richard
Cool as a Cucumber
Innovation, however, has given way to well-proven convention in the engine layout, a transverse four-cylinder arrangement that would warrant no comment coming from any Japanese manufacturer. But there's plenty else to single out the Bavarian superbike, starting with the front suspension, and the use of shaft drive on a performance machine, with the option of three electronically adjusted suspension modes and integrated front and rear brakes with anti-lock and power assistance.
The intention is to create a machine that combines current motorcycle performance expectations with BMW brand values such as sophistication, comfort, active and passive safety and so on. The problem is, it just doesn't work.
The main difficulty is the engine, which offers crude under-development in place of sophisticated refinement. The first clue comes at idle, which is rougher than on any other production bike, sounding more like a race engine lumpily warming up. That would be fine if it were all, and indeed would add some character in isolation, but what isn't acceptable is the inconsistent power delivery, reminiscent of Triumph's ill-fated TT600.
Snap open the throttle and you can never be quite sure just how hard or evenly the engine will pull. It's not as bad as the TT600: you don't ever have to pull in the clutch and try again when pulling away, as was sometimes necessary on the British bike. But compared with the silky smooth delivery with which the Japanese have spoiled us all, the K1200S feels like an early prototype.
There's no compensation in exceptional performance either. On a bike with all this power and a 1,157cc capacity, you'd hope for effortless overtaking. Instead you often need to drop down two, or even three gears to bring the motor to life and fire you past other traffic.
For a BMW it's still very quick, and up against most cars the K1200S will come out on top, but its rival superbikes will shrug it aside like an autumn leaf. The Suzuki Hayabusa's immense, exhilarating waves of torque and power are from another world, while the ageing Honda Blackbird has a power delivery that's Chinese silk to the K1200's 150-grit sandpaper.
Then there's the vibration, which much of the time is not an issue, but at times and certain revs is intrusive. At 6,000rpm with the bike accelerating, it is tolerable, but back off to maintain a steady speed at these revs and it's unpleasantly rough.
This equates to a cruising speed of just under 100mph, which will affect some riders in some places. Others won't be bothered by it, although they might instead be troubled by the bike's reluctance to maintain a constant speed on a light throttle at low revs.
None of this is so bad as to render the bike unrideable, but it will be irritating, especially at the price. Anyone switching from a big-capacity Japanese machine will be disappointed by the K1200S's motor - the sheer pleasure of modulating big, yet highly controllable horsepower that we've become used to is missing here. The handling is closer to class standards, although again there are reservations. The bike is beautifully poised and controlled under the most severe braking with the ABS working overtime, and stability at normal speeds is exemplary.
It takes effort to change line, however, and the feel from the front end still doesn't match the best telescopic forks of its rivals, while at lower speeds there's a tendency to roll mildly from side to side, although this is minimal and easily ignored.
But at very high speeds (flat-out on an autobahn after you've managed to get lost and are trying to catch the photographer, for example?) the bike becomes very vague. At an indicated 165mph I abandoned a plan to test for top speed (around 175mph) as it felt outright dangerous. I doubt it really was, but on a public road at that velocity I had enough to keep me busy anyway.
This was with the adaptable suspension in sports mode, noticeably firmer and better controlled than the normal or plush comfort settings, and you can also adjust the suspension according to three different load settings if you opt for this package. This does work reasonably well, except the comfort setting's marshmallow sensation does cause some odd pitching at times. Comfort generally though is very good, with far better wind protection than the windblown Hayabusa's.
You get more breaks than you might like from the small fuel range - BMW claims 4?2 gallons, but my example's countdown computer reckoned I only had 15 miles left as I squeezed 2?8 gallons into the tank. Consensus among other riders was that you'd be lucky to see 130 miles between refills.
I was expecting to spend more time here discussing the many innovative and unique features of the K1200S, but some inadequacies in the fundamentals have dominated instead. BMW says the fuelling will be improved by the time the bike's in showrooms, but if it's that easy to fix, it should have been done by now. And what about the missing torque and refinement?
There's always been a suspicion that BMW has previously avoided the supersport sector because its technology wasn't up to it. On this showing that's no longer a suspicion.
BMW K1200S
Price/availability: from ?9,750 on the road. On sale September 25. Contact: BMW GB, 01344 426565 (www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk).
Engine/transmission: 1,157cc, transverse four-cylinder four-stroke with 16 valves; 165bhp at 10,250rpm, 96lb ft of torque at 8250rpm. Six-speed gearbox, shaft final drive.
Performance: top speed: 175mph, average fuel consumption (estimated) 38mpg.
We like: Ergonomics, equipment levels, stability under braking.
We don't like: Poor fuelling, lack of low rev power, high speed vagueness, restricted range.
