The TRUTH Behind the First BMW GS(R80/GS)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 тра 2024
- -M1 Moto Glove goo.gl/s5RCk4
-TANK STRAPS: Get the Best Motorcycle Straps out there: thetankstrap.com/
-Check out Bikes and Beards Gear bikesandbeardsgear.com/
-Follow us on Instagram: goo.gl/WKsgVX
SRK Cycles is a motorcycle dealership located in Landisville, PA. We post awesome videos of the bikes that we get in! Our inventory is always changing so check out our website to see what is currently in stock here. www.srkcycles.com/
#srkcycles - Авто та транспорт
The original GS name came from Herbert Schek who built the race bikes in his own workshop (he is still a BMW dealer) and had to holomologate them himself as Schek-BMW GS which originally meant GelandeSport, the name was sold to BMW and they turned it into Gelande Strasse.
The original competition bikes were ultra-trick, I used to be a magazine test rider and when the R80 GS was launched they brought along a race bike, chassis number 016 which I got to ride (I raced against Herbert a few times back then in the over 500 class on an ultra-trick 501 custom framed Triumph). The Beemer weighed 130kg dry with a 1000cc engine, nothing like the fat pig they mass produced (which incidentally was developed by Aprilia for BMW).
Herbert is a cool guy and real good rider, rode for Maico very succesfully and even spent two years developing the Puch Wankel engined bike for enduros before Puch gave up on the whole project.
Sean -- I'll share a 'BMW Centerstand Jiu-jitsu trick with you, just 'cause I like ya buddy. ;-)
I have 4 BMWs - ranging in age between 1973 to 2017 in my garage -- including a K1200LT which is 851 lbs with a full tank of gas. I'm 5' 8" and 185 lbs, and not built like Arnold, for reference.
Here's how ya do it - grab the bike by the left bar and the grab handle that all BMWs have along the left side. Roll the bike backwards and let it roll for 10 to 12 inches to pick up some momentum. Once its rolling step down on the centerstand pedal, and put all your weight on the pedal. The bike's momentum will do 9/10th of the work to get it on the stand. Your back and right knee will thank you.
Thank you so much for the tip !!!! I have a 2022 GSA, my "Rhino", and it's a b#tch getting her on the stand !!! 🙂
That's how I did it with my R75/5. @@TheAmerican1963
That "B" at the end of 'StraB' is actually a DOUBLE - S SOUND.. STRASSE!
Danke dir, wollte selbst schon ein comment schreiben👌
And the character is not actually an uppercase "B", but rather the Greek character beta (ß) - in German this character is called Eszett or scharfes s.
Also, as a general rule all characters are pronounced in German (e.g. no silent "e" at the end of a word); thus "strasse" (or straße) is pronounced stras-a.
@@danielklopp7007 ßßßßßßßßß alt-S on this Mac keyboard
Google or Wikipedia pronounces it for you, but this guy is to full of himself to properly prepare.
2:33 the paralever came with the later models. This is just a swing arm.
While accelerating the bike goes up. If you lift the throttle it goes down. In Germany it had the nick name "Gummikuh" / rubber cow. Qite a good naming for germans, huh? ;-)
When I was a mechanic at a BMW dealership in the 1980s when these things hit the floor plan. We all took the first one home for a demo ride and we all wanted on. It was light, narrow and nimble. We sold two to these guys that were great friends and riding buddies. They rode the heck out of them and loved them. We did have some clutch issue on the first versions but that was soon rectified. These are just great solid bikes
I was hoping you'd feature this bike after I saw it on your "Start my Harley" video. By the way, 1:39 "destroy" is right! The "S" in "GS" isn't pronounced "Strab" it's "Strasse" - the last letter isn't a "B" it's a double-S "ß". (Might be useful to know if you're ever lost in Berlin!)
Also known as "sharp S" !!!
Your humor never gets old. Not cruel and absolutely hilarious.
