R 1200 GS:

2004

Perhaps the biggest and most important update came with the original R 1200 GS. Its style was striking and distinctive and its 1,170cc, balancer-shaft equipped engine raised output to 100 hp and gave smoother cruising performance. But it was the chassis that made the most impact — especially the dry weight figure of 199 kg, which matched that of KTM’s rival 950 Adventure and even Ducati’s super-sports 999. The inspiration behind the GS’ development was a large blue plastic water container that weighed 30 kg and had the word “target” in German, on its side. ‘Our development team’s aim was to reduce weight by 30 kg, so this water tank was placed where it was in view every day,’ said BMW’s bike boss Herbert Diess at the bike’s launch. The target was reached, handling was significantly improved, and the R 1200 GS became the most successful GS of all. By July 2007, BMW had sold over 1,00,000 units, including 15,000 Adventures, and the model was firmly established as one of the world’s most popular bikes. Two years later, total GS production had topped half a million.