Alternatives: Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird, ?8,499. Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa, ?8,649. Kawasaki ZZ-R1200, ?8,090. Kawasaki ZX-12R, ?9,390.
R R#?
The intention is to create a machine that combines current motorcycle performance expectations with BMW brand values such as sophistication, comfort, active and passive safety and so on. The problem is, it just doesn't work.
The main difficulty is the engine, which offers crude under-development in place of sophisticated refinement. The first clue comes at idle, which is rougher than on any other production bike, sounding more like a race engine lumpily warming up. That would be fine if it were all, and indeed would add some character in isolation, but what isn't acceptable is the inconsistent power delivery, reminiscent of Triumph's ill-fated TT600.
Snap open the throttle and you can never be quite sure just how hard or evenly the engine will pull. It's not as bad as the TT600: you don't ever have to pull in the clutch and try again when pulling away, as was sometimes necessary on the British bike. But compared with the silky smooth delivery with which the Japanese have spoiled us all, the K1200S feels like an early prototype.
There's no compensation in exceptional performance either. On a bike with all this power and a 1,157cc capacity, you'd hope for effortless overtaking. Instead you often need to drop down two, or even three gears to bring the motor to life and fire you past other traffic.
For a BMW it's still very quick, and up against most cars the K1200S will come out on top, but its rival superbikes will shrug it aside like an autumn leaf. The Suzuki Hayabusa's immense, exhilarating waves of torque and power are from another world, while the ageing Honda Blackbird has a power delivery that's Chinese silk to the K1200's 150-grit sandpaper.
Then there's the vibration, which much of the time is not an issue, but at times and certain revs is intrusive. At 6,000rpm with the bike accelerating, it is tolerable, but back off to maintain a steady speed at these revs and it's unpleasantly rough.
This equates to a cruising speed of just under 100mph, which will affect some riders in some places. Others won't be bothered by it, although they might instead be troubled by the bike's reluctance to maintain a constant speed on a light throttle at low revs.
None of this is so bad as to render the bike unrideable, but it will be irritating, especially at the price. Anyone switching from a big-capacity Japanese machine will be disappointed by the K1200S's motor - the sheer pleasure of modulating big, yet highly controllable horsepower that we've become used to is missing here. The handling is closer to class standards, although again there are reservations. The bike is beautifully poised and controlled under the most severe braking with the ABS working overtime, and stability at normal speeds is exemplary.
It takes effort to change line, however, and the feel from the front end still doesn't match the best telescopic forks of its rivals, while at lower speeds there's a tendency to roll mildly from side to side, although this is minimal and easily ignored.
But at very high speeds (flat-out on an autobahn after you've managed to get lost and are trying to catch the photographer, for example?) the bike becomes very vague. At an indicated 165mph I abandoned a plan to test for top speed (around 175mph) as it felt outright dangerous. I doubt it really was, but on a public road at that velocity I had enough to keep me busy anyway.
This was with the adaptable suspension in sports mode, noticeably firmer and better controlled than the normal or plush comfort settings, and you can also adjust the suspension according to three different load settings if you opt for this package. This does work reasonably well, except the comfort setting's marshmallow sensation does cause some odd pitching at times. Comfort generally though is very good, with far better wind protection than the windblown Hayabusa's.
You get more breaks than you might like from the small fuel range - BMW claims 4?2 gallons, but my example's countdown computer reckoned I only had 15 miles left as I squeezed 2?8 gallons into the tank. Consensus among other riders was that you'd be lucky to see 130 miles between refills.
I was expecting to spend more time here discussing the many innovative and unique features of the K1200S, but some inadequacies in the fundamentals have dominated instead. BMW says the fuelling will be improved by the time the bike's in showrooms, but if it's that easy to fix, it should have been done by now. And what about the missing torque and refinement?
There's always been a suspicion that BMW has previously avoided the supersport sector because its technology wasn't up to it. On this showing that's no longer a suspicion.
BMW K1200S
Price/availability: from ?9,750 on the road. On sale September 25. Contact: BMW GB, 01344 426565 (www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk).
Engine/transmission: 1,157cc, transverse four-cylinder four-stroke with 16 valves; 165bhp at 10,250rpm, 96lb ft of torque at 8250rpm. Six-speed gearbox, shaft final drive.
Performance: top speed: 175mph, average fuel consumption (estimated) 38mpg.
We like: Ergonomics, equipment levels, stability under braking.
We don't like: Poor fuelling, lack of low rev power, high speed vagueness, restricted range.
Alternatives: Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird, ?8,499. Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa, ?8,649. Kawasaki ZZ-R1200, ?8,090. Kawasaki ZX-12R, ?9,390.
R R#?
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