BMW R80 G/S - PARIS-DAKAR - Unisex Hoodie

BMW had been active in motorcycle competition understanding the “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” principle that motorcycles that earn their street cred in competition automatically get a dose of buyer attractiveness at the same time.

The BMW’s with their reputation for reliability were already a typical choice for motorcycle adventurers and the second Paris Dakar Rally in 1980 had seen Frenchman “Fenouil” (real name Jean-Claude Morellet) ride a BMW to a fifth place finish. With the R80 G/S aimed squarely at the motorcycle adventurer what better proof of the pudding could there be than to win the Paris Dakar?

For 1981, the year of the R80 G/S public debut, BMW prepared works motorcycles for the Paris Dakar: the bikes being prepared by specialist HPN in Bavaria. The effort paid off and Hubert Auriol rode a works BMW to victory while Jean-Claude Morellet finished in fourth place and privateer German policeman Bernard Neimer came in seventh. It was enough for the motorcycle public to take notice and sales of the R80 G/S rose upwards in a most management satisfying way.

For the 1984 Paris-Dakar things only got better with Belgian rider Gaston Rahier taking first place and Hubert Auriol in a respectable second. It was such a nice result that BMW decided to create a “Dakar” production model.

• 50% pre-shrunk cotton, 50% polyester
• Fabric weight: 8.0 oz/yd² (271.25 g/m²)
• Air-jet spun yarn with a soft feel and reduced pilling
• Double-lined hood with matching drawcord
• Quarter-turned body to avoid crease down the middle
• 1 × 1 athletic rib-knit cuffs and waistband with spandex
• Front pouch pocket
• Double-needle stitched collar, shoulders, armholes, cuffs, and hem
• Blank product sourced from Honduras, Mexico, or Nicaragua

Size guide