BMW R 850 GS (1996-1997) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 1996, the German motorcycle manufacturer introduced the BMW R 850 GS, a middle-class all-road motorcycle created for those riders who wanted to explore as much as possible, whether on or off-road.

It was the smaller sister of the BMW R1100GS, a dual-sports motorcycle introduced in 1993 and produced from 1994 until 1999 in Berlin, Germany. The bike was superseded in 1999 by the R1150GS.

Visually, the motorcycle packed standard features, such as a front mudguard mounted close to the wheel, a high-mounted front beak, a rectangular headlight, a small windscreen, a two-piece dual seat with a passenger grab handle, an up-swept exhaust system, a center stand, a single-sided swingarm, and wire-spoke wheels.

The bike was built around a three-section composite frame with a 35 mm BMW Motorrad Telelever system on the front that offered 120 mm of travel and a BMW Motorrad Paralever system on the rear with 135 mm of travel.

As for the stopping power, the bike's wheels were fitted with two 305 mm brake discs coupled to four-piston calipers on the front and a 276 mm brake disc with a dual-piston caliper on the rear wheel, offering optimum stopping performance.

In the power department, the 1996 BMW R 850 GS had installed an 848cc four-stroke air/oil-cooled two-cylinder boxer engine underneath its fuel tank, boasting 73 hp at 6,750 rpm and 77 Nm (57 lb-ft) torque at 5,600 rpm.