THE NEW BMW R1150 GS ADVENTURE

Twenty-one years ago, the launch of BMW's R80 GS established a new category in
motorcycling - the large capacity enduro machine. Numerous Paris-Dakar
victories and thousands of customer deliveries later, the GS range has become
one of BMW's greatest success stories, with over 146,000 units sold to date.

The world premiere of the R1150 GS Adventure will take place at the IAA
(International Automobile Exhibition) in Frankfurt this month. It will go on
sale in the UK next spring.

Largely based on the best selling R1150 GS, the Adventure has been designed
with long distance travel in mind and is engineered to perform in all
conditions, on or off-road. This visually striking new model comes equipped
with many special features as standard and a whole range of optional
accessories and fittings that make it the ultimate long distance enduro machine.

Optimised spring travel and suspension settings :

Whether on gravel paths, sand tracks, rough terrain or over long distances, the
chassis of the R1150 GS Adventure ensures optimum comfort and control even when
fully loaded. Spring travel has been increased by 20 mm to 210 mm at the front
and 220 mm at the rear. Easy spring pre-load adjustment to the front can be
made by a supplied spanner and to the rear by a hydraulic adjuster. Rebound
damping at the rear can be adjusted by means of a small screw.

For the first time in a BMW motorcycle, a strut is used at the rear which has
suspension deflection related damping, whereby the greater the spring
deflection, the greater the damping effect. The WP strut is characterised by
sensitive response and a high degree of knock resistance.

Evo brake and steel brake hoses :

The R1150 GS Adventure uses BMW's EVO brake, which was introduced on a number
of models in the spring of 2001 and significantly increases stopping power.
Plastic coated braided steel hoses help provide stable and constant pressure.
The R1150 GS Adventure can also be fitted with ABS, which can be switched off
when riding off-road.

Engine equipped for varying fuel conditions :

The Adventure's engine is the same as the R1150 GS, but in response to demand
by round-the-world riders, it can now take regular petrol as well as unleaded.
A optional coding plug for the engine management system ensures it can be
safely operated with regular fuel (RON 91) without any risk of damage.

New gear ratios :

Unlike the R1150 GS, which uses top gear as an overdrive, the Adventure uses a
shorter sixth gear ratio. There is also a shorter first gear to make pulling
away easier on difficult terrain.

New seat and larger screen :

A new single-section seat allows the rider to adjust his position according to
the conditions. However, the seat is designed to be spacious enough for two and
a new, larger luggage bridge provides additional securing points for luggage.
For improved wind and weather protection, the screen is 12 cm wider at the
base, 5 cm wider at the top and 13 cm longer.

The front mudguard is also longer and wider, while hand guards and a foam
handlebar crossbrace pad come as standard. The solid aluminium bash plate is
larger than that seen on the R1150 GS and is positioned further to the rear to
provide extra protection from possible damage caused by stones and rocks. A
12-volt socket has been added to the instrument cluster in order to connect
accessories such as a GPS, Roadbook or reading light.

A new look :

The R1150 GS Adventure is offered in two different colour schemes - white
aluminium metallic with a grey and red seat, and night black with a mandarin
and black seat. In addition, the cylinder head covers and aluminium rims are
finished in blue.

Special equipment and accessories :

Instead of the standard 22-litre fuel tank there is the option of a larger,
30-litre item. An aluminium luggage system consisting of a multifunctional
carrier system, two side cases (75 litres in total) and a 30 litre top case is
also available. If the aluminium cases are not mounted the supports can be
folded out and will also carry luggage.

Other optional special equipment includes waterproof inner bags for the
aluminium cases, cylinder protection brackets, headlamp protector, fog lamps
with flint protectors and knobbly tyres for improved off-road capability.

Ends