Australian [BMW] GS Riders page

Is it a new phenomina? riding essentially what are modified BMW road motorcycles "off road", in competition or just "in the bush"? Well no actually, BMWs have been getting out on the dirt since they started winning road trials in the 20s!

Through the fifties and the sixties BMW had strongly competed in both national and ISDT road trials using /3 and then /2 road based machines.

By "79", BMW had won the over 500cc class of the European Enduro champs (with some some very big bikes & riders). But after 81 & 83, it was Gaston Rahier" who iced the proverbial cake with back to back wins in 84 & 85!

Thus boosting the GS image and spawning a new a line of "Paris (to) Dakar" replica Boxers from BMW.

GH proving you can take any boxer and ...

Here in Australia, the capability for "all road" touring of the GS, in fact any BMW boxer motorcycle, was already well known. The infamous Gunbarrel Highway had its first successful motorcycle crossing in "76" by a group from the BMW Touring Club of NSW, all of course mounted on BMW road bikes ranging in models from /2 to /6.

Later, the Powell brothers from Jerramungup (WA) had also tamed the Canning on their home built GS (/7 based bikes) and this is to name but a few!

The release of GS in 1980, marketed by BMW (AUS) as the "Range Rover of Motorcycling", had really fired the imagination of Aussie "all road" tourers and adventurers! In fact BMW's GS has won the "On road / Off road Tourer"category in the major Australian motorcycle magazines (Two Wheels, Motorcycle News etc) for the last 15 years. Others super motard models have never developed such a strong following, nor aad any real sales success in the On/Off Road Tourer class.

Boxer BMWs of all shapes & sizes have toured and rallied all over this country! Even "Bricks" (K series) have seriously gotten into the act with KRS / KRT etc appearing from "the Cape" (in FNQ) to the Hamersley Ranges (WA) .

GS Riders emerging from Mt Perry Tunnel - at 400 mtr it is the longest unsupported tunnel in Australia. Lction 50km west from Gin Gin Hwy1 Central Queensland

GS style "GelandStasse" however is not just about one model (and let's be honest - restricted to one marque). To our mind it's an "all road" riding concept that has really found it's home here in Australia! Whether it's practised in the coastal ranges of the east, the very "red centre' (read desert) of our country, or the red sandy soil of WA in the west!. You will find both GS riders and BMW there! Here then on this page, is a selection of information and links on BMW GS and Australian Adventure Riding!