BMW OWNERS NEWS March 201272

Pushing the

g650gssertãohard in BajaBut first, a BMW press introduction in California

When BMW Motorrad introduces a

new model to their motorcycle fleet

there is always The Press Intro. These

take place all over the world. We’ve

covered them in South Africa, Ger-

many, Spain, and a lot of spots here in

the U.S. For the new BMW Sertão the

event was held at Rawhyde Adven-

tures near Castaic, CA. We sent Jon

Beck to test out the bike, which he

promptly took to Mexico ...

BMW

Ser

tão:

Firs

t Rid

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A redesigned and solidly mounted instrument cluster offers quick & easy reference to information without obstructing view. (Lomo Sprocket Rocket, Kodak Tri-X 400 b&w film)

Photos and review by Jonathan Beck #139270

March 2012 BMW OWNERS NEWS 73

Planted like a tree, the Sertao’s sidestand proved an ample base to keep the bike upright in a wide variety of terrain.(Nikon F5, 8mm lens, Kodak Ektachrome E100 reversal film)

The updated instruments cluster lacks some of the refinements of the larger GS models such as fuel and temperature gauges, but packs all the necessary information an enduro bike would need into a compact package. Emergency flasher and heated grip switches are places in the cowling to the left of the instrument cluster. (Kevin Wing photo)

updated styling for 2012 is evident throughout the bike. (Kevin Wing Photo)

Will Guyan of the BMW RA magazine On The Level was on hand for the unveiling of this new model, cameras & pen in hand. (Nikon F5, Efke KB100 b&w film)

Concerns among some about how the street tires would perform offroad were quickly assuaged. Rider Magazine editor Mark Tuttle may look concerned here, but slightly lower pressure helped keep the bike upright all day.

Even with street tires, the Sertao handled the slick conditions admirably. (NIkon F5, Kodak Ektachrome E100 reversal film)

BMW OWNERS NEWS March 201274

“WE GOTTA GET MOvING IF WE’RE going to arrive before dark.” At the time my comment was met with a slightly puzzled glance from my riding partner, as it was before noon and we should have only been a couple hours from our destination of Mike’s Sky Ranch in Baja, Mexico. “Time tends to get away from you,” was my reply to his glance. Looking at the ominous clouds hovering over Valle de la Trinidad to the southeast, I knew we were quite possi-bly in for some nasty conditions ahead. What were normally relatively smooth and fast fire roads had been transformed into a morass of mud and sand, and we were set to begin climbing into conditions that would only grow more severe.

Perfect conditions to test out a new bikeBMW’s first offering for 2012 is the Sertao, named after the badlands of northeastern Brazil. I figured Baja would be a fitting Latin alternative for a test run of this new bike. At first glance, the bike has hints of both the F800GS and F650 Dakar, and rightfully so. The chassis is similar to the older F650 model, and the styling is in keeping with the rest of the BMW line. A

The redesigned 650 single-cylinder powerplant was a bundle of good contradiction. Quiet and understated, it put out a surprising amount of low-end torque and never complained running at California freeway speeds all day. (Kevin Wing photo)

2012 BMW Sertaos lined up & drawing the attention of journalists at the Rawhyde training facility in California. (Lomo Sprocket Rocket, Fomapan 400 B&W film)

under the camouflage netting at the Rawhyde facility, Abby McDanial won the battle for organization of the press event. Abby is the mastermind behind a lot of press events, and does a fantastic job for BMW Motorrad. (Lomo Sprocket Rocket, Kodak Tri-X 400 film)

The road on the way to the famous Mike’s Sky Ranch in Baja, Mexico is perhaps the perfect testing ground for a new dualsport motorcycle. Mildly technical and unquestionably beautiful terrain made excessively difficult by rain, sleet, and snow turned what is normally a brief high-speed run up the hill into a 20-mile survival trek. Just keeping the bike upright in the grease mud near the top of the mountain was all but impossible. The Sertao arrived, unscathed & rubber side down. (NIkon 35Ti, Kodak Plus-X 125 film)

March 2012 BMW OWNERS NEWS 75

redesigned headlight, instrument cluster, and graphic scheme are among the details setting this bike apart visually from the rest.

If I were to select two words to describe the Sertao, they would most likely be understated and surprising. Thumbing the starter fires up a motor that is quiet and unusually smooth for a big thumper. In typical BMW fashion, the motor feels and sounds more calm and collected, rather than having a fire-breathing monster per-sonality. What is immediately surprising about this new powerplant is a massive low-end torque curve (the bike feels like it could wheelie at any time), and a top end that will easily carry the rider at freeway speeds, and beyond, all day long. Add to that the longer travel and Sachs suspension internals, and the bike had a very planted feel overall when riding offroad. The handling charac-teristics are notably improved over the F650/G650 models, perhaps by virtue of this longer travel. In particular, the Sertao’s shock offered much more confidence offroad, keeping the rear wheel planted and power to the ground, in spite of running the street-oriented tires in what were some very challenging conditions.

Speaking of those conditions, dirt varies from place to place in the world. This par-ticular spot happened to possess the kind of dirt that rivals lithium grease when wet. Couple that with a climb to over 4,000 feet, in the rain, and sleet, and snow, as darkness begins descending, and you have the mak-ings for an epic, challenging ride, or an epic disaster. Riding sideways almost as often as forward in the slick conditions, I felt more like I was on a skating rink than a dirt road. Wide bars, effective geometry, and rede-signed suspension all played a part in keep-ing the bike upright the entire time during the slimy climb up the San Pedro Martir Mountains. This was the Sertao’s first “real” ride outside of a brief test in Los Angeles for a press event, and the G650GS quickly became a friend on the trail.

Where this ride involved skating up a mountain in the rain, the next ride involved strapping a skateboard to the bike and heading in a different direction. Stay tuned, the adventure continues.

One of the sandy bits along Compadre trail bit Paul on his first Baja run, throwing the 1150 GS into the berm and Paul over the front. Bike & body were unscathed however, and continued on into ever worsening weather conditions. (Nikon 35Ti, Kodak Plus-X 125 film)

Manna deck, Indy trucks, and Stereo wheels, strapped to a BMW, with Arai XD3 helmet, in Mexico, at a pro-level skate pool designed by Tony Alva. There’s all kinds of good wrapped up in this photo.(Nikon F5, Kodak Portra 160NC print film)

A graded fireroad can change drastically after a rain. Even relatively mild changes such as the rain rut pictured here can prove disastrous if not negotiated correctly. (Lomo Sprocket Rocket, Fomapan 400 b&w film.)