Comparison of Fallert-BMW R 80 GS Basic against BMW R 1100 GS

Menus

Comparison test, BMW R 1100 GS, BMW R 80 GS Basic

Fallert-BMW R 80 GS Basic versus BMW R 1100 GS

Two boxers for the rough: the Fallert BMW R 80 GS Basic with 65 hp and 1000 cc, the series BMW R 1100 GS wants to show off the studs.

The BMW dealerships are slightly annoyed. She imagined the R 80 GS Basic to be completely different. In order to be able to offer the nagging off-road customers something more appropriate to their species about the heavy, massive R 1100 GS, a more off-road boxer – slimmed down, lighter and limited to the essentials, but no less powerful in terms of the engine – was on the wish list. The demands of the dealers went unheard in Munich. What came was the old two-valve boxer heart, wrapped in parts from the spare parts warehouse of the last few decades. An impressive 218 kilograms, but just 50 hp. The tuner, however, is pleased. One of them is F.all in Achern, Baden. Although he has little to do with weight optimization, the BMW specialist has been doing well for many years when it comes to fast boxers. With his old household remedy, higher compression slipper pistons and cylinders with a larger bore prepared by Mahle, he drives the displacement to 994 cm3. The engine, with its bore and stroke, should turn 7000 revs instead of 6500 and deliver 15 hp more, i.e. 65. Except for minor corrections in the jets, the standard 32 Bing constant pressure carburettors are still used. Price for the parts: 2200 marks, excluding wages of 510 marks. For a thousand more, Fallert also installs a double ignition. In addition to optimal combustion with a corrected ignition advance – 24 instead of 32 degrees pre-ignition – this should smooth out the well-known rough engine running of the boxer between 3000 and 4000 tours. But the opposite is the case. The high-compression Fallert engine runs significantly rougher than the original engine over the entire speed range. One disadvantage of the tuning should be anticipated: As a powerhouse, the old two-valve engine can no longer run on normal gasoline, but has to be fed with unleaded super. On the chassis side, tuner Fallert leaves almost everything as it is. He only countered the criticism of the under-designed disc brake in the front wheel with a cast disc that he had specially made at Brembo. If the parts are not ordered individually, but the entire motorcycle is obtained from Achern, the basic 19,900 marks that have been pepped up in this way – Almost 500 marks more than a modern R 1100 GS, but it’s still worth making a comparison. Firstly, the huge gap that exists between the 50 hp R 80 GS Basic and the 80 hp R 1100 GS has been reduced by half. Second, the not light, but at least 30 kilograms lighter Basic with its graceful dimensions of the massive R 1100 GS could show the tunnels away from the asphalt roads. But the way into the countryside first leads via the dynamometer. While the Basic with 64 HP adheres to the specification pretty exactly, the R 1100 GS with 88 HP is once again much better in the forage than the Bavarians say. No reason for old boxer friends to mourn. Because the old two-valve engine draws its power from the depths of the speed basement. And the world looks very rosy there. Between 2500 and 4500 revolutions, the difference in performance compared to the modern four-valve engine is reduced to up to three hp. So it’s no wonder that the Fallert Basic shows the antiquated rear light of the R 1100 GS when accelerating in last gear with its lower mass and shorter overall gear ratio. Up to 120 km / h it is ahead in terms of pulling power. In practice this is very important. After all, the Basic has no trouble staying with the R 1100 GS on winding country roads. And that without a lot of manual work. This is up to the rider of the heavier GS if he wants to pull away from the Basic, if at all. The R 1100 GS can only bring its more power to bear on stages on the motorway. At almost 200 km / h, it is almost 20 km / h faster than the tuned Basic. And while the small cockpit fairing takes the roughest wind from the shoulders of the R 1100 GS rider, the basic rider hangs on the wide enduro handlebars like a flag in the wind. That costs strength and a lot of fuel. At about 160 km / h, more than ten liters per hundred kilometers flow through the two Bing carburettors. Two and a half liters more than the four-valve engine’s injection system. But even at a restrained pace and pure country road use, the old boxer