Clicks and views
Everything from the 80's is rad! Except the cold war, that sucked. Oh, and Madonna.
The younger people have no idea how much better it used to be in this country. I'm 59 and I even missed out on the better times , except for the 80's.
My vehicle seem to break down a lot less than the '80s but I agree.
@@lawrencefoster5608 Yes, I'm 66 and totally understand. Liberals.
In the ‘80s Madonna was far more desirable than any BMW motorcycle.
Best rock band of the 80s. A Flock of Seagulls.....
1976 R90/S here. I love this old bike. I bought it with 50k original miles, stripped it to the frame, and rustored it. It still has its battle scars, had to replace both valve covers because of poorly repaired damage. Put an electronic ignition system on it, and another few minor modernization mods. Dead reliable. You can't beat the old airheads.
I replaced my 100,000 mile R75/5 with '76 R90/6. I wanted the extra gear, disc brake and the longer frame. Excellent bikes.
R90S No / (slash)😊
Moto Guzzi for me.....they handle
Love the channel and love the content. Been watching for about 3 years. Glad to see the videos continue!
The 800ST road version of this bike was very underrated.
Perfectly balanced bike.
An absolute dream to ride ❤
I had one of those back in 1986. I loved it.
When all my friends had pictures of Ninjas and Katanas on their wall back in the 80's, I had a poster of this bike on my bedroom wall. After reading stories about Norge Peterson transversing the Darien Gap and riding the Pan American highway on one, that was the inspiration of many of my childhood dreams. That and Rachel Hunter. Really Iconic bike!
That was Helge Pedersen who traversed the Darien Gap on an R80GS.
@@galenanderson6006 right you are. My memory sucks. Thanks!
An absolute gem!
I had the pleasure of restoring a 81 model and travelling with it here in South Africa for about 6 years, at the time I also had 2003 1150GS which I had travelled from Cape Town to Cairo.
Both machines were incredible in their reliability.
The little 800 would run all day on freeway or B road at 135kmh no problem and was a real pleasure on the gravel too.. no racer but an real treat and would be a perfect companion for a Round the World partner.
My mate has one he still uses for commuter in between his other..
Needless to say I always take a walk around it n give it a loving pat.. magic motorbike
Enjoy it and don’t sell it..
I certainly am sorry I had let mine go… albeit to a good home
Thank you for great content 👍
I wish BMW Motorrad would make a modern R600GS with a smaller 600 cc boxer engine (50-60 HP) and overall much lower weight for better off road performance, shaft drive, but keep the huge 24 liter fuel tank and large rear rack. Store the fuel low for low center of gravity and have an easy to service air filter on top. Keep it simple. Make it a true on/off road ADV bike, unlike their very cool off road HP2 Enduro.
Second that for sure.
Love to hear you talk about motorcycles. Simple but effective and interesting keep up the good content my friend!
Glad you like them!
1985 I rode a GS…40 miles on gravel to town… when you hit the throttle in a corner, the low center of gravity pulled you deeper into the seat and stuck the tire to the gravel. Super fun bikes!
Great review. That bike has Monolever driveshaft. The next version from 87 on had the Paralever with higher ride height. I sold my '81 80G/S for £1500 in 2001 and bought a 600 Tenere. What a fool I was!
Im the lucky owner of an 96 Basic here in France i push it hard every day ànd love it such a great all round machine easy to repair and Maintain i highly recommend this riders bike.
Nice presentation and thank you for putting up the word of wisdom.
All set on the "wisdom"
I really miss these review videos. More please!
Love these videos
love these bikes, so much that I bought modern version R nineT Urban GS. One of few motorcycles with character.
