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A weekend of muscle flexing, inline growling, trying to surpass substantiated claims of fast, strong and unbelievable acceleration is what I call time well spent. No here, I am not talking about going to the gymnasium and pumping weights. But I am sure talking about pumping adrnaline with one of the fastest accelerating naked motorcycles that is currently available in Indian markets.
With the K1300R, the first impression is of seeing something raw, brutish, muscular and strong. And it is WYSIWYG. What you see is what you get! The motorcycle is all about Raw Power with brutish force, with muscular looks and supremely strong pulling power.
It is not just about the looks. It is about the size, feel, handling, power delivery, torque and a plethora of electronics thrown in liberally to make a true motorcycling enthusiast go beyond just salivating and start making plans of going ahead and making a booking to own this motorcycle that would make the rider happy and content. Is it possible to have a happy rider? Will he be content? Fatuous questions...
Some photographs of the test ride follow.
BMW Motorrad finish quality cannot be questioned. They make motorcycles better than tanks. Even their plastic parts outlast most metal parts in our households! This thing is not chain driven as we all know. And the shaft transmission on this bike aids in exciting levels of adrenaline in your blood stream. The long single seat is the pillion rider's comfort zone... a pillion that is willing to take on the same level of excitement as the rider but is far more comfortably perched than on a RR machine that sucks the juices out of even the hardiest pillion rider at any speed on any road however well laid!
Look at the clearly defined tank edges, note monoshock on the front suspension, a delight I must say, I have not ridden too many of those, single sided swingarm, the indentations on the seat which are aesthetically pleasing and a front visor that gets some of the job done. This is nakedness at its visual best.
We will be talking about the ride quality later...
BMW Pistons on the brakes.
The characteristic BMW asymmetrical headlights that has become their recognising element now.
First Ride Report in India.
First Look
At first glance, the K1300R comes acros as a motorcycle that looks compact, muscular, mean (remember Bruce Lee?) with cutting edges to go with the gadgetry that has been thrown in.
However, as one sits on it, with my 169cms frame, it suddenly does not feel all that compact. It came up big on me. The saddle height at 820mm makes the bike feel much bigger. I was at the tips of my SMX boots on either side and hoped the surface was not slippery. I did not want to drop a brand new factory machine and make people around me look embarrassed after 29 years of motorcycling!
First Feel
But enough thought has gone behind the ergonomics of the design and the process of grabbing the spaced clip-on handlebar becomes a smooth natural action and you settle comfortably on the bike and the largeness of the bike gradually fades. The leg position is sporty but very easy and comfortable. As I settled myself on the bike, there was no perceptible pressure on my wrist or strain on my back. After continuous years of superbiking, these are aspects that I look out for with the evident intent of wanting to ride motorcycles for as long as the body allows. And for that to happen, there has to exist a symbiotic harmony between the human body and the motorcycle design. So far so good.
The Ride
But now the bike had to be ridden. Because I needed to know. Because it tempted me. And I succumbed to that temptation.
As the day broke, I noticed the slanting rays of the rising sun falling on the sculpted tank. The bike was beckoning. This story had gone way beyond temptation and was bordering on lust. I inserted the key and turned it. The console lit up with the electronic checks and the fuel pump came alive. The starter was thumbed and the sweet sound of the 1293cc inline four woke up softly and idled at 1200rpm with a smooth low purr of a large cat.
The Awesome Machine
I clunked into first and rolled the beauty out of the garage onto a road full of potholes, dust and rubble. Rebound and damping were both set at medium (factory settings). All suspension changes can be done with the touch of a button at your fingertips electronically! Did I feel the pain riding a superbike on a rubble and potholed filled path out of the garage on to the main road? For a Superbike, surprisingly not much. It rode out as comfortable and easy as a Karizma!
Once out on good old tarmac, I was doing what I like doing best, go through the revs, click past the gears, initially with a soft touch and the n progressively with more aggressive intent, feel the throttle and see what this engine can do. Trying to go beyond the 4th gear inside the city I was running out of road. But I had nothing to complain about. The gears clicked on nice and easy on going up, excellent engine braking while downshifting.
Revving it up!
