In the pantheon of adventure motorcycles, few names command as much reverence as BMW’s R80 G/S. It wasn’t just another dual-sport, it was the blueprint. And in this ultra-rare 1986 “Touareg Blue” edition, the model reached the end of its glorious first chapter. Less than 200 examples ever left the factory in this distinctive hue, and this particular machine, now offered for sale at Moto Borgotaro, represents one of the finest restorations on the planet.
That’s not hyperbole. This isn’t a quick tidy-up or a sympathetic recommission. This R80 G/S has been painstakingly rebuilt by Gary Burton of BaMW, a name that will be familiar to anyone in the vintage BMW community. Burton, now retired, has earned a reputation for concours-standard restorations that blend mechanical precision with soulful authenticity. His bikes are as good beneath the paint as they are on the surface.
Burton’s story begins, fittingly, with a teenager and a stubborn old Honda. At just 17, under the watchful eye of his father, a locomotive engineer and draughtsman, he completed his first restoration: a humble Honda SS50. That experience lit a lifelong spark. Through the 1980s, Burton became a fixture of the British classic scene, restoring Triumphs and Royal Enfields to show-winning standards and exhibiting at the famed Belle Vue Classic Bike Show in Manchester.
But it was the air-cooled BMWs of the 1970s through the ’90s that eventually captured his imagination. Over a decade, Burton built a reputation as one of the world’s foremost specialists in these two-valve boxers, cultivating a network of global contacts and sourcing the rarest and most desirable examples. His philosophy was simple but potent: these older BMWs have “soul”, the kind modern machines have often engineered out of existence.
The result is a machine like this one. Every nut, bolt, and bearing of this Touareg Blue G/S has been attended to with obsessive care. From the monolever swingarm to the classic spoked wheels, the bike sits today as a museum-grade restoration, ready to start first kick, or rather, first button, and head for the Alps. Nothing has been over-polished or over-modernised. It’s a faithful resurrection of one of BMW’s most historically important motorcycles.
The Touareg Blue paint itself, code 628, is a rarity that even seasoned BMW enthusiasts rarely see in the metal. Only available in Europe, it lends the R80 G/S a regal yet purposeful look, as if it were built to cross continents and arrive immaculate. Combined with the signature high front fender and compact boxer stance, it’s a study in form following function.
Burton’s philosophy is echoed in every curve of the bike: simplicity, durability, and character. He often said these machines offer an antidote to the modern motorcycle, easy to maintain, engineered beyond necessity, and immune to the relentless march of depreciation. And looking at this example, it’s hard to argue. There is a part of you that wants to take it on an adventure of a lifetime, and then there is the other half that says, stand back and take all of this beautiful BMW in.
Now, offered for sale by Moto Borgotaro, this 1986 BMW R80 G/S “Touareg Blue” isn’t just a collector’s dream; it’s a time capsule. Whether you choose to display it, ride it, or simply admire it, you’re looking at the final evolution of the motorcycle that defined an entire genre. They don’t make them like this anymore, and only men like Gary Burton are capable of a restoration this perfect. Yes, that’s nostalgia talking, but I also think it’s true.
[ Moto Borgotaro ]