BMW R 1250 GS K50/12 Service Manual

Wikipedia's own account frames the R1250GS's position plainly: it succeeded the R1200GS for the 2019 model year and remained in production through 2023, right up until the R1300GS took over — a five-year run as one of BMW's genuinely top-selling models worldwide, continuing a reputation the R1200GS had already built as the brand's best-selling motorcycle for years running.

Power comes from the same 1,254cc liquid-cooled boxer twin shared with the Adventure variant, DOHC with BMW's ShiftCam variable valve timing, a 102.5mm x 76mm bore and stroke, and a 12.5:1 compression ratio, delivering a claimed 134 hp at 7,750 rpm and roughly 105.5 lb-ft of torque at 6,250 rpm. The genuine engineering breakthrough behind these numbers is ShiftCam's ability to switch between two distinct intake camshaft profiles depending on load and engine speed — a system that gives the standard GS meaningfully more usable low-end torque and stronger top-end output than the previous air/oil-cooled generation, all from an engine architecture that's stayed fundamentally recognizable as a BMW boxer twin for decades. Power runs through a 6-speed manual gearbox with shaft final drive.

Where the standard GS distinguishes itself from the Adventure sibling is genuinely in proportions rather than mechanicals: a shorter 1,500mm wheelbase (versus the Adventure's 1,520mm), a more compact 2,207mm overall length, and a narrower 895mm width — dimensions built for a lighter, more manageable machine better suited to daily riding and moderate touring rather than the Adventure's genuine long-haul, extra-fuel-capacity mission. The chassis retains BMW's signature Telelever front suspension and Paralever rear end, both available with optional electronic adjustment, paired with twin floating 305mm front discs on 4-piston radial calipers and a single 276mm rear disc with a double-piston floating caliper, all backed by standard ABS. Spoked or alloy tubeless wheels run 120/70 R19 front and 170/60 R17 rear sizing. As with every R1250-series GS, buyers could spec the standard model with BMW's full electronics suite — cornering ABS, traction control, multiple ride modes, and Dynamic ESA semi-active suspension — matching the Adventure's technology package in a lighter, more street-focused overall package.

This factory service manual covers the procedures, torque specs, and diagrams needed to keep a 2019-2023 R 1250 GS (K50) running the way it was built to.