Hugely retro-cool; great all-rounder;
heap of fun
Lack of wind protection;
dash info hard to read
weight stakes at 221kg too but, happily, it’s not
apparent most of the time, except when trying
to back it uphill out of a tight Auckland park.
I would not be taking this into mud, sand
or gravel by choice, and to be fair, I suspect
that’s why they’ve named it the Urban. BMW
claim a top speed of over 200km/h, I didn’t
get too near that and I will take them at
their word, but a day at the track to find out,
would be on the agenda, were I to own it.
The G/S has a retro, ‘rally’ style appearance - a
naked, well toned, turned out look. It will suit a New
Zealand rider with access to great country roads,
maybe a bit of commuting and offering a bright
‘café’ look to boot. Were I rich enough to have a
stable of bikes, this would certainly become the
‘go to’ bike of choice for any errand, zap to the
beach, or country hoon. Every day aboard, I grew
more and more fond of it, and wasn’t keen to send
it back. Frankly, I think that’s the real test for the
likelihood of successful long term ownership. Is it
retro? Yes, a bit. Fun? Damn right. Cool? Hell, yes.
KIWI RIDER 81