Three piece (front and rear sections with
load-bearing engine)
Front Suspension
BMW Telelever Single
gas-filled shock absorber with progressive coil spring, Preload
adjustment (five steps)
Front Wheel ravel
190 mm / 7.5 in
Rear Suspension
BMW Paralever (single-sided
swinging arm) Single gas-filled shock absorber with coil spring,
Preload adjustment (continuously adjustable by handwheel), Rebound damping
(continuously adjustable by screw)
Rear Wheel Travel
200 mm / 7.9 in
Front Brakes
2 x ∅297mm Discs, 3
piston calipers
Rear Brakes
Single ∅250mm disc, 3
piston caliper
Front Tyre
110/80 R19
Front Wheel
2.5 x 19 inch patented cross spoke
Rear Tyre
150/70 R17
Front Wheel
4 x 17 inch patented cross spoke
Dimensions
Length 2189 mm / 85.4 in
Width 920 mm / 35.9 in
Height 1366 mm / 53.7 in
Wheelbase
1509 mm / 59.4 in
Seat Height
840 mm / 33.0 in - 860 mm / 33.8 in
Dry Weight
225 kg / 496.0 lbs
Wet Weight
240 kg / 549 lbs
Ground Clearance
200 mm / 7.8 in
Fuel Capacity
24 Liters / US 6.3 gal
Consumption Average
6.1 L/100 km / 16.4 km/l / 35.6 US mpg
Braking 60 km/h - 0
14.0 m / 46 ft
Braking 100 km/h - 0
40.5 m / 133 ft
Standing
¼ Mile
12.5 sec / 168.2 km/h /104.5 mph
Top Speed
201.6 km/h / 125.3 mph
.
On the face of it the BMW R1100GS isn’t a particularly convincing motorcycle to
drop your cash on. It’s underpowered, expensive, looks ungainly and the gearbox
is, frankly, poor. However, if you had to bet the house and kids on a motorcycle
to get to Timbuktoo and back again (and show you a good time en route) the
R1100GS would be it.
The BMW R1100GS's oil/air-cooled 1085cc Boxer twin struggles to make a genuine
70bhp at the back wheel, but that’s a figure almost equalled by the torque
output. This, then, is a motorcycle for short-shifting not revving – a bike for
punting you out of corners, not warp factor mph. With just five ratios the
R1100GS is a bit buzzy in top, but other than a fantastical appetite for oil
it's damn near unburstable.
BMW persevere with their queer paralever/telelever suspension arrangement, which
basically means a wishbone and spring arrangement up front, and a
centrally-slung shock and single-sided swingarm/shaft drive arrangement.
Whatever, it works well, almost eliminating fork dive on braking – and what
awesome brakes – sublime. ABS is worth having as it adds resale value.