My dad has a 78 bmw r80/7 and seeing this made me want to go fix it up and got it running again and got him back on his bike riding this weekend
Good vid lot of miles on those have R9T Urban GS now. Dreams come true
I’ve waited for you guys to look at this bike for years! My dream bmw but with the Dakar fuel tank
The white plastic side panel( left side)is where you put your hand to lift it up on the centre stand, its easy when you do it the 2nd time 👍
Almost traded in my R65 for the GS. I’ve always regretted not buying the GS in ‘86. I really miss the simple and clean designs the power to weight ratio was good. You are right about keeping them on the center stand.
Nice historical review, Sean. After riding a Victory Vision for 5 years, I sold it in February and purchased a 2017 R1200 GSA. Just got tired of lugging around 900lbs and need to do some off pavement here in SD. The transition has been interesting and exciting, especially adjusting to much lighter and responsive clutch and throttle. If I can just get better at mounting and dismounting, things will be perfect. At 69 years of age, 6'4" and 280lbs, I am no ballerina, but all good things come to the persistent. It is a great motorcycle and a hoot to ride!
I still have an image in my head of my dad pulling a wheelie on his back in the 80's
Can never go wrong with an old bmw. Its the Ultimate driving machine
Give me a break.Once talked to a guy who restored an old BMW. He related that its was a nightmare. What did he know he owned it and restored it? Too slow too expensive and hard to get parts.I bet they didn't sell 20000 in 7years. Less than 3000 a year just weird men who smoked pipes owned them back in the day . Now all of a sudden they're the greatest thing since sex? The content monster has pulled one over us again.
Old bmw motorcycles are great the cars are crap
This here is a motorcycle. You don't drive it
@@Roger_Ramjet you ride it
That's not the 24 litre tank. That's the 19 litre tank. The Paris-Dakar version of this model has the 32 litre tank.
The R100GS had the 24 litre tank.
I like your idea of riding as far away from the other lane like you do.
Taking account for people wondering out of their lane while texting
We had these back 20 years ago in the danish army - great machine! 🔥
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, this looks perfect in every way, just keep making it.
I have always wanted one of these OG GS’s
Why?
I have a friend in Milano riding the same r80gs the last 30 years. Met him in the Greek island that I had my business back in 96 when he came with the gs and started talking about my xt550 82 model and his was 86 ifi remember well.
I have the R100GS/PD with Siebenrock kit , great ride !
The K series longitudinal 4 and 3 cylinder bikes would smoke on startup if left parked on the side stand . You’d think those brilliant engineers would changed the orientation of the engine to prevent that.
They are/were fun. The foot controls are set in because having your toes in is safer and the best position for control when riding hard off road.
Love the delightful simplicity of the airhead bikes, I've finally decided to sell my gen 2 GS (89 r100) if anyones looking, its not cheap, but it certainly isnt barret jackson money.
I had a 73 R75/5 with the large tank (not a toaster tank). I really loved that bike! It is so well engineered that when it’s on it’s center stand it was perfectly balanced, you can remove either wheel and the bike is balanced. Cruising at 65 you can put your hand on the cylinder head. It has tons of low end torque but really comes alive at 5000 rpms. I loved it right up until I t-boned the car that didn’t see me and made a left turn in front of me 😮
Cool bike. I've been looking for a good example of a Sertao for ages
I have an '89 R100gs, I love it. I think the Paralever setup is sweet, no shaft reaction AT ALL. Crappy charging system though, like most boxers. I'm gonna do the EME upgrades on it. All I can say is STAY UP ON THE MAINTENANCE.
Used to own one purchased from Hermy's Triumph in Port Clinton, PA. LOVED THE BIKE! but ended up trading it for a Ducati 860GT.--mike
Hermy’s is my go-to BMW Dealer.
*_all_* airhead BMW's are *awesome*
TRUTH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
@@TheAmerican1963 we know, we've been there, and done it, on a beemer
Hi Shaun, you are a little bit wrong GS stood originally for Gelände/Sport (terrain/sport) and only more recently for Gelände/Straße (terrain/street)😀
That is correct👍
Very nice video, i have an 1981 HPN Dakar G/S, an SWT, R1250GS and an F800GS. At the moment we started a project for the 1979 SixDays Replica, maybe in Winter 2024 we finished the first 3 bikes, Thanks
What kinda frame numbers do you have and what rear drive (single sided, double sided or central shock)? Do you prefer your HPN or SWT?
These bikes are so good! My dad has a r80/7 from 1978 he drove it so much that he passed the km counter 3 times it started back at 0 lmao. Engine still going strong he also has a r100 which he loves more to ride on nowadays These boxer engine’s make the nicest sound a bike can make.
Yep v nice bike, i own a 97 R80GS PD,,,, like another comment here just roll the bike back onto the center stand, its a bit of a knack but does work also maybe the back break just needs adjustment or/and new shoes . Nice video great description of an iconic bike. Thanks
you need to do more on this channell its funny this channell started everything but has been left behind for bikes and beards as ive watched every video on both channels since the beggening its sad to leave this channell behind that started it all
Boxer engines have excellent primary and secondary mechanical balance. Flat4 and flat6 as well, just try any GoldWing.
The R80GS was the first (and the iconic one with that bright colorscheme) but there was also a R65GS , also with monoshock single side rear end.
This is uncanny. Saw one of these parked outside my workplace last week and thought "wow, that's an awesome looking bike". Immediately went to my office and did a bunch of research to find out more about it. Now even you made a video about it lol.
Sean, the Killswitch was in the OFF position when you were trying to Kickstart that puppy.
I started riding when I was 10 on a Yamaha GT80. Mom said no streetbikes so my first "street bike" was a new 1988 BMW R100GS "Bumblebee". I put 57k miles on it the first year. Up and down the East Coast from Labrador to Philly, plus daily commutes. The bike was legendary in the local sand pit (it had a Super trap exhaust, airbox mod and jet kit) it was so loud at full throttle and the stock Metzlers would shoot a roost for hundreds of feet. I used to follow my buddies on XR600s into the mud bog and pass them once they got stuck, it had so much torque it powered through almost anything. It was a do anything bike that you could ride all day with a passenger anyplace on the map.
The 1988 model still looks like a very capable off road bike. More like a xr600 with a boxer engine slung in. I think it all the ones that followed just ended up more about touring than anything else.
Hey Sean, any chance after seeing you on the 80's GS you could do a review on the 80's Honda transalp
You’ll have to kick start it in neutral with the clutch engaged. They have the same clutch set up as you would find in a car with a dry clutch and flywheel, the kick starter goes through the transmission to turn the engine over.
really? let me go try
Gelände/Straße, strasse not straab.
The ß, in German called Eszett (es-tset) or scharfes s(sharp s)can also be written as ss.
🇳🇱NL
"straab".... ROTFLOL
My eye twitched hearing "straaaaaaab". To be fair he did warn us though
In '78 BMW employed Laverda to make prototypes that were the grandfather to the GS. Worth a look if you are interested in the roots of these bikes.
The Panzer and tiger seems like a pretty good name for a tank... 🤣
There is nothing like a BMW boxer engine. I had an 1150RT and an 1150GS and left the brand for many years. I now have a 1200 R and I am a BMW lifer. I love how the boxer makes power. Love the character of the bike.
Best reviews.
Nice to see the original that provided the colour scheme for my 30 year anniversary 1200GS
I had a 1988 GS100 white/blue for 20 years. The centre stand is great, you can take the front and rear wheel off and it’s perfectly balanced. Two issues, the drive shaft needed a major service and a transmission spring broke and locked the bike in second gear….that was $$.
