Riding HIGH
Why is it that when we think of classic bikes, invariably our thoughts produce visions of older machinery? Classics surely aren’t created by age alone. They are still being created in our lifetimes, just waiting to see if, further down the road they qualify for that magic title. Who knows if BMW’s R80 G/S model will ever qualify as a classic? After 21 years of living with one, I feel that it is a good example of a bike that just might one day qualify for that lofty designation.
It was the late 1970s and BMW’s motorcycle sales were floundering due to a weak dollar and a perception that BMWs were too conservative against the growing threat from Japan. With BMW’s new three and four cylinder K-series models still in the development stage, an answer was urgently needed to keep BMW afloat until the K’s arrival in the marketplace.
The R80 G/S model was that answer. It was introduced in 1979/80 to a motorcycle world that cynically questioned its marketing rationale as a heavy motorcycle intended to be ridden both on and off road. Regardless, it successfully evolved to create a whole new genre in motorcycling; Adventure or dual-purpose models, the popularity of which dictates that every manufacturer now has to have a least one example in its model range. With the introduction of
