, the Shiftcam. People get their moar power when they make the poor engine start screaming at >5000 rpm, but for 99.8% of the bike's intended operation (low revs with gobs of torque) it remains the same as the previous R1200GS - in other words, perfect. For most GS owners, it was a convenient excuse to trade up to a new bike. Signed, a 2018 R1200GS owner who got it at a great deal because everyone skipped this one waiting for the 1250. And the funniest thing - I traded up from a V-Strom to the GS, whereas if I had been a bit more patient, I could have had the new V-Strom (best bang for the buck motorcycle on the planet) and been quite satisfied

I just liked a video where Ryan trashed my new bike. Oh the humanity.

Use the screwdriver handle to open the oil cap. Also if you depress the brake lever again to release the hill start control

Your reviews of motorcycles is genius. Fair honest evaluation is what we like!

This type of motorcycle content is what we all need. Nobody would think to take off the valve cover on a bike just to prove a point.

8:30 What the actual hell is this. Are manufacturers going THIS far to stop people from working on their own machines?

This channel is GREAT! Best quality in any motorcycle reviews I've seen! Keep it up!

Always quality videos, consistently the best motorcycle content on you tube.

True reviews as always!! Not any rubbish from the manufacturer forwarded like other reviewers..

BMW 1250GS: the weird science teacher who uses quadratic equations as his passwords KTM 1290SA: the PE teacher drinking Mountain Dew at 4 am Honda Africa Twin: the shop teacher who lets you sneak a beer Triumph Tiger: the choir director

Ryan, The oil cap tool is part of the screw driver handle located under the seat. Been that way for years.

And this is why I am sticking with my 2003 R1150GSA. Thank you for your honest review.

I’m still waiting for the first FreeValve bike.

SPOILER ALERT: OH SH*T THE STROM!!

Ryan, thank you for your straightforward reporting.

I wish there would be more knowledgable and honest reviews like this out there. Thanks

I own one of these and I still enjoyed the review. Expensive yes, over complex granted. A little perspective though... This is still a great motorcycle to ride. More torque than the previous model, more power and better fuel economy. Same GS handling and all day comfort. I did a trip from UK to Dolomites in Italy last summer two up with full luggage. This bike will sit at slightly illegal speeds all day long, fully loaded and still return good fuel economy. It will also pull out of an uphill hairpin in second gear again two up and fully loaded without without breaking sweat. Yes the cam profile is only optimum in two places but in reality all you feel is bags of torque and power everywhere from a super smooth engine. Love Fortnine reviews and factually this one is spot on but go ride one before you dismiss it.

Where were you when I was studying mechanical engineering, you explained all the concepts more beautifully and in an easy manner than all the professors or textbooks in my university ever could, thanks for making reviews like these. 👍🏻

Awesome! Only discovered your channel last week but watching through as many videos as I can. This one in particular is showing the honesty behind all this. You’re right in every word you say (ah, and I’m German driving the AT).

I think you hit the nail on the head about the reliability concern. I have an F800ST, and while everyone praises the durability of the F800 engine itself, there are so many electronics that can and do go bad on them. I've been dealing with a glitch for about 2 months now and solving it has been a huge pain. Suzuki is the polar opposite. Yes, electrical parts can go bad on any bike, but the only part that went "bad" on a GSX650F (that was incidentally 2 years older than the F800ST) was the neutral/gear indicator, wherein it'd show the wrong gear at low speeds. I feel like Suzuki's tech is dated, but at least it's well-tested. So as someone whose only vehicle is a motorcycle, I'd rather have that any day. If BMW's engines and mechanicals are as strong as a certain mythical Greek warrior, then their electricals, peripherals, and stupid specialized tools are like his heel.

The VTEC part had me dying 🤣

Your honesty, is amazing almost as great as the quality of the program itself!

Thanks for your honest review, noone on youtube is like you guys.

All very true and well put. Still love the 1250 GS, it's just so nice to be on.

Dude, off all the reviews on Yt. Yours are the absolute best! Keep up the good work!

