Bmw R 850 Gs Review

Used Buyer Review

The R850GS is the poor man's R1100GS, and honestly? That's not an insult. This air-cooled boxer twin punches well above its displacement — 70bhp feels livelier than the numbers suggest, and that low-slung torque makes real-world riding genuinely satisfying. It's not fast, but it's engaging in a way modern bikes often aren't. The oilhead engine is bulletproof if serviced properly, so always pull the service history before handing over cash. The weak spots are predictable on a bike this age. Check the final drive splines — neglected ones can strip catastrophically and the repair bill will ruin your week. Boxer heads need valve clearance checks every 6,000 miles, and previous owners often skip them. Forks can leak, and the ABS system on earlier models throws fits. Budget £300-400 for a proper inspection before committing. Get past those checks and you've got a genuinely capable adventure bike that handles real off-road work, eats motorway miles without complaint, and turns heads at every fuel stop. Parts availability is solid, and the community knowledge base is enormous.