BMW R 12 G/S TuneUp

At 1000PS, the BMW R 12 G/S didn't become a rally machine but a fast road build: firm suspension, adventure looks, protection parts, Akrapovič sound and plenty of character for the Newchurch Summit.

Rarely has a project bike sparked such emotional debates at 1000PS as this BMW R 12 G/S. The rough direction was clear: head west, towards the Newchurch Summit, towards Neukirchen am Großvenediger. But what should this G/S become? An off-road brawler we throw into the dirt? Or a road bike that's properly fast and properly awesome on tarmac? Hand on heart: I was pretty much alone with the second opinion. So, in true Nils fashion, I talked about "the voices" when I actually meant my own voice. Childish, but at least honest. The truth: this bike is too beautiful for me to throw off-road for no reason. On the road it rides straight into your heart, and that's exactly where we wanted to sharpen the build without completely exorcising its wild G/S soul.

Of course we couldn't leave the off-road faction without at least a visual consolation prize. Up front sits a Wunderlich headlight guard, and the wheels wear Bridgestone AT41 tyres. That's exactly the tyre that makes sense for this project: it looks like adventure, chunky tread and mountain air, but delivers the road technology we were really after. Stability, smoothness, grip and above all wet grip shouldn't smell of gravel pit, but of clean cornering. Put bluntly: the AT41 is the little con I'm happy to fall for. It has the looks of a knobbly adventure tyre but the manners of a road tyre. Two drawbacks remain: the block design offers edges for wear, and on smooth tarmac it isn't as quiet as a pure-bred road tyre. For this build the deal is still a clean one, because the looks don't work against the riding feel.

The heart of the build isn't in the stickers or the sound, but in the suspension. Up front, the fork runs Öhlins internals; at the rear, the shock was configured to turn the long G/S suspension travel into something that feels almost like a supermoto. The whole package was set up at Bike Performance in Eggendorf, and they've turned the well-behaved heritage enduro into a very precise, crisp, hard sports tool. This point matters: despite the long travel, the bike sits firmly, gives clear feedback and doesn't tip into corners in a spongy way. For a roughly 500 km tour, I opened the damping by 6 clicks at the front and 4 clicks at the rear. After that it stayed firm, but not horribly hard. Combined with the gorgeous stock seat it works surprisingly well, even if the basic direction remains clearly sporty.

On the one hand, we now have a suspension you could theoretically take to a supermoto track or even a race track. On the other hand, this base still carries the idea of a true G/S. That's exactly what makes the build exciting. We wouldn't have to buy new forks again, hunt for a new shock again or start from scratch again. With small setup changes, we could turn it into a rally machine later on. That's handy for resale, but also for our usual 1000PS brain gymnastics, where today the tarmac calls and next year it might be the gravel again. For now, though, she's our summit stormer for the Newchurch Summit. She wants to stab precisely through the road, not stand in front of the hotel as decoration. It's exactly this versatility that keeps the project alive.

Unfortunately, the bike has already had its baptism of fire. Our two-time world champion Bernd Hiemer wanted to show what the machine is capable of, and then somehow it didn't quite work out the way he'd imagined. Whether he overestimated or underestimated the front wheel, we'll graciously leave open. Either way, the result was a trip into the gravel trap. The good news: the BMW R 12 G/S can take a beating, and the protection parts helped exactly where they were supposed to. We're putting the video online here.

The axle protectors did their job front and rear, and the shaft drive protection was especially important, because a scratch there can quickly get really expensive. The engine crash bar didn't contribute much in this particular type of crash, but it'll be a blessing on gravel. We tested all this for you out of pure brotherly love, so please appreciate it. And Bernd Hiemer had to learn to appreciate an important Austrian tradition: anyone who crashes without getting hurt gets mercilessly taken the piss out of. No matter how many world titles you have!

Alongside the headlight guard, practical Wunderlich parts also found their way onto the bike. The volume-adjustable tank bag with click mechanism takes a moment to get used to, then opening and closing works cleanly and quickly. The clutch and brake levers are a real success. They sit nicely in the hand, the reach fits and they simply feel right on the ride out. That sounds like a small detail, but on a build it's crucial. If the lever doesn't fit your hand, you won't care about the whole big build after three corners. Ergonomics wins quietly, but mercilessly.

Akrapovič exhaust systems need little explanation in this community. They have image, they have standing, and they deliver that sonorous, deep, laid-back sound without the bike becoming obnoxious. For lovers of charismatic motorcycle sound, it's a perfect fit. Here's the link to the fitted system. Even crazier, in my view, are the Akrapovič titanium footpegs. Footpegs are actually a mundane component. You put your boot on them, done. But when a company with this level of technical obsession builds such a part, suddenly you get something that genuinely puts a smile on your face while riding. The grip is breathtakingly good, the looks are awesome, and yes, it's only sensible up to a point. But it's exactly these small, unreasonable parts that turn a build from a mere configuration into a bike you love looking at, love touching and love riding. It's allowed to be fun.