The GS bikes are awesome and they really do last forever. My '01 1150GS is at 146k miles and I would trust it to go cross country tomorrow. I'd really like to find an airhead just for the simple carbed nature, but they are really expensive and to be honest I'd feel bad riding it, like I'd be putting a piece of history in danger. The kickstarter also isn't terrible, same as a old big bore Honda for the most part, just something you have to get a feel for. Awesome bike
Well done, it’s not a Paralever which came later
oh shoot
Hello, la poignée de levage se trouve sur le coté gauche, juste sous la selle. ;) pour démarrer au kick, il faut mettre la clé de contact, mettre l'interrupteur rouge sur "off", appuyer 2 fois sur le kick pour charger le condensateur, remettre l'interrupteur rouge sur "on", puis appuyer franchement sur le kick. c'est la procédure du manuel BMW.
Have you thought about doing one on the Honda Varadero 125 and the 1000 cc version
As they have the same principles as the BMW 80 ?
I've Had mine for the past 20 years.... it's covered a quarter of a million problem free kms around Europe, the balkans, Turkey and russia ... and I'm riding it to Norway next month nonetheless (from Slovenia)....Absolutely awesome bike !
They need to bring them back!
The kick start on the "newer" BMWs was pretty much a vestigial version of the old functional kick starts. On these the kick start shaft is machined into the aluminum case and wears out quickly and should not be used except in an emergency.
I had one in the 1980s and used the kick start all the time. One gentle push was a perfect start to a ride. Have never been without a GS since, now an f700gs due to weight
I have an rare Honda VF1000R, the european one with 24 liters tank, have you tried one of them? They are from 1984 til 1986. I love mine but it is a heavy beast!
I would like to remind everyone the 2010 - 2012 dohc 1200 was also a motor (like the 750\800) that was as smooth as silk, pure butter. They still use that airhead motor for the 9T, the RT and others - because it was the best touring motor ever designed by anyone at any time. The r800 had the same qualities... i think this super smooth refinement is only available on horizontally opposed twins.
Hey Sean, will you be opening a new SRK location now that you have relocated?
Simplest way I find to lift any bike onto its center stand, is to roll the rear wheel of the bike onto a half inch or three quarter inch piece of plywood, that is about four inches square. I keep it with me wherever I go.
I've wanted an R80/GS since I saw my first one in the mid 80's, just something about them, never found one I could buy though.
I wanted a lightweight adventure bike in 1975, a full five years before BMW produced the first ADV bike. Several years ago, the manufacturers were forced to add a small ADV bike to their mid and full size ADV bike lineup but they all make their small ADV a feature reduced starter bike designed to migrate new riders to their more expensive ADV bikes. We're still waiting for an ADV bike light enough for off road and powerful enough for highway riding.
These things justified the nickname for airhead BMWs: Rubber Cow, or in german Gummikuh.
Dude your so right. Stihl ms170 ms means chainsaw! I didn’t know it was BMW also lol
The first GS prototype frame was build by Laverda Motorcycles in Italy
Bmw dealer near me in the South of England has the first one off the production line . Bmw museum in germany has number 2
German tanks are named things like "Panther", and "Tiger". Oh, and this bike has been high on my list for many years, but I've never found one I can afford. You can straighten that front fender, man. You just need a heat gun, and a couple pair of really careful hands. One person to carefully warm the area of the fender where it bends in the wrong direction, and the other to hold the fender in the correct direction while it cools.
Kick starter moment was classic
You need to go to a BMWRA rally … you can hang out in the airhead tent . Dozens of the coolest guys with airhead BMW’s …
GS" is actually a reminder for its owner to Get Skills!
These bikes were so versatile that when they first came out, guys used them for road racing on a National level. They were raced in the Battle of the Twins class. If I remember correctly, they were released to the public in either April or May of 1980 and there were two of them entered and raced in the Pocono National in July. The guys liked them because of the added ground clearance which stopped the cylinder heads from grinding in the corners.
BTW, I personally believe that there is no reason for a motorcycle to have more than 40 hp and really, 500cc. Most of the rest of the world understands that, but America is stuck on bigger and badder.
