The hugely popular BMW GS (Gelände/Strasse) series has just turned 40 years old. Having created one of the longest running lines of motorcycles, this multipurpose bike has been an absolute hit in the market and continues to be the backbone of the BMW Motorrad brand.
Back in 1980, BMW launched the R80 G/S, a motorcycle that combined the best of both worlds for the very first time. The bike had great offroad capabilities but didn’t compromise on comfort while driving it around the city or highway.
Big upgrades to the series came in 1993 when BMW launched the 1100GS with the four valve boxer engine and a new type of front suspension dubbed the Telelever.
The 1100/1200 and 1250GS with their unique boxer engine and crankshaft design are perhaps the most iconic models of the series, and despite their high starting price continue to be the standard in the segment.
Other popular models include the F650GS and F800GS which were equipped with thumper engines (G650GS) or the high-torque parallel-twin. These models quickly became highly popular among riders that were looking for a slightly lighter and slimmer design.
In 2018, BMW also started to offer entry-level bikes with the G310 GS, which some (unrighteously) claim is not a ‘real’ GS.
40 years down the road, the GS remains an eye-catcher, and BMW has created yet another great GS with the new 2020 1250GS, a motorcycle that Guido has set its sights on.
As motorcycle news’ title says: life begins at 40. Something Guido can confirm for sure 😉
Still going strong! A 50 year old man, and a 20 year old BMW R850GS… what could possibly go wrong!? 🙂
http://www.ride4theking.com/about/
(see the bike at the link above)