New Urban Legend: The 2015 BMW R1200R | 5BikeChallenge

When I was new to riding a friend once told me that if I wanted a dependable all-round great workhorse – a real utilitarian road bike with an engine that would last forever - I should buy a BMW. But if I really yearned for a cool sexy bike, one that could break my heart, I should only look at Ducati, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and MV Agusta.

This may have been true at one time, but it is now the stuff of urban legend.

I am pretty certain that recently some Italian moto DNA has somehow made its way into the German motorrad gene pool. (It is worth noting that BMW's world headquarters in Munich is just a two-hour ride from the Italian border.) Year-over-year, model after model the Bavarian manufacturer has evolved a sophisticated new design aesthetic, one perhaps more familiar on the factory floors of Milan, Bologna and Venice.

BMW’s current line-up now features of some of the fastest, strongest, smartest and sexiest motorcycles in the industry.

FIRST TIME

I first had the opportunity to try out the new R1200R was in May in back-to-back demos with the other two liter-plus Bimmer roadsters, the S1000R and the RnineT. It was spring in Toronto, the new riding season was underway and I had just received the green light to write the #5BikeChallenge series. But at that time I had zero experience riding motorbikes other than my own F650GS.

All three bikes felt great in their own regard. The RnineT is a sexy analog air-cooled tribute to café racers based on the traditional air / oil cooled version of the boxer engine while the S1000R is an infinitely powerful hooligan streetfighter based on the newer S-series 4 cylinder 999cc beast. But, at the time, the new R1200R with the updated water-cooled boxer twin was my favorite. It just felt so accessible, comfortable and very nicely powered. I wanted more. So when the opportunity came up to reserve the bike for a full week later in the summer, I was over the moon. By the time I picked it up in late July though I was well into my research for the series and I had garnered a lot more experience with many different bikes. I wondered, would I still love it as much?

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REFRESHING A CLASSIC

The new 2015 R1200R is actually a significant refresh of this large displacement roadster which was first introduced in 2006 to replace the R1150R. The major updates include the introduction of the latest evolution of the water-cooled, double overhead cam flat-twin boxer twin engine, the same one that has powered the R1200GS and GS Adventure for the past couple of years, and which also is now the power plant featured on the R1200RS and RT. With the introduction of this engine the R1200R also gets a bump in max power from 100 to 125 hp and a small increase in torque from 88 to 92 ft /lb.

The BMW boxer twin roadster hearkens all the way back to the original R32, their very first bike launched in 1923. Not many realize it, but BMW started manufacturing motorcycles several years before they began making cars. And even before that they were building airplanes (thus the famous blue and white propeller in the iconic BMW logo.) In the aftermath of World War One BMW was forced out of the aircraft business, so they channeled that expertise into land vehicles though I guess you could argue they have had much success continuing to make machines that, ahem, fly.

The BMW horizontal flat-twin, also known as the “boxer-twin”, has been one of the most enduring engines in motorcycle history. When BMW introduced it in their first motorcycle, the R32, over 90 years ago, it produced a groundbreaking 8.5 HP from the 494cc power plant. It was also one of the first shaft-driven bikes, still also a staple feature of the “R” series lineup. In fact all BMWs were shaft driven until 1994 with the introduction of the original single cylinder F650GS.

BORN NAKED

Like almost all the bikes in BMW’s current lineup, the new R1200R builds on this legacy of innovation in engineering, very successfully mixing the traditional and the ultra-modern into a fantastically fun, classy and versatile road-eating machine. Designed from the ground up as a standard road bike, the R1200R has always been “naked” in the sense it has no fairing. It is not however, just an un-faired version of an existing sport bike.

The 2015 model incorporates all the successful elements of it’s 90+ years of road bike predecessors but in a much more aggressive and sporty package that features some of BMW’s most advanced technologies like keyless ignition, stability control, electronic suspension, engine performance modes and traction control. And with that 125 hp and 92 lb ft of torque on tap, the R1200R has a very, very adequate wrist to smile ratio. The ride-by-wire throttle control is mapped with fine precision doling out silky smooth response to inputs even in Dynamic (sport) mode.

The new R1200R is not so much a streetfighter, but rather a world champion heavyweight boxer, one that floats like a butterfly that can sting like a swarm of Africanized honey bees.

URBAN EXPLORER

For me the ideal city bike balances four things well: great suspension, quick acceleration, some potential for storage, and sharp looks. For this the R1200R is almost perfect: it’s a great looking, powerful and comfortable urban navigator that doesn’t melt internal organs in heavy traffic. Since the early 1990s Toronto’s road improvement plan has fallen a couple of decades behind in the downtown core: there are some major streets that are so uneven and rough they could buck you off if you rode too hot over certain stretches. With suspension damping set in Road mode though, the R1200R insulated all but the most egregious of potholes.

