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BMW R 80 G/S |
In 1980, after many earlier successes in off-road events, BMW introduced its first production adventure-tourer, the R 80 G/S. With its larger engine and Monolever swingarm rear suspension, the R 80 G/S model established a whole new category of large-displacement motorcycles suitable for on and off-road touring. In 1981 and 1983, the French rider Hubert Auriol won the Paris-Dakar Rally on a suitably modified R 80 G/S. Gaston Rahier, the former motocross world champion from Belgium, repeated the victories in 1984 and 1985. This machine is part of "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, made possible by BMW (June 26-Sept. 12 1998).