BMW HP2 Sport

NOT SO MUCH
• Narrow focus – but then that's what this sports scalpel is all about
• Exclusivity comes at a price...

OVERVIEW
BMW has enjoyed a love affair with the Boxer flat-twin engine since 1923, when it released the R32. Since then BMW's Boxers have taken on a variety of forms, including tourers, naked bikes and sportsbikes. Now the highest evolution of the Boxer motorcycle engine has arrived with the release of BMW's HP2 Sport – an uncompromising sports scalpel boasting some truly impressive performance stats.

Based upon the now discontinued R 1200 S, BMW says the HP2 Sport is "the uncompromising realisation of the 24-hour endurance racer as a road machine". It also represents the third offering in the marque's 'High Performance' twin-cylinder range, the first being the HP2 Enduro, the second being the HP2 Megamoto.

With a limited global production run exclusivity is guaranteed, while backing up the go is a bevy of high-end componentry. Virtually every aspect of the HP2 Sport is focussed on track performance, delivering the ultimate sports riding experience for diehard Boxer fanatics.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
In creating the HP2 Sport, BMW dispensed with the single overhead cam configuration and adopted a double overhead cam format, thus allowing the powerplant to rev higher and harder than, says BMW, any Boxer engine in the marque's history. Bigger valves, a redesigned combustion chamber, porting mods, forged pistons and con-rods also play their part in allowing the unit to rev higher and produce more power.

How much power? BMW claims the model is good for 133hp (96kW) at 8750rpm and 115Nm at 6000rpm – and all that from a package tipping the scales at a supermodel svelte 178kg (dry). Redline is set at 9500rpm, and the 1170cc air/oil-cooled engine feeds its power to the rear wheel via a six-speed close-ratio gearbox and shaft final drive.

Speaking of cogs, the gearbox has a 'race shift' feature – a first for any series production BMW model – that sees the bike's advanced electronics momentarily cut ignition while shifting up without the clutch. An optional reverse pattern shift is also available.

Wrapped around the powerplant is a tubular steel spaceframe, which in turn is suspended by BMW's Telelever front end, and Paralever rear – both equipped with fully adjustable Öhlins suspension. A BMW steering damper also comes as standard.

Four-piston, radial-mount, monobloc Brembo calipers with twin 320mm discs provide the bulk of the stopping power, assisted by a single twin-piston caliper and 265mm disc at the rear. Both are fed by braided steel brake lines, and aided by switchable ABS designed specifically for the model.

The HP2 Sport also features exquisitely crafted (and adjustable) billet rearsets, plus adjustable Magura clutch and front brake levers. The MotoGP-style LCD instrument panel displays a wealth of information, largely aimed at track/sports riding (lap timer, maximum speed etc).

Specially developed forged alloy wheels keep unsprung weight to a minimum, and acres of composite carbonfibre blend seamlessly into white bodywork panels. The HP2 Sport retails for $34,750 (manufacturer's price before dealer and statutory costs), and comes with a 24-month, unlimited kilometre warranty.

ON THE ROAD
When you test motorcycles for a living, bikes like the HP2 Sport are the true jewels that stand out from the crowd. As I approached the Sport at the Bikesales Network's Melbourne headquarters, it was clear this wasn't just another runabout. No, this was the proverbial caged tiger pacing up and down its enclosure – just waiting for those iron bars to swing outwards, leaving it free to unleash all that pent up fury.

Well, I might be getting a little carried away, but you get the point – this bike is special with a capital 'S'. It's a masterpiece of engineering and design. It looks simply stunning from a distance, and your jaw only drops further when you admire it up close. Carbonfibre everywhere. Billet alloy yokes. Billet rearsets. Race instrumentation. Every bracket a work of art, every weld a triumph.

It's also clearly evident the Sport is focussed on one thing – performance. Sticky Metzeler Racetec K3 tyres, those gorgeous rearsets, premium Brembo anchors... Yep, this thing means business, and that sense is only underlined once you've fired the beast up – and it barks into life like you've just stood on the neighbour's dozing Doberman.

At 830mm the seat isn't overly high, but it certainly is firm – tourers need not apply. The ride position is decidedly racy, but it's not as extreme as you might initially suspect. BMW says the ride position is in fact a bit more upright than that of the old R 1200 S, but there's still enough pressure on your wrists to know what the Sport's engineers had in mind.

