BMW GS Parallel-twin

BMW GS Parallel-twin

The BMW F800GS, F700GS, and F650GS are members of the GS family of dual-sport motorcycles manufactured in Berlin, Germany by BMW Motorrad. The F650GS and F800GS were launched in 2008, and use the same 798 cc parallel-twin engine with chain drive, but with different power outputs and equipment levels. The F700GS was launched in 2012 to replace the F650GS, which was discontinued.

The F650GS name can cause confusion as it was also used for a 652 cc BMW bike fitted with a single-cylinder Rotax engine, produced from 2000–2007, a bike which was relaunched in 2009 as the G650GS fitted with a Chinese-manufactured engine of the same 652 cc capacity. The parallel-twin engine was first used in the F800S, and is also used in the F800GT, F800R and F800ST, although these bikes are tuned to deliver peak power at a different RPM from the GS models. On the GS models the engine is angled further backwards to provide longer suspension travel, needed for offroad use.