BMW GS

[1] GS motorcycles can be distinguished from other BMW models by their longer travel suspension, an upright riding position, and larger front wheels – typically 19 to 21 inch.

The most valued version was the R80G/S-PD "Paris-Dakar" model featuring a larger tank, which was launched in celebration of the R80G/S wins in the Paris Dakar Rally.

In 1987, the G/S name was changed to GS with the S meaning "Sport" rather than "Straße" and the Monolever was replaced with the Paralever swingarm, which included a torque arm intended to lessen shaft effect and strengthen the swingarm-to-final drive connection.

The distribution of torque over a broad RPM range coupled with the relatively wide power pulses inherent in a long-stroke two-cylinder motor provides consistent and predictable traction on loose surfaces.

The front suspension, however, was changed from conventional forks to the Telelever, developed by British company Saxon Motodd, which uses a control arm, called an A-arm by BMW to eliminate dive under braking.

In 2010, at the EICMA show in Italy, BMW Motorrad announced the global availability of the G650GS with a slightly down-rated engine producing 35 kW (47 hp).

There is an aftermarket of motorcycle accessories for the GS range which includes aluminium luggage, saddles, shock absorbers, screens, lights and GPS mountings.

It was a major sales coup for BMW as the duo had initially approached KTM for sponsorship for the trip, who then turned McGregor and Boorman down.

They continued their association with the GS when Boorman used an F650RR during his 2006 Dakar Rally attempt,[10] which was documented in the book and TV series Race to Dakar, and again in 2007 when both used the R1200GS Adventure in their journey Long Way Down, in which they rode from John o' Groats at the northern tip of Scotland, to Cape Agulhas in South Africa at the southern tip of the African continent.

Both the R1200GS and the F650GS were featured in the BBC TV series The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, ridden by chefs Dave Myers and Si King.

[11][12] Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart used an R1100GS for a 14-month, 55,000 miles (89,000 km) self-healing trip, documented in the book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road,[13] that he made in the late 1990s following the deaths of his only daughter and wife.