BMW R1100GS (1994 - 1999) Review
At a glance
Owners' reliability rating: | |
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Annual servicing cost: | £190 |
Power: | 80 bhp |
Seat height: | Medium (33.1 in / 840 mm) |
Weight: | Medium (461 lbs / 209 kg) |
Overall rating
Next up: Ride & brakesOn 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.
Ride quality & brakes
Next up: EngineBMW 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.
Engine
Next up: ReliabilityThe 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.
Reliability & build quality
Next up: ValueEssentially the BMW R1100GS is as good as gold. However, peer closely and the finish is average at best – the forks peel, as does the paint on the the cylinder heads. The Preload adjuster on the rear shock seizes, the gearbox is notchy and selection is indifferent even when new.
Value vs rivals
Next up: EquipmentBuy your BMW R1100GS, rack up 20,000 miles and sell it for a loss of just a few hundred quid. That’s the power of the GS brand – it conveys unburstability, endurance and safe-as-houses investment potential. Find a BMW R1100GS for sale.
Equipment
BMW R1100GS owners are kit fetishists, so go for one that’s got ABS, hard luggage, heated grips, fender extenders and extra road lights. You’ll only be sorry if you don’t. Compare and buy parts for the BMW R1100GS in the MCN Shop.
Specs |
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Engine size | 1085cc |
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Engine type | 8v Boxer twin, 5 gears |
Frame type | Steel spine |
Fuel capacity | 25 litres |
Seat height | 840mm |
Bike weight | 209kg |
Front suspension | Preload |
Rear suspension | Preload |
Front brake | Twin 305mm discs |
Rear brake | 200mm disc |
Front tyre size | 110/80 x 17 |
Rear tyre size | 150/70 x 17 |
Mpg, costs & insurance |
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Average fuel consumption | 45 mpg |
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Annual road tax | £117 |
Annual service cost | £190 |
New price | - |
Used price | - |
Insurance group |
13 of 17 How much to insure? |
Warranty term | Two year unlimited mileage |
Top speed & performance |
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Max power | 80 bhp |
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Max torque | 72 ft-lb |
Top speed | 122 mph |
1/4 mile acceleration | 12.7 secs |
Tank range | 250 miles |
Model history & versions
Model history
1980: BMW R80GS introduced – 50bhp, 167kg, air-cooled, Boxer twin. The absolute daddy of the giant trailie genre.
1987: BMW R100GS released – now making 60bhp, weight is up to 187kg thanks to stronger frame, new forks and bigger, better brakes. Discontinued 1993.
1994: BMW R1100GS launched, discontinued 1999 (replaced first by R1150GS and then the R1200GS).
Other versions
BMW R1100GS ABS: Otherwise identical barring Advanced Braking System.
Owners' reviews for the BMW R1100GS (1994 - 1999)
8 owners have reviewed their BMW R1100GS (1994 - 1999) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.
Review your BMW R1100GS (1994 - 1999)
Summary of owners' reviews |
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Overall rating: | |
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Ride quality & brakes: | |
Engine: | |
Reliability & build quality: | |
Value vs rivals: | |
Equipment: | |
Annual servicing cost: | £190 |
Year: 1999
Owned mine for 17 years now and done 135,000 miles. Favourite bike I’ve ever owned. Still running as well as the day I bought it. Done several 6,000 mile trips two up with camping luggage and despite low BHP copes with it easily. All about the torque. Used all year round and full time commuter.
Comfort excellent for me and two up. When two up we have done plenty of 500 mile days without too much problem. Brakes superb and my ABS still working fine.
Accept the power is low and use the torque. I also have a Hayabusa but the GS is still my first choice. A lot is said about them using oil but mine now uses less at 135k than it did when I bought it with 14K. About quarter of a litre every 5,000 miles. Valves are easy to check being screw and locknut but again as mine has aged they need adjusting less and less. It really does feel like it’s got another 100k in it. My ambition is to make it to 200,000.
Excellent. Mine is still completely standard. Only parts that have failed are one coil, rear shock and a starter motor. All acceptable given the age/mileage. Mine is still on its original clutch after 135k. Yes, some paint flaking in the usual spots but nearly 25 years old and gone through 20+ winters of commuting.
