Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125789
... ~ w Z w oJ (.) > (.) The machine looks better in the flesh, Craftsmanship is excellent. RO,AD TEST: BMW R·60 By Art Friedman Photos by Larry Groves &.Art Friedman Traditionally, the BMW R-60 has been the motorcycle against which all other touring bikes have been measured. With its great smoothness and comfort, ample power, excellent craftsmanship and quality, and famous reliability, it provided the Bayerische Motoren Werken with a certain unique place in the motorcycle world. In recent years, the interests of the American buying public have shifted towards machines with a more sporting accen t. Of course, any motorcycle is a SPlITting proposition but the American buyer has' shown a popular interest in machines with a performance image and flashy styling. To answer this demand, BMW made several changes. They introduced telescopic forks on all of their models. They changed the styling to what they felt the US market was demanding. And they introduced the 750cc R75/5 which offered improved performance. The R75 and the different demands of consumers brough t a change in the image that Butler and Smith, the importen, were attempting to create for their machines. For awhile they focused attention on the telescopic forks and played up the handling. They showed pictures of the BeeEms being used off the road. The telescopics supposedly made it suitable for that kind of use. Next came the ads that assured us that the cylinders of the fiat twin wouldn't ground and that the machine could be cornered hard. Most recently the ads have switched to a very Teutonic looking gentleman sitting out in the middle of a field with a buzzard or something perched on his shoulder. This we suppose is supposed to be the rich sporting man of leisure, who knows and enjoys good craftsmanship and can afford it. The later niche is probably the one that the BMW properly belongs in. The BMW is sporting even if performance isn't one of its strong points. It is expensive (SI808) POE and the superb craftsmanship shows why. It isn't a crotch rocket for the Drive-in GP hot-shoe. It is a machme for the more mature rider. The power plant is the familiar BMW opposed twin. The opposed engine has seen service in many applications. VW, Porsche, Corvair and others have used opposed-type engines in automobiles. Aircraft have used the opposed engine. (Incidentally, the emblem comes from T•• staldard il to'fil' bik.s. Rid. silelt, rUi wide. spinning airplane propeUor. The WWI BMW Logo lives on.) The opposed twin offe r s certain advan tages for motorcycling applications. It sticks out there in the wind. It is quite a low, with a consequently low CG. The engine is famous for its smoothness. Ours was velvet smooth at highway speeds. At low engine speeds, however, there was some vibration. It was a Jow frequency, non-irritating one, and went away when you developed a few R's. At 70 mph it is so smooth that you may wonder if it's running. The transmissiol} is rather tall and inhibits performance. The tallish first gear won't make any friends among the quarter-mile set, but anyone wbo wants to drag a BeeEm is missing the point. The traditional "clonk" is still there when you shift. This is the only real noise that the engine or transmission makes. Megaphone freaks, go away. The dry clutch is very positive but lacks a little in terms of progressiveness. It isn't one that you can slip smoothly for a block. With the kind of low end that the beast has, clutch slipping isn't called for. The R60 finds a claimed 46 horsepower at 6800 "UPM". The 750 has 5 7 and the 5'00 puts out 36. Through a combination of uses, it managed about 50 mpg. With four and a SPECIFICATIONS BMW 600cc R-60 Displacement ....•..............' 599« Bore x stroke 70.6mm x 73.5mm Compression Ratio .......•.......•...... ,. 9.2:1 Claimed Horsepower .............•...•...•.................... .46 bhp at 6600 Weight ....................•...............•.............. about 450 pounds Tire size, front , .............•....................... , 3.25 x 19 Tire size, rear 4.00 x 18 Tank capacity 4* gallons Wheelbase .................•.....'..................•............. 54* inches Length ...................•.......•...........•...•............. 82.7 inches Width ..... , .••...................•.......•...................... 29 inches Base price .....•...•...............•......••...•.....................$1 808 half gallons in the tank, that will take you over 200 miles. Most riden don't like to go much over 100 miles at a shot The horizontallv opposed engine is the heart of a BMW. Ours had some vented pipe lIUards that will be available 8S an ac:eessory. ,