page_title: BMW R80G/S
section_title: Specification
hierarchical_section_title: BMW R80G/S / Specification
caption_attribution_description: English: Ed Culberson's BMW R80G/S (nicknamed "Amigo"), the first vehicle to cross the Darién Gap en route to completing a full navigation of the Pan-American Highway
context_page_description: The BMW R 80 G/S is a motorcycle that was manufactured in Berlin, Germany, by BMW Motorrad from 1980 to 1987. Production totalled 21,864 bikes.
  It was the first in the BMW GS family of specialised dual-sport bikes, of which over 500,000 have been produced, and is often considered the world's first "Adventure Bike" able to be equally as capable both on and off-road.
  The designation G/S stands for the German words Gelände/Straße, which mean offroad/road – highlighting the bike's dual sport design.
context_section_description: The R 80 G/S (G for Gelände "offroad" in German S for Straße "street") was the first large displacement multisport bike on the market. The G/S was fitted with a 797.5 cc (48.67 cu in) BMW type 247 engine, which is a flat-twin (boxer) sometimes known as an airhead. The engine, which was fitted into an R65 frame, 
  was a modified version of that fitted to the R 80/7, featuring Nikasil cylinders, electronic ignition and a lighter flywheel. 
  At the rear the bike had the new "monolever," a combined single-sided swingarm and drive shaft, with the rear damping provided by a single shock absorber. The monolever was stiffer and lighter than the design fitted to previous models, and was subsequently fitted to other BMW motorcycles. It was a sealed suspension lever with the driveline inside the lever filled with oil to lubricate the shaft and parts. The single sided swing arm enabled the rear wheel to be removed easily with the bike on the center stand.
  It differs from other BMW road bikes of the same era due to its lighter weight, longer suspension travel, and large 21 inch front wheel.
  The bike gained popularity with adventure-seeking travellers after having won the Paris-Dakar ralley several times. BMW offered numerous optional parts including a  32-litre (7.0 imp gal; 8.5 US gal) fuel tank with Gaston Rahier's signature, a solo seat, stainless exhaust and a larger battery meaning that for the first time a true adventure travel motorcycle could be purchased directly from a manufacturer. The market it created spawned many aftermarket motorcycle accessories, such as larger fuel tanks and panniers.
caption: Ed Culberson's "Amigo", the first vehicle to cross the Pan-American Highway completely by land.
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