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| | | Road test : 2007 BMW K 1200 R Sport-Blue hurricane |  Written: 24/01/2007 : 16:41. Read 29648 times (17/day). | We literally rode through a hurricane to ride the new BMW K 1200 R Sport. Hurricane Kyrill had killed 11 people in Germany by the time we landed for our mission in Munich. The K 1200 R Sport is BMW’s latest addition to the sports tourer segment and with 163hp the emphasis is on Sport.
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After an extremely bumpy flight to Germany we finally arrived at BMW’s pick up centre. It reminded me more of the CTU headquarters in adrenaline TV series 24 than your usual press centre. Walking through the modern concrete based corridors with automatic doors would either lead me into Jack Bauer’s interrogation room or to the latest addition to the powerful K series.
Luckily for me there was a blue K 1200 R Sport at the end of the corridors. The Sport is based on the K 1200 R which is the naked more comfortable version of the fully faired high speed K 1200 S. I had arranged with BMW so that I had access to all three bikes for our shoot.
This location in Munich is ideal for these mile munching powerful motorcycles. We had easy access to the autobahn, town and B-roads just outside the door from BMW. The new half fairing complements the more relaxed ergonomics of the R version. K 1200 R Sport is a compromise between the exposed R and the fully faired S. The best thing about the bikes ergonomics is that BMW have kept the upright seating position from the R. The seat height is a sporty 820mm in standard, but with BMW there are always options and the Sport can be fitted with a 790mm seat. Our test bike was fitted with ESA (Electronic suspension adjustment), integral ABS and heated grips. In the high winds the front cowling provided welcome protection on the motorway.
Riding slowly the winds grabbed hold of the front and I had to lean into the wind. So I upped the pace a little and with the momentum gained stability improved. I have noticed this before on the K 1200 R how stable the chassis is at high speed. The new Sport is no different and you get the extra pleasure of some more wind protection. Sitting upright you are more exposed to the winds than on the S, but it is a whole lot better than the R. In essence this is the Sport, the perfect compromise between two fairly extreme models. Certainly the most extreme and powerful models BMW have ever built. You get a K 1200 R with 163hp and just enough fairing to add to the comfort whilst that 55 degree tilted in-line four is still visible.
The 1157cc in-line four engine is tilted forward at an unusual steep 55 degree angle. It allows for the composite aluminium frame to be placed almost horizontally that allows for supreme mass centralisation. There is very little vibrations from the engine but it sounds quite raw on idle. Not half as smooth as a Japanese in-line four, this could be intentional from BMW. The bottom line is that this BMW sounds powerful on idle and with a claimed 163hp @ 10.250rpm no one can argue that it isn’t. BMW aficionados can rest assured there is plenty of torque to play with also in this most powerful of BMW’s. The claimed figure is 127Nm @ 8.250rpm. This means you have to use more revs than we are used to from the big Boxer’s, but on the road there is just plenty of everything. The power band wakes to life seriously at around 5.000rpms and just continues until there are no more revs left to use safely. The K 1200 R Sport is a very powerful bike, but BMW have made it civilised with a very solid chassis. The six-speed gearbox is easy to use, but not as smooth as a Japanese box. I didn’t hit any false neutrals and I could up shift fast and also short shift with ease where it was slippery. The driveshaft transmits all that horsepower in a predictable and smooth way. You do notice that it is shaft driven at slow speeds, but not at higher engine speed.
The K 1200 R Sport feels heavy when pushing it around for our shoot and at 240kg fully tanked it is quite a solid motorcycle. But all the weight disappears as soon as we move and it only helps with the high speed stability.
I don’t believe it is that easy to bring the weight down that much with the Para/Telelever suspension, solid frame and one enormous Euro 3 friendly muffler on the right hand side. I would regardless of technical difficulties and cost be the first to applaud a 198kg version though.
The ESA suspension option we were presented with seems to be a favourite on the K series in particular-With all that power to play with the riding pattern changes with the mood. And so does the need for firmer or softer suspension action. So the Paralever/Telelever combo is served by an electric motor by the push of a button. We started out in the softest comfort mode due to the harsh weather conditions, but tried the sports mode too. Soft is comfortable and absorbs bumps easily for a smooth ride. If riding and braking harder the sports mode is available at the push of the ESA button on the left handlebar. It couldn’t be easier and it is a handy addition if you go touring on the Sport too. Fully loaded up you can quickly firm up the suspension if required. Another option fitted was the new Integral ABS Evo brake system. On the slippery roads we played on they came in handy and stop the odd 240kilos with German efficiency.
I headed back through the high winds towards the BMW press centre. Once again I felt like entering the CTU headquarters, but this time for debriefing. Mission accomplished.
Conclusion
K 1200 R Sport really makes sense even though it is technically the same as K 1200 R. That extra wind protection really helps and with the R ergonomics I felt really comfy and happy in the seat despite the horrendous weather conditions. My personal K-series favourite is still the R though with its blacked out engine and weird front. But for the more conservative viewer the Sport might just be it. The R Sport is available both in blue and silver, but the silver version has a blacked out engine just like its R sibling. If you are looking for something slightly more sensible than the R and something slightly less cramped riding position than the S the Sport is the pick of the bunch.
+
Wind protection and good ergonomics
Powerful in-line four engine
High speed stability
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A tad bulky
Words: Tor Sagen
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| Comments | |
 Ratbyk (02-02-2007): Loved your road test on the K1200R... I own the K1200S, and put on 32,000 Km,s the first 2 months, going from Vancouver, British Columbia,down thru the USA, to the World Gp in Laguna Seca, then across USA to Eastern Canada, as far as Cape Breton Island, then rode back to British Columbia..I am 67 years old, and enjoyed every moment on the BMW..
Thank-you for all your articles... Bob Underhill
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