BMW R1250 GSA vs KTM 1290 SAS | Big ADV Flagship Battle - Which one is the best?

There's an ongoing debate on big ADV market, just like the the Samsung VS Iphone debate. We had to perform this test just to find out which one is the best. Check out the video and leave us your impressions in the comment section below.

[@traviscarter9300]

Nobody mentions the KTM is significant less money. I bought my 22 sas for 17k. 18k after tech pack. BMW even on sale was 23k. Huge difference.

[@philt1719]

I paid 19k for my GSA with black Ali full luggage…..you just gotta get the right dealer to do the deal 👍

[@Inked_CR]

That ktm will 11k in a 6 months 😂

[@feloniousmonk3049]

I just got $2500 US off of MSRP on a 20231250 GS Rallye. Resale value on a 1250 GS is exceptionally good.

[@SteveHofsaess]

@@Inked_CR Can you please find me one for 11k,, I am ready to buy

[@GsBotond]

Check the ktm value after 2 years and check the Gs 😅 ktm not really keeps the value.

[@christianmouraux7269]

I have had both motorcycles, both are great. To some aspects I prefer one to the other, but overall, I choose the KTM for the fun factor!

[@signore-solomonare1818]

3:46 The guy walking pass was like “Damn, what are those bikes! I gotta get myself one of those “ 😂

[@rustynorris7]

Good to see you back. Keep up the good reviews. Thank you !

[@RacingandAdventure]

Thank you!

[@linnet.5886]

Great to see you back again keep up the brilliant work 👍 22.00

[@skyworks1621]

I do miss my new stolen1290 SAS from 2022. It was a monster, great comfort with ktm power parts seat, only small negative was hard and jumpy suspension on bad roads.

[@SimpleDialogue]

Great job keep them coming 👍

[@judotaffy]

Great review guys!

[@Shifter_83]

I have a SAS, bought in May 2021 when the new model was released. After 5000 miles I am in love. Just had to sort it out, which to me is part of creating a relationship with the bike. All i have to do ergonomic wise was to put 57mm OEM bar risers with 10 degree offset towards rider and a comfort seat plus Dunlop Roadsmart 4 tires. I like bike engine and handling so much, that I don't ride my sport bike anymore. Recently tried a GSA 1200 of a friend of mine and totally dislike it. No connection with the road, no excitement. I can see why people like it so much, but to me KTM has much more character and it is the superior bike.

[@RacingandAdventure]

Nice setup, congrats!

[@sd5458]

Not to mention the technology on the SAS is far superior to what BMW has in the GSA.

[@MrAlphadeltabravo]

6 x KTM owner for 20 years including 2 1290s. I run a GSA for long distance 2UP touring which the SA was good but not quite as brilliant when you're not pushing the whole time. For rider only, I'd say the SuperdukeGT was the better option over the SA for fast road use over distance.

[@liviustefan9427]

I think a better competitor for KTM 1290 is the BMW S1000XR, not the GSA!!!

[@ktm1290adv]

LOL the 1290 is à trail too

[@Sasa-fp6ix]

I picked up my brand new GSA Trophy 2 months ago and made 4500km already, including beautiful and amazing Romanian Transalpina and Transfagarash. As ex (and current as well) owner of Tracer 900, which is a synonym for 3 cill wildness, I am still in love with him, I simply and entirely fell in love with my new BMW. Aside from comfort, which was one of the reasons for selection, I am so impressed and even sometimes feared with the level of confidence for leaning and cornering that GSA giving me. No regret for the single cent I paid for it.

[@RacingandAdventure]

Congrat! Enjoy!

[@wojciechsochon382]

Weź na testy ktm super adventure 1290 s zobaczysz różnice 😊

[@desmondyang1018]

BMW being shaft drive is a much better choice for touring. Better after sales support helps too as the brand BMW is well supported in Thailand and Malaysia where I do most of my touring rides. Use the Z900RS for the frequent short fun rides…..😃

[@feloniousmonk3049]

You will see far, far more Africa Twins and BMW 1250 GSA's in Alaska in the summer time with out of state plates, than you ever will KTM's. Speaks volumes about support and reliability.

[@roadglide]

Both of these bikes can be ridden with scalpel precision. Both are boss. Whatever speaks to you. If you want to dance you gotta pay the band.

[@jvl4832]

As a big adventure bike , BMW is the more reasonable and perhaps the more mature choice. If I wanted a hooligan bike , I wouldn’t look for it in this category . Both bikes have more than enough power for most riders and their skill sets. Tired of hearing cliché statements that the gs is for older riders. Most open minded riders who have tried a gs are often amazed how good the bike is. Whatever bike you ride , enjoy and ride safe.

[@benkelly2190]

Bikes are like beer and women! Very personal to the individual. Anyone with an open mind, will make he’s or hers, own choice. I’ve had several GS’s and they are good. Not for me anymore. I need some excitement in my ride.

