SOARING POPULARITY
The evolution into the GS effectively doubled
the G/S-GSs popularity. The original R80G/S
sold 21,864 units in its seven year lifespan (say
BMW’s records) but the R100GS would shift
over 45,000 in its nine years.
What the R80G/S had begun the R100GS-PD
more than continued. Yes, it was less of an
off-roader, but it was much more of a tourer,
and when we consider tourers at that point in
time looked rather staid, middle-aged perhaps,
then here was touring made sexy. With the
GS-PD touring became adventuring. It was
exactly the same game but was just that little
more ‘down with the kids’.
And the amazing thing is how BMW, so often
the, err, square peg, got this so right. The
Japanese came after them, that’s for sure, most
seriously with Super Teneres and Africa Twins,
but the threat from the East faded as the
German adventure legend only grew and grew.
While R100GS made 45,000 units in nine years,
its successor the R1100GS sold another 45,000
in six years before the R1150GS added a further
70,000 plus sales in another five years. All of
which were the precursor to the big bang that
few could have anticipated – the R1200GS,
which sold a whopping 100,000 units in its first
three years alone.
The GS bike became a brand became a
lifestyle. It’s an amazing success story. And this
R100GS-PD is as significant part of it as any of
the variants – and so is still desirable today as
it was then, for reasons we’ll explain shortly…
60 KIWI RIDER