BMW Motorrad Anniversary: 30 Years of GS
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
3. GS models for the third millennium.
Giant strides: the R 1100 GS.
13 years after the world‟s first touring enduro was launched, new environmental regulations, advances in production technology and evolved customer demands meant it was time for the tried-and-trusted two-valve models to make way for a new generation.
January 1993 saw the arrival of the first four-valve boxer engines in the R 1100 RS, with the R 1100 GS following close behind in September of the same year. Its striking styling and clean, functional lines were an instant hit, and were backed up by the some sensational engineering that had already impressed and astonished the motorcycle world in the R 1100 RS. BMW Motorrad had reviewed the bikes from top to bottom and made sweeping changes. The resulting machine not only provided the basis for what is still an excellent motorcycle concept but also set new standards in sustainability. This was the first enduro that could be specified with a factory-fitted closed-loop catalytic converter and anti-lock braking system. All the plastic components were labelled for easy recycling, the exhaust system was now made entirely of stainless steel and therefore was no longer a “consumable” item, and service intervals were increased to 10,000 km, previously unheard of for an enduro.
The proven and unique principle of the air-cooled boxer engine with a driveshaft rotating inside the Paralever swing arm was retained unchanged.
The new four-valve engine featured side camshafts, mounted at valve height, which were driven by three timing chains and one intermediate gear. This unusual camshaft positioning was intended to reduce width compared with an ohc valvetrain, and also to ensure rpm stability.
Electronic engine management, fuel injection, an increase in displacement to 1,085 cc and an increased gas flow rate produced 80 hp at 6,750 rpm, an increase over the previous two-valve models. At the same time emissions, noise and specific fuel consumption were reduced.
The new GS model‟s driveline was modelled on that of the R 100 GS, and it inherited the tried-and-trusted cross-spoke wheels as well.
The chassis, on the other hand, was an all-new development. The engine and transmission formed a load-bearing unit. Bolted in place above them was the steel tube rear subframe, which provided support for the spring strut in the rear swing arm. The spring strut was continuously adjustable by hand for spring preload and rebound damping.
The front wheel was located by a revolutionary front wheel suspension system, the “Telelever”, which was a combination of a swing arm and a telescopic fork. Although BMW Motorrad had already pioneered the hydraulically damped telescopic fork, with the Telelever it went one better.
The telefork-style combination of fixed and sliding tubes simply serves to locate the front wheel, allowing it to respond quickly to bumps. The actual suspension and damping is provided by a central strut in front of the steering head. This strut is supported at the top by the cast front frame section and at the bottom by an A-arm. The front end of this suspension arm is mounted by a ball joint in the lower fork brace of the telescopic fork-type wheel locating system. The upper fork brace accommodates the handlebars, with instruments, and the fixed tubes. It is rotatably mounted in the steering head. Separating the wheel location from the suspension function gives extremely comfortable, yet also precise, handling and steering characteristics. At the same time, the suspension geometry is designed in such a way as to reduce the brake dive that would normally be expected on a bike with soft suspension and long spring travel.
Fitted with a dual-disc brake at the front and single-disc brake at the rear, the R 1100 GS was also the first enduro to be offered with optional anti-lock braking system, which was disengageable for off-road riding.
Impressive performance, with a top speed of 195 km/h, and torque were mated to superb ride comfort and handling. There were also neat features like the height-adjustable seat, a windshield adjustable for rake and the removable pillion seat which lifted off to give access to a luggage carrier.
The double front mudguard became a cult feature and customers were soon flocking to buy the new GS. By spring 1994 it had become the top favourite among BMW customers.
One customer who didn‟t have to put his hand in his pocket, however, was globetrotting adventurer Helge Pedersen. Pedersen had been one of the very first R 80 G/S customers and had now, along with his 800 cc bike that he nicknamed “Olga”, become something of a legend. The Norwegian photographer had bought his BMW R 80 G/S new in 1981, and before embarking on a world tour had equipped it with a 40-litre fuel tank with attached luggage system. That tour, now completed, had taken ten years, in the course of which he covered 350,000 kilometres. The R 80 G/S didn‟t disappoint, and Pedersen‟s travelogues, pictures and books showed just how robustly the G/S had coped with all the challenges along the way. In 1994, Pedersen donated his faithful R 80 G/S to the BMW Museum, and in exchange was allowed to pick up a brand-new R 1100 GS.
New BMW single-cylinder model: the F 650.
More powerful, larger and heavier than its predecessor, the BMW R 1100 GS could be slightly intimidating for entry-level customers. But the expanding BMW model range now offered alternatives. Since autumn 1993, customers for whom the 1100 models were too powerful and too large could opt for the F 650. Powered by a 650 cc single-cylinder engine developed in close cooperation with Rotax the F 650, built at Aprilia, was soon dubbed the “Funduro”. Developing a healthy 50 hp from its 650 cc liquid-cooled, four-valve single-cylinder engine, the new BMW outshone established competitor models that were still making do with less advanced engines.
Initially, traditionalists and purists complained that a “real” BMW had to have a boxer engine and shaft drive, but the F 650 quickly made its mark. BMW expressly dubbed it a “Funduro”, rather than an “enduro”, to emphasise that the F was an all-rounder that was fun to ride both on and off the road. It was cheap, easy to handle, and amazingly fuel-efficient. It also offered a level of comfort previously unheard of for a single-cylinder model. Customers who sampled this new offering were impressed, and the F 650 was soon selling so well that this model, which has been continuously improved on and refined over the years, is still part of the BMW range today.
A legend comes full circle: the R 80 GS “Basic”.
In 1996, traditionalists and purists were treated to one last two-valve GS model, which drew on components from throughout the model range to allow the “old” boxer to end its career on a high note.
This production run came to an end – along with the two-valve boxer era at BMW –in 1997, by which time 3,003 “Basic” models had been produced. The no-frills, off-road-capable R 80 GS “Basic” brought the two-valve GS models full circle, following closely in the tradition of the very first two-valve prototype, from which the R 75/5 production model was then derived. That prototype too was a sporty off-road/street enduro. The R 80 G/S was responsible for a boxer renaissance in the early 1980s, and it was with this model that BMW Motorrad launched its touring enduro segment. Now, finally, the two-valve boxer engines bowed out and passed on the baton to the four-valve models, which went on to become an even bigger success than their predecessors.
In 1998, BMW celebrated 75 years of motorcycle production, marking the occasion with a lavishly equipped anniversary edition of the R 1100 GS.