[@angeltorresmenta1381]

​@@benkelly2190por eso necesitas a las bestia KTM 😁

[@ridewitholdgrizz582]

It's not a question of which one is better. To the purchaser it's about, do you prefer a vertical twin with lots of instant torque or the boxer twin. Do you prefer a shaft drive or do you prefer a chain. Neither one is better than the other, totally different animals. Also to the purchaser, wher is your nearest dealer. Here in the north, I have a KTM dealer a few miles away, the nearest BMW dealer is 500 miles away Neither one is BEST.. ITS ABPUT WHAT ONE FITS YOUR NEEDS.

[@mrh0wler353]

Great analysis of two great bikes. Appreciate the vibration comments because I enjoy hours in the saddle and don't enjoy numb hands or feet. Maybe the BMW 1600 is a better choice because of it's lower engine speed?

[@RacingandAdventure]

The 1600 feels like a magic carpet.

[@ulaskvlcm]

I have a KTM, its not vibrate too much, maybe you should check the balance of tires.

[@markgerlach6920]

I want my bike to make me giggle when I twist the throttle, my GS didn’t do that but my SA does!

[@RacingandAdventure]

Fair point!

[@Inked_CR]

Do you also want your bike to be at the side of the road?

[@markgerlach6920]

@@Inked_CR I can only speak from my personal experience, my 2015 has over 45k on it and it has been very dependable, sorry if you have experienced different.

[@albertol1529]

Excellent review using perfect English, and perfect English grammar….in your second language too! I really enjoyed it. I bought an RT over the GSA because of the weather protection, electronics and the the ACC……oh and the luggage in the price…though I did buy a top box with the bike. The next bike I’ll get, will be the new 1300/1400 GSA. It’s simple, the roads in the UK are an utter disgrace. We’re like a third world country now. Around virtually every corner, you risk your life, even in a car. On a bike, you can end up doing serious damage to yourself and the bike. The suspension travel on the GSA, is almost double that of the RT. If you hit a pothole, the bike will survive, and you’ve got a better chance of survival. The state of the roads will never improve whilst we have a government hell bent on misadventure rather than focusing on our own country. Billions of Pounds wasted on Global Britain which is just Empire Version 2 in disguise. Your roads in Romania look much better! The KTM has another big disadvantage, in my mind. It has a chain and if you’re like me, and hate cleaning your bike, the shaft is a winner every time. Having seen chains wrap around rear wheels, twice in the 1970s, I’d never have a chain because I’d have to clean, inspect and adjust the chain. I had an Aprilia Futura 1000 RST. That was an amazing bike to look at. It was my very first bike, but it spent virtually all of my ownership with the electronics not working. It had a chain, and it was a nightmare. The Scotoiler installed on it used to throw lubricant everywhere that you get paranoid about your brake and tyre. It’s also crap to have a chain when you’re commuting in all weathers. I’ve had my new RT since November 2022. It’s done 6400 miles in 6.5 months of riding (month and a half off working from home over December and January) and been washed 6 times. …..try doing that on a bike with a chain.

[@RacingandAdventure]

Congrats on your purchase! You have an amazing motorcycle. What colour did you choose?

[@albertol1529]

@@RacingandAdventure I bought a white one, because it was second hand. You may remember around September 2022 BMW closed down production for a while. They were only selling stock bikes. I wanted ACC but no radio, but every new bike fitted with ACC had the radio. I found a 4500 mile/7400km 2021 plate with all 719 options fitted (normal seat though) with crash bars, lowered pegs and Akrapovic, and had a brand new top box for £18200/€21300. I didn’t want the option719 wheels, engine bits etc because I knew I’d be doing 20k miles/ 32k km a year. However, the bike still looks great, and the Option 719 stuff makes the bike look great too. Your review on the RT is actually one of the things that made my mind up, but I will be buying the GSA next. I actually had the pegs down the other day, not intentionally. I wonder of you could tell me what lean angle you’ve had on your GSA. My RT shocked me because it was only 37deg. I thought I’d touched the cylinder head or crash bars down. Then when I got home I saw the sensor/point but under the peg had lost a few mm. when it happened I stood the bike up, because of my worry of the engine. 37 deg is rubbish! I’m not a hooliganism by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn’t seem much of a lean.

[@RacingandAdventure]

@@albertol1529 The white one is the best looking. The GS ground clearance is bigger than the one on the RT, therefore the lean angle is a lot more genorous.

