BMW R1100GS (1994-1999) Review

I love the sit up riding position but the injection makes what should be a good town bike not so good, the gearbox is w**k and its too heavy but the suspension flattens v.bumpy B-roads

picked the bike up a year and a half ago with 9000 miles on the clock and added a remus exhaust which reduces the weight and makes it sound better than any bike on the road in my opinion.tried a taller screen as the standard creates a bit of buffeting around the head but didnt like the loud wind noise so now its naked with no screen and i much prefer it up to about 90mph. handles better than any other sports bike i've owned and gets 200 miles to a tank. holds its value well and never misses a beat.

Strengths

build quality,sound,comfort,handling.

Weaknesses

wheels and spokes corrode if not cared for.high bmw servicing costs.

When I was a despatch rider, I owned an old BMW R100/7. The handling and brakes were poor but I loved the 1,000cc Boxer engine. That was my 1st reason for buying the R1100GS - I love Boxers; just something about the noise they make, the torque they produce and maybe also the fact that no other bike manufacturer uses that horizontally-opposed twin cylinder layout. Reason No 2 was the look of the bike. Love it or hate it, no other manufacturer has produced a bike so individually ugly-pretty since the first models were introduced in the mid-90's. Reason No 3? It HANDLES. Despite the 19-inch front wheel and limited choice in tyres, you can sling the thing around like a super-moto. BMWs demand a smooth riding style, but once you adapt to Ze German Vay, you WILL give anything else on 2 wheels a run for its money on A and B roads. The GS isn't a hard-core off-roader and it's no luxo-tourer either, but it was the 1st Adventure Sport bike, and it's still the class leader.

Strengths

Front suspension, ABS brakes, engine, versatility

Weaknesses

Poor finish, BMW dealer service costs