Bmw K1200r Sport

BMW K1200R Sport

first rides 2007

A halt-fairing for the naked Four

HEAVY RAIN WAS FORECAST FOR THE MORNing of the launch of BMW's new-for-2007 K1200R Sport. Sure enough, when my alarm jolted me awake at 6:30 a.m., big drops were pouring in rapid succession out of the dark, gray sky. That same storm hit some three hours earlier in Newbury Park, California, home of Designworks USA, the squeaky-clean BMW-owned international consultanc firm that was hosting the introduction. By mid-morning, however, the sun was shining brightly and the roads were mostly dry. Good thin too, as the schedule (Germans love schedules) called for a 65-mile sprint across some of SoCal's best twisties Mulholland Highway. Piuma Road, Las Flores Canyon and the mother of all Racer Roads, Latigo Canyon.

First. though. the bike: 3M\V introduced the radical K. I 200S in 2005. Intended 0 go head-to-head with the ocket-last Suzuki Ilavabusa, lie all-new, 1157cc. claimed I 67-horsepower and )() toot-pounds ot torque (146 and 85, respectively, Mi the (`1J~ dyno) transverse-Four t~atured a seemnglv stiction-tree I lossack-style Duolever trout end aiid ot signi licance here a hill-wrap l~iiring. Fast and sii~ootli but critici~'ed I~r its lack oh front-end feedback and numb brakes, a ` l3usa-beater it wasn't. No \VaY, nO how. No way, no how.

Then caifle the naked I K 200R. vIi~ch did a~vav vith the S's plastic engine wrapping. going instead with a slick Ilvscreen and sI ightlv reduced power 140 hp and $3 f~.-lb. Still a bullet, the naked l3avarian bomber, as we called it in last ear's baicbike shootout ("[[lot Rods & I lool igans." October. 2006), busted ()-6() mph iii 2.7 seconds and jetted to a 101) speed ol IOU mph. At 62 inches between axles. thowzh. it was deenied best suited to fast 5\VeeflerS. I nteiidcd to fill the cap between the S 1 5~4O() S and the S I 3,900 R. the S I 4.925 Sport is identical to the Rmodel. endue state ot tune and wheelbase included, sa~ e t~r re\ ised firstthrough tourth-cear rat iOS and the addition oI'a nicely integrated half-liiiring. Wind-tunnel-developed ( would YOU expect anvthin~ less?). the frame-mounted, three-piece design is fitted with a low windscreen and the asymmetrical headlight from the E3oxerengined RI 200S. Claimed dry weight is 474 pounds. pounds more than the R and 25 less than the S.

Between the high winds and the mud and rocLs Jeft behind Iroii~ the overnii~ht storm, the roads near N4aIibu were more treacherous than usual. Crews were out in torce on the narrow two-laners cleaning up debris that had tumbled down the steep hillsides. Under normal circumstances, this would be incentive enough to choose another playground. but that would call ftr diverting from the schedule. ( )n we niotored.

I Iighlights of the ride were learning that I) with its broad, high R-spee handlebars and low c~. the Sport transitions from one edge ol its t~it Michelins to the other far better than its Winnebago-like wheelbase would lead one to believe: and 2) the oft'on throttle transition could be smoother, though it's tar better than on the original S. At least the low-speed weave that also plagued our S tesibike has been exorcised. Shift action is improved, too.

My freeway ride home brought out other high lights, namely the sniooth airflow over the windscreen and the wonderfulness of the optional heated handgrips and onboard computer. The grips kept my digits warm in the cool early evening, and the computers easy-to-read flat screen informed iic exact/i how many miles worth of fuel \~`ere left in the 5.0-gallon tank. I'd check the [SA box on the options list, too: $800 for the electronically adjust able suspension is a steal,

Bottoni line, then? Because it weighs less than the S and oilers helter protection from the elements than the R, the Sport is arguably the best-balanced newgeneration K-bike this side of the CIV Ten Best-win ning (IT sport-tourer. Rain or shine. Matthew Miles