[@viclazo2839]

KTM is definitly much sportier bike, much more related to the road and probably the only one in this class where you have a real feedback from the front wheel. This is not the real speciality of adventure bikes, but KTM makes it possible. On driving performance, engine power, curve speed and permanent pressure from 3.500 up to > 9.000 rpm, significantly above BMW... a real beast! BWW is as you correctly said, a comfortable chair, falling easily into the curve angles but with visible missing transparency what's happening under the wheels. Disconnected from the road and that's for me a NoGo. Waiting to try a time Multistrada V4S, simply for comparison... In my opinion, you don't get anywhere that much for money as with KTM 1290 SAS.

[@azmanzakaria3366]

Go infro on the bikes can you guys review the triumph 1200 series bike would like to know more comparison to the two bike.

[@azmanzakaria3366]

Good *info

[@ronsmith9251]

Both bikes are brilliant in their own respective ways. However both have quality issues, that would make me hesitant to buy. I’m going to wait and see if Honda updated the AT.

[@RacingandAdventure]

That’s smart!

[@feloniousmonk3049]

The horsepower losses on a shaft drive with bevel gears will always be higher than on a chain drive. But the maintenance with a shaft drive will be much, much, much less. Just fluid changes every 20,000 km. I don't need HP as much as I need maintenance free, being 65 years old.

[@tassiosgiotas2457]

They have different kind of tyres that is a very different feel in Twisties

[@Swedeonamotorcycle]

Before i even watch this, There is NO "BEST" between them... It all depends on what you gonna use it for.. For track days the BMW is good but the KTM is better.. For touring the KTM is good but the BMW is better.. For everyday use and commuting the KTM is good but the BMW is better.. For active driving or driving like a lunatic the BMW is good but the KTM is better. For the feel of quality the KTM is.... almost good.... but the BMW is BEST.... The best overall package would probably go to the ........... drum roll........... Ducati Multistrada Ralllye..... OK Now lets watch the comparison... :)

[@kwakithailand]

"Feel" of quality... Most "feeling" are misleading 😂

[@MrAigaro]

Great Job If You try to sell BMW's. For me KTM 4-ever👍🏻: Its Quicker , Its cheeper, filed up with good techs, and its a better and much more modern looking👏🏻.

[@dhenschel4]

Are these two bikes in the same class? The KTM has cast wheels and the off-road capability would be limited. That said, most GS riders likely never take their bike off-road so maybe this is a fair comparison. I think if you test off-road, the BMW would come ahead.

[@wojciechsochon382]

Nieprawda

[@sabyn23]

What about the quickshift? It'there any differeces?

[@RacingandAdventure]

Both are working close to seamless

[@therollingpebble2138]

Hey...haven't seen you for a while.. Was just thinking of your channel yesterday....

[@RacingandAdventure]

We are back in business. Thank you for your toughts!

[@sturejonsson]

I liķe this video😊👍💪

[@baxabuxa17]

Friends, I want to come to Romania on my S1000XR, advise where is it better to ride, transalpina or transfagarashan?... Thanks 🙏👍

[@RacingandAdventure]

Good choice! You can do both, the distance between these two roads is around 100km.

[@baxabuxa17]

@@RacingandAdventure which one is tougher? ))

[@OverLordkv]

@@baxabuxa17 On Transalpina asphalt is much, much better, so you can drive it faster. But ride both, you can do it in a day.

[@baxabuxa17]

@@OverLordkv Thanks 🙏👍

[@ryanmalone2681]

Only one will you leave you by the side of the road regularly.

[@benkelly2190]

Bore off.

[@Inked_CR]

​@@benkelly2190 Facts are facts.

[@dvdh4937]

Ooh so bad for the KTM

[@MiamiJato]

which is better for wheelies?

[@RacingandAdventure]

Both are great:))

[@lorencargonja3869]

Bmw for me

[@bogdilea110]

Salut, e greu sa faci wheelie cu GS-ul? In ce mod de rulare, cu esp-us scos?

[@RacingandAdventure]

Salutare, in modul dynamic sau dynamic pro

[@RacingandAdventure]

E destul de greu, e bine sa incepi cu ceva mai mic

[@bogdilea110]

@@RacingandAdventure il am deja pe baiat, 1250 GS. Trebuie sa scot esp-ul? Treapta 2 sau 3?

[@RacingandAdventure]

@@bogdilea110 2,3 merg ambele. Take care!

[@baxabuxa17]

what kind of road is this?, Transalpina?

[@RacingandAdventure]

Poiana Brasov in Romania

[@baxabuxa17]

@@RacingandAdventure Thanks 👍👍

[@OverLordkv]

@@RacingandAdventure That road stayed in my memory, I ride it 2 years ago. Fantastic to drive every day. I would like to live in Brasov just for that :D btw. Brasov is beautiful city.

[@franklindik6999]

I think the bmw : reason --> shaft :)

[@benkelly2190]

Looks wise, KTM all day. When I’m ready to collect my pension, I’ll get the GS!

