Manufacturers with iconic engine designs sometimes rue the day when their creation takes on a life of its own. One case is Porsche’s flat-six. When Porsche wanted to retire the 911 in favour of the 928 back in 1980, Porsche purists howled with dismay and refused to let the engine, and the car, die.
This happened to BMW in the same time period. Having reached what they thought was the end of the design lifespan of the nearly 70-year old flat-twin, they came out with the flat-four ‘K’ in 1984. You could hear the gnashing of teeth and rending of cloth from Munich to Melbourne.
The 2015 BMW R1200 R is today’s prime example of what some consider to be an obsolete engine design, ill-suited for motorcycles, that soldiers on into the future, and does a pretty damn good job of it. The ‘R’ is BMW’s classification for the boxer engine, going all the way back to 1923 with the R32.
While the twin is pretty much a mainstay with the GS adventure touring crowd, sports riders and those who favour ‘normal’ motorcycles tend to be eclectic in their engine choice. V-twins, fours, triples, there’s almost everything and the kitchen sink to choose from.
The R1200 R is BMW’s take on a standard motorcycle that riders can use as they wish. Coming as a naked, various customisation options are available for the bike to be configured as the rider wishes. The boxer goes against other nakeds like its sibling the S1000R, the Ducati Monster, MV Agusta Brutale, Yamaha FZ-09, Aprilia Tuono, Triumph Street Triple, Kawasaki Z1000 and KTM Superduke.
Approaching the R1200 R, two things stand out. The massive boxer engine, and the red trellis frame. The humped 18-litre tank adds to the overall impression of direct, functional brutality, perhaps a result of Teutonic engineering efficiency.
Now, ‘naked’ in BMW Motorrad parlance does not actually mean stripped down to the bone. The R1200 R we tested came fully-loaded with all sorts of riding and semi-active suspension aids, coupled with BMW’s motorcycle ABS that is the best in the business. GS riders will testify to this.
Let’s start with initial riding impressions. The R1200 R comes with Keyless Ride as standard for this market. Working like Comfort Access for BMW cars, Keyless Ride allows the rider to unlock and start the bike with the key fob in the pocket. Access to the fuel filler cap is also keyless, and the switchblade style key is only needed if the seat is to be removed.
Read our full review of the BMW R1200 R after the jump.
