BMW K1200 RS 2000

I'd sampled the majority of the marque's lineup prior to landing at BMW's home city of Munich, Bavaria, and it was quickly agreed at BMW Australia that for my European travels a K1200 RS would be just the ticket - comfy, able to carry luggage and (most importantly, given the nature of the roads I was about to encounter) fast.

How fast? Well, in the quieter times on the autobahn I'd seen an indicated 250kmh on the clock of the big K, which was quite fast enough, thank you very much - there's a limit to how long you feel like riding a bike with your chin on the tank and the wind screaming in your ears, all while trying to peer through a bug-splattered screen at the road ahead.

Old friends
So it was with something of a sense of catching up with an old friend that I took delivery of a K1200 RS long-term testbike from BMW Australia some time ago, and rolling out of the company's headquarters I felt instantly at ease and familiar with the bike beneath me.

The 'bahn-storming Beemer works incredibly well as an integrated sportstouring package, but it's that potent powerplant which maketh the machine, as a wise old Bavarian sage once said. The 1171cc, 16-valve, liquid-cooled, in-line four-cylinder powerplant pumps out an impressive claimed figure of 130ps (at 8750rpm), with an arm-wrenching 11.94kg-m of torque coming in at 6750rpm. Grunt? This Beemer's got more grunt than a Lovelace flick... The last time we poked a dyno at one (in mid '98) we found these claims from BMW weren't too far off the mark, with 117ps at the rear wheel and 11.77kg-m being the figures spat off the computer.

Pulling stumps
Once on the road, you just can't help but be impressed with the torque of the bike. Its silky-smooth and progressive delivery will you see you winding it on hard in each gear just to revel in its awesome midrange. That's not to say there's nothing to speak of up top or down low - there's plenty of power left over for both the upper and lower reaches of the rev spectrum, but it's between 5000rpm and 7000rpm where the majority of its horses like to break into a gallop.

The bike's not insignificant weight still gets off the line pretty quickly, but between 120kmh and 160kmh (once back on the autobahn, of course!) you'll be hard pressed to find a machine to match it. That's right, we're talking R1s, Hayabusas and Super Blackbirds here folks. In this range of speeds the big Bavarian keeps company like this pretty honest!

Flexible is easily a word which could be applied to the K12 donk, and although it'll tear up the bitumen on command, it's also nice and relaxed on the open road, pulling around 3500rpm at 100kmh in top.

While on test the K12 returned an average of 12.5km/lt - a bit on the thirsty side (not all that surprising given its power and weight), giving a usable range of around 230km to 240km. Maybe I'm greedy, but on a bike this comfortable I'd like to see around 300km under the wheels before a refuel.

Winding it on will see the revs build freely and easily, on their way to a date with the 9000rpm redline in all but the highest of the bike's six gears at an impressive rate. While on the subject, the gearbox is standard BMW fare, doing the job well enough once it's warmed up.

Bavarian biggy
The first thing which strikes you about the RS is simply its physical size. BMW claims a dry weight of 285kg for the RS - add luggage and a pillion and you're talking well over a third of a ton of angry German juggernaut that needs to be punted along and hauled down from some serious speeds.

Okay, so the engine is up to the task, but I can also happily report all's well in the braking department too. Two four-piston Brembo calipers are mated to 305mm discs up the front, while a single twin-piston Brembo grips a 285mm disc down the back, with the entire braking system reaping the benefits of an ABS II anti-lock braking system. The total system delivers plenty of power and a good level of feel. When the ABS kicks in the bike remains quite settled, with the heavy pulsing of the earlier systems locking and unlocking now a much more muted and smooth process.

Awesome power
The seat height can be altered between 770mm or 800mm, but combined with the bike's high weight means it's not going to be an ideal machine for those on the shorter side. Pushing the thing around in the garage must be approached with some care, although once on the move the RS hides its weight well.

On the highway and through fast sweepers the bike is really in its element, and although tight twisties will still be devoured with fervour, it will of course be at a slower pace and a more calculated affair than when tackled with bikes of a sportier bent. The Beemer's Telelever front forks and Paralever rear monoshock deliver a compliant ride, isolating the bumps well and keeping things quite settled when hard on the brakes, but the front end can feel a little isolated - but then this is a sportstourer at the touring end of the category.

There's more ground clearance than you'd expect from bike of this size, and there's still plenty of fun to be had down a bendy bit of road - helped along significantly by the ample power and torque the thing pumps out when cracking the throttle open through a corner.

Stability is - as you'd expect - excellent. A steering damper actually comes as standard, surprising given the RS's conservative 1555mm wheelbase, 27.25-degree rake and 124mm trail measurements. The bike powers over bumpy roads unperturbed.

Comfy cruising
So the big K's got all bases covered in the performance stakes, but it's when you're on the long haul the bike really comes into its own. The seat is well-shaped and well-padded for both rider and pillion, and I found my legs fitted perfectly into the tank's knee cut-outs. Legroom is good for both too, and the easy stretch to the 'bars for the rider is complemented at the back by a generously-sized grabrail.

Fairing protection is excellent, with the manually-adjustable screen deflecting the majority of the wind's blast at highway speeds when in the raised position. The bike's headlight works a treat, as does its horn and all other ancillaries - and there's hazard lights too, which can occasionally come in handy. The sidestand is also easy to get to, and is just the right height (unlike several other machines I've sampled over the past few months), and the centrestand is great. The latter is actually easier to use than that found on some bikes which weigh considerably less.

If I laid out the hard-earned I'd definitely shell out the extra for the hard factory panniers. They take a lot of gear, have carry handles, are lockable and work well. They attach and detach in seconds and appear to be very sturdy.

Thumbs up
If you're looking about in this area of motorcycledom you'll find you're in a bit of an isolated segment of the sportstouring bracket. You've got Honda's slightly heftier ST1100 ($20,365 plus ORC), Honda's slightly sportier CBR1100XX Super Blackbird ($17,125 plus ORC) or Suzuki's GSX1300R Hayabusa ($18,014.26 plus ORC), although the latter machine isn't as suited to carrying luggage.

At $22,550 (plus ORC), the K1200 RS has a premium price, but is most definitely a premium product. This is not just reflected in the high level of performance it offers, but the in the quality of finish and workmanship found in almost every detail. If you're into comfort, speed and eating up the miles, checking out this German missile is a must.