VIRTUALLY FLAWLESS

The success story of BMW’s rugged, big capacity GS adventure bikes is one of the biggest ever in motorcycling. Selling in large numbers worldwide, the popularity of the range has grown slowly since the birth of the R80G/S in 1980, becoming the giant it is today in the shape of the R1200GS and more fully-equipped GS Adventure models.

It took time for the virtues of the GS to be appreciated by us Brits though, and early smaller engined models weren’t so well-liked. Perhaps we just weren’t ready for them, though it’s more likely because we were so obsessed with sportsbikes.

But as time passed by and the GS grew in capacity, so did its popularity. In 1994 the 1100 model started to make more waves in the UK market. By now it was getting harder for us to ignore the GS’s versatility and practicality – even if it did have a distinct look not everyone approved of. Updated in 1999, when it became the 1150GS, seeing the BMW on British roads became more common. But it was the