Time to get out of the restricting red-lights, traffic and time to attack the highway. As the tarmac stretched, I started shifting at redline. That is when this machine starts showing its true colours. And I suddenly recalled that this engine design has been partly outsourced and was a joint collaboration between BMW Motorrad and Ricardo (remember Bugatti Veyron?)! You really do not need to push the bike to redline to experience the madness! It gets you there earlier, faster. Every shift of the gear is a blow to your senses. This bike has more torque standing still than my car at peak rpm! This tarmac grinding torque makes you realise the true worth of the power under the tank and it is indeed a German engineering marvel and more!
Handling
Before I realised, I saw that the speedo needle had gone past the 220kmph mark and I still had two gears in reserve! I was laughing inside my helmet. The bike was rock steady. The steering damper was doing its job. Could I find a fault with this bike? A long 300 metre left-hander was coming up. Time to check out how the twin-spar handles. I was wondering how the front duolever suspension with the mono-shock would behave as I entered the corner. I went into the lean and started gradually opening gas seeing how far the twin-spars inspired me, brand new unbroken tyres notwithstanding! At no point during any of the corners did I feel a lack of confidence. I did not get huge feedback from the front setup but it held on stiffly through anything that I threw it into. I presume I have to get used to a setup like this which was completely new to me.
Highly visible rear LEDs
Traction Control, Pillion and ambient heat
I did not manage to pull a single wheelie. Which means that the traction control was working. But I really wanted to test it out. What was the best way to find out? Put on a pillion and go for it. I asked a pillion behind me and whammed open the throttle. The front end stayed planted on the tarmac as if tied down by cords. BMW has built a bike that defies all standards and logic of naked bikes. And to that they have added a small visor which is extremely effective till 170kmph. And then it is advisable to crouch some. I practically did not feel any turbulence till 200+. The same cannot be said about the pillion though who experienced more turbulence than a sail boat in a cyclone! But at lower speeds, the pillion seemed happy and comfortably perched.
ConclusionThe K1300R stands proud!
This Test Ride of the K1300R in India was possible courtesy of BMW Motorrad, Munich with the active participation and help of their leading North India dealership, Deutsche Motoren. The chief architects of this test ride was Mr Sarath Kumar, Head Sales and Marketing, Deutsche Motoren and Mr Sarabjeet Singh, Manager Motorrad, Deutsche Motoren.
Text by Krishnendu Kes.
Photos by Kunal Rajput and Krishnendu Kes for Maavalan Photos and Ms Moon Das for BMW.
Specs – BMW K1300R
With the K1300R, the first impression is of seeing something raw, brutish, muscular and strong. And it is WYSIWYG. What you see is what you get! The motorcycle is all about Raw Power with brutish force, with muscular looks and supremely strong pulling power.
It is not just about the looks. It is about the size, feel, handling, power delivery, torque and a plethora of electronics thrown in liberally to make a true motorcycling enthusiast go beyond just salivating and start making plans of going ahead and making a booking to own this motorcycle that would make the rider happy and content. Is it possible to have a happy rider? Will he be content? Fatuous questions...
Some photographs of the test ride follow.
BMW Motorrad finish quality cannot be questioned. They make motorcycles better than tanks. Even their plastic parts outlast most metal parts in our households! This thing is not chain driven as we all know. And the shaft transmission on this bike aids in exciting levels of adrenaline in your blood stream. The long single seat is the pillion rider's comfort zone... a pillion that is willing to take on the same level of excitement as the rider but is far more comfortably perched than on a RR machine that sucks the juices out of even the hardiest pillion rider at any speed on any road however well laid!
Look at the clearly defined tank edges, note monoshock on the front suspension, a delight I must say, I have not ridden too many of those, single sided swingarm, the indentations on the seat which are aesthetically pleasing and a front visor that gets some of the job done. This is nakedness at its visual best.
We will be talking about the ride quality later...
BMW Pistons on the brakes.
The characteristic BMW asymmetrical headlights that has become their recognising element now.
First Ride Report in India.
First Look
At first glance, the K1300R comes acros as a motorcycle that looks compact, muscular, mean (remember Bruce Lee?) with cutting edges to go with the gadgetry that has been thrown in.
However, as one sits on it, with my 169cms frame, it suddenly does not feel all that compact. It came up big on me. The saddle height at 820mm makes the bike feel much bigger. I was at the tips of my SMX boots on either side and hoped the surface was not slippery. I did not want to drop a brand new factory machine and make people around me look embarrassed after 29 years of motorcycling!
