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Weight testing: 2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX vs. 2012 BMW R1200GSA

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leafman60

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Both bikes, comparably equipped, 1/2 tank of fuel:

2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX 616.2 pounds

2012 BMW R1200GSA 618.4 pounds


___________

Okay, I finally got around to doing this.

I've heard the from day one in the various media reviews that the Stelvio weighs more than the similar BMW GS Adventure (GSA). I've always suspected that such statements came from reading the published specifications of the bikes provided by the factories. The Stelvio comes standard with bags, aux lighting, crash bars etc. and its published weight includes all of that. The BMW does not come standard with any of those things and its published weight does not include such items.

The BMW factory specs for the GSA states that the wet weight is 571 pounds. When I saw this, it made me suspect even more that the weight of the two bikes is very similar. I don't want to knock BMW but I just wanted to get the facts correct.

I recently obtained access to a brand-new 2012 BMW GSA for weighing. The BMW GSA with its 8.5+ gallon tank was almost exactly configured like a stock Stelvio NTX. Add-ons included aluminum panniers, protection bars, lights, and sump guard. The BMW did have an aluminum top box but we removed that for the weigh-in.

I bought a set of digital bathroom scales that were rated for over 400 pounds and fashioned a wooden step-up box around them to allow us to easily roll the bike wheels onto the scales. Our procedure was to roll on the front wheel and record the weight, roll on the back wheel and record the weight and then add the two together. We did several trial runs to ascertain a reasonable degree of consistency in the weight readings.

I first weighed my Stelvio in totally stock form, with stock exhaust etc, just as delivered by the dealer.

With about 5 gallons of fuel or a half tank, the Stelvio weighed in at 616.2 pounds.

We then took the BMW with very close to the same amount of fuel, without the top box, and the BMW weighed in at 618.4 pounds.

(Later, I topped off the Stelvio tank to full and it weighed-in at 640 pounds.)

So there. The actual calibration may vary with other scales but the fact is that both bikes weigh-in on the same set of scales to be almost identical in weight.


Weighing the Stelvio-
IMG_1217.jpg


The BMW (with top box replaced)-
IMG_1214.jpg
 
Re: Weight testing: 2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX vs. 2012 BMW R120

I 've ridden both bikes, the BMW feels lighter due the boxer engine positioned lower than the Guzzi , but i liked the Guzzi better cause the way it feels/hold the road... and the torque of the engine, also i've never liked the BMW telelever front suspension... it's just me, i don't like it.
The Guzzi to me is more a bike for "Men" . know what i mean !!?? ;)
Both are great bikes though.... but i got the Mandello's eagle in my heart.

thanks for posting..
 
Re: Weight testing: 2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX vs. 2012 BMW R120

Interesting because my feeling just the opposite is one reason I did this weight test. I currently own a standard 1200GS and I have owned a GSA in the past. The GSA seemed so top heavy with a lot of fuel that I parted with it after about a year.

Also, I measured the physical dimensions of both bikes. The NTX is about in inch more narrow across the tank than my standard GS despite the increased fuel capacity of the Guzzi. The GSA is much wider than the standard.
 
Re: Weight testing: 2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX vs. 2012 BMW R120

Great info, thanks for the legwork and posting.

I got very intimate with the "all-new" GS back in '03 as I was part of the Press Fleet break-in on the '05 1200 GS. Claimed dry weight was 438.7 lbs/496.0 lbs ready to ride. I don't know if I read the actual real-world weight for that year back then, but I remember them to be remarkably light compared to the 1150. Funny how with time/years everything seems to put on weight.

That said, the Stelvio is certainly leaps better as a road bike over the GS, in every aspect... but I can't compare/comment on back to back off-road (what little I've done on my Stelvio), but I'm betting the vast majority of GS Adventures sold see next to none.

Anyone reading this with a GS, you owe it to yourself to ride a Stelvio. Bet you'll want to own one.
 
Re: Weight testing: 2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX vs. 2012 BMW R120

As a follow-up, I went out this morning and weighed my 1200GS Standard. It's a 2007 model that I have recently stripped for sale and put back into as-delivered new condition, ABS, traction control, tire pressure monitors etc but no panniers, guards etc. It is stripped and maybe 1 gallon short of being full of fuel.

I weighed it several times. I got a consistent average weight for the stripped Standard GS of 545 pounds.

This sounds about right compared to my results with the NTX and the GSA. Add the weight of maybe a little more gas, the panniers and other pieces and you're up close to the observed weights of the bigger two bikes.
 
Re: Weight testing: 2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX vs. 2012 BMW R120

GT-Rx said:
That said, the Stelvio is certainly leaps better as a road bike over the GS, in every aspect... but I can't compare/comment on back to back off-road (what little I've done on my Stelv), but I'm betting the vast majority of GS Adventures sold see next to none.

Anyone reading this with a GS, you owe it to yourself to ride a Stelvio. Bet you'll want to own one.
Click to expand...

hiyas Todd....been there, done that! :D

and with all the respect in the world, i don't agree with your opening statement.... oh well.

regards,
 
Re: Weight testing: 2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX vs. 2012 BMW R120

Lurking around on the web i've found this interesting "review/comparison " about Stelvio and GS .
I enjoyed reading it and i thought i would have post it here, hope you guys don't mind.
here's the link.

advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=804682

cheers
Marco
 
Re: Weight testing: 2012 Guzzi Stelvio NTX vs. 2012 BMW R120

Thanks Leafman,

I think most of the full sized ADV bikes are weighing in pretty close when apple are apples.

I've been looking for a similar comparison to a Super Tenere. The closest I've found so far is this guy's effort where he was comparing the GSA, GS, ST, and 990 ADV.

advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12836924&postcount=2381

The only issue was he pulled the panniers off all to make them "apples to apples" so I have to add them back in. I'm guessing a set of panniers weighs 20-25 lbs? I need to weigh my Happy Trail boxes to see what they weigh.

The guy found this, all fully fueled but no panniers. He lists the equipment installed on the bikes in detail and most had after market pipes except for the ST, so some weight reduction there for sure.

GSA 601 lbs
GS 533 lbs (I'm suspecting the difference here is fuel and farkles?)

Super Tenere 590 lbs

990 ADV 529 lbs

For my interests, I see the Super Tenere with another 20 lbs for panniers being ~610 lbs so right in there with Leafman's findings for the GSA and Stelvio. If you add in the extra weight for the stock pipes on the GSA you're right back to ~618 lbs.
 
This was my theory from the first day I started researching my Bike purchase in 2015. Thanks for doing the work to prove what most of use suspected.
 
Interesting comment about the Telelever front suspension. I sold my 2016 R1200GS for reasons other than the front suspension but truth be told I never liked it. I really liked the front forks on the F800GS (both bikes sold) a lot better than the telelever of the 1200. It just felt like the tele lever had a lot more stiction where as the slider forks seemed to glide much more smoothly through their travel.

Hope to add a Stelvio early next year while I can still find one.

NC
 
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