All Tests – 2015 BMW R1200 R Test: [R] definition – What a long way …

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BMW R1200 R 2015 test: [R] definition

All Tests - 2015 BMW R1200 R Test: [R] definition - What a long way ...

Much appreciated by BMW aficionados but technically aging, the R1200R had to complete its transformation to expand and rejuvenate its clientele … This transformation is now complete and the result is particularly convincing. ! First try.

What a long way…

What a long way since the launch of the in 1923 (the first motorcycle produced by BMW), driven by its famous flat twin (Boxer) with shaft and cardan transmission…

BMW R1200 R: availability, colors and price

  • Availability: February 2015 in the

  • Warranty: two years, unlimited mileage

  • Colors: gray, white / red, blue

  • Prices :
  • R1200R Standard: € 13,400

  • R1200R Style: + € 295

  • R1200R Sport + 415 €

This architecture will have survived the ages, improving year by year with the arrival of 4-valve oil-cooled cylinder heads in 1994, dual ignition in, double overhead camshaft. …

The same goes for the evolution of motorcycles, with the arrival of the, the rear suspension, the and the Paralever in 1988, the in 1993 and, more recently, the systems, of, of, etc..

In short, a long experience and a great know-how which allow today the German manufacturer to expand its offer in all directions, not hesitating to break the mold of one of its flagship models (more than 50,000 units of R1200R elapsed since) to start from a (almost) white sheet.

Thus, after having benefited in 2011 from a new with double overhead camshaft on its air-cooled 1170 cc flat-twin, the R1200 R roadster is accelerating its speed with a brand new perimeter frame in a tubular trellis style with steel tubes. , with carrier engine and slightly extended wheelbase (+ 20mm).

The Telelever front suspension, appreciated for its reassuring anti-dive effect but criticized for its lack of feedback on the handlebars, disappears in favor of a "classic" inverted fork. The objective: to facilitate the integration of the water radiator necessary for the all new air / water cooled flat-twin borrowed from the GS and RT models, but also to improve the feeling of the front axle in sporty driving. A set of developments that reposition the R1200R in the heart of the, from which it was until now kept apart.

Three styles for a choice

The new BMW R1200R 2015 is available in three distinct versions: "Standard" (solid color Cordoba blue, black frame, gray fork sleeves and plastic tank plate), "Sport" (red frame, white color enhanced with a marking "R" red, small windshield, steel tank plate and engine guard) and "Style" (paintwork and frame in metal gray, fork and brake calipers anodized gold).

Its general line gains in modernism as in aggressiveness, with a more refined and compact design due to a simplified frame, a rear buckle shortened by 120 mm, a thinner and flat two-seater saddle in two parts, a thinner rear light housed at the end seat and long, slightly raised passenger grab handles.

New forged aluminum passenger footrest plates, like those for the driver’s footrests, are appearing. At the front, the fuel tank seems longer and imposing, contrasting all the more with this slender and slender rear axle. It is crossed in the center by a pretty plate (plastic or metal depending on the version) including the fuel cap.

Note that the positioning of the exhaust silencer and the transmission are reversed with respect to the, the first passing to the right and the second to the left.

The disappearance of the Telelever visually lightens the front, the integration of the water radiator being particularly successful, as that of the front air intakes. The inverted fork brings a more obvious aesthetic to the whole, especially in its gold anodized version, especially since it is now associated with 4-piston radial-mounted brake calipers.

The multi-spoke rims do not change, here fitted with Metzeler Z8 Interact tires. A new mudguard is also used. The round headlight is replaced by a beautifully crafted oblong element, which can optionally be fitted with H-shaped LED night lights. It is surmounted by a small aluminum plate supporting a relatively compact dashboard.

But what are all these road-tested developments really worth? First try !

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