But the R1200R has many other personas. From a work commute to short trips to the grocery store to summer day-longs in the twisties, the R1200R can actually make a great all-rounder. The optional touring cases can carry up to 60 litres of payload, which is can accommodate either two plastic shopping baskets of groceries or for weekend trips, most of what you need for a couple of days at the campsite.

IN A CORNER

In the boxing ring, corners are one of the worst places you can find yourself. They are to be avoided at all cost. But corners are where this boxer really shows its stuff. Of all the bikes I have ridden, the R1200R is one of the most planted and confidence-inspiring motorcycles I have ever thrown into a decreasing radius. Just switch the dynamic suspension damping from “Road” to “Dynamic” with your left thumb and the R1200R transforms in seconds from a cushion of air on bumpy roads to a muscular, knee-to-the-ground curve killer.

A KEY(LESS) FEATURE

Another option that I instantly loved was the BMW keyless ignition system. I do a lot of hopping around town and am one of those guys that is constantly putting on my gloves only to remember that my key is buried deep in my hip pocket. The keyless system means I only need to carry the key fob on my person and then simply start and shut down the bike with the press of a button. Note of advice though: the key is electronic so best to put the fob in a waterproof pocket in your jacket and preferably not in the shorts you wear riding to the local swimming hole (where your gear!).

SHIFTING GEARS

My only real complaint with the R1200R was the constant struggle I had with the gearbox. I do admit that my shifting technique can be a bit sloppy, but it gets the job done with most other bikes. The R1200R was very finicky however upshifting with clutch from first to second, many times getting stuck in neutral. We've all done it: make the shift, let out the clutch, grab the throttle and hear the engine scream. When I did concentrate on my form and pre-load the shift lever, I did have more success, but I was still unable to make the transition cleanly on an ongoing percentage of attempts. I did have the very same issue with the R1200RS and the R1200GS, and all bikes had less than 2000 miles on the odometer. From research I learned that this is perhaps a "feature" of large displacement twins that may alleviate somewhat with break-in. It didn't sour my overall opinion of the bike that much, but it was a pet peeve.

Great Shift Assistant is a new option for the R1200R that allows for clutchless up and downshifting, useful if you are "putting a bike through its paces". Though you can upshift most bikes without the clutch using proper throttle technique, the shift assist makes this seamless. You need to hold the throttle open, click up a gear and, well, zoom. Just don’t follow your instincts and let off on the throttle before you shift. Don't. Downshifting is almost the opposite: you close the throttle completely before tapping the gear down. You shift, the engine blips to rev match and instantly pulls you into the lower gear. With the new R1200R I found upshifts to be a bit on the rough side however, especially in lower gears and at RPMs below 4000. Sometimes there would be a bit of a jerk or a clunk, noticeably less smooth than the S1000R. To get anything resembling a clean shift you really had to be pulling quite aggressively. On the other hand downshifting with the shift assist was silky smooth, fluent and a helluva lot of fun. I found myself using it all the time, in part perhaps because the blip caused a braap from the big boxer engine and that brought a smile to my face every time.

WARRANTY

If you worry that electronic features are just more things that can go wrong, BMW still offers the best standard warranty in the business. You are covered for 36 months with no limitation on mileage, plus a roadside assistance plan offers a host of towing and trip interruption benefits.

CONCLUSION

The new R1200R may be one of the most advanced technological road bikes on the market today, but you would hardly know it. BMW’s fresh, new take on this classic roadster design is greatly enhanced but not ever overburdened by electronics. So the R1200R is definitely still on my A-list as an all time favorites, especially for urban riding. It just feels, looks and sounds great booting around town, and offers lots of great storage options to make it a practical choice.

NEW ON THE 2015 R1200R

• Water and air cooled
• 125 hp (up 15 hp)
• Ride modes (Road and Rain)
• Dynamic Ride Modes (optional, not included on test bike)
• Gear Shift Assist (optional, included on test bike)
• Keyless ignition (optional, included on test bike)
• Dynamic Electronic Suspension (optional, included on test bike)

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SIMILAR BIKES

• BMW RnineT
• Ducati Monster 1200
• Norton Commando
• Triumph Bonneville
• Yamaha Bolt

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MODEL AS TESTED

2015 BMW R1200R (CAD $16,050)

The equipment on the test unit is as follows:

• Comfort Package ($370)
• Touring Package ($1900)
• Style Package 1 ($540)
• Keyless Ride ($315)
• Gear Shift Assistant Pro ($515)

Total price as tested: CAD $19,690 before freight and taxes

Likes:

• Cornering, stability
• Suspension
• Gear Shift Assistant - downshifting
• Keyless ignition
• Comfort
• Style
• 3 Year Warranty

Dislikes

• Shifting 1st to 2nd gear
• Gear Shift Assist - upshifting