In 1980 BMW ventured in to a new market with the GS series, creating a new category for big adventure motorcycles. The first model was the R80G/S and since it's inception 30 years ago the GS model has grown into the firm's biggest selling motorcycle, the R1200GS.
The GS took success in the Paris-Dakar Rally in the early 80's with four wins coming from Hubert Auriol and Gaston Rahier. But it was the 2004 adventure documentary with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman that would launch the popularity of the GS. The Long Way Round allowed BMW to take a market hold on the big adventure bikes, and gave proof of how good the GS really was.
BMW GS Model History
Airhead
- Monolever
- R80G/S 1980–1986
- R80G/S-PD 1984–1987
- R65GS 1987–1990
- Paralever
- R80GS 1987–1994
- R100GS 1987–1994
- R100GS-PD 1988–1995
- R80GS Basic 1996–1997
- R80GS Kalahari 1996–1997
Oilhead
- R1100GS 1994-1999
- R850GS 1996-2001
- R1150GS 1999-2004
- R1140GS Adventure 2001-2005
- R1200GS 2004-present
- R1200GS 2006-present
Single
- F650GS 2000-2007
- F650FS Dakar 2000-2007
Parallel-twin
- F650GS 2008-present
- F800GS 2008-present
