the 259R series , the new four-valve platform . For this new model , 4-5 renowned designers submitted designs , but actually I was chosen for that bike as a youngster , Karl-Heinz Abe then did the GS and the R . “ I wanted to get rid of the undynamic , upwardpointing engine position of the old boxer models , which was caused by the geometry of the universal joint of the final driveshaft . That ’ s why the crankshaft was higher at the front than at the back , which worked against a sporty silhouette . We then turned the cylinder heads slightly downwards as a little trick , while the crankshaft retained its inclined position .
BMW ’ S ASYMMETRICAL GS DESIGN “ This was about the restyling of the GS , the 1150 from 1999 . We had almost no budget , but I wanted to give the bike a new face and get away from the “ truck ” headlight of the 1100 . We then got hold of an existing headlight housing from the company group with an asymmetrical housing and saw this could be accommodated quite well in the installation space without the front section having to become excessively larger . I like asymmetry when it is functionally driven and not for pure design reasons . “ For a long time , this was an unmistakable feature of our machines : many people tried to copy the GS , but no one really dared to copy the “ spout ” together with the asymmetry . In 2004 , with the first 1200GS , we really implemented the concept in a coherent way . By the way , the “ spout ” was absolutely functionally driven : the R1100GS reached quite high speeds at that time with its 80hp , and the shape of the front fender improved the downforce and thus brought stability , as well as efficient flow to the oil cooler .
SMOKE TESTING IN MOJAVE “ At that time I was travelling a lot to meet our suppliers abroad , especially in Italy and then in our design studio Designworks USA in California .