Almost 2 years with an increasingly unreliable BMW F650GS Dakar meant I had lost confidence in travelling very far and getting back home again !

Chasing after friends on bigger GS's (1100, 1150 and 1200's) convinced me I needed more horsepower. The 650 was fine off-road or exploring country lanes, but was hard work on the motorway.

A BMW R1200 GS beckoned...

The 1200 is a VERY good all-rounder. Devouring Motorways or scratching country lanes are no problems. The handling is superb and it is very comfortable for all day touring.

I have taken the 1200 off-road many times and find it surprisingly capable (more capable than me anyhow).

I have made several long distance trips overseas, to the Picos de Europa in Spain and a tour of the Alps/Tirol and Dolomites, Horizons Unlimited Mountain Madness and Germany & Poland.

Accessories include BMW panniers, Givi Top Box with backrest, SW Motech crash bars, Garmin Quest GPS, accessory power socket (for GPS), Autocom (intercom, iPod and phone), Touratech headlamp and hand guards and Touratech spot lamps, but I am sure it won't stop there!

The Autocom unit is fitted inside my top box under a "false base". This keeps things nice and tidy, but easily accessible. Power and rider/pillion leads are under the rear seat and I also have a 4-way 12v power socket to charge phone, camera and iPod etc.