FINALLY is all I have to say. If someone was going to say it out loud, it was you. Thanks.

Damn, good video man! Still have and love my 1150GS, thought about upgrading but both the aesthetics and the electronic nature of its newer iterations kept me from it. Keep up this amazing content!!!

Thank you for your honest opinion, I would love to see an honest review from you on the new F850 GSA.

"Needless Complexity" is the hallmark of German engineering.

Again, always a good objective, scio-mechanical explanation of motor function and theorem around the reasoning behind the madness. Just saved me $30,000ºº

knowledge, presentation style and honesty.....a rare combo for motor journos these days

i absolutely love this no BS approach to your reviews also, Ryan Kluftinger!? i never knew 😭

The epitomy of savage. Dude you made my day. I'm keeping my ETV 1000 Caponord Rally Raid for ETERNITY.

Most honest review i ever saw of r1250gs...

Production quality unmatched

Much respect of honesty in review.

That video made sense! I'm glad I can watch a video where the end point is: Please BMW, make your bikes simple. There is nothing wrong with having a flagship bike on the lineup to attract customers to dealerships. But there is something very wrong to fill the bikes with over-integrated technology nobody else than the seller can maintain. Car manufacturers are following the same trend, pushing customers back to their dealer. Bikes should have every reason to offer an alternative to that serfdom. Make bikes light so they are manageable, make them simple so they can easily be repaired.

3:10 had me laughing my lungs out 😁 You guys do seriously great reviews, it's amazing (and a bit sad) how refreshing an honest review is nowadays

Great video Ryan, lots of good points to think about there BMW. I test rode many big adventure/sports tourer's before deciding on a bike to take over from my old faithful Yamaha Fazer thou' after 21 years. Still ended up with a R1250GS slightly reluctantly, there is a reason they are so popular.

Every time you make a video, it hits the spot!

Great video as ever Ryan, and I have to agree with you that the Suzuki VV solution is far more elegant in engineering terms (at least to me anyway). All that said, I still love my GS....sorry about that!

One of the best reviews i've seen in a while. Great job!

It's been over a year since this video was produced and I hope by now he's figured out the Oil Cap wrench is the screwdriver handle. Needless bashing Ryan's part, but I love his videos, and I still see he rides a BMW. Still, I traded my K1600GTL for a new '21 R1250 GSA, even after watching this. Love it, and the versatility. Step up the pace Ryan. We want more.

The wrench for the filler cap is situated underneath the saddle 😉 Hill start control pro can be actived manually by pulling hard on the break, if not it doesn't engage 😁 Would love to see you review the new Multi and Tracer 👍 Keep up the excellent work.

please don't stop uploading I never knew I could love another man in a non gay way until now

At long last an honest review! Thank you!

Over the years, I watched this honestly great review so many times, but since day one I have some problems with it. 1. The 1250 is just a facelift of the K50 generation, nothing groundbreaking new to be expected, but I take the extra 20Nm and 10hp without complaining. 2. Why invent the wheel new with Shift cam, if there is already the tech out there. While regular riding almost all the times the large cam is active. Reading the ECU, it switches already as low as 33% throttle at 1150rpm and this line moves linearly to 16% at 4900rpm. The two power humps are an emission thing, but can be smoothed out by adjusted fueling, but the 1200 had already the same issue as well. 3. The special oil filler cap tool is the screwdriver handle underneath the pillion seat, but that's written in the forbidden book. 4. Auto Hill Start Control can be disengaged by a firm grip on the brake lever. In the settings you can select between auto, manual and off. Some truly annoying thing you have missed out is the windshield that can't be operated at higher speeds and flatters like a cow's tail. With that, best of wishes from Bavaria.

