The 1997 MY BMW R 850 GS is a middle-class all-road vehicle, suitable for riders who want to explore as much of their surroundings as possible, whether on paved or unpaved roads. It comes with a BMW Motorrad Telelever front suspension and a Paralever rear unit, dual front disc brakes and a single disc in the rear, cross-spoked wheels, a dual seat, a pillion grab handle, a small luggage rack, a small windscreen, a chromed exhaust muffler and an analogue and digital instrument panel.
In the engine department it sports an air/oil-cooled, four-stroke, 848cc, boxer twin cylinder powerplant paired to a five-speed manual transmission that produces a claimed 73 horsepower and 77 Nm of torque.