Let's get one thing straight – this isn't the ideal road bike, or even the ideal road sportsbike. In essence it's an uncompromising track machine, with a single-minded focus on getting you through a corner as quickly as possible. Sadly, I didn't get to sample the HP2 Sport on a track, but that's simply a cross I'll have to bear. However, I did do around 600km of tight, winding roads and fast country sweepers, tempered by a bit of city work.

Let's start with the latter. Around town, the Sport is a bit of a handful. Its close-ratio 'box also features a tall first gear, so you'll be doing a bit of clutching in stop-start traffic. Its limited steering lock means tight situations are best avoided, although it's narrow and light enough for easy straight-line lanesplitting. The Brembo front stoppers also pack plenty of bite, which isn't necessarily what you want while trundling around town, and those sleek, stylish mirrors are all but useless.

However, once the traffic is behind you, the HP2 Sport begins to work like you knew it would. The engine sends a shiver down your spine. There's a heap of go all the way to redline – this thing pulls like no other Boxer I've ever ridden, and the experience claws its way deep into your psyche.

There's a raspy edge to the Boxer format that pushes my buttons, and in the HP2 Sport this aspect is only amplified. The injection is sweet, but prominent vibes make their presence felt from around 5000rpm, and their intensity builds as your revs rise. That sounds like a negative, but believe me – when you're hard at it on a Sport they only add to the sensory onslaught.

It's fast, too. Not quite in the same manner as a Fireblade or an R1, but fast nevertheless – and blindingly quick for a Boxer. There's more than enough go on offer here to see you splashed across Australia's major tabloids if you fall foul of a radar gun…

The gearbox works well – especially the 'race shift' feature (see 'Pricing and Equipment, above), and the suspension is sublime. It did a fine job over a wide variety of surfaces I encountered, and I didn't even fiddle with its vast scope of adjustment. In general the Sport always felt planted and secure. At 199kg ready to rumble you can flick the Sport from side to side with ease, while it maintains a line through a corner with laser-like precision.

The Brembo front stoppers are truly ferocious. Forearm-pumping power, with the precision and finesse of a ballerina – and all combined with an initial bite that would make Jaws proud.

The addition of switchable ABS must be lauded. It's an advanced unit, designed specifically for the Sport's performance focus, and I suspect you'd only really notice it at all when on the track, tackling the same corners lap after lap. Even then, if it's saved you throwing a 35k machine down the road, it's got to be a good thing, right?

The LCD instrumentation looks like it's come straight from GP racing. The emphasis here is on reading your revs, not your speed, and the onboard computer gives you access to a wealth of largely track-pertinent info.

You can select from 'road', 'race' and 'info' modes, and I suspect the section of the owner's manual that deals with each is a hefty read. It's tricky to read the finer details when on the move, but really, when you're using this bike as its makers intended, all you need to know is when to shift up – and the green, yellow and red LEDs are quite effective in this respect.

Fuel economy, for anyone who's interested, is around 15km/lt on the road, giving an effective 200km-plus range, and when you hit reserve a little 'range to empty' feature pops up on the LCD display.

Only 50 examples of the HP2 Sport were brought into Australia last year, and it's not currently known if any more will make it to our shores. The aura of exclusivity hangs heavy around the Sport, and that alone will see owners permanently flushed with pride.

This is, however, a niche machine.

If you're a sports nut after outright performance and lap times, there are certainly faster – and far cheaper – options out there. But if BMW Boxer sportsbikes are your bag, your search for the ultimate ride is over. Sell the car, sell the house, sell the kids if you have to – buying an HP2 Sport will unlock untold pleasures and thrills in a way no other machine can...

SPECS: BMW HP2 Sport

ENGINE
Type: 1170cc, air/oil-cooled, eight-valve, DOHC, four-stroke Boxer flat-twin
Bore x stroke: 101mm x 73mm
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Tubular steel spaceframe
Front suspension: BMW Paralever with Ohlins shock, fully adjustable
Rear suspension: BMW Telelever with Ohlins shock, fully adjustable
Front brakes: Twin 320mm discs with radial mount, four-piston Brembo calipers and selectable ABS
Rear brakes: Single 265mm disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper and selectable ABS

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Dry weight: 178kg
Seat height: 830mm
Wheelbase: 1487mm
Fuel capacity: 16lt

OTHER STUFF
Price: $34,750 (manufacturer's price before dealer and statutory costs)
Colours: White/carbon only
Bike supplied by: BMW Motorrad Australia, tel: (03) 9264 4000
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres