As of June 21st, BMW Motorrad has produced its one millionth GS powered by a boxer engine. While a million of anything immediately makes me think of Dr. Evil raising a pinky to his lips, this is a huge milestone for BMW’s motorcycle division.
GS models with boxer engines have been made in Berlin since 1980. BMW describes the model as “Elemental, authentic motorcycles, which possess incomparable all-round qualities have spurred on countless motorbike enthusiasts on trips to distant countries, spectacular adventure trips and expeditions to the remotest regions of our planet over the past decades.” Uh, yeah, that sounds pretty epic.
Head of BMW Motorrad Dr. Markus Schramm celebrates the accomplishment saying, “I am therefore very pleased that today, and especially in our ‘100 Years of BMW Motorrad’ anniversary year, we are able to contribute a major milestone to the corporate history of the BMW Group with the one millionth BMW GS motorbike with a boxer engine. I am equally pleased that the unique history of BMW Motorrad models with boxer engines will soon be supplemented by an exciting chapter with numerous innovations with the new R 1300 GS.”
Exsqueeze me? Baking powder? A new R 1300 GS? Yes, and yes—that’s the second Mike Myers reference. You’ll have to wait until later this year for the new model to be unveiled. BMW says, “The latest edition of the now legendary BMW GS with boxer engine—the R 1300 GS—will be presented on September 28th at the grand opening of the new BMW Motorrad Welt in Berlin.”
The grand opening of BMW Motorrad Welt is open to the public from September 30th onward, so if you happen to be on an overseas holiday in Germany, pop in and enjoy. —Mike Bevels
[Photos courtesy of BMW Motorrad.]