Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127585
G!~~w!'~~ri~d~~gO~"~d ~ Every shift requires the aid of the clutch. The gear ratios, how ever, offer the ideal compromise between street and off-road riding. On the open highway, the Beemer cruises along at 65 mph at 4000 rpm. ~ The GS has a few little annoyan ces. 0'\ First, th e kickstand. It 's springloaded ..-; and can only be operated wh en s tandi ng ... alongside the bike. It can not be operated ..-; . from the seat. (It also has a centerstand). N Secondly, hardly a ride went by that we d idn't curse the engine designers after d inging" our shins on the protruding ;:S cylinder jugs or the carbu retors. This not - . . only hurts, but sometimes leaves grease and / or dirt stains on pant legs. Third , on several occasions we ca me cl ose to draining the batt ery by leaving the key in th e ig nition's "P" (p ark) p osition, thin ki ng it was in the " off" detent. (These two positions a re usu all y rev ersed on oth er bikes). And last, but not least, the spin-off gas cap is a littl e awkward to use. If it sounds to you that we aren't overly exci ted abou t thi s motorcycle, well, quite frankly, you're right. For everyd ay ridi ng, commuting, and ha rd-c ore du al sport rid ing, we'd op t for other bikes over the GS. It jus t has too many littl e annoyan ces for ev e ryday use, no t to men tion that it's slightly under-powered . - for a nea r 1000cc m o torcycle - an d vib ra tes too much fo r our tastes. But, then again, the GS isn' t designed to be a >-. ........ H If you like sightseeing, and as lon g as you are not in a hu rry, th en you'll enjoy the Beemer. It'll take you almost any w here. The GS might not be exactly pretty, but it is a very functional motorcycle. It goes a long way on a tank of gas, can carry a 926-pound load, the twin-cylinder Boxer engine is a proven powerplant, and, perhaps best of all , it's street and offroad legal. d ay-to-day commuter, or a tight woods trail bike. Instead , it's designed for open d irt roads, for those occasional mu lti-day getaways, and for those uses, the GS has many redee mi ng q ua li tie s. It h as a proven motor, it goes a resp ectab le distance on a tank of gas, it has a carry ing rack, it can be ridden legally on- and offroa d, and there's no do ubting the fact tha t it looks different. It's d efini tely an attention-getter. The RIOOGS mig ht not be for everyone, but if more often than not your dual sport adventures cover long dis tances, the GS migh t be the hot ticket. a WhileCycle News believes theforegoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performance or safety of the uehiclets). The reader should make his or her own investigation Specifications BMW RIOOGS (RI O GS Paris-Dakar) O Suggested retail price .$7790 (P-D $8790) Engine type Air-cooled, 4-slroke, . opposed, twin Borex stroke 94.Omm x 70.6mm Horsepower (claimed) .58 Bhp@6500 rpm Torque (claimed) .56.0 ft. lb. @37oorpm Compression ratio 8.6:1 Valve gear OHV, push-road actuated Valves per cylinder 2 Camshafts .308 degrees Ignilion Transistorized breakerless Carburetion 232mm Bing constant-velocity Cooling system air-cooled, partial flow oil coolerassist. Primary drive , .Helical-cutgears with tensioner Clutch I65mm dry, single plate with diaphram springs Drive system ; ;~ ...Enclosed driveshaft w/ integral torsional damper Final drive Spiral bevel gear, 3.09:1 ratio (34/ 11) Frame :: Tubular steel, double front downtubes Front suspension Telescopic fork Front wheel travel 8.8 in. o 16 • Rear suspension Paralever swingarm, singlegas shock Rear wheel travel 7.0 in. Front brake .5ingle, 2-piston double action caliper Front brake rotors 11.2 in. Floating Rear brake .5ingle drum w/ dual brake shoes Rear drum 7.9 in. dia. Front wheel... I.85x 21 ·in. alloy rim Rear wheel... .25 x 17in. alloy rim Front tire 90/ 90x 21 in. tublesMetzeler Rear tire 130/ 80x 17 in. tubless Metzeler OIA length : 90.2in. OIA width 39.4 in. Wheelbase 59.6 in. Ground clearance 6.7in. Seat height 33.5 in. Handlebar width 32.7 in. Steering head angle ..- , , , 62 degrees Front wheel traiL :: : 3.9 in. .~ Weight dry (c1aimed)'!;;A341bs. (P-D 485Ibs.)"" Weight.wet (claimed)::...505 Ibs. (P-D520lbs.) Maximum load : 9261 bs.gross vehicle weight rating Colors Black/ yellow and white/red (P-DWhite/ green, and white/red) Importer..BMW of North America, Inc. P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, NJ 97675-1227