BMW GS motorcycle breaches half million mark

It was a momentous occasion for BMW Motorrad as the 5,00,000th boxer-twin GS series motorcycle rolled of the production line. And the historic bike was deservingly a BMW R1200GS. The GS refers to Gelände Sport in German which translates to ‘off-road sport’ in English. The GS series was introduced by BMW to offer bikers an apt blend of off-road usability with street bike characteristics in a single motorcycle and the first bike under this series was the R80G/S, which made its debut in 1980. At the time of its launch, the bike was the first travel-enduro motorcycle offering with a boxer powerplant from the stables of the German bikemaker and was powered by 798cc mill producing 51PS of power. In the past 34 years since the first GS was rolled out, the GS series has transformed itself as the highest selling BMW motorcycle. 

Speaking at the occasion, Stephan Schaller - president of BMW Motorrad, said, “The outstanding talents of the boxer-engined GS models – ride dynamics, off-road qualities, comfort and endurance – have been continuously nurtured, developed and transferred very successfully to other BMW Motorrad model series.” 

This success of the GS series can be credited to the victories it achieved at the Dakar Rally, which is regarded as among the toughest rally event in the world and proved the reliability of its boxer motor and its build quality. Also, lots of globe trotters prefer a BMW GS motorcycle for their endeavours around the world, the most popular being actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in their journey Long Way Round for which they rode a  R1150GS Adventure from London to New York. Another key aspect for its success is adaptability; the GS series has evolved with the varying demands of the modern day biker.  The latest BMW R1200GS has been equipped with electronic goodies like electronic semi-active suspension, traction control and ABS.