Do all of my own servicing. Its basic nature is one of the attractions. I have never had to take mine into a dealers. Very cheap to run. Overall mpg about 50. Will get 55 if cruising on A roads and will drop closer to 45 if motorway speeds of 85 or so used.
Minimal but I like it that way.
Year: 1997
Annual servicing cost: £300
Swiss army knife / donkey / tractor combo! Tours, handles, carries the weekly shop and your passenger will love you. Going up in value too. If you can only afford one set of wheels, you won't go wrong with a GS.
I love it. Ride it like a fat thumper. Telelever is a revelation. All day comfort.
Smooth with well balanced throttle bodies. All about the torque. Gearbox could be better but no false neutrals.
Well publicised gearbox issues. Rear shock gets bouncy. Likes oil. ABS can play up but fine without. It's a bike to stay on top of. Perfect home maintainence machine. No cheesy bolts. Engine paint flakes.
Bmw prices are high...does not need much but high mileage bikes will cost for suspension, disks, hall sensor, fuel pumps etc.
Everything I need. Don't look at the clocks much anyhow.
Buying experience: Private - 1.5k with 40k miles. Now 99k and worth about the same.
Year: 1997
23 years of road racing especially high tech SBKs that do it all as long as you got the creative mind and ballz to back it. Reliable good mpg and perfect in every way. 90s fan of Dakar bikes so decided to pick one up and overhaul her head to toe.The mechanical feel and clunkyness it's screams I'm a machine not a bike. With full Leo race system the boxer makes WWII fighter plane sound to die for. So much character it's a mechanical pet I fall in love with the more I ride it.Handles pretty damn good for what it is. 0 to 100 also very quick. Heavy as hell. Taking her fast thru corners, me and my friend (f800gs) said it many times, can't push it like SBK to digg and find performance. You roll it like a Lemans V8 torqy long wheel based machine and it's a pleasure. But pushing may result in under steer or wide exit turn lol so keep it at 80.00% and it's fun enough.
Brakes I deleted my abs as they are POS systems especially on this one. The lines and bleeding and that skipping. My fingers are the best ABS.
Amazing character. I think mine has R or S flywheel which is lighter so 0 to 60 is under 3sec. It vibrates but the boxer firing sounds like no other especially 5 to 6k is like a ww2 airplane diving for bombing. Very special and can listen to it for hours.
Very comfy. Seat sucks because it's more narrow than SBK seats so restricts the blood at the butt and main arteries going to legs. Touratech seat is $700. Sheep overlay is $70 I think I'll Try the sheep. Since $300 redo was a waste of money.
Clutch is easier to do on a 18 wheeler. Apart from that the rest is super easy like head gasket valve adjustment and everything else except the clutch and fuel regulator.
Crusie control would be great. Seat sucks. Heated grips are great. Mpg is decent. Big tank is top heavy but 200 mile per tank is nice.
Buying experience: Bought it for 2500 (having 2k in touratch and adventure aftermarket/factory. Spent another 5k on all other seals, clutch, altenator, coil, wires, bearings, tires brakes etc etc. 100h. As 1st time learner on this specific bike (have tons of mechanic experience) this bike was the most difficult to learn.
