BMW announces the F 800 GS
BMW Motorrad Press Release - Nov 19, 2007

In 1980, BMW Motorrad invented the adventure motorcycle category with the advent of the trailblazing R 80 GS, which won the grueling Paris-Dakar year after year. And now, over twenty-five years later, BMW Motorrad has created yet another revolutionary dual-purpose motorcycle that provides unprecedented levels of desert-devouring, roost-throwing performance: the amazing 2008 F 800 GS. 

 

Fulfilling a need for a pure off-road oriented motorcycle that still has all the power, handling and reliability required for long-distance adventure touring as well as on-street handling, the F 800 GS is perfectly positioned as a middleweight dual-purpose enduro. Featuring an asymmetrical double headlight, its look is sleek, trim and 100% aggressive. With a compact 85-horsepower parallel twin engine, lightweight steel trellis frame and double-sided swingarm, not to mention a chain drive and longer front and rear suspension travel, there has never been a BMW dual-purpose machine offering such a unique blend of power, comfort and off-road muscle.

 

Torque is generous at 61 lb/ft, and with a six-speed gear box, switchable ABS, 42-degree turning radius, 400-watt alternator, wide foot rests and 4.2-gallon gas tank located under the seat for a low center of gravity, the F 800 GS has all the technology of a touring bike, while still possessing the optimum power-to-weight characteristics of a high-performance enduro. With a dry weight of just 392 lbs, the F 800 GS is lightweight and agile enough for precise handling, making it ideal for screaming around on the twisties or tearing through the dirt.

 

In the never-ending quest to exceed our own exacting standards, BMW Motorrad has once again reached an entire new level of engineering excellence with the F 800 GS, an adventure-hungry motorcycle that is destined to be a classic.