R80 g/s possibly the best bike BMW ever made

Steptoe said:
Here’s one I had in earlier ..

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And my later R100GS with 5k miles which I still have tucked away in the garage, it’s an old picture but may have been the last time I used it before putting it into storage :D
I put it up for sale a few years ago on the forum for £2450.. had someone come along, said he’d buy it, and then proceeded to tell me how he was going to build a hipster special out of it.
I refused to sell it to him and decided to keep it :D

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I will give you the £2450 for it and promise not to hipsterize it !
 
mikeyboy said:
Maybe,possibly.
I guess it depends on an individual’s opinion.
At the time of its release,it was a “ monster trail bike” and a Dakar inspired bike.
Its evolution into the paralever saw it get a bit bigger,more complex.
After that,hmm the 1100, a lot more bulk,huge weight gain.
The 1150 ,more evolution,I think riders saw them as good touring bikes whilst,if you had ability,still very capable off road.
The mk 1 1200 seemed to be a very positive step ,less weight,more power,an amazing touring bike with true off road prowess.
1200 LC,no comment.
Back to the R 80g/s
In today’s mind set,it’s tiny,it’s light,it’s nimble.
On the road,it’s as quick as you need.
Ok so the suspension is basic,the brakes,,,,,adequate.
For a bike that’s getting on for 45 years old,I’d take one over any new bike👍
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Not so sure. Looks are the best but so much lacking, a bit like a C15/Starfire scrambler! The ST was/is a much better road bike and not only this but can be changed to a G/S, nobody changes a G/S to an ST do they? This is mostly nostalgia, romance if you like, there's nowt wrong with that, a bit like when mountain bikes became the thing and everyone with a road bike that had done the trails thought they needed one just to be cool. Mostly dreams and bollocks, imo.
 
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mikeyboy said:
Maybe,possibly.
I guess it depends on an individual’s opinion.
At the time of its release,it was a “ monster trail bike” and a Dakar inspired bike.
Its evolution into the paralever saw it get a bit bigger,more complex.
After that,hmm the 1100, a lot more bulk,huge weight gain.
The 1150 ,more evolution,I think riders saw them as good touring bikes whilst,if you had ability,still very capable off road.
The mk 1 1200 seemed to be a very positive step ,less weight,more power,an amazing touring bike with true off road prowess.
1200 LC,no comment.
Back to the R 80g/s
In today’s mind set,it’s tiny,it’s light,it’s nimble.
On the road,it’s as quick as you need.
Ok so the suspension is basic,the brakes,,,,,adequate.
For a bike that’s getting on for 45 years old,I’d take one over any new bike👍
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Yes, agreed! I've owned my old bus since 1983 simply because I've never seen another bike to do 'everything' as well as the g/s does. 40 years out of date and still lighter than most modern adventure bikes!
 
mikeyboy said:
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1200 LC,no comment.
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Then I'll chip in given the vested interest.

As much as I love my LC GSA and it's been ridden hard offroad a lot as you know.

So far I've smashed a final drive, punctured a rocker cover, killed two lambda sensors, possibly killed the two abs sensors, broke some of the plastics for the screen and around it. Had a rear caliper shear taking out 4 spokes then still rode home a couple of hours away.

I think that's the sum total of about 8 years of ownership and extensive use offroad on hard ground.

It might share two letters but the two are just not comparable. The water-cooled GS is now a sports bike tourer with knobblies if you fit them and having put 35,000 miles on mine it is brilliant but it's a brute and you have ton love it for what it is and ride accordingly.

It's also better offroad IMHO than an 11xx better balance and more tractable and flexible as the engine is more revvy.

I think the 411 himi is closer to the G/S than the water-cooled.

I also tend to agree that adding weight has shifted the balance more and more to road and it has made it so popular and the para was the start of that.

Such are the steps in evolution that the G/S, the r1150 and 1200lc feel like three completely different bikes IMHO.

I do also think you have to consider what you use the bikes for and weight offroad is obviously not your friend and certainly when it's unsprung and definitely when it's sprung and static.

Of the many short comings the 1200lc gsa has offroad the biggest two is you can't see sweet FA around that tank and fairing when your stuck in a snotty bit and when that plush suspension suddenly runs out of travel and a 1/4 tonne of mass bounces back at you

So despite all of that monoshock r80 please stripped down to the bare minium and I'll forgive the dry clutch as I'm less likely to need it, but 3hr ride home after a 250 mile day Inc tarmac and green lanes I'll take the GSA please but a RTW bike for the average person it is not unless you are sticking to groomed trails and metalled roads.
 
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