Year: 1999
Annual servicing cost: £60
Only let down is the clunky gearbox. It's a very positive feel but if you're not used to it you'll be wincing a lot, especially on down shifts. I've got the knack of smooth changes going up the box but down the way is altogether a bit different
Amazing handling. Far more than you'd expect just looking at it. Front shock is brilliant once your used to the set up. Rear shock is fairly adjustable too. Firm, compliant ride. I'd even say plush. It's been said for years but you can't believe how well these things handle until you ride one. Then, ride one in a spirited manner on some twisty back roads and be even more impressed. Brakes are combined and with ABS. Great feel, feedback and more than capable of hauling up a big old GS
Only making 85-90 bhp but no more required. I'm sure the chassis could handle more but that would be missing the point. Lovely, torquey motor. Smoother than the 1150 version. Only gripe is the amount if rpm in top but that's the compromise. A sixth gear would be a fantastic option for cruising
My bike is a daily, all weather bike. Aside from the bare alloy wheels being hellish to keep clean and corrosion free it's held up well and everything is easily accessible to clean thoroughly. It has never missed a beat apart from blowing a headlight bulb today
do all my own servicing. It's too easy. Plugs, oil, oil filter, air filter all easy to do in 1 hour. Apart from removing the plug covers, seat and airbox cover, there's no bodywork to remove. I'm using Smith and Allan Semi Synthetic 10w 40, NGK plugs and HiFlo filters. No issues at all. Just over £50 for that lot and my time is free. Metzeler Tourance tyres are £160 a pair. Front wears quicker than the rear but they're perfectly suited to the GS. 5k and the front is finished. I'd say another 2k to go in the rear
Heated grips, hazard warning lights and switchable ABS as standard. Would prefer the heated grips and ABS switches mounted on the bars as using them means a slightly awkward reach but it's only a small gripe. Better than not having them. A handle to assist with getting the bike on the main stand would also be a bonus but it's pretty easy once you know how to do it
Buying experience: Bought from MOTORWORKS. they gave me £800 for my completely nailed, 116k mile RT with all the consumables "consumed" , busted ABS, dodgy sidestand and main stand, blowing exhaust and I only put £1300 to the GS. Delivery was free and they took my RT away
Year: 1996
Annual servicing cost: £200
The R1100GS is a pretty honest bike. It's not about tech or gizmos it's more about having a dependable easy to live with bike with a dollop of quirk.
Knotchy, slow, heavy but it's got grunt which, with a Remus, is just so rewarding. You can hear every beat as you grind up the hills.
4 out of 5 for what? I guess still being there 82,000 miles on with no signs of giving up.... and of course the low low down torque.
I'm something like the 6th owner and there's 82,000 on the clock, everything still work, sometimes when it's not meant to (neutral light) and all the cracked bits are solved with tape, cable ties and bungies. It's the land rover defender of the bike world, left behind by all the competition, great fun to own and strangely desirable.
Would be alot less if I had a Haynes manual and a garage.
ABS still worth a mention?
Buying experience: Bought from a friend of my girlfriend's parents which u determined my negotiating position. At £2000 I probably paid too much however it's such a fun toy to own I can't complain.
I love the sit up riding position but the injection makes what should be a good town bike not so good, the gearbox is w**k and its too heavy but the suspension flattens v.bumpy B-roads
picked the bike up a year and a half ago with 9000 miles on the clock and added a remus exhaust which reduces the weight and makes it sound better than any bike on the road in my opinion.tried a taller screen as the standard creates a bit of buffeting around the head but didnt like the loud wind noise so now its naked with no screen and i much prefer it up to about 90mph. handles better than any other sports bike i've owned and gets 200 miles to a tank. holds its value well and never misses a beat. Strengths build quality,sound,comfort,handling. Weaknesses wheels and spokes corrode if not cared for.high bmw servicing costs.
When I was a despatch rider, I owned an old BMW R100/7. The handling and brakes were poor but I loved the 1,000cc Boxer engine. That was my 1st reason for buying the R1100GS - I love Boxers; just something about the noise they make, the torque they produce and maybe also the fact that no other bike manufacturer uses that horizontally-opposed twin cylinder layout. Reason No 2 was the look of the bike. Love it or hate it, no other manufacturer has produced a bike so individually ugly-pretty since the first models were introduced in the mid-90's. Reason No 3? It HANDLES. Despite the 19-inch front wheel and limited choice in tyres, you can sling the thing around like a super-moto. BMWs demand a smooth riding style, but once you adapt to Ze German Vay, you WILL give anything else on 2 wheels a run for its money on A and B roads. The GS isn't a hard-core off-roader and it's no luxo-tourer either, but it was the 1st Adventure Sport bike, and it's still the class leader. Strengths Front suspension, ABS brakes, engine, versatility Weaknesses Poor finish, BMW dealer service costs