The Newchurch Summit wasn't just the destination of the ride out, but also the perfect setting for this bike. 1000PS celebrates there with the community, with exhibitors, with test rides and with people who don't just consume motorcycling but live it. At the end of June, Neukirchen am Großvenediger becomes a huge meeting point, and anyone who missed it in 2026 should mark it down for next year (17 - 20 June 2027). BMW Motorrad brought around 30 test bikes this year, including several R 12 G/S. We didn't just hand our project bike to anyone, though. The production bikes were there for test rides; our build was the emotional key magnet at the 1000PS stand. That's how it should be with a bike close to your heart.

With the R 12 G/S, BMW has pulled off a stroke of genius. They're basically selling us a bike from which they've taken away things they'd previously sold us at a premium for years as progress. Then they sell us the taking-away as charm. Business savvy at its finest, and the absurd thing is: it works. You get a bike like in the old days, but with today's technology and, unfortunately, at today's price too. That's exactly why this machine rides straight into your heart. It can't be perfectly explained, but anyone who has ridden it understands pretty quickly why the fight for the key at 1000PS gets so fierce. On the ride out, colleagues were queuing up. Not because they'd all studied a spreadsheet of power-to-weight ratios, but because this BMW has character. And in real life, character often beats reason.

Öhlins BM 320 shock absorber

The Öhlins BM 320 shock is one of the key parts on the bike. This is exactly where the near-stock G/S turns into a much sharper road bike. The shock offers rebound and compression adjustment, plus hydraulic spring preload via an adjuster knob. That sounds dry, but in everyday use it's worth its weight in gold, because you're not nailing the bike down to a single purpose. Solo ride out, luggage, fast tarmac, maybe more off-road later: that's exactly why you need adjustment range. Particularly exciting is the progressive damping with 2-piston technology. When the shock compresses very deeply, it builds up more resistance at the end of its stroke, preventing it from bottoming out.

Öhlins FK 127 fork cartridge

Up front, the Öhlins FK 127 fork cartridge works with NIX technology and 30 mm pistons. Here too, it's not about gold parts for the photo, but about control at the front wheel. Compression and rebound are adjustable, and fork springs and oil can be chosen to suit rider weight and intended use. That was exactly what mattered to us. This G/S should now work firmly and precisely on the road, but not be built into a dead end. If we want to go more towards mixed or off-road later, the setup can be changed again via springs and oil.

Öhlins 08434-65 fork springs

The Öhlins 08434-65 fork springs are the matching mechanical foundation for the desired setup. The springs are 445 mm long with a spring rate of 6.5 N/mm and are supplied in pairs. Figures like these seem unspectacular at first, but this is exactly where it's decided whether a bike stays composed at the front under hard braking or dives in a spongy way. With our R 12 G/S the goal was clear: more precision, more support, more sportiness on the road.

Öhlins SD20 059 titanium steering damper

The Öhlins SD20 059 titanium steering damper suits the sportier approach of the build. When a bike with a 21-inch front wheel, long suspension travel and a broad range of use is set up firmer, you want calm at the front. Not overdamped, not sluggish, but controlled. That's exactly what the steering damper is for. It's not meant to sell false security, but to settle the front when speed, bumps and a sporty riding style come together.

The suspension was set up at Bike Performance in Eggendorf.

The livery comes from Moto-Styles in Regau. Gabriel and Sebastian created a timeless Newchurch Summit design for our R 12 G/S, with wraps in a rugged off-road finish. Exactly the right direction: not too much, not too little. On a bike like the R 12 G/S, the livery mustn't scream, otherwise the whole machine looks like it's in fancy dress. At the same time, a 1000PS project bike naturally needs to be recognisable. Particularly handy: cutting templates were created during the process. This means future liveries can be produced faster and more cheaply, not just for 1000PS, but in principle for other R 12 G/S owners too. That's not bling-bling, that's solid groundwork.

https://www.moto-styles.shop

• Adjustable clutch lever
• Adjustable brake lever
• Headlight mask
• Axle protection pads
• Crash pads
• Shaft drive guard
• Engine guard
• Crash bar
• Mirrors
• Tank ring, tank bag + mounting plate

All Wunderlich parts for the BMW R 12 G/S.

For this story we were out and about in the region around Neukirchen am Großvenediger. The Salzburg market town has become a hotspot of the motorcycle scene. For more than 20 years, it has hosted fantastic motorcycle festivals, with riders enjoying mountains, bends and hospitality. Since 2026, 1000PS has been on board as co-organiser of the Newchurch Summit. We look forward to joint motorcycle tours on site with our community and our 1000PS colleagues. Everything about the Newchurch Summit 2026 here:

• Event report video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd3a3SQ5tQc
• Newchurch Summit photos 2026
• Newchurch Summit 2027 (Save the date: 17 to 20 June!)