BMW R 850 GS (2000-2001) Specs, Performance & Photos

The BMW R 850 GS was the smaller sister of the R1100GS, being in production as a cheaper alternative. The motorcycles were aesthetically and mechanically identical, the only differences being the tank badges and the engine.

In 2000, the German motorcycle maker released the BMW R 850 GS, a middle-class dual-sports motorcycle, in its fifth consecutive production year. It featured the same technical, cosmetic, and performance specifications as the previous one without any changes.

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 The bike was superseded in 1999 by the R1150GS.

The R 850 GS was manufactured around a three-section composite frame. Its suspension system comprised a 35 mm BMW Motorrad Telelever system on the front that provided 120 mm of travel and a BMW Motorrad Paralever system on the rear with 135 mm wheel travel.

For stopping purposes, the motorcycle relied on two 305 mm brake discs on the front and a 276 mm brake disc on the rear. The front ones were tied to four-piston calipers, and the rear to a dual-piston caliper.

The 2000 BMW R 850 GS was powered by an 848cc four-stroke air/oil-cooled two-cylinder boxer engine mounted underneath its fuel tank, boasting 73 hp with a peak force at 6,750 rpm and 77 Nm (57 lb-ft) torque at 5,600 rpm.