BMW GS Turns 40

Little did BMW engineers realise that, 40 years ago this year, they conceived a motorcycle that was to shape future motorcycling so fundamentally. In 1980, it would have been impossible to predict that the R80G/S and its successors would become the best-selling motorcycle range in the company’s history.

- Harry Fisher

But, what seems so obvious a direction for motorcycles to take now, was anything but obvious back then. Of course, there were already off-road motorcycles that were fitted with lights and indicators to make them road legal Yamaha’s XT500 springs to mind - but these were wholly impractical, too uncomfortable and too unrefined for long-distance work.

BMW had initially built its reputation on staid but beautifully made largecapacity motorcycles and later, in the 1970s, on large, well-equipped touring bikes, such as the R80 and R100 RS and RT models. The trouble is, that they weren’t going to set the world on fire with their looks.

Enter one Hans Muth. In 1969, he was a designer at Ford Germany, based in the Rhineland. The weather was so bad that, when he complained, his friends told him he should move to Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany, coincidentally where a small car company was on the rise. That company, of course, was BMW and Muth got the job of Head of Interior Design for the car division.

Whilst the car division was going from strength to strength, the motorcycle side of the business was not doing so well. One problem, in Muth’s eyes, was the styling.

I used to see these bikes they made and they were dreadful, says Muth. So I went to the head of motorcycling technical development to ask 'who designs your bikes?' and he said 'we do'. I told him 'yes I can tell', so he said 'well if you like motorcycles so much, you do it!' and I did.”