Since 1972 Beach's Motorcycle Adventures have used BMW motorcycles on our European tours, and whenever possible on our other tours. Why? For the simple reason that for a long term [2 or 3 week] ride in a variety of conditions there are few bikes as versatile as a BMW.

Born and bred in Bavaria, on the northern rim of the Alps, BMW motorcycles are at home in the mountains, whether ridden solo or with a passenger.

There are motorcycles that surpass BMWs in certain areas - the razor sharp handling of a Ducati, the staggering power of a Yamaha V-Max, the highway comfort of a big Harley or Goldwing are some examples.

But move these machines out of their element and they are found lacking. 200 miles on a Ducati 998 is much too far for the comfort of most people, especially the passenger.

A very twisty mountain road is no fun day after day on a big bike like a Goldwing or a Harley. And the V-Max around corners with luggage and a passenger?

The competent handling of a BMW makes it an enjoyable ride in the mountains, and after a long day the passenger will dismount with a smile. The hard saddlebags available for all BMWs allow one to carry a reasonable amount of gear, and there is enough power to satisfy all but the most horsepower hungry riders.

There are few individual points unique to a BMW that make one hop off and say "wow, that bike is awesome." But at the end of a long tour through a variety of conditions and roads, the versatility of BMW motorcycles truly shine.

Most of BMW's models are available on Beach's Italian and Alpine tours:
The R1200R, R1200GS, F800ST, and the F650GS are the 'standard' models. Available as upgrades are the R1200ST, K1200R, R1200RT, K1200GT, R1200S and the K1200S. The  specifications are listed on the detail pages for each individual machine.

Why don't we offer the LT  line of BMW motorcycles for Alpine tours? See Rob Beach's "Thoughts on bike choices for a European tour" for some insight into Beach's company philosophy.

 

Thoughts on bike choices for a European tour