The BMW R1100S was never a mass-market motorcycle.
That is part of its charm. Owners tend to find each other slowly — through forums, rides, repairs, parts searches and the shared understanding that this slightly unusual boxer sport-tourer deserves to stay on the road.
In Europe, that shared enthusiasm has become something very real: the annual BMW R1100S European Meeting.
It began in 2021, when Brunetto Capanni arranged the first gathering for R1100S owners in Europe. The first meeting took place around the Stelvio area, and most of the riders were Italian.
Two riders came from Denmark.
They expected a motorcycle meeting. They found something more.
For the Danish riders, it was their first proper ride in the mountains on an R1100S. The roads, the scenery, the pace and the rhythm of riding with other owners were unforgettable. But what stayed with them even more was the friendship.
The Italian hospitality, the evenings together and the shared love for the bike created something that felt bigger than a normal weekend ride.
That was the first European Meeting.
After that, Hugo joined Brunetto in helping organise the event, and the meeting has continued every year since.
More Than a Ride
The European Meeting is built around the R1100S, but it is not only about the motorcycle.
Of course, the riding matters. The locations are chosen because they give the bike exactly what it likes: fast roads, mountain passes, long curves, good surfaces and enough distance to make the day feel complete.
But the real reason people return is the combination of riding and friendship.
Many riders now come every year. They look forward to the roads, but also to the evenings: the shared meals, the stories, the technical talk, the jokes, the old friends and the new ones.
The R1100S attracts a certain kind of owner. These are people who tend to ride their motorcycles, maintain them, improve them and keep them alive rather than simply park them in a collection.
That makes the meeting feel different.
It is not a display. It is a living community.
Everyone Is Welcome
The meeting started as a European gathering for European R1100S owners.
But it has never been closed.
Riders from anywhere in the world are welcome. In 2021, visitors came from the United States, showing that the appeal of the R1100S is not limited by geography.
If you ride an R1100S, care about the model and want to share roads and evenings with people who understand the bike, the European Meeting is for you.
You do not need to own a perfect museum bike.
You just need to bring the right attitude.
The Meetings So Far
2021 — Stelvio
25–26 June 2021
14 participants
The first European Meeting was arranged by Brunetto Capanni and centred around Stelvio.
For the two Danish riders, this was the first real mountain experience on an R1100S. The combination of alpine roads, Italian organisation and instant friendship made the meeting unforgettable.
This was where the concept proved itself.
2022 — Großglockner
22–23 July 2022
15 participants
The second meeting continued the idea in another iconic alpine setting: Großglockner.
The R1100S suits these roads beautifully. Its stability, torque and comfort make it a natural long-distance mountain bike — not a modern superbike, but something more relaxed, more mechanical and more enduring.
2023 — Timmelsjoch and the Harz Detour
23–24 June 2023
Participant count to be confirmed
The 2023 meeting was planned around Timmelsjoch.
But travel does not always obey motorcycle plans. The Danish group did not make it to the official meeting because the train that should have taken them there was cancelled. Instead, they rode to the Harz region in Germany.
That detour became its own story.
The official meeting still took place at Timmelsjoch, while the Danish riders created a parallel R1100S adventure in the Harz.
2024 — Schwarzwald
5–7 July 2024
14 participants
In 2024, the meeting moved to the Black Forest.
Schwarzwald roads suit the R1100S in a different way from the high alpine passes. The landscape is greener, the roads flow differently, and the riding becomes more rhythm than altitude.
For many riders, that is exactly what the R1100S does best: fast, flowing, real-world sport-touring.
2025 — Lago di Garda
27–29 June 2025
18 participants
The 2025 meeting took the group to Lago di Garda.
By now, the European Meeting had become more than an experiment. It had become a tradition. Riders returned because they knew what to expect: good roads, good company and the particular joy of seeing a row of R1100S motorcycles together.
An R1100S is not common in everyday traffic anymore.
Eighteen of them together still makes an impression.
2026 — Valle d’Aosta
26–28 June 2026
20 participants
The 2026 meeting brought the group to Valle d’Aosta.
With 20 participants, it was the largest meeting so far. The event also included visitors from the United States, underlining how far the R1100S community now reaches.
This is no longer just a European owners’ ride.
It is an international gathering built around a motorcycle that still creates friendships decades after production ended.
Why These Meetings Matter
The R1100S is now old enough that its future depends on owners.
BMW is not going to relaunch it. The old forums are fragmented. Parts knowledge is scattered. Many bikes are now in the hands of second, third or fourth owners.
Meetings like this keep the model alive in the best possible way.
They create friendships. They keep knowledge moving. They encourage owners to maintain and ride their bikes. They prove that the R1100S is not just a nostalgic object from the early 2000s, but a motorcycle still capable of bringing people together across countries.
And that may be the most important part.
The European Meeting began with a small group, an idea and some mountain roads.
It has become a yearly reminder of why these motorcycles still matter.
Thank You
Special thanks to Brunetto Capanni for creating the first meeting in 2021 and to Hugo for helping carry the tradition forward ever since.
The European Meeting is open to R1100S owners from Europe and beyond.
Everyone is welcome.
Bring the bike.
Bring the curiosity.
And, ideally, bring time for the evening stories.
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