BMW CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF GS AT BEAULIEU
18 May 2005 - BMW Motorrad GB

Global adventure, winning the world’s toughest motorcycle race and setting new Guinness World Records are just some of the credentials that BMW’s legendary GS range is renowned for.

Since the introduction of the original R80 G/S 25 years ago, BMW’s GS range has become synonymous with genuine all-round, go-anywhere sporting capability.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the GS, BMW Motorrad is displaying some groundbreaking examples from the range at this year’s Motorcycle World show at Beaulieu on 18-19 June. There will be historic, famous and modern bikes on display from the past 25 years, including a R80 G/S; R100 GS PD; Charley Boorman’s R1150 GS Adventure from the much publicised Long Way Round journey; BMW Off-Road Skills chief instructor Simon Pavey’s 2005 Dakar race bike, and many more.

The World of BMW will also be running a multitude of events to get every GS rider celebrating the history of this iconic model. The weekend will include the following activities:

18-19 June
11.00
(Saturday only)

Beaulieu will play host to a massive GS parade around its main arena. Led by Charley Boorman from the Long Way Round, and accompanied by five-times Dakar competitor Simon Pavey, as well as Guinness World Record holders, Kevin and Julia Sanders, eighty riders will form a cavalcade of GS machinery.

12.45 and 16.45
Jean-Pierre Goy (James Bond’s stunt double in Tomorrow Never Dies) stunned the crowds at last year’s event with his unique and awe-inspiring stunt show. Not to be missed!

15.15

(Saturday only)
Charley Boorman will talk about his motorcycle travels at a special presentation in the Beaulieu museum theatre. A limited number of tickets are available for this event and can be booked in advance by calling Simon Evans on 01590 614 667.

A special package is available exclusively for BMW GS riders to be included in the mass ride-out around the Beaulieu arena for only £9 per person. This price also includes entrance to the Beaulieu show, on-site camping and parking. Other BMW riders can purchase weekend tickets for £15 per person. Camping space is available for these riders at a site just four miles from Beaulieu for £5 per night.

Motorcyclists wishing to book either package can call the World of BMW on 08000 131 282.

NOTE: – The World of BMW is an activity programme for motorcyclists. It offers tours that span across the globe, Off-Road Skills courses and Track Days. The World of BMW also organises special events for BMW motorcyclists. This year the World of BMW is celebrating 25 years of the GS at Beaulieu (18-19 June) and has also booked an entire Eurotunnel train to take 250 BMW motorcyclists to the BMW Biker Meeting in Germany, which will attract over 30,000 motorcyclists on 1-3 July 2005.

History of the GS…
When the R80 G/S (Gelände/Straße or off-road/road) Boxer-twin was introduced to the world in 1980, it was the largest capacity enduro available and probably the most unique motorcycle of the time. It paved the way for an entirely new market segment of big touring enduros and was the first motorcycle to feature a Monolever single swingarm on the rear wheel.

BMW entered its new motorcycle in the most famous motorsport race in the world to prove its capability as a serious off-road machine – the gruelling Dakar rally desert race. After only three attempts, BMW succeeded and impressively won in 1983 with French desert specialist Hubert Auriol. Then Belgian Gaston Rahier continued BMW’s Dakar success by victoriously clinching a back-to-back win on the 1000cc machine in 1984 and 1985.

In 1987, BMW’s continued development of the GS resulted in the new R100 GS, which featured the first double-joint rear wheel swinging arm and BMW Paralever suspension. The following year, it became the best-selling motorcycle in Germany.

The R1100 GS was introduced in 1994 and featured Telelever front-wheel suspension, a 25-litre fuel tank and a comfortable twin seat for long touring rides. BMW also opened its first enduro park (at Hechlingen in Germany) designed to teach motorcyclists how to ride off-road. A similar facility opened in south Wales in 2000.

In 1999, BMW entered Frenchman Richard Sainct in the Dakar rally on a race prepared version of BMW’s single-cylinder F650. The same year, BMW’s large capacity twin benefited from an increased engine capacity – now 1150cc – and an extra sixth gear ‘overdrive’ ratio.

The following year, BMW entered four works riders in the arduous Dakar event and impressively secured the top four finishing positions. Frenchman Richard Sainct won on a F650 RR; followed by Oscar Gallardo on a F650 RR; Jimmy Lewis was third on a 16-valve Boxer R900 RR; and Jean Brucy was fourth, riding a F650 RR.

Two months after BMW’s Dakar race win BMW launched its single-cylinder F650 GS which was based on the road-going F650 Funduro, but with significant design and engineering improvements.

In 2001, Britain’s best enduro rider John Deacon joined the BMW Dakar team and finished in an impressive sixth position in his debut outing on the factory R900 RR. German rider, Andrea Mayer raced a F650 RR and won the Ladies’ Cup in the Paris-Dakar for the third time in a row.

Then BMW’s R1150 GS Adventure was launched in 2002. It was designed with long distance travel in mind and engineered to perform in all conditions, on or off-road. This visually striking model is equipped with many special features as standard and a whole range of factory fit options and accessories that made it the ultimate long distance enduro machine.

The latest incarnation is, of course, the R1200 GS. With its release in 2004, BMW once again redefined the industry’s benchmark for high performance, versatile, on and off-road enduro machines. It continues to be BMW Motorrad’s best-selling machine and the third best-selling motorcycle overall this year in the UK.

In terms of sales, BMW has sold 211,000 GS models worldwide since 1980. BMW has sold 8,413 GS models in the UK in the same period.

BMW GS achievements

Dakar successes
1983 – Hubert Auriol, R80 G/S – winner

1984 – Gaston Rahier, R80 G/S – winner

1985 – Gaston Rahier, R80 G/S – winner

2000 – Richard Sainct, F650 RR –winner

2000 – Oscar Gallardo, F650 RR – second

2000 – Jimmy Lewis, R900 RR – third

2000 – Jean Brucy, F650 RR – fourth

2001 – John Deacon, R900 RR – sixth

2001 – Andrea Mayer, F650 RR – Ladies’ Cup

2003 – Nick Plumb, F650 GS – finished in 65th position

2005 – Simon Pavey, F650 GS – finished in 78th position

Guinness World Record breaker
Kevin and Julia Sanders have broken two Guinness World Records. In 2002 the duo smashed the World Record for the Fastest Circumnavigation of the World by Motorcycle, taking 12.5 days off the previous record. The couple averaged riding 1,000 miles a day and rode 19,461 miles in just 19.5 days.

Then in 2003, the Sanders’ broke another Guinness World Record for riding The Trans-Americas by Motorcycle. This was the ultimate endurance ride through North, Central and South America. The journey started at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, USA, deep in the Arctic Circle and finished in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina – the southernmost city in the world. The duo rode two-up for 17,000 miles, through extreme conditions in just 35 days. Beating the current record by over 12 days.

Awards
- The R1150 GS Adventure won the 2003 Bike of the Year award in The Sun newspaper.

- The R1200 GS won Gold in the Industrial Design Society of America’s 2004 IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards).

- The R1200 GS was named the Best Open Class Streetbike for its emphasis on comfort, versatility and real-world usability, by American magazine Cycle World.

- At only six months old, the R1200 GS was the best-selling motorcycle over 1,000cc at March 2005 in the UK.

- The R1200 GS won the MCN Best Trailie Award in 2004.

Global travel
In 2004, A-list film star Ewan McGregor and friend Charley Boorman rode around the world on two R1150 GS Adventures. The pair documented their journey on film and in a book called the Long Way Round which has become a top selling book and DVD in UK and is due to be released worldwide.

Every year more and more motorcyclists around the world have chosen a BMW GS to explore the globe. Couples, friends or solo riders are finding that the BMW GS is the best way to find adventure.

Learn to ride off-road on a GS
BMW has set-up off-road training facilities in the UK, Germany and Spain. In the UK, Dakar competitor Simon Pavey leads a team of instructors and teaches over 450 motorcyclists to ride off-road for the first time at an exclusive enduro park based in South Wales.

www.worldofbmw.com

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