keeps his nose far ahead when it comes to his thirst. And despite all the love for simple engine technology, it is no longer up-to-date. It is better to come to terms with the basic chassis. The old Marzzocchi fork bravely swallows the worst road surfaces and tries hard to imitate the well-tuned spring strut from White Power, without conveying an overly doughy feeling. The more winding the roads, the better the Basic gets going. Its low center of gravity, its compact dimensions and its narrow tires make the Basic look particularly handy and agile. In direct comparison, the R 1100 GS looks like a fat steamer to a small fishing cutter. However, the colossus has gone. Accurately he cuts a clean line in the asphalt, reacts calmly and neutrally to external influences such as bumps, cross joints and potholes. With an increasingly brisk pace, on the other hand, the basic driver has to live with the fact that the chassis sometimes starts to stir. For this he can rely on his stoppers with the Fallert-Basic. A strong, but hard-to-dose pull on the hand lever and the front brake finally shows a decent effect. And several sudden violent braking downhill caused the brake pads to smoke, but neither did the braking performance decrease, nor did the pressure point on the hand lever move – but now after boxing pleasure in the terrain. In other words: rough gravel paths, steep uphill and downhill runs, forest paths rich in traces and roots, and sometimes hiking trails as trial passages. In short, everything that stands in the way of travelers between the Tremalzo Pass and Assietta-Kammstrabe and can still be mastered with enduros of this weight class. At first glance, the R 1100 GS inspires respect: the massive appearance, the wide tank, the The confusing stem, the high seating position and, last but not least, the high center of gravity require routine for safe cross-country riding. Anyone with sufficient off-road experience will be able to master even passages with deep furrows and stony steps surprisingly quickly and without great difficulty, provided that they weigh 247 kilograms heavy load keeps moving. The four-valve engine, which starts softly, hangs cleanly on the gas from idle speed. The spring elements move with you properly, although they vibrate strongly with every bump in the road, they do not hit through. If the steamer stalls, however, the drudgery begins. The more roadworthy tires lack grip, the high weight wants to overwhelm you and, where possible, push you horizontally. Even downhill the pounds are a problem. Soon five quintals want to be kept under control on loose scree. Woe to those who do not have the necessary feeling when applying the handbrake and footbrake – the Basic already inspires confidence while standing. No annoying stem that blocks the view directly in front of the front wheel, and the seating position of 850 millimeters is still okay because the machine is so compact and narrow that you can safely reach the ground with one foot to support it. and the Basic shoots away with the loose gravel splashing away. The boxer glides smoothly and quickly over the loose ground, the front wheel stays on track. No acrobatic performances are necessary to keep the Fallert-BMW safely on course. With each throttle, the fork gently lifts out of the springs. In this way, the load on the front wheel can be relieved almost playfully, lifted over deep transverse gutters and put from one stony step edge to the other without the boxer crashing into every hole. The Basic really has no trouble mastering every steep and rocky road. The White Power shock absorber keeps the rear wheel firmly on the ground in order to convert the power of the boxer into proper propulsion. If you only need bigger tires. The Basic dashes around the corner with a targeted throttle and a drifting rear wheel. Now the stretched leg on the floor … It’s all too easy to forget that the Basic is a broad boxer.

Buy complete article

Comparison of Fallert-BMW R 80 GS Basic against BMW R 1100 GS

Comparison test
Fallert-BMW R 80 GS Basic versus BMW R 1100 GS

My conclusion (archive version)

Two boxers – two worlds. The modern R 1100 GS from Munich is always good for fast, comfortable travel, but the lighter, fewer and more compact Basic is closer to the base off paved slopes. Only she rightly bears the abbreviation GS. And with Fallert’s engine tuning, it can even hold its own against the powerful four-valve engine on the road.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *