BMW HP2 Megamoto

Boxer Thrills

WHAT IS IT?
BMW's latest hyper-twin, based on the lightweight HP series, but this time in supermotard form.

WHAT'S IT LIKE?
Trim, taught, terrific, exclusive and pretty expensive. You'll almost be the only kid on the block with one parked in the garage.

THE BIKE
Let's not beat about the bush on this one - you could probably fit the number of future Aussie owners of BMW's new HP2 Megamoto into your average RSL courtesy bus.

BMW has already said that after a strictly limited initial influx of models production will be limited to an order-only basis, and so you're going to have to be pretty sold on the concept to lay down nearly 30 big ones for what in essence is really quite a narrow-focus machine.

I have no idea how BMW's bean counters can financially justify projects like the HP2, and in economic terms perhaps they can't, but the real winners are the lucky buggers who manage to overcome all the hurdles and end up owning one of these super-exclusive bikes.

COSMETIC SURGERY
I say that with good authority, having just returned from a 300km-plus loop of some of Victoria's top biking roads, after attending the Megamoto's Aussie launch. After that outing I was knackered, my backside was sore and I was chilled to the bone courtesy of Victoria's fickle weather, but I had a grin plastered across my dial that only a crowbar could have removed.

The Megamoto was unveiled at the Intermot bike show in Europe in 2006, but since then it's already proved its might, the model filling the top five slots in the new 1200cc category at the gruelling Pikes Peak hill climb in the USA last July.

Hop aboard and the bike immediately places you in a purposeful stance, hands wide as you grasp its bars, each blip of the throttle delivering a stirring tweak of rotational force as the Akrapovic pipe barks menacingly behind you.

The seat height is adjustable from 860mm to 910mm. It's high without doubt, but even those of medium height shouldn't struggle too much because the seat is quite slim, and because it's not too heavy to begin with - BMW claims a dry weight of 179kg.

Heading out from BMW Australia's headquarters in suburban Melbourne, it didn't take long to get a taste of the bike's potency. Grabbing a handful of throttle as a traffic light flicked green, the Megamoto showed no hesitation in lofting its front wheel skyward, without any clutch input whatsoever.

All that wonderful flat-twin low- and mid-range torque is there in abundance - peaking at some 11.7kg-m at 6000rpm according to BMW - and there's ample mumbo on tap here to keep you howling like a loon, be it punching your way through city traffic or slicing up your favourite set of Sunday twisties.

TARMAC TEARING
Later scything through Melbourne's Dandenong and then Yarra Ranges, I had a chance to appreciate the Megamoto's taught chassis, superb suspension and tarmac-tearing brakes.

On Reefton Spur, a Mecca for Melbourne bikers through the warmer months, the Megamoto was truly in its element. You can shift your weight with ease care of the skinny seat, the broad bars and the beartrap-like footpegs. The fuel injection is spot-on - crisp without being prone to jerkiness - while the engine beneath you devours revs with vigour.

Here the Megamoto's meaty mid-range comes into its own - it will rev out willingly all the way to its limiter, somewhere just above 8000rpm, but there's really little need to rev it past 6000rpm.

The six-speed gearbox is a good 'un - unlike the Boxer 'boxes of yore - and even though the gearing is surprisingly unchanged from that of the Enduro's, it will only pull a lazy 3500rpm at 100km/h in top gear.

The upside-down 45mm Marzocchis and Öhlins monoshock do a first-rate job of smoothing the bumps, and they go some way to shaping the Megamoto's sporty persona.

It tracks a beautiful line through a bend, and despite some spirited lean angles, helped along by those Michelin Pilot Powers, I never once touched anything down mid-corner - really you'd need a race track to find that particular limit.

HARD AND FAST
BMW's Motorcycle Marketing Manager, Miles Davis, adjusted the suspension front and rear to a relatively plush setting before we began the ride, to give me and the other journo present a chance to dial ourselves in. Given the damp and greasy roads of the morning it was a good move - and the bike still felt pretty stiff to me, or at least it did until Miles stiffened things up further for the afternoon's dry roads.

The suspension underlines the fact that the Megamoto is a precision sports scalpel - just with extra laughs thrown care of that sporting ability being blended with a supermoto set of ergos.

The four-piston Brembos (with braided steel lines) do a sublime job of wrenching the Megamoto down from speed - plenty of power and feel; you couldn't ask for more.

Of course the bike's narrow focus does lead to compromise in other areas, but they're areas which wouldn't really figure on any prospective Megamoto buyer's radar.

With the same 13lt tank as the Enduro, you've got a lowly range of between 150km and 200km per tank, so you'll be looking for a servo with some regularity - a tourer it ain't. That particular cloud's silver lining is that by the time you've spent a few hours on that firm and narrow seat, you'll be well and truly ready for a break anyway.

BARE BONES
A bare bones approach to all the bells and whistles applies too. Instrumentation is basic - speedo and tacho, with a digital odometer, two trip meters and a clock. There's no fuel gauge, but when the fuel warning light winks on you do get a handy range countdown, starting around the 60km mark.

There's not much in the way of bodywork, but that small bikini fairing makes a surprising difference when out on the open road. Speaking of the open road, the inclusion of a balance shaft in the Megamoto's engine does lend it a more refined air, even though I didn't particularly think the vibrations in the Enduro's powerplant were especially harsh. It makes a difference, just not a massive one, and really there's only enough vibration to remind you you're on a Boxer.

The Megamoto shares its price tag with the Enduro - ie $28,400 plus ORC. For that not insignificant sum you don't get a whole lot of bike in terms of physical dimensions or weight, but you're getting so much more in terms of the thrilling ride the Megamoto will deliver.

Its standard of finish is extremely high, it's dripping with quality gear and you're just about guaranteed to be the only kid on the block to have one. In fact you may well be the only kid in your city or even State to have one.

No, not many of us will ever own one of these or even ever get to ride one, but it's nice to know there are manufacturers out there still willing to flex their creative muscle and bring something out of the ordinary to the market.

If indeed you do get to purchase a Megamoto then you're a lucky man - just spare a thought for the rest of us as you rip past that RSL courtesy bus on the back wheel...

NOTES:

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
They sport a whole host of identical components, but there's still plenty that separates an HP2 Megamoto from an HP2 Enduro. To begin with, it's nigh on impossible now to find a new Enduro up for sale - if you haven't got one already, you're probably too late. Megamotos, however, are still available - although you'll have to move quickly. Under a dozen Megamotos have been allocated to Australia for 2007, with a similarly small number slated for 2008 - and after an initial limited shipment they'll be allocated by order only.

The Megamoto is significantly more road focused, with a more aggressive handlebar bend, stiffer suspension (including a fully adjustable Öhlins rear shock, instead of BMW's air shock) and better brakes (twin front discs with four-piston calipers, as opposed to the Enduro's single disc, twin-piston setup).

The Megamoto's Boxer engine has a balance shaft for less vibration, plus there are a number of other differences between it and the Enduro that add up a more road-focused machine - the Megamoto develops the same peak torque (11.7kg-m) but at 500rpm higher, it makes around eight extra horsepower (again at 500rpm higher) and has a higher compression ratio - 12:1 instead of the 11:1.

Finally, the Megamoto's instruments feature a tacho; it's also fitted with an Akrapovic pipe and comes with racier cosmetics, including a significant amount of carbon fibre.

Pics: Ellen Dewar and BMW