Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

wrench is used to tighten the spokes at the hub. Even when th e road is straight, the GS is a pl easure -to ride. At h ighway speeds, the smooth -ru nning engine creates abso lutely no handlebar vibra tion . The wide seat is plush a nd comforta ble, and th e fra me-mounted fa irin g does a good jo b of block ing some of th e wind. A clear windscreen is now adjustable for severa l different a ng les, and the instruments have been revised so that a lar ge speedometer and tachometer are side by side fo r bett er visibility. ' When th e pavement ends, the rea l ad venture begins o n the GS. During - th e course of o ur 235-mile ride, we sa m p led approxima tely 35 miles of unpaved road in the Arizona mo untai ns just north of the Mexican border. The road vari ed from roc ky, tight passes to smooth, gen tly-curved access roads. To ride the GS like a regular dual sport bike , suc h as Suzuki's DRS o r a Yamaha XT, can be an advent ure in itself. At a cla imed wet weight of 485 pounds, the GS can't be th row n around in tight turns. T he horizontal cyli nders and thei r 32mm Bing car buretors also ma ke it difficult to stick a 'Ieg ou t in the corne rs. T he BMW can go fast on th e tig ht road s, but th e rid er will have to wor k with' the GS 's limi tati ons. Most GS riders, however, probab ly aren ' t concerne d about trying to be th e next Larry Roeseler. Besides, go too fast and you mi ss th e scenery . . At a slow to moderat e pa ce, the GS pe r for ms admi rab ly. Th e torquey motor is perfect for smooth ly accelerating o ut of tig h t, slippery tu rns with mini mum wh eeIspin. T he suspension also works q ui te well. The new rear shock, which is bui lt fo r BMW by Bilstein and has 10 rebound dam p in g adj us tme nts and four spring pr eload settings , provides seven inches of suspension trave l that wo rk well. Only deep hol es cause the suspension to bottom. Up front, th e 40mm Marzocch i forks a lso work well , a lthough lo w-speed compressio n dampi ng seems a bit harsh. This beco mes especially apparent o n wash board-type roads where the fro nt end seems to skip over the sma ll irregu la ri ties i nstead of absorbing them. At moderat e speed .this creates some head sh ake that's more annoying than worrisome. BMW also offers an op tional sport suspens io n kit for ri ders more serious about off-roa ding. One o f th e maj or impro vemen ts BMW ma de to the GS was the ad di tio n of a floating fro nt disc brake. The floating d isc help s ins ure th e bes t com patibi li ty betw een the disc and pads to eli minate squealing. The brak e is ver y stro ng and req u ires very little effort at the lever. A drum brake is used at th e rear. Although it doesn 't hav e the power of th e front disc, it works adeq ua tely. Although many GS o wne rs will never venture off-road , those who do can be assured that th e GS is well protected for the possibility of a fall. Tu bular rai ls guard th e cylinders, wh ile th e fairing is mounted beneath an external frame whic h is con necte d to the ma in frame. T h is exo-fra rne can a lso come in handy if the rider beco mes stuc k in a rut or mud. BMW also offers ma ny o ptional accesso ries to mak e the GS both more roa d and dirt worthy. Our GS had heated ha nd grips, wh ich made th e coo ler mo rn in g ride much mor e com- forta ble, A few of the ot her avail abl e options include a complete, easi ly detacha ble sadd lebag system to ma ke carry ing extra clo thi ng or a pi cnic lunch simple, tank bag s, hand protectors, spark arrestor and steel-too thed foo tpegs. The BMW R IOOGS is a truly versatile motorcycle. Its home may be o n the street, but i t ca n easily, a nd comfortably, take its ow ner beyond the pavement o utsi de the city limi ts. ~ Specifications (Clockwise from top ) A floating disc is used on the front brake; windscreen angle can be easily adjusted; the GS can easil y exp lo re back roads as well as cit y streets; the rear shock ha s 10 rebo und damping settings. 15

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