Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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VOL. 52 ISSUE 30 JULY 28, 2015 P57 in a degree of luxury while still reminding you it can play ball if you want. That luxury factor is re- inforced by the Gear Shift Assist Pro optional extra which, as long as you use the system correctly (have the throttle fully closed and snick the lever down), makes the ride delightfully smooth provided you're not revving the RS to the moon—it doesn't like that. BMW boxers by design don't like to be revved hard, preferring instead to fart along in the middle rev ranges, giving more perfor- mance than could be expected for a given decibel. It all adds up S P E C I F I C A T I O N S 2016 BMW R 1200 RS ENGINE: ........4-cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valves per cylinder DISPLACEMENT: ............................. 1170cc BORE X STROKE: .................. 101 x 73mm HORSEPOWER: .........1125hp @ 7500 rpm TORQUE: ................... 92ft-lb @ 6500 rpm COMPRESSION RATIO: ..................... 12.5:1 TRANSMISSION: ...........................6-speed CHASSIS: ..................Tubular steel bridge FRONT SUSPENSION: .................. Inverted cartridge fork with adjustable rebound and compression damping, optional Dynamic ESA REAR SUSPENSION: ..........Paralever with single shock absorber with adjustable rebound damping, optional Dynamic ESA FRONT BRAKE: ......... Twin 320mm discs, Brembo four-piston Monobloc calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE: .......... Single 265mm disc, Brembo twin-piston caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE: ........................ 120/70 ZR17 REAR TIRE: ........................... 180/55 ZR17 STEERING HEAD ANGLE: ................... 27.7° TRAIL: ...............................................4.8 in. WHEELBASE: ................................. 60.2 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ............................... 32.3 in. (33.1 in. 31.1 in. and 29.9 in. can be bought as accessory) OVERALL HEIGHT: ......................Not given OVERALL WIDTH: .......................Not given OVERALL LENGTH: .....................Not given FUEL CAPACITY: .... 4.7 gal (approx. 1 gal reserve) WEIGHT: ..............519 lbs (wet, claimed). COLOR: Lupin Blue Metallic/Light Grey Metallic MSRP: ....................... Starting at $14,950 THE RS DOESN'T FEEL OVERLY FAST. IT'S MORE A STATELY SPEED, SIMILAR TO A 5-SERIES SALOON OF THE SAME BRAND, COSSETING YOU IN A DEGREE OF LUXURY WHILE STILL REMINDING YOU IT CAN PLAY BALL IF YOU WANT. a relatively relaxed ride, even if your intention is to ride the thing to the end of the chicken strips. Provided you're on the black stuff, the R 1200 RS does everything at the very least to a good level. Most of the time it's a great level, meaning the "versatile" tag is well deserved. I didn't get to try a machine without the optional D-ESA and Gear Shift Assist Pro, nor did I get to try one with Ride Modes Pro activated, so I will reserve comment on the extra throttle response and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) systems. How- ever, the Premium Package (see sidebar) I did ride left me in no doubt of the R 1200 RS's capa- bilities. It also made me wonder who would actually buy this bike. The R 1200 RS is an excellent machine—no doubt—yet I can't see people beating down the door to buy one. The S 1000 XR will undoubtedly draw people into the BMW family, but my guess is riders who buy an RS will already be BMW converts because, thanks to the roaring success of the off-road focused GS, a flat-twin roadbike doesn't really spark the imagination it once did. But those that know, know, and those that don't, well, it's their loss. The R 1200 RS is an excellent machine. Yes it lacks a bit of personality and yes the ex- haust note doesn't really inspire, but it's still an exceptional mo- torcycle, and yet another touch- down for the purple patching Bayerische Motoren Werke. CN