1985 BMW R80 800cc Motorcycle

Description

The BMW R80 was manufactured between 1980 to 1987 and is regarded as the first in the BMW GS family of specialised dual-sport bikes, of which over 500,000 have since been produced.  It’s also often considered the world's first "Adventure Bike" that’s equally capable on and off-road.  The R80 was the first large displacement multisport bike on the market.  It’s fitted with a 797.5cc BMW type 247 engine, a flat-twin (boxer) design featuring Nikasil cylinders, electronic ignition and a lighter flywheel.  The R80 was built around a R65 frame, a modified version of that fitted to the R80/7.  At the rear, the bike had the new ‘monolever’ - a combined single-sided swingarm and drive shaft, with the rear damping provided by a single shock absorber.  The monolever proved stiffer and lighter than that fitted to previous models and was subsequently adopted on other BMW motorcycle models.  The R80 differs from other BMW road bikes of the same era with its lighter weight, longer suspension travel and large 21-inch front wheel.  The bike quickly gained popularity with adventure-seeking travellers, winning the Paris-Dakar Rally several times.  BMW offered numerous optional parts including a 32-litre fuel tank, a solo seat, stainless exhaust and a larger battery, meaning that for the first time a true adventure travel motorcycle could be purchased directly from a manufacturer.  Production of this initial R80 totalled 21,864 units.