Win This: 1990 BMW R100GS Paris-Dakar!

Make your 1990s adventure fantasies a reality… 

The BMW R100GS Paris-Dakar remains one of the most iconic adventure bikes of all time. The 980cc boxer-twin GS was an evolution of the original R80GS, which won multiple Paris-Dakar Rallies en route to birthing the modern multi-cylinder adventure bike class. The special edition “GS PD” took inspiration directly from that 21-day, 7000-mile rally — the most extreme test of man and motorcycle on the planet. It featured a gargantuan high-impact plastic gas tank, solo seat, frame-mounted fairing, aluminum skidplate, and more.

Truly, the PD looked like a desert bomber air-dropped straight from Dakar.

“When a lunar landing module touches in Central Park, people notice. When Alain Prost drives his Formula One Ferrari up to a McDonald’s drive-through window, some burgers get burned. And when you ride a BMW R100GS Paris-Dakar anywhere, bystanders trip over curbs and walk into lampposts trying to get a good look at the machine.” –Cycle World, 1989

Over the years, the R100GS PD would prove itself much more than a mere cosmetic exercise, earning a reputation for bulletproof reliability. Nathan James — aka Sir Drifto — calls it the “stoutest adventure bike you can own.”

Recently, we heard from our friend Blake Draguesku, who’s teamed up with Rambler, Texas Monthly BBQ Club, Revival Cycles, and Dunlop to give away “The Rambler” — the 1990 BMW R100GS Paris-Dakar you see here, which just underwent a complete mechanical restoration by the crew at Revival Cycles, hosts of the upcoming tenth annual Handbuilt Motorcycle Show.

Here’s how you can enter to win this iconic air-cooled machine:

To DOUBLE your chances of winning, leave a comment telling Blake what kind of adventure you’d go on with this motorcycle, and share the post to your story. For 5X ENTRIES, produce a piece of content (big or small) telling him why you’re the ideal recipient of this motorcycle, and post to your story or feed, tagging @RamblerAustin. The winner will receive their bike at Handbuilt Motorcycle Show the weekend of April 13th.

Below, we talk to Blake himself for more details about this fully rebuilt adventure 90s icon. Enjoy!

BMW R100GS Paris-Dakar: Interview

• Why was this GS restored?

This bike was owned by Revival Cycles’ founder Alan Stulberg for years and was ridden on a number of cross-country trips before sitting in a garage collecting dust for some time after.

Rambler Sparkling Water‘s co-founder, Dave Mead, took an interest in the motorcycle and decided that it was a great candidate for a unique restoration and giveaway project.

• Was there any custom work done in the process?

The restoration stayed pretty true to the original form and function of the R100GS Paris-Dakar. The Revival team stripped the bike down to the frame and crankcase before performing a complete mechanical restoration — fresh bearings everywhere, complete engine rebuild, new suspension components, new wheelset, etc.

The body panels were left unrestored to maintain the patina that this bike has earned over its years of existence.

• Does the bike have a nickname?

I guess you could call it “The Rambler”!

• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?

If you’ve ever ridden a more modern BMW GS: It feels exactly like how you might imagine the ancestor of those motorcycles would feel. The sound of the boxer-twin is unmistakable and much of the character is similar to the more modern GS motorcycles. It’s just much more of an analog/simplified riding experience.

Riding this R100GS makes you realize how much physically larger the BMW GS models have become over the years. It doesn’t feel nearly as large or tall as its modern descendants. In short, it’s a blast to ride and has a lot of personality.

Behind the Bike

@blakedraguesku
@rambleraustin
@revivalcycles
@handbuiltshow

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