BMW introduced the R80 G/S in 1980 as its first factory-built adventure touring model.
The G/S designation stood for Gelände/Straße, meaning off-road/road in German. The motorcycle combined a large boxer-twin engine and shaft drive with long-travel suspension and a relatively capable off-road chassis.
Its 797.5 cc air-cooled engine provided substantial road performance while the riding position and suspension suited unpaved routes. BMW’s single-sided Monolever rear suspension was another distinctive feature.
The R80 G/S also gained competition credibility when Hubert Auriol won the 1981 Paris-Dakar Rally on one. The model established the GS family, which later expanded through larger boxer motorcycles and smaller single-cylinder and parallel-twin machines. G/S and GS are related designations, but the original model is specifically the R80 G/S.