Presentation of the BMW HP2

Posted on by admin

Presentation of the BMW HP2

Wild variety

You rub your eyes in amazement: Here it is, the HP2. A wild off-road device based on the GS for very tough missions with long spring travel, stable tubular space frame and a sensational combat weight of less than 200 kilograms ?? full tank!

M.ercedes has also managed to transform the image from a hat-wearing 200 diesel driver to a sporty yuppie in the SLK. So why should BMW
can’t something similar be achieved in the motorcycle sector? Instead of flip-up helmets and suitcases, the white and blue will soon be able to stand for sport and dynamism with similar credibility. Motorcycles like the K 1200 S or R are the first harbingers of this development. Now even real sports models will follow, which are allowed to carry the abbreviation »HP«, comparable to the »M« of the Bavarian auto division.
The first model in the HP class is clear proof that the Munich-based company is really serious. HP2 stands for high-performance two-cylinder, a sports enduro based on the R 1200 GS. She implements the idea in a radical way that was not previously thought possible at BMW. The sport version is by no means a slimmed-down GS, but in principle a completely new motorcycle with which even the toughest off-road escapades are conceivable.
So far, the off-road capability of the current boxer enduros has been severely limited for three reasons. The lack of a load-bearing frame reduces the load-bearing capacity of the chassis under extreme conditions. In addition, the maximum spring travel of the front Telelever wheel suspension is limited, well over 200 millimeters seem hardly possible with the lever kinematics. And after all, something like the GS is simply too heavy.
So a whole new backbone had to be found for the sport GS. It was possible to build on experiences from rallying. In the past, the high-end forge HPN had designed stable pipe works for rally operations by the BMW works team. The lattice frame of the HP2 is based on this, but it was constructed in the factory itself. Broken machines or torn out-
sene swing arm bearings, as in
the frame construction of the GS should be a thing of the past. The pilot is welcome to take the HP2
take off from a fully grown shifting dune to jump.
Provide a soft landing
long-stroke spring elements that with all-
lei technical refinements. There is a 45 cm upside-down fork in the front
270 millimeters of spring travel implanted, the tension and compression damping of which is adjustable in many ways. Tea special thing about the pressure level setting is that it does not affect the entire way to work, but only the penetration in the lower part of the
Intended to influence overall stroke. With this, the technicians want to ensure that the fork can be tuned tighter for tough off-road loads without sacrificing comfort and responsiveness.
There is even more innovation at the rear of the HP2. There comes
an light and fully encapsulated air suspension strut is used, which the BMW technicians developed in extremely cooperation with Continental. The unusual part springs and cushions exclusively with air. This technology is not fundamentally new, but previous air suspension struts have never been completely convincing.
BMW proclaims interesting advantages in the current variant. Despite the direct linkage, the spring rate is progressive. The damping can be selectively aligned with the resonance range of the rear suspension system and should not decrease in the event of a high load and corresponding heating of the spring element. Furthermore, the suspension can be easily adapted to the load condition and the conditions of use using the hand pump supplied. When it comes to damping, the driver can only choose between the two basic settings on-road and off-road operation.
The three centimeters longer Paralever swing arm had to be because of the higher one
Loads can also be modified, it is a welded construction made of high-strength aluminum forged shells. In accordance with the off-road design, the HP2 rolls on solid spoked wheels in sizes 21 inches at the front and 17 inches at the rear. Metzeler has developed a special variant of the coarse Karoos especially for the Supersport GS. Hopefully with better stability, because on the 950 KTM the tire melted like butter in the sun. Who wants to go even harder,
Metzeler has even coarser tunnels in its tidy for them. All tires
can optionally also be driven with a tube and tire holder.
As a sports enduro, the HP2 has to be content with a front brake disc and a floating caliper. Supermoto-style stoppies will hardly be possible with it. An additional brake calliper mount for a larger disc can be seen on the left bar, but not
but the counterpart on the right for conversion to double panes. ABS will not be available at least when it is launched. It is still open whether the anti-lock device will be offered as an option later. A street burner
But the lightweight GS doesn’t want to be.
The small 13-liter tank also indicates the areas of application, namely off-road and short journeys. An optional larger fuel container for rally operations is not available for the time being, but is to be expected.
While the chassis is miles away from the production GS, is
known as the engine of the high-performance enduro. It comes from the GS without major changes, but now performs with a few minor modifications to the electronics
105 instead of 98 hp with an unchanged one
Maximum torque of 115 Nm. Dispensing with the balance shaft brings a little less weight and maybe a touch more liveliness. The silencer is also lighter, saving exactly two kilograms. This is because the damper can get hotter, as the HP2 does not allow the use of heat-sensitive cases. This makes the pot shorter and saves the additional cladding tube.
All translations correspond to the previous status at GS. Nevertheless, no clutch support should be required for trial-like inserts, as the engine has been proven to shine with very good, jerk-free slow-speed qualities, which in addition to the inexpensive construction concept, the torque-based engine management with electronic idle control of the new boxer generation contributes.
How serious Bayern are when it comes to sport is proven by prototypes in US rallies last year. This commitment is to be continued, and BMW also wants tea complete German Cross Country Championship with last year’s Finnish winner Simo
Deny Kirssi (see below). Surely the enduro pro should compete against the more agile one is
Single cylinders are heavy, but with a nominal dry weight of 175 kilograms, the HP2 sets new standards for two-cylinder enduro bikes. For comparison: the only competitor in this segment, the KTM 950 Adventure, weighs just under 200 kilograms without petrol.
Like this, the new BMW will probably be more than 90 percent on the
Road used. The light boxer should also promise plenty of fun there. Interested parties should use the time up to the market launch in autumn to earn a few euros on the side. Because he will need it in view of an asking price "around 16,000 euros".

German Cross Country Championship – Into the full

For the sporty launch of the HP2, the BMW managers had set the bar enormously high. The date: Tollwitz near Leipzig, first run to the currently booming
German Cross Country Championship. The track: an extremely rutted, sandy-gravelly terrain with a motocross-typical layout. The mode: two-hour race without changing drivers. The competition: top-class ?? Arnaud Demeester, five-time winner of the beach race in Le Touquet, the French ex-World Cup crossers Jerome Hemery, Frederic Vialle or the German enduro greats Christoph Seifert and Arne Domeyer, of course all on single-cylinder enduro bikes or motocross bikes.
Much enemy much ore? Obviously. After a bumpy start? after the first lap, a loose battery cable forced the BMW into the pits and in the last place for the time being ??
The driving talent Simo Kirssi circled the HP2 around the course surprisingly quickly. The impression from the outside: In conjunction with the long wheelbase of 1610 millimeters, the air suspension strut from Continental flattens small waves perfectly. Only in front of deeply driven holes did the Finn have to be careful with the gas to prevent the comparatively massive device from rocking. Also noticeable: the smooth engine characteristics, which Kirssi had to tackle some bends on the slope at low speed on the inner lane in trial style. Speaking of driving style: the combination of protruding boxer cylinders and off-road driving style with a supportive leg on the ground does not harmonize well. The Finn impressively demonstrated that it is possible to keep both feet permanently on the pegs. Kirssi brought the HP2 home in 18th place out of 33 starters after a race to catch up.

Related articles

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *