Transmenu powered by JoomlArt.com - Mambo Joomla Professional Templates Club

Synopsis of current Info on the K1200S

Under the sexy title “BMW lifts the veil” (Schleier) BMW Motorrad has made official what OTL readers have already known for a good while. This summer BMW will reveal “a fully new, fascinating high-performance motorcycle in the sportbike segment.”
In what is internally known as a “teaser,” BMW will show a press picture of the K1200S along with some attributes of the new bike — most of them, however, gleaned by our moles some time ago. Ditto for the photo.

David Robb disagreed with us when we suggested that the angular-looking R1200GS owed something to the “flame-surfacing” profile of the Bimmer Z4 sport car. Maybe it is what Robb calls “surface tension,” but we see lot of dynamic angles at play in the “tank” area of this K1200S.

We also see is a little GS in the looks of this bike, in a way Euclid would have admired. The extensive black lowers/belly pan makes a good part of the bike vanish beneath the waves, including the new motor. The rear end looks (as is) very light, so reducing the visual footprint of the front end is probably part of the plan. Peering through the rear axle is way cool.

Note that the Roundel is handled much the same way is on the KLT, which in turn took its cue from the Bimmer M Z3.

The final use of color(s) is sure to be different. One of our moles spotted several on a photo shoot in Nevada—none of them Canyon Red. The rest of the bike however looked just like this. Much more in the upcoming OTL.

Having worked on the English editing of BMW’s Road to Formula 1 we know better than to entirely trust BMW’s translations, so we shall give our own renderings of what they will post on the press site. We shall also provide a little commentary (with much more, and a riding impression to follow in OTL).

“From the very start the K1200S was conceived as a sportbike, and is a stand-alone motorcycle within the K family: radically new and with an unprecidented wealth of innovations. It is a sportbike that offers the highest riding precision, a unique agility, and overabundant power.“

Wealth of innovations

The key phrase here is “wealth of innovations.“ There had to be these — lest the K1200S be seen as just another UJM-like transverse four. The bike will be chock full of tech goodies from top to bottom. For us, however, the Hossack fork will be the heart of it. That and weight loss. Other details - many of them significant - will have to wait for the press kit.

“The bike leaves nothing to be desired vis-à-vis the competition, with power-to-weight almost 50% better than the K1200RS.“

Our sources had us expecting this, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. One mole told us it feels “like a bicycle.” In the upcoming OTL we write: “The R1200GS had a water-filled bucket symbolizing the 66 lbs that needed to be lost. With the K1200S they must have needed a rain barrel.” When R&D boss Dr. Marcus Braunsperger said the focus would be on Leichtbau (building light) he meant what he said.

“The chassis set-up, along with low weight, makes for “spielerisches” [child’s play] handling. Both result in secure and total command of the power package under all conditions.” Our mole report in the next OTL raves about the gossamer like feel of the S. Easy to ride, and “wicked fast.”

“Powered by a transverse 1157 cc in-line four with integrated gearbox this machine attains a unique spot among the sportbikes through its perfect overall concept in concert with Leichtbau shaft drive.”

A true sportbike with shaft drive

Shaft drive on a sportbike! The R1100S has it, but the Boxer S isn’t really sporty enough to be a dedicated sportbike. This K1200S is way sporty enough, and has a very light cardan drive. This was no small feat for BMW R&D.

“The extremely forward-angled (55 degree) cylinder block provides a low cg. This, along with the geometric layout, allowed for an ideal 50-50 weight distribution.” David Searle at MCN always preaches about a 50-50 weight balance; this bike has it. This, along with little unsprung weight, should work wonders.

“By means of a host of finesse measures in construction, the engine emerged unusually small. The width near the crankshaft approximates that of a 600cc motor. That permitted not only a low motor placement while retaining good cornering clearance, but a small, sporty profile.”

This is key. The engine could not have been placed so low unless it were narrow, lest cornering clearance be compromised. And our moles say it corners like champ. The engine also dictated moving the shaft and everything else over to the other side, much like the three cylinder (code K3) prototype machine back in 1980.

Over 160 horsepower

There is also the admission that the horsepower is “over 160 (117 kW)” and that the “newest generation motor management such as on the R1200GS, with knock suppression is employed on the K1200S.” Our moles say the motor can be uprated a number of ways for the future — necessary for a machine that is expected to be around a long while. Even this one as is, can probably be chipped up another 10-15 hp.

All-new fork a la Hossack

The chassis is “supremely innovative,” by which they mean the Hossack fork (though it is not referred to as such here). It is: “A revolutionary front wheel steering by means of two parallel links - without Telescopic direction - most precise, with remarkable stiffness and light weight.”

We have worked this issue to death, so wait for OTL to refresh your memory. Then there is the matter of an “electronically adjustable chassis,” mentioned before, but moles have yet to report on how well it works.

Improved partial integrals

To the regret of some, the bike is “Selbstverständlich mit Teilintegralversion ausgerüstet” (equipped with the Integral version of ABS as a matter of course); but we had hoped, and now indeed hear, that the power brakes engage much less abruptly. Our Moles say the ABS is now as good or better than Honda’s.

The new BMW K 1200 S will debut to the drooling public at the INTERMOT in Munich in September and emerge on the market “a bit later.” We think the bike press will already be riding it in Austria in July — on a race track. We also think there will be a K Cup series down the road. This bike cries out for it. Indeed, in certain curvy, lumpy tracks will outperform the fastest sportbikes.

Addenda We have sources that say Cycle World has somehow wangled a US exclusive on the bike, with a long development piece by Kevin Cameron, but it is doubtful whether they got to ride it early.

What you read in OTL will be unique. What you read elsewhere will be disguised or undisguised copying of the press teaser, or lifting from Cycle World — but even more likely, lifting from us.

Do then, be on the lookout (soon) for the Cycle World R&D piece. They did well in 1993 with the first Oilhead.

BMW is revealing the K almost piece by piece, in a departure from past procedure. Does this reflect the thinking of the new people at the top or a reaction the leaks to the press? After all, we don’t think the R1200RS is that far off yet we have yet to get a whiff of it anywhere, but a substantial portion of this K’s innards were uncovered many months ago. Somebody thought, why not go with the flow? Smart thinking on BMW’s part.

Finally, the teaser insists (and the recent K1200LT upgrade bolsters the notion) that the other K bikes will continue to be built. Yet the Chefredakteur said, in a recent piece in Motorcyclist, that the K1200S tech will have to spread to make the R&D investment viable. We say this is an illusory contradiction. Catch the next OTL and find out why.

That is just one of a million questions that are raised by this bike. Some include:

• If, eventually, the other Ks get this motor, which will be next in line? Our guess: KGT next, LT last.
• Will the Hossack spread to the Boxer, and if so, when? We simply don’t know. Yet.
• What bike does the K1200S come closest to? Our guess: the MV Agusta.
• What will the K1200S cost? See previous question—lots.
• Who is targeted with this bike? The few, the proud, the young, the rich.

• Where are all the people now (Alan Cathcart in Motorcyclist, Kevin Cameron in Cycle World, Ben Purvis in Motor Cycle News) who insisted this bike would be supercharged? We said no, a thousand times no. The reason? With all this weight loss and 160+ ponies who the hell needs supercharging? Much to the regret of many (but to the surprise of few) we have been proven right. Thanks go to our many moles, and those who deduced so much from so little.

OTL has seen the spy photos, spotted the bike out west, heard about test riding it way, way south of Munich, and now, here is a non-rumour synopsis from a friend in Sweden, recounting what is said in MOTORAD, based on an interview with BMW CEO Dr. Herbert Diess.

Main statements of an exclusive interview with Dr. Herbert Diess, head of BMW Motorrad in MOTORRAD

On April 23rd, an exclusive interview with the head of BMW Motorrad, Dr. Herbert Diess was published in the German bike magazine MOTORRAD on the topic of the K40 (K 1200 S). The following statements have been defined:

World premiere INTERMOT 2004, Munich

Market launch This year

Price Not defined yet

New K - Name: K 1200 S

• The first real four-cylinder sports bike by BMW Motorrad
• - Does not replace an existing model
• - Sufficient power, very much more than up to now from 1170 cc
• - Power-to-weight ratio 50 percent better than R 1100 S via unique technology
• - Completely new front wheel suspension: it decouples the steering from the wheel forces and transfers them to the frame structure optimally. The result: hitherto unkown steering precision also when braking
• - New engine, with extreme forward tilt underneath the main frame
• - Crankshaft now mounted horizontally to direction of ride
• - Very narrow shaft drive design
• - Specifically designed transmission
• - Chassis electronically adjustable
• - Further improved BMW Motorrad Integral ABS (part integral)

• - Perfect front suspension response
• - Low centre of gravity (front wheel can virtually not rise involuntarily)
• - Long wheelbase - Narrowest bike in its class Claim
• - Provide K 1200 S riders with a new standard in agility and driving fun
• - Objective: ride relaxed but still in a very sports-oriented manner
• - A machine which remains easy to control in every situation

• - Horizontally installed four-cyclinder with longitudinally mounted crankshaft is the right concept for touring sports bikes K 1200 RS, K 1200,GS or for a tourer such as the K 1200 LT.
• - All bikes will still be built, the LT has just been revised

Quick comment: Dr. Diess says that all current flopped-four bikes will still be built, noting that the LT has just been revised. Perhaps so, for now. This bike, however, though dubbed a "K" 1200S will appeal to a new, younger demographic. We do expect it to retain K-like straight line stability, but handle much, much quicker in turns. We also expect the ABS to be all new. There may well be F1 tech in the heads. The power-to-weight gains is on both ends. Maybe 170 hp, but also 124 lb weight loss. We think the bike will debut to the world press in Austria this summer.