BMW K1200 S

If the engine department held few surprises, the chassis made up for it, particularly with the unique Duolever front end and optional ESA (electronic suspension adjustment).

This, and the naked version, were clearly aimed to cast off the cardigan and slippers image and bring it more into line with the car range, which enjoys a strong high-performance branding.

BASICS
The basic engine package is a twin-cam, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected four, sitting across the frame. It claims a meaty 167 horses (all of which are believable) at 10,250rpm and a respectable 130Nm of torque at 8250rpm.
Its frame is essentially a twin-spar alloy design, with significant variations to allow for the unique front end and a much-revised single-side swingarm that incorporates shaft drive.

All up it claims a wet weight of 248 kilos, which is on a par with the likes of Blackbird and Hayabusa.
Creature comforts, as per usual Bimm practice, are plentiful. There is lots of adjustment in the package, heated grips are onboard, panniers are there and there's the safety net of a standard ABS.

Electronic suspension adjustment is an option, and it allows you to change preload when static and damping on the run, all by button. The system has a few choices for each and is admirably simple to use.

IN THE SADDLE
We had two shots at this bike: a brief blast over on the Isle of Man, plus a week-long stint back in Australia.
Performance is nothing short of stunning -- this thing comfortably wipes the floor with any previous BMW product and is well up there with Japanese equivalents. Seat of the pants suggest the performance hierarchy is now Hayabusa, K1200 S and Blackbird. The machine has loads of top end, plus a super fat midrange - the perfect combo for a sports tourer. Our examples carbureted very cleanly. Fuel consumption was light, averaging around the 18km/lt mark.

The transmission is okay, but a little slow and clunky on the shift when compared to its competitors. It's not something you'd lose any sleep over and is likely to be improved over the production life of the model. Clutch operation is light and easy to launch, while the shaft is as unobtrusive as you can reasonably hope for.

The duolever front end is chasing the holy grail of motorcycle suspension, which is to separate steering and suspension forces -- and you have to say this is the closest we've seen so far to an acceptable example. It has more than a little Hossack influence in the design, while managing to look a little like conventional forks from a distance.

How does it work? Some used to fork front ends (including me) will find it a little spooky at first -- even remote. It takes a while to get to the point where you trust it. However once you do, the thing performs really well. Turn in, despite the ultra-long wheelbase, is quite good and it holds its line with a great deal of determination, despite mid-corner bumps.

You end up holding a very flat attitude under brakes, something that you eventually learn to accept as a real asset on uncertain roads.

As a package the front and back ends work well together, the ESA offering a sensible range of adjustment that caters perfectly well for the additional weight of a pillion.

Braking uses the semi-linked version of BMW's vacuum-assisted set-up, which has ample power and works quite well in partnership with the suspension.

All up, an experienced owner who has had time to get comfortable with the S will find it an incredibly quick point-to-point machine -- radar traps allowing…

We walked away genuinely impressed with the S and prepared to rate it as the best big sports-tourer on the market. If there's a catch, it's the price, which is creeping up around $28,000 by the time you put one on the road with ESA. That's a lot of money, but then again it's a lot of bike.

SPECIFICATIONS
Model - BMW K1200 S
Engine - 1157cc, four cylinder, DOHC,16 valve
Bore x stroke - 79 x 59mm
Claimed Power - 167hp (123kw) @ 10,250rpm
Claimed Torque - 130Nm @ 8,250rpm
Clutch - Wet multi disc
Gearbox - Six speed
Final Drive - Shaft
Frame - Aluminium composite frame
Front Suspension - BMW Duolever, 115mm of travel
Rear Suspension - BMW Paralever, 135mm of travel
Wheelbase - 1571mm
Front Brakes - EVO brake system, dual 320mm discs, BMW Motorrad Integral ABS (part-integral) as standard
Rear Brake - Single 265mm disc, BMW Motorrad Integral ABS (part-integral) as standard
Tyres - 120/70 ZR17 (F), 190/50 ZR17 (R)
Seat Height - 820mm (can be lowered to 790mm)
Claimed Wet Weight - 248kg complete with all fluids and fuel

Pricing:
BMW K 1200 S $24,740 (single colour) $25,500 (multi colour)
ABS STANDARD
ESA $1250