The GS Story
Iconic. Legendary. Inspired. Benchmark. Milestone. Just some of the words used to describe the BMW GS series of dual-sport motorcycles. For over 40 years, the GS has been the go-to for off grid motorcycle adventures. The GS designation in German (Gelände/Straße) translates to english as “off-road/on-road” with the emphasis being “off-road“ despite the few who dare to go there. Its legacy goes back to 1980 when BMW introduced the R 80 G/S as their first production enduro motorcycle at the Cologne motorcycle show in the south of France. One year later, the GS success story began on a beachfront finish line in the capital city of Senegal in West Africa.
I first came to know about the BMW GS from the popular 2004 documentary ‘Long Way Round’, a British TV series about two friends, Ewan McGregor and Charley Doorman, traveling on a 19,000-mile round-the-world journey on BMW R 1150 GS adventure motorcycles. I know, kind of lame but it was a cool program to watch for someone who knew little to nothing about enduro or adventure motorcycle touring. I learned more about the GS in BMW Motorrad Technician training and as a mechanic at a independent BMW motorcycle repair shop in Arizona. I noticed a few things right away after pushing a GS on my lift. They usually had out-of-state license plates and some from other countries. Most had oversized fuel tanks for long distance travel on routes where gas stations were sparse. The panniers and windscreens were often littered with stickers commemorating epic journeys to places like Alaska, Canada, Mexico, South America, Africa, Europe and Backcountry Discovery Routes throughout the United States - all trademarks of legitimate adventure riders. It was an awesome experience working on these motorcycles and hearing directly from the owners about their incredible trips. Another notable observation were the gashes to trim panels, engine covers and skid plates. Damaged radiators, punctured valve covers, broken cylinder head fins, and bent handlebars were common finds on these bikes too. All scars from riding routes completely off the beaten track and a testament to the motorcycle’s durability, engineering and resilience. Some looked like they had been to hell and back - the motorcycle and the rider.
Cylinder guard damage to R 1250 GS
Back to the history, the R 80 G/S was a ground breaking machine in 1980. A horizontally opposed 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, 800 cubic centimeter boxer engine producing 50 horsepower with a top speed of 105 mph. The R 80 G/S was a beast of a motorcycle in its time suited for long distance travel under a variety of conditions. Its first test would be at the the 1981 Paris-Dakar Rally, a 6,263 kilometer race from Paris to Dakar in West Africa. Where most bikes don’t even finish, reliability and performance were key to improving a competitor’s chances to complete the race. Of the 106 motorcycles who started only 28 would finish. Rally legend Hubert Auriol dominantly won 1st place on an R 80 G/S by 3 hours. And the BMW first production enduro outperformed its competition with an overall highest percentage of finishing motorcycles in the race. An incredible feat that put the BMW GS on the map as an enduro and adventure touring icon for years to come. GS riders would go on to win the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1983-84-85 and 1999-2000.
The GS embodies more than just legacy and spirit. It represents pushing boundaries, surpassing limits, and the tenacity to travel to and through places never thought capable of. No one symbolized these qualities more than Norwegian world-traveler and journalist Helge Pedersen when in 1982 he set out on a 10 year odyssey on his BMW R 80 G/S named “Olga”. A motorcycle travel experience spanning 77 countries, totaling 250,000 miles, and documented in his book, “10 years on 2 wheels”. In his words: “It is the best adventure motorcycle in the world. In 1981 when I bought Olga, my R 80 G/S, was way ahead of the competition - especially in terms of quality, making it possible to undertake long adventurous motorcycle trips in the first place. Since then the GS series has been continuously refined, always reflecting the very latest developments in technology. As far as I’m concerned, the GS is still unrivaled and its still the very best adventure motorcycle.”
The GS spirit lives on in what riders desire most out of a motorcycle adventure. Past adventures unite with modern technology advancements in the R 1300 GS at this year’s BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy. A seven-day off-road enduro challenge held biannually since 2008 on different continents around the world. Previous locations include Tunisia, South Africa, Patagonia, Canada, Thailand, Mongolia, New Zealand, Albania, and this year in Namibia. Watch the GS story evolve and learn more about this year’s International GS Trophy experience at GS Trophy 2024. The participants will inspire anyone to push themselves beyond their limits.