I'm not sure what year it was but I think about 1993. I watched Kurt Comer, the trials guy race an R75 at Mid-Ohio Vintage Days in the Open Twins Class in AHRMA motocross. There was a three-way battle for the win, and it came right down to the line between a Rickman Triumph 500, a Champion framed Triumph 750 and Kurt's BMW The class ahead of them was Sportsman 500 which was Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Maico, CZ, Husqvarna, Bultaco and Montesa open bikes. They started 30 seconds ahead of the twins and at the finish line, the three twins battling for the win were all within 10 feet......and about 40 feet behind the winner of the Sportsman 500 class on a Kawasaki 450.
I have two r100 gs PD , the Paris Dakar ones it’s the cherry on the cake 😂
My favorite bike from the 80s Yamaha RZ350 Kenny Roberts edition…your next purchase ?
Oh I like the GS
The origal G/S rear swing arm is not paralever, its actually just monolever.
It is a good looking bike!
I had some norwegian friends, who met a guy in mid of africa on a G/S 800. He had started out in Germany with a friend on a Kawasaki (don´t reall the model) both brand new. They drove down the westcoast of africa, and as they entered Cape Town, the speed was down to 30 km/h, because the Kawa had almost falen apart. The BMW guy chanced the oil, and gave it 2 new plugs. Drowe up the eastcoast, and got aboard a ship to Canada. Then he drove across, and down the westcoast, to the tip of south america (don´t know about the Darian Gap), and up the eastcoast, and got a ship back to Europe. Oil, tires and sparkplugs was all it took to keep it going. What a trip, in the late 80ies...
How can BMW go from a simple GS(80/100) battery removal to the Rninet battery removal. I own a 1991GSPD and a 2017 Rninet racer.
actually German nomenclature on armored vehicles like tank is very complicated,yet when u translate its actually saying what they're doing... pzkpw/panzerkampfwagen= tank means fighting vehicle with number/generation
or sdkfz, means something like special fighting vehicles for.... depends what it does...
its usually unnecessary long but it tells u what they're doing
like their cannons even if they're came from the same families, they're differentiate one for artillery/tank buster or for tank cannon
So I've lived in Germany for 25 years after finishing my time in the army and married a German lady
You are so right about them being bad at naming things!
Flugzeug: Flying thing = Airplane
Speilzeug: play thing = Toy
werkzeug: Work thing = Tool
Fahrzeug: Driving Thing = Take a guess?😆
Replace "thing" with "craft" and it's the same in English
Love to ride one, seems more a Dual Purpose bike than the ADV dominant design of the GS/GSA today.
i can testify that the modern day bikes are very very dual purpose
If I remember correctly, these won the ISDT a few years running, & all that they upgraded was the front shocks. For a while it seemed like the only ones finishing the Paris-Dakar... At least in the 80's, lol!
The ISDT bike were modified a ton. I am talking 130 kg wet (290 pounds).
Nice looking old bike
The BMW GS 80 came 5 years after the Yamaha XT 500, which started the dual purpose motorcycle. They were ok but suffered electrical problems and drive shaft spline wear issues.
There were a lot of dual sport bikes in the 1970s. I owned the Suzuki TS250. The R80GS was the first adventure bike. Dual sport is different from ADV. I wish there were smaller ADV bikes with more of an off road orientation. Or make an ADV version of a dual sport that's made to ride longer distances on road and not merely street legal to ride to and from the trails.
Kickstarting an old BMW airhead is an artform. The trick is to rotate the engine to just the right point before you attempt to kick start it. Do that, give it choke, just the right amount of throttle and it will start every time. My very first motorcycle was a 1977 R100/7 on which I installed a transmission with a kickstart on my first USAF assignment to Germany (1986-1989). I put a 170+ thousand miles on that bike. It had 78 thousand when I bought it. Was still running great when I sold it to a German who wanted a reliable bike. The center stand? You have to pull the bike backwards. BMW did not adopt a mainstream center stand until the K100s and the oil head series.
PULL back, not up to use the center stand. Harder to do when there is a box on the drivers side.
Amen brother