First Feel
But enough thought has gone behind the ergonomics of the design and the process of grabbing the spaced clip-on handlebar becomes a smooth natural action and you settle comfortably on the bike and the largeness of the bike gradually fades. The leg position is sporty but very easy and comfortable. As I settled myself on the bike, there was no perceptible pressure on my wrist or strain on my back. After continuous years of superbiking, these are aspects that I look out for with the evident intent of wanting to ride motorcycles for as long as the body allows. And for that to happen, there has to exist a symbiotic harmony between the human body and the motorcycle design. So far so good.
The Ride
But now the bike had to be ridden. Because I needed to know. Because it tempted me. And I succumbed to that temptation.
As the day broke, I noticed the slanting rays of the rising sun falling on the sculpted tank. The bike was beckoning. This story had gone way beyond temptation and was bordering on lust. I inserted the key and turned it. The console lit up with the electronic checks and the fuel pump came alive. The starter was thumbed and the sweet sound of the 1293cc inline four woke up softly and idled at 1200rpm with a smooth low purr of a large cat.
The Awesome Machine
I clunked into first and rolled the beauty out of the garage onto a road full of potholes, dust and rubble. Rebound and damping were both set at medium (factory settings). All suspension changes can be done with the touch of a button at your fingertips electronically! Did I feel the pain riding a superbike on a rubble and potholed filled path out of the garage on to the main road? For a Superbike, surprisingly not much. It rode out as comfortable and easy as a Karizma!
Once out on good old tarmac, I was doing what I like doing best, go through the revs, click past the gears, initially with a soft touch and the n progressively with more aggressive intent, feel the throttle and see what this engine can do. Trying to go beyond the 4th gear inside the city I was running out of road. But I had nothing to complain about. The gears clicked on nice and easy on going up, excellent engine braking while downshifting.
Revving it up!
Time to get out of the restricting red-lights, traffic and time to attack the highway. As the tarmac stretched, I started shifting at redline. That is when this machine starts showing its true colours. And I suddenly recalled that this engine design has been partly outsourced and was a joint collaboration between BMW Motorrad and Ricardo (remember Bugatti Veyron?)! You really do not need to push the bike to redline to experience the madness! It gets you there earlier, faster. Every shift of the gear is a blow to your senses. This bike has more torque standing still than my car at peak rpm! This tarmac grinding torque makes you realise the true worth of the power under the tank and it is indeed a German engineering marvel and more!
Handling
Before I realised, I saw that the speedo needle had gone past the 220kmph mark and I still had two gears in reserve! I was laughing inside my helmet. The bike was rock steady. The steering damper was doing its job. Could I find a fault with this bike? A long 300 metre left-hander was coming up. Time to check out how the twin-spar handles. I was wondering how the front duolever suspension with the mono-shock would behave as I entered the corner. I went into the lean and started gradually opening gas seeing how far the twin-spars inspired me, brand new unbroken tyres notwithstanding! At no point during any of the corners did I feel a lack of confidence. I did not get huge feedback from the front setup but it held on stiffly through anything that I threw it into. I presume I have to get used to a setup like this which was completely new to me.
Highly visible rear LEDs
Traction Control, Pillion and ambient heat
I did not manage to pull a single wheelie. Which means that the traction control was working. But I really wanted to test it out. What was the best way to find out? Put on a pillion and go for it. I asked a pillion behind me and whammed open the throttle. The front end stayed planted on the tarmac as if tied down by cords. BMW has built a bike that defies all standards and logic of naked bikes. And to that they have added a small visor which is extremely effective till 170kmph. And then it is advisable to crouch some. I practically did not feel any turbulence till 200+. The same cannot be said about the pillion though who experienced more turbulence than a sail boat in a cyclone! But at lower speeds, the pillion seemed happy and comfortably perched.
ConclusionThe K1300R stands proud!
This Test Ride of the K1300R in India was possible courtesy of BMW Motorrad, Munich with the active participation and help of their leading North India dealership, Deutsche Motoren. The chief architects of this test ride was Mr Sarath Kumar, Head Sales and Marketing, Deutsche Motoren and Mr Sarabjeet Singh, Manager Motorrad, Deutsche Motoren.
Text by Krishnendu Kes.
Photos by Kunal Rajput and Krishnendu Kes for Maavalan Photos and Ms Moon Das for BMW.
Specs – BMW K1300R
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