Four years after the BMW R 1100 GS had been established in the German market as the touring Enduro with the biggest sales, an unexpected expansion of the GS Family came in 1998 with the BMW R 850 GS. The detailed engineering of the small four-valve GS was identical with its big sister model apart from the 848 cc Boxer engine, which came from the BMW R 850 R. As was already the case with the BMW R 850 R, the version with the smaller displacement displayed softer engine running overall by comparison with the large GS. This motorcycle also had the advantage that it could be purchased as an additional 34 hp version and was also an exciting proposition for beginners at entry level.