Since its debut in 2004, the R 1200 GS has earned award after award, including Cycle World's Best Open Class Street Bike and the International Journalist's Panel "Best Bike in the World." And for 2008, this go-anywhere motorcycle that's equally at home in the dirt or on the street, gets several enhancements. The result of this dynamic upgrade is a dual-purpose motorcycle that offers everything the serious motorcyclist demands. And more.

The 2008 R 1200 GS is marked by a bold, rugged appearance. Stainless steel knee covers drape each side of the gas tank area, while technical surfaces like the slide tubes and cylinder head covers have been redesigned to include sporty new features. A new aluminum handlebar which can be mounted in two positions offers increased ergonomics, making its seated (or standing while off-road) position even more comfortable. Increased seat foam thickness also increases rideability.

But eye-catching style is only the beginning of the enhancements. Additional grunt is also part of the package, as the 2008 R 1200 GS offers 5% more power, topping out at a substantial 105 bhp with a maximum engine speed of 8,000 RPM, which creates an even wider range of power. Revised transmission ratios also mean quicker acceleration, better low-speed traction and increased revs.

In addition to being a stunningly agile street bike, the R 1200 GS is also a supremely capable adventure tourer, and to make reaching those faraway places even more doable, for the first time ever, BMW Motorrad is offering an off-road version of its famous ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) technology. Optional Enduro ESA is designed to meet the unique needs of adventure touring, and offers several options for whatever riding condition occurs: solo rider, rider with luggage and passenger. Three damper settings, Sport, Normal and Comfort give the rider the option of customizing both front and rear suspensions to his or her specifications. There is also an off-road mode that adjusts the front and rear preload and increases ground clearance for when rougher situations arise.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (info) (BMW), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. BMW is the parent company of the MINI and Rolls-Royce car brands. It is also one of the leading car and motorcycle manufacturers in the world.

BMW was officially founded as a public company in 1922, but traces its origins to the pioneering days of German aviation all the way back to 1913. Two of these pioneering men, Karl Rapp and Gustav Otto, are credited by BMW as the "founding fathers". However, BMW owes its actual founding by three men- Josef Popp, Max Friz, and Camillo Castiglioni. These men brought BMW through many turbulent times in the company's early life, as well as taking the company public in 1922 to form BMW AG. BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke.

Beginning with aircraft engines, BMW AG produced a variety of products in its early years, eventually shifting to motorcycle production in 1923 and automobiles in 1929. The circular blue and white BMW logo, which has not been altered throughout the company's history, does not in fact symbolize a spinning propeller according to a BMW spokesperson (although the imagry did apear in post-WWI advertisements). The BMW roundel badge is believed to have been partially derived from the logo of its predecessor company Rapp Motorenwerke^{[citation needed]}, while ultimately taking on the colors and checkers of the Bavarian flag. Significant aircraft powerplants of pre-WWII and WWII included the BMW 132 and BMW 801 air-cooled radial engines, and the pioneering BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet. BMW's factories were damaged badly in the war, and many surviving machine tools were confiscated by the victorious Allies.