TheBMW R 80 G/Sis amotorcyclethat was manufactured inBerlin,Germany, byBMW Motorradfrom 1980 to 1987. Production totalled 21,864 bikes. It was the first in theBMW GSfamily of specialiseddual-sportbikes, of which over 500,000 have been produced,[1]and is often considered the world's first "Adventure Bike" able to be equally capable on and off-road. The designation G/S stands for theGermanwords Gelände/Straße, which mean offroad/road – highlighting the bike's dual sport design.
 | |
| Manufacturer | BMW Motorrad |
|---|---|
| Production | 1980–1987 |
| Successor | R 80 GS, R 100 GS |
| Class | Dual-sport |
| Engine | 797.5 cc (48.67 cu in)flat-twinboxer |
| Bore/stroke | 84.8 mm × 70.6 mm (3.34 in × 2.78 in) |
| Top speed | 104 mph (167 km/h) |
| Power | 50 hp (37 kW) |
| Torque | 41 lb⋅ft (56 N⋅m) |
| Transmission | 5-speedshaft drive |
| Suspension | Front: Telescopic forks Rear: Single spring / shock absorber |
| Brakes | Front: Single 260 mm disc Rear: 200 mm drum |
| Wheelbase | 1,465 mm (57.7 in) |
| Dimensions | L:2,230 mm (88 in) W:820 mm (32 in) H:1,150 mm (45 in) |
| Seat height | 860 mm (34 in) |
| Weight | 186 kg (410 lb) (wet) |
| Fuel capacity | 19.5 litres (4.3 imperial gallons) |
| Related | R 65 GS, R 80 ST |
Specification
editThe R 80 G/S (G for Gelände "offroad" in German S for Straße "street" ) was the first large displacement multisport bike on the market. The G/S was fitted with a 797.5 cc (48.67 cu in)BMW type 247 engine,which is aflat-twin(boxer) sometimes known as anairhead.The engine, which was fitted into an R65 frame,[2] was a modified version of that fitted to the R 80/7, featuringNikasilcylinders, electronic ignition and a lighter flywheel.[2] At the rear the bike had the new "monolever," a combined single-sidedswingarmanddrive shaft,with the rear damping provided by a single shock absorber. The monolever was stiffer and lighter than the design fitted to previous models, and was subsequently fitted to other BMW motorcycles. It was a sealed suspension lever with the driveline inside the lever filled with oil to lubricate the shaft and parts.[2]The single sided swing arm enabled the rear wheel to be removed easily with the bike on the center stand. It differs from other BMW road bikes of the same era due to its lighter weight, longer suspension travel, and large 21 inch front wheel.[3] The bike gained popularity with adventure-seeking travellers after having won theParis-Dakarrally several times. BMW offered numerous optional parts including a 32-litre (7.0 imp gal; 8.5 US gal) fuel tank with Gaston Rahier's signature, a solo seat, stainless exhaust and a larger battery meaning that for the first time a true adventure travel motorcycle could be purchased directly from a manufacturer. The market it created spawned manyaftermarketmotorcycle accessories,such as larger fuel tanks andpanniers.[3]
R 80 G/S in motorsport
editThe R 80 G/S was developed for BMW by engineer Rüdiger Gutsche, a successful competitor in theInternational Six Days Trialon his specially adaptedR75/5.[4] In 1981,Hubert Auriol,riding a R 80 G/S prepared by German company HPN Motorradtechnik,[5] won theParis-Dakar Rally.[6] He repeated his success on an 870 cc version of the R 80 G/S in 1983.[5] Gaston Rahierwon the Dakar on a R 80 G/S in 1984, and then again on a larger 1,000 cc engined R 80 G/S in 1985.[5][7] To commemorate their success, BMW launched the R 80 G/S Paris-Dakar special edition which featured a 7 imperial gallons (32 L; 8.4 US gal) fuel tank,[7] fitted with dual petcocks and signed by Gaston Rahier.[8]
Successors
editIn 1986, the R 80 G/S was joined by the R 100 GS, which had a larger capacity 980 cc engine and an updated suspension and drive unit called a Paralever. In 1987, production of the R 80 G/S ended and was succeeded by the 650 ccR 65 GS,which used the same monolever suspension and drive, and the R 80 GS, which retained the G/S engine but used the newer Paralever drive.
Notes
edit- ^"500,000th GS comes off the production line".MCNEWS.au. 27 May 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 15 March 2011.Retrieved28 May2009.
- ^abcFalloon, The BMW Story, pp. 85
- ^abHenshaw, Peter (2008).BMW GS.Veloce Publishing Ltd. pp.13–14.ISBN978-1-84584-135-5.
- ^Falloon, Ian (2009).The BMW Boxer Twins Bible: All Models 1970-1995.Veloce Publishing Ltd. p. 22.ISBN978-1-84584-168-3.
- ^abcFalloon, The BMW Story, pp. 88
- ^Zimmerman, Mark; Nelson, Brian J. (2003).BMW Motorcycle Buyer's Guide.MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. p. 88.ISBN0-7603-1164-1.
- ^abHolmstrom, Darwin; Nelson, Brian J. (2002).BMW Motorcycles.MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. p. 129.ISBN0-7603-1098-X.
- ^Falloon, The BMW Story, pp. 87
References
edit- Falloon, Ian (November 2003).The BMW story: production and racing motorcycles from 1923 to the present day.Sparkford,England: Haynes Publishing.ISBN978-1-85960-854-8.
External links
edit
Media related toBMW R80GSat Wikimedia Commons
