BMW AG Presse - BM Bikes, BMW Motorcycle Information

BMW AG Presse
3 THE TWO-CYLINDER R SERIES MODELS:
THE R 850 GS AND THE NEW R 1150 GS
Celebrating 20 years of outstanding success with BMW.s GS
enduro models:
The new R 1150 GS with even more power and a six-speed
gearbox
Launching the R 80 G/S in September 1980, BMW established an all-new
market segment for enduro motorcycles, the segment of the large capacity
touring enduro. Up to that point enduros had only one cylinder and engine
capacity not exceeding 500 cc. The 50 bhp 800-cc two-cylinder Boxer
featuring the BMW Monolever single swinging arm thus not only set a new
benchmark, but also established a new trend at the time.
It was no surprise, therefore, that the R 80 G/S (with G/S standing for
Gelande/Strasse in German or offroad/road in English) quickly became very
popular among globetrotters and touring riders the world over.
In competition trim, it took French rider Hubert Auriol (1981 and 1983) and
Belgian rider Gaston Rahier (1984 and 1985) to a total of no less than four
victories in the Paris-Dakar Rally, the toughest long distance race in the world.
Total production of the R 80 G/S between 1980 and 1987 amounted to 21,864
units, with 1,727 units of the
R 65 GS leaving the production line between 1987 and 1992.
In autumn 1987 the original model was succeeded by the R 80 GS and R 100
GS featuring the BMW Paralever double-joint swinging arm. Including the
Paris-Dakar models, production of these new machines amounted to more
than 42,387 units by 1995, another 3,003 units of the end-of-the-line R 80 GS
Basic remaining in production until 1996 to conclude the era of BMW's "old"
Boxer motorcycles with two-valve power units. Overall production of these
enduro versions, therefore, amounted to a most significant 68,981 units.
R 1100 GS continues the impressive story of success
The second model in the new Boxer generation featuring four-valve power
units was then presented by BMW at the Frankfurt Motor
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