About the HP2 sport

If someone would care to explain something to me:
I want to know what is the deal with the BMW HP2. I mean I see only a fully faired, boxer twin with loads of tech goodies. Then what is so special about the bike that it costs almost as much or even more than even the S1000rr? (it costs around $25,000!!). It's performance figures are also only decent, nowhere like the S1000rr's. Anybody got the time to give me an explanation? Appreciate it..

lucky fortuners

since, this is my first visit on xbhp off website,i wonder wht i had missd out unfotunately,as a real blood & heart love for bikes,as lik i born to love these super sexy xoticas, past several years since my sences awake...
Bt i m her to covr up for pst severl years.....
i guess u r a real lucky guy who hv had these bikes to ride ... as for me ,still a dream to go for, bt as soon as you guys bcoming a frnd of bred & butter family dreamrs,we hope for atleast tak a ride on that super saddles for a while sum day... cary on, we pray to hv u mch mor for future

lucky fortuners

since, this is my first visit on xbhp off website,i wonder wht i had missd out unfotunately,as a real blood & heart love for bikes,as lik i born to love these super sexy xoticas, past several years since my sences awake...
Bt i m her to covr up for pst severl years.....
i guess u r a real lucky guy who hv had these bikes to ride ... as for me ,still a dream to go for, bt as soon as you guys bcoming a frnd of bred & butter family dreamrs,we hope for atleast tak a ride on that super saddles for a while sum day... cary on, we pray to hv u mch mor for future

Hi Haroon,
I'll be shifting my base to Dammam in couple of months. Could you help me with the details of BMW showroom in Dammam? The website shows only for Riyadh. Also would be great if you have any details of Japanese bike showrooms in KSA as I couldn't find anything other than Kawasaki.

Suzuki Bandit - made for India motorcycle,but as you said lacks that Character and Charisma(good in a way since not many notice the bike on the road like SBKs)

Ducati Monster - Somehow it didn't convince me(too vibey after 5000 rpm and lots of windblast after 100kmph) and expensive spares add to the misery


Just my opinion on what BMW India may think, the S1000RR and 1200GS are the most popular BMW bikes known even to non serious motorcyclists(unfortunately in India somehow they have the wallet to accommodate such bikes)

But I agree with you that 22+ lakhs for the BMW is a stretch for any serious biker

As for the weight of the 1200GS, yes its a relatively heavy bike for off-road use and needs a certain level of off-roading capability by the rider. Personally I like the GS as a bike that is suitable for most kinds of terrain (I mean good roads, bad roads & once upon a time roads!), but I am not keen on doing hard core off-roading with the GS as I am neither interested in it nor possess the necessary skills and also I have to change to optional spoke wheels etc. However, for improving on general riding capabilities or if I were to ever embark on a himalayan/siberian adventure with either a 800/1200GS, I would love to do the 3-day off-road training at BMW Enduro Park in Hechlingen (they provide the bikes & fix them at their cost how many ever times you drop it!). Here is a look at what you learn:
YouTube - Enduro Park Hechlingen

As for the older generation F650 (650cc single cylinder engine), the 91 octane petrol is fine, but the new F650 or F800 (both with 800cc twin cylinder engines), the minimum fuel grade required is 95 octane. So that is again a big question mark.

I like the F800GS better because it looks better than the F650GS, though both of them have the same engine.

When Hero Honda tried to sell rotax powered F650GS Funduro in 1996, no one bought it at the 4.5 lakh sticker price. Ultimately they had to dispose the bikes at less than 2 lakhs to people who were ready to pay.

Hi Haroon,
After learning about your concern with the fuel in India for GS1200, I am in 2 minds to buy the GS1200 or not. I have not yet committed to my colleague to buy his GS1200. I have another concern regarding its weight. If I have to use it off roads then the weight of nearly 250kgs is too much.
I am thinking on line with bluevolt of buying F650GS(800cc) and not F800GS. Will this bike also have the same fuel issue? And bluevolt, what was the bad experience with the F650GS back in '96?
Henry

That is what happens when the dealer is in charge of selling the motorcycles and not BMW itself. The dealer is a retailer and will not be interested in building the brand. Ducati somehow started off like that with exorbitant pricing, but lately things have changed for the better. They are still sold through a distributor but at least they are creating the right kind of noises.