[@matsrekdal3065]

Have you tried a GS? I bought the first one in 2015, at 34 of age, and i just wish i did it earlier. Bought a new 1290 SA in 2016, but only kept it for a couple of months, simply too ruff and like they say here: too much vibration, and also always stiff on the suspension. If you do touring, you will get fatigued by this, no matter how cool you might think it looks. Had 5 big GS's in total, 1200 & 1250, and last year i bought a Multi V4S. A superb bike, with almost the GS comfort, but better in several other areas. Just sold it, and now i'm waiting for the new 1300 GS to launc, i'm sure it will be amazing. Anyway, if you haven't tried the GS, do it.

[@benkelly2190]

@@matsrekdal3065 I have had seven GS’s, two GSA’s both 1200 and 1250, yes, they are good bikes! I’m bored. I have had the KTM SAS for a year, it is what a bike should be, exiting and makes me want to ride it more. Ive done 500 mile days on it, while it’s not plush like a GS , it’s more than comfortable enough for me. Bikes are very personal, I loved my GS’s but I’m done with them. Too many on the road, too clinical. The KTM feels alive. And I love it. Only ten years, until my pension.😏

[@roytong1908]

the topic will Keep forever！ 😂 as Android and Apple 😅

[@kimmarcelo6131]

Used Yamaha super Tenere for me. $6,500 and you have the same bike. Save yourself ton of money And zero maintenance

[@jonasbaine3538]

Lol same bike?? Seriously?? lol. A used 1190 for few grand more is double performance and off-road capability

[@mannyferrao1013]

Bmw fan boys here, ktm all the way and I own a bmw. Quess what my next purchase is? That's right. The KTM.

[@pawegruba7787]

Ktm SA 1290 und Ducati 4s Mutti zwei beste !!!!!!

[@OverLordkv]

It's best to have both. GS for long trips and KTM for everything else 🙂👌

[@RacingandAdventure]

This way you get a bit of everything!

[@philipmillen4271]

The seat even the comfort seat is so uncomfortable on the ktm

[@NudaMan]

Lol it is a big v twin dirt bike after all

[@charliestoybox2099]

KTM has never made comfortable seats. Always stand up 😅

[@skyworks1621]

Not true, my 1290 SAS power parts seat was great. Now that I ride Vstrom 1050 the seat is worse. And that tells you a lot.

[@philipmillen4271]

@@skyworks1621 But you now ride a Suzuki 1050

[@philipmillen4271]

@@NudaMan Pretending to be a comfortable reliable tourer

[@angeltorresmenta1381]

Para mi calidad precio es mejor KTM

[@crk58241]

The the KTM wins this battle. It's definitely a long haul cruiser, it's a racer and it's been very reliable. It's also at cheaper price. BMWs are outrageously overpriced in my opinion. And it doesn't even include the travel bags at 23,000 dollars. It also has a reputation as an old man's bike. Only old men can afford them.

[@joseVazquez-sk5dt]

Talk about reliability 😢

[@RacingandAdventure]

This is a sensitive matter, both models are known to have issues, but BMW is a bit more reliable

[@alexstan5358]

LOL "bit more reliable"!!! I personally have 2015 BMW R1200GS and have friends as well all with R1200/R1250 with more then 100.00km on odometer without any issues!!! My personal bike has 127.000km on clock? What problems with reliability??? Please enlighten me !@@RacingandAdventure

[@JW-cq4ez]

Kids.

[@user-bs5nk9ud9k]

Don't like KTM. They have problems. While the BMW is a bullet proof tank. I have a new 2023 !250 RT. It is fast enough for me. Plenty of Torque

[@prosperpersonelle]

The bmw is way more reliable than the ktm

[@Dude_Virus]

Ergonomics and Looks wise, BMW anyday. KTM just looks ugly and that god awful paint scheme.

[@FaisalM91]

couldnt disagree with you more

[@roadglide]

That’s what makes KTM so different. Add to this rest machine it’s ferocious Hooligan nature it’s really a great package. Not for everyone obviously. 😂

[@NudaMan]

Ktm made orange and black there color in 1996 to stick out from everyone else just a fun fact, I don’t like adv bikes but if I had to pick it would be Ktm

[@MiamiJato]

agree..........

[@flapjackbeans]

Great video like the chest mounts glad to see you back. I have had 11 GS GSA BMW'S and im now 70 in 2021 i bought my first KTM 1290sas im now 20,000 miles in and what a bike its so much more FUN that the GS its a hooligan or a sedate bike, You did not mention the bladder tanks on the KTM making the movability e.g. pushing in gravel car park entering garage etc far easier than the BMW the weight is far less and IMHO the build quality of the KTM beats the BMW. I have workshop proof... That said both great bikes but the KTM is more modern and way more fun.Ride safe love the roads your were riding where are they in Romania? youtube@flapjackandbeans