By far the best unbiased review for motorcycles. 👍👍👍

I like my 2006 gs without esa,it's rugged and fun,even a monkey cand adjust the valve clearence and ill make a lot of repairs with my spare 18.000 euros so no....i won't upgrade anytime soon

Thank you for articulating what I only had gut feelings about. I absolutely adored my 2011 R1200GSA oilhead, with its tractor manners and relative simplicity. So having sold it when I moved to Europe, I thought I’d get one of these new 1250s to replace it. But something about the price plus the mass of gadgetry put me off. Did I want more than the old 110 hp? Did I need a fancy multimodal display? And my service costs were already through the roof on the old Bimmer-what was the new pain going to be? So I hesitated, bought a used interim bike while I thought it over. With all the choices out there, I am afraid I’ll have to cut the BMW patches off my Rallye jacket. I still haven’t made up my mind, and the “interim” bike is a lot of fun, so again, thanks for saying what I imagine a lot of us were thinking. I feel liberated.

I think the tech was intended more for non GS platforms using the same motor, but it made sense for them to make it apply to all 1250cc bikes rather than keep the old 1200 design on just the GS. You’d be surprised how many GS owners don’t do that much off road and utilize the shift-cam tech.

I’m late to this party but Ryan (and crew) just thank you. I’m not interested in a GS 1250 or any GS for that matter, they really aren’t my thing at all, yet, I watched and enjoyed every second, this truly is great media, you deserve to be very proud.

The GS/GSA are touring bikes that appeal to the sense of "rugged outdoorism" that some of us really like... but almost NOBODY does any rugged outdoorism'ing on them. When I'm in Germany (couple times a year lucky me) I always try to get a weekend free to rent a GS and go somewhere fun, it's a lovely tarmac touring bike. Would I take it instead of my Multi on a sport touring romp... no... would I take it instead of a KTM 790ADV on an offroad romp... no. Would I ever buy one myself... well no. BUT, I do appreciate it for what it is, a great all-arounder.

Dissing a GS?! "How Dare You". LOL!

Ryan, the stopped clock analogy was precisely the one I saw when thinking of shift cam. You are a genius (like me!) and a credit to your craft -- one of the few reviewers who speak honestly of motorcycles. PS I own a 2015 R1200R - because it's a great road bike motor.....and always was.

Ryan you're hilarious! Please don't stop. Excellent video for its informative content presented in a humorously serious way. 10/10 here in YUL

I recently just quit my job at a motorcycle dealership, right when I started the 1250 GS came out and we were selling them, they're fun there a lot of awesome bikes to ride. But you're totally right about not being able to walk out the door for under 30k, I used to have customers spend upwards closer to 40, on new farkles for their bike. Some customers are even trading in their 2018 1200 gs for a new one, I will admit that I was little brainwashed by the company, something about being a 20-year old kid working around motorcycles tends to make you see things from a manufacturer's perspective. All that being said I agree with you 99% the only problem is the only reason this bike came out with the extra lawn mower inside of it compared to the previous generation is for BMW to make money off of the California Rich late 50s winery owners. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I do know that BMW has a hard time getting young people on the train as well. I don't think BMW makes bikes for motorcyclists anymore, just a bunch of garage pieces for men that have the other 4 bikes to ride as well for all reasons you have above.

My Yamaha R15 also has variable valve accusation. It has 2 intake valve. It changes the valve when the bike reaches 7000rpm. To allow more air into the engine.

3:56 the soundtrack killed me :D you guys are geniuses

This channel is so underrated

Genius!! You are the best!! Greeting from the Québec!! La belle province!!!

As a previous BMW owner, all I heard was “and the repair costs are...”

You had me at "Shin Shattering". Love your content, keep it up!

wow, that was amazing... 'the bike is light years ahead of me in that it obeys the Heisenberg uncertainty principle".... GOLD!

That intro... goes for most new bikes!

If you've never heard of it, might I suggest checking out the 'Deltic' engine used on UK locomotives in the 60's. 18 cylinders, 36 opposed pistons, three crankshafts, two-stroke (no valves) diesel ! Beautiful engineering. (PS: Deltic after 'Delta'; triangular, not from diesel/electric as some think )

84 Countries and more than 270k kms our F800GS & 650GS twin served us very well. Monster 1200++ bikes and ultra-tech honestly have little place in the wild. Keep the great and honest vids coming.

Superbly presented and produced and easy to understand. Top YT guy in my opinion.