How dynamic can BMW Motorrad be? With the HP2 Sport the brand inhaled racing air and is on the way to the first four-cylinder super sports bike from Bavaria.
All or nothing. Those wishing to be successful in sport need power, expertise, willpower, excellent fitness and clean technology. This is why BMW Motorrad is mobilising its forces and gearing up for the leap into the parallel universe: case, heated grips, rear seat and all. Welcome to the world of sport, reduced down to the essentials. Product manager Gerhard "Gegesch" Lindner is a former racer and has a precise understanding of where the journey of the HP project is headed. A spirit of optimism reigns in Munich's northern quarter. The ambition: to build the sportiest and strongest boxer there ever was.
Together with project manager Rainer Bäumel, Gegesch puts together a wish list. It is long and expensive, but in the eyes of the developer team, each and every point is absolutely essential. For instance the shift assistant. "At weekends, I got motorcycles from the fleet, even added shift assist and adjusted my colleagues' bikes", Gegesch, BMW Motorrad spokesman, recalls. The team and the decision makers are equally impressed with the feature as he is himself. As a motorcyclist, he is familiar with thoroughbred racing technology. So there are more pertinent highlights on the wish list: Öhlin's chassis, Brembo-Radial brake systems, self-supporting carbon front and rear section, 2D dashboard from MotoGP, forged wheels, sport ABS and HP shift assistant.
In the end, each and every item on the list is implemented. There is no need to compromise. The brand new radial valve engine with overhead camshafts takes care of the rest. All of this makes the R 1200 S, with all its fundamental sporting characteristics, barely recognisable. With 133 hp weighing 199 kilos unladen, the HP2 sport is the most powerful BMW motorcycle with boxer engine to date. Last but not least, the merciless racing trim shows itself in the repositioning of the manifold. For the benefit of freedom in the leans, these no longer run under the cylinders but centrally under the transmission oil sump. Production is being adapted in the Berlin plant specially for this purpose. The effort is worthwhile: BMW Motorrad shows its competence in terms of dynamics and puts its name in the history books of street racing as the first manufacturer with HP shift assistant, sport ABS and forged wheels as standard.
Not including technical finesses, the HP2 Sport scores points with its new design and perfect ergonomics – which comes about in a highly unconventional way. Sicily. Fine-tuning is the name of the game out on the Siracusa and Racalmuto race tracks. Test rider Jürgen Fuchs provides feedback on the riding characteristics and designer Ola Stenegard applies his modelling clay accordingly. This is how the team optimizes the tank shape and seat position almost during the ride and ensures ergonomics that Gegesch considers "sensational". From the supposed heavy Boxer, a competitive racing machine is gradually developed; one which following its market introduction in 2007 would go on to shine at 24-hour races in Le Mans, Magny-Cours and Barcelona.
The requirements for the HP2 Sport goes far beyond good sales. The motorcycle is a pioneer for the future. It consoles any doubters and takes them on the dynamic path BMW Motorrad has chosen. Because there have long been plans for the S 1000 RR in the cupboard. Technical features such as shift assistant or sport ABS, but also the ergonomics, all flow into the RR's design. But the most important thing: BMW Motorrad breathes in racing air with the HP2 Sport and catches fire. When the double R came onto the market in 2009, its first journey would take it to the superbike world championships. It is at the beginning of a new chapter, which moves high-performance consistently into focus.
Gerhard „Gegesch“ Lindner
Product manager HP2 Sport