Perhaps BMW is still stung the bad experience with the F650GS back in '96 and maybe that's the reason for their lackluster approach.

Honestly, I am disappointed the way BMW-India has so far gone about doing things for selling their bikes in India. Unless I missed something, I never saw a proper press launch or road show or other promos. Here full marks to harley, Ducati, Aprillia etc for actually gone that extra mile to appeal to real bikers & bike enthusiasts. So it looks like rather than BMW-India selling the bikes, the bikes are being bought! Firstly the S1000RR should have been priced close to the R1 & CBR1000R etc since thats where BMW-Germany had originally positioned that bike & its pricing, so a 1-1.5 lac higher price tag over the R1 or CBR should have been perfect, whereas they have gone way over mark. Similarly the R1200GS should also have been priced max 16-18 lacs on road, whereas 22.5 lacs is way above what most serious touring enthusiasts would have hoped for a piece of german engineering.

Ofcourse, if I were to invest 10-20 lacs on any Harley today, atleast there is one additional factor I can be happy about - 20 years later, I still dont have an outdated machine!!! Jokes apart the Harleys are much simpler to work on as well and the new ones are really reliable.

Thanks.. but this being a populist regime, I doubt if the govt will even upgrade to 91 Octane considering the high fuel prices.

I am tempted by a lot of motorcycles, but the Harley XR1200X is making more sense to me day by day. I like the Bandit, but that bike lacks character from an aesthetics standpoint. And I am looking at the Intruder as well - something which I can tour on and put in low grade fuel to run it.

But the perfect motorcycle for me would be the F800GS - I would buy it today if it came out and was under 10 L.

Very valid point you have put across on fuel. This is where I am also concerned after riding my R1200GS in India, I was not too happy with the 'premium' fuel (I understand it is 93 octane) as I was having engine knocking on it. Whereas the 97 grade petrol I filled once from banaglore city was fine, but it is only available in very very limited bunks and hence it is simply not practical to carry an extra tank or extra fuel elsewhere on long trips. Beside, if you see my trip log from Kanyakumari to Pondicherry, I was having difficulty to find even the premium petrol on the highway! I personally think with all the newer cars & bikes, the govt should come out with 91 & 95 grade petrol & scrap the 97. After I brought the bike back to Saudi Arabia, I first flushed out the Indian petrol and then filled in 95 grade here and the engine was running absolutely smooth & fine.

Whereas the Suzuki Bandit, the Harleys etc have lower compression and will do fine with 91 grade octane.

Thanks Haroon! I am contemplating to get myself a bigger bike sometime soon - but would the high compression ratio of the K1300R be compatible with Indian fuels?

i simply love K1600 GTL ( sir you know how much )..
The technology, the comfort, the overall feel is quite impressive about this bike... One of the best touring machine money can buy..

I have ridden a friend's earlier model 2006 K1200R and in simple words- (prior to the S1000RR), this K bike is the closest BMW comes to the Japanese in terms of general feel, control switches etc. But beyond that its an absolute brute in terms of raw power, while handling & braking were way ahead of the japanese bikes. Also the ergonomics for my 6ft frame were more comfortable than my own 2007 Kawasaki Z1000 and perhaps the K1200R's longer wheelbase & weight made me more comfortable on the highway and twisty roads but at slow speeds my Z was easier to handle. Also the front suspension does not have the dive effect like my Z, so you really dont feel the bumps on the roads transferring fully onto your handlebars. Ofcourse, wind protection like any of the nakeds is not great and hence I was hating the wind blast to my chest and also felt the handgrips were a bit on the thinner side (just my opinion), but the seat was more comfortable than my Z. Overall, a great all-round bike with a host of features like maintenance free shaft drive, ABS, heated grips, electronic suspension adjustments and the revolutionary Hossack front suspension which is something to be experienced.