About GS
Few letters carry as much weight in motorcycling as G and S. Standing for Gelände and Strasse, off-road and street, they first appeared on the R 80 G/S of 1980, a boxer twin that BMW dared to ride across deserts. It won the Dakar, sold far beyond expectations and created the adventure bike, a category that now makes up a huge share of the premium motorcycle market and nearly every manufacturer's lineup.
The big boxer GS grew up generation by generation, gaining shaft drive refinements, liquid cooling, semi-active suspension and electronics, with the long-range Adventure versions built for riders whose plans involve fuel stops in the middle of nowhere. Below it, BMW built parallel-twin F-series GS models and the single-cylinder G 310 GS, made in India with TVS. Owners love the comfort, the confidence and the sense that the bike could reach the end of the earth; critics joke that most never leave the pavement, and the prices climb with every option box ticked.
The newest chapter is small. The F 450 GS brings a compact twin-cylinder engine and a lighter, more affordable GS to younger riders and to growing markets such as India, where it targets the KTM 390 Adventure, the Royal Enfield Himalayan and Triumph's smaller adventure bikes. Its engine also underpins the F 450 RR sportbike, a fully faired sibling for the same audience. Coverage follows launches, prices, comparisons, anniversary editions of the big boxer GS and the long-distance rides that keep the legend alive.