BMW cycles through Milan

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BMW unveiled two completely new motorcycles and two revised models at the 2007 EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan, Italy, on Wednesday.

The much-anticipated BMW F 800 GS turned out to be an off-road capable middleweight motorcycle.

Captions by Candace Lombardi, CNET News.com.


Credit: BMW


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The BMW F 800 GS has a chain drive rather than a belt drive. It's another touch that should enable the bike to do well off the road, as well as on it.

Credit: BMW


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With a parallel-twin engine instead of a single engine, a new kind of BMW frame, and wheel suspension with improved spring-shock absorbers, BMW says its F 800 GS is built for the comfort of long-distance rides as well as bumping along on gravel.


Credit: BMW


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BMW's Motorrad Navigator IIi GPS unit is an option for the F 800 GS. And as usual, the holder, cables, and attachment kit are special accessories also available for the bike.


Credit: BMW


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BMW also unveiled its new bike for off-road racing, the G 450 X. The lightweight bike was designed to keep its mass in line with the bike's center of gravity for better performance when racing.


Credit: BMW G


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Motorcycle racer Chris Pfeiffer rode a competition version of the BMW G 450 X at the Erzberg Rodeo 2007 (video).


Credit: BMW G


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While not new, BMW also unveiled an update to its BMW R 1200 GS, a bike that last saw an update in 2004.


Credit: BMW



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The BMW R 1200 GS now includes ABS breaks, as well as front- and rear-wheel suspension systems. This bike has the Boxer engine that BMW is famous for and a "reworked" six-speed transmission.


Credit: BMW

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The new BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, like the basic BMW R1200, also has the redesigned transmission. But it also has a larger fuel tank capable of holding about 33 liters (9 gallons). That means that going an average of 90 km/h (56 mph) the bike can last for 750 kilometers (466 miles) before needing to stop to refuel, according to BMW.


Credit: BMW


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In comparison with the regular BMW R 1200, the Adventure version also has things like a larger windscreen, hand protectors, spoked wheels, an adjustable bench seat, and a steel luggage bridge.


Credit: BMW