BMW R 1200 GS Special Model - 500,000 BMW GS motorcycles built.

R 1200 GS Special Model - 500,000 BMW GS motorcycles built.

Munich / Berlin. With supreme power, a high level of comfort and a broad range of uses for long tours over all types of terrain, the BMW R 1200 GS is virtually the ideal travel enduro bike. With its 77 kW (105 bhp) flat twin engine, it guarantees powerful sprinting and pulling power, as well as maximum riding fun on winding country and mountain roads with its well-balanced and agile chassis.

To mark the 15-year tradition of the highly successful GS series with the 4-valve flat twin engine, BMW Motorrad is bringing out a special version of the R 1200 GS by further enhancing the fittings of this already generously appointed travel enduro.

The R 1200 GS Special Model highlights the enduro genes of the BMW travel enduro: the exclusive paint finish in Alpine White non-metallic, black cross-spoke wheels, a mudguard extension at the front, a black spoiler for the oil cooler, a tinted windshield (not for the USA) and a two-colour adjustable seat in grey/black give the bike a masculine, off-road look. The functional cylinder head protector in aluminium likewise underscores the bike’s enhanced enduro character.

Seat heights are higher than in the R 1200 GS, being selectable at 870 and 890 mm respectively. However, both a lower seat with a height of 820 mm (single colour black) and a lowered suspension with a resulting seat height of just 790 mm are also available as special accessories or special equipment features ex works.

With the exception of the cross-spoke wheels, the R 1200 GS Special Model can also be supplemented individually with special accessories and special equipment features from the extensive BMW Motorrad range.

The BMW GS success story – the 500,000th GS comes off the production line in Berlin.

Whether in off-road racing or as a travel enduro: with its conceptual variety, the BMW GS models have become firmly established on the market over a period of three decades, with the 500,000th BMW GS coming off the production line in Berlin on May 12th, 2009 – an R 1200 GS.

The BMW GS motorcycles have developed continuously since 1980, shaping the image of BMW Motorrad more than any other series. Originally the traditional 2-cylinder flat twin “boxer” engine was reserved solely for the BMW GS models, but in 2000 it was extended to the F 650 GS - a single-cylinder bike which continues to be produced as the G 650 GS. In early 2008, the successful BMW GS range was also supplemented with the F 650 GS and the F 800 G with 2-cylinder in-line engine.

BMW Motorrad looks back over a long tradition of off-road racing. In 1980, Rolf Witthöft won the European Off-Road Championship on an 800 cc BMW, while the R 80 G/S premiered in the same year with what now seems a rather modest 50 bhp. With its innovative chassis technology and low weight of just 186 kg, it not only displayed brilliant off-road qualities but was also reliable for everyday riding and an ideal travel companion. One eye-catching novelty was the single-sided swing arm, called BMW Monolever, for rear wheel control. With the highest capacity engine for an enduro motorcycle at the time, the bike founded an entirely new market segment: that of the large-volume travel enduros.

In 1981 the French desert specialist Hubert Auriol won the motorcycle rating of the Paris-Dakar Rally, repeating his success in 1983. The flat twin models continued to be based on serial production models and were victorious again in 1984 and 1985 when former motocross champion Gaston Rahier from Belgium left the competition behind him.

The R 80 G/S and the subsequent R 100 GS became outstanding hits in the BMW range, enjoying great popularity among long-distance motorcyclists. They proved themselves to be extremely robust, reliable and easy to handle. This is why the GS turns up in just about every corner of the earth, no matter how remote.

In the course of the model revision in 1987, the R 80 GS and R 100 GS were presented with the revolutionary double-jointed swing arm (BMW Paralever) and patented cross-spoke wheels. At the IFMA Cologne in 1988, BMW Motorrad then presented the R 100 Paris – Dakar with rally front section, engine guard and 35-litre fuel tank. This model was based on a racing bike on which Eddy Hau from Munich had won the marathon class for private riders at the Dakar rally.
To mark the tenth anniversary of the popular BMW enduro bike the R 80 GS and R 100 GS were given a new look in 1990, geared towards the style of the Paris-Dakar version.

Meanwhile, BMW motorcycles continued to do well in off-road racing. For example, Jutta Kleinschmidt entered the Cape Town rally as a private competitor with her close-to-production BMW R 100 GS in 1992 and crossed the finishing line as winner of the women’s category.

In 1993 BMW presented a new series with a 4-valve flat twin engine. After this the model range was expanded in rapid succession. In September the R 1100 GS with a large 25-litre fuel tank and comfortable dual section seat caused a stir at the IAA in Frankfurt. In addition to the new 4-valve flat twin engines, BMW also presented the new Telelever front wheel control system.

In addition to the 80 bhp R 1100 GS, the F 850 GS (70 bhp) came out in 1998. In subsequent years, the GS engines continuously increased in capacity and thus in output and torque, too. Today’s top model, the BMW R 1200 GS, now has an output of 105 bhp and a maximum torque of 115 Nm.
The “big” GS with the classic flat twin engine is the most popular bike in BMW Motorrad’s model range today. Last year alone, 35,305 new BMW R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure motorcycles were sold to customers all over the world.

Overview of highlights of the BMW R 1200 Special Model.

• Air-cooled 2-cylinder flat twin engine with 1170 cc capacity, balancer shaft and a high level of pulling power in the upper engine speed range.
• High torque over the entire engine speed range for excellent pulling power
• Output 77 kW (105 bhp) at 7500 rpm and maximum torque of 115 Nm at 5750 rpm
• Ideal gearbox and secondary ratios for optimum pulling power and acceleration.
• Dynamic, masculine design with highlighted enduro attributes.
• Paint finish in Alpine White non-metallic.
• Cross-spoke wheels finished in black.
• Tinted windshield.
• Two-colour seat in grey/black.
• Mudguard extension, front.
• Black spoiler for oil cooler.
• Cylinder head guard in aluminium.
• Special equipment features and individually tailored accessories at the familiar high BMW level.