Latterly owning sports bikes I found myself longing for the adventure of enduro. No doubt inspired by Mr Boorman’s and McGregor’s adventures I found myself exploring the world of BMW’s aptly named range of GS adventure bikes.
This bike is fast becoming a modern design classic. The BMW GS series of dual purpose off-road/on-road motorcycles have been produced since 1980, when the R80G/S was launched. The GS refers to either Gelände/Straße (German: off-road/road) or Gelände Sport.
BMW R80G/S
The most valued version at the time was the R80G/S-PD "Paris-Dakar" model featuring a larger tank, which was launched in celebration of the R80G/S wins in the Paris Dakar Rally.
BMW R80G/S-PD
The horizontally opposed two-cylinder "boxer" engine provides a comparatively low centre of gravity compared to other configurations. This contributes to the ability of these machines to travel on both dirt roads and trails.
In 2004 Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode GS’s in their journey Long Way Round, riding from London to New York via Europe, central Asia, Alaska and Canada.
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman | Long Way Round
For a more foodie connection the R1200GS has also featured in the BBC TV series The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook.
Hairy Bikers | GS in action
Sales of adventure bikes in the UK are booming, and who can argue when these bikes offer such flexibility to cover mile after mile either on or off road.
The latest figures show motorcycle sales are in a sorry state apart from adventure bikes, with year-to-date UK sales up 36 %. The GS even formed part of the official 2012 Olympic fleet.
Handling so well, loving fast bends, and yet offering enough storage to take you around the world, you certainly wouldn’t take the short route.
My GS
No comments:
Post a Comment