flashback 25 years ago


A TWO-PAGE AD ON PAGES SIX and seven of the April 1991 issue of BMW Owners News carried a bold headline


that proclaimed “Heroics


Without Hysterics.” BMW Motorrad was offering the new K1 in classic black metallic paint. “The K1 speaks volumes about


escalating the pulse rate with the poise of futuristic technology. A promise, as you can see, not from some hollow prototype unveiled at motorcycle shows, but from the real world of esses, straightaways and stop signs,” the ad stated. Though The Complete Book


of


BMW Motorcycles describes the K1 as the “sensuous, liquid-cooled, sixteen- valve inline four boasting torque among the highest


in the 1,000cc


class,” the K model struggled in its quest to be seen as a superbike. The K 100 RS was noted more for making no pretensions as to its intended func- tion, and though the new paint was less flamboyant, the K1 never attained sales levels BMW hoped it would. Legendary BMW MOA rider Ardys


Kellerman of Chepachet, R.I., took the 1990 high mileage crown with a total of 50,089 miles aboard her ’84 R 100 RT. Ardys’ mileage total was 13,855 miles more than second place finisher Sydney Schaupp of Sarasota, Fla. Bob Higdon of Washington, D.C., won the men’s title with a mileage total of 51,550, riding an ’87 K 75. Congratulations goes to Bob Henig,


as 25 years ago Bob’s Used Parts, Inc. of Jessup, Md., became a franchised BMW dealership with the name Bob’s


82 BMW OWNERS NEWS April 2016 K1 ad According to King, the GS was unique in


that it was destined to take you on a trip to nowhere, or anywhere, as the case might be. It was an adventure bike that could take you to the four corners of the globe, on road or off, and never miss a beat. Remarking on the


design, King wrote, “While the old R 100 GS was not as nearly the ugly duckling that most of the motorcycle press purported it to be upon


R 80 GS


its introduction in 1988, the 1991 R 100 GS really stands out as a beauty with cleaner lines and a more balanced look.” Among the improvements found on the


1991 GS were a “floating” brake disc in front, revised instrumentation featuring a large speedometer and tachometer, K-series style switches and controls, and a Bilstein shock with four preload and ten damping positions. Additionally, the overhead valve 1000cc engine produced 58 horsepower, and wire wheels using BMW’s patented cross-spoke design allowed tubeless tires on the 21-inch front tire and a 17-incher in the back. The Marzocchi fork allowed 8.8 inches of travel, and the Paralever swing arm, 7. For the 1991 model year, the R 100 GS was


available in Marrakesh Red or a striking Avus Black with yellow trim.


BMW. The April 1991 issue of Owners News reported that Henig, an active club sup- porter, vintage bike expert and parts vendor on the rally circuit, had watched his busi- ness grow from it’s humble garage begin- nings to its status as “one of the BMW community’s best know retailers.” As the BMW community entered the


second decade of the GS, Owners News Edi- tor Cecil King wrote a piece titled “The Road to Adventure” tracking the evolution of the model. King recalled how the GS had initially been received in 1980 with an over- whelming “HUH?” Riders were asking, “Was it a dirt bike or a street bike?”


lifestyle


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