darryl@ism780.UUCP (03/31/84)
#N:ism780:15800005:000:7014 ism780!darryl Mar 29 20:38:00 1984 *** Review of the BMW K100 *** This last weekend I was given the (brief!) opportunity to test ride both the BMW K100 and K100RS motorcycles. Let me say at the outset that this is a biased report: I currently own a BMW R65 and am quite satisfied. I was allowed to ride both bikes for about 4 miles each, through a course that included a mild hill and a slalom. The pavement was smooth and dry; the course represented only the best in roads. Both bikes were German models; as I understand it, the US versions will be the same excepting the speedo. I was also able to ride the same course with both a Suzuki GS 1150 ES (this year's quarter mile king) and a new Honda GL 1200 Aspencade. The selection of bikes alone says a lot about BMW's perceived competitors. --- Drivetrain --- You've probably read the reviews in the bike mags about the K100s: "BMW joins the high performance wars". Well, they won't beat any GS 1150s down the quarter mile. On the other hand, they won't be far behind either. BMW claims that the vanilla K100 will get to 60mph .3 seconds faster than the GS. With 4 CHP officers looking on, I didn't get the opportunity to determine empirically the top speed, but I kept breaking the double nickel in 2nd gear (of course, the same was true for the GS, which is quite a bomb!). The bike is quite responsive at all rpms above 3000, with no hesitation. The engine was slightly louder than the Gold Wing at speed, but nothing like the GS. On the K100RS I could feel some warmth from the engine on my thighs. I could feel a buzz through the seat between 5 and 6000 rpm, but the engine was smooth everywhere else. The clutch was light and engaged smoothly. I didn't feel any torque reaction (but I wouldn't, I guess; I never notice it on my R65). --- Handling --- There weren't any bumps in the road -- all the bikes felt exceptionally smooth. The K100s' front ends did nose down under heavy braking, but only slightly more than the GS did, and it has an anti dive feature. I couldn't bottom the forks, although I tried. Through the slalom course the K100 was easily the lightest feeling bike. With the long bars it was definitely the quickest to flick back and forth. The K100s feel very light, but don't have as much of the "low cg" feel that the old boxers have. The GS was next with the RS right behind -- with it's small bars it had too little leverage for really quick maneuvers. The Gold Wing was never really in the contest (I was amazed that you could have fun through the slalom on it, but it was an entirely different affair, rather like slaloming a U-Haul truck). On the other hand, the RS had the Suzuki beat at parking lot speeds where its light, low weight (100 lbs less) made it trivial to u-turn. Nobody could scrape anything on any of the bikes on the course--I'd love to give it a try on Mulholland Highway. --- Braking --- None of the bikes' brakes showed any fade during my brief test rides. The BMW rear brakes were a little quick to lock up--I managed to break the rear Metzler free on a hard stop. On the other hand, the GS had very little rear brake at all. All of the bikes had very good front brakes with plenty of feel. --- Ammentities --- The Gold Wing wins. But if the Gold Wing isn't for you: The K100s have a very comfortable seat. I can't say if your passenger will like it, but judging from the driver's seat, (s)he probably will. The bikes are too tall. I was able to rest the balls of my feet on the ground. If you have less than a 30" inseam, some special preparation will be necessary to allow you to touch down on both sides at once. The sidestand is a newly redesigned abomination, replacing the older abomination. It's still spring loaded, but at least it allows the bike to lean over a bit. Putting it down requires a special touch (which will soon be developed by the owner, perhaps at some expense!) and lots of faith: you hold the stand out with your left foot and let bike lean (read "fall") onto the stand. The centerstand is also redesigned and much better. It has a wide stance, and there is a fold up handle conveniently placed on the frame to give you the needed leverage. The RS's fairing was wonderful. Although very thin, and rather short, there is a spoiler at the top that redirects the airstream over the rider's head. The mirrors move the air out of your hands' way, so much of the icy blast on a cold morning can be averted. The controls are as reported.... different. But, with both thumbs resting against the turn signals on each grip you could signal, blow the quite loud horn, or cancel the signal without them moving from their position. Really quite reasonable if you have the time to become intimate with it. The space under the seat is somewhat smaller than previously provided on R100s, but bigger than my R65 (which is still considerably bigger than most mid-sized bikes). But the tail is a fairly large container. Plenty of room for the standard tool kit, winter gloves, a can of sealant, sunglasses, an impact driver, and maybe a couple sandwiches. I suspect I could get my rainsuit in there. The instrumentation is composed of an analog dial for the speedo and another for the tach. They are large and easy to read. There are lights for the standard things. There is an lcd clock and an lcd gear indicator. The seating position on the plain K100 is slightly leaned forward. The seat provides lots of places to rest your derrier, and you can go from bolt upright to prone on the tank (although that leaves your arms out in the wind, hanging onto the long bars). The RS has a sporty riding position well suited for its short bars. The fit and finish are up to accepted BMW standards. The paint is deep and rich; mating surfaces join smoothly. --- Conclusion --- The K100s are beautifly crafted motorcycles, which definitely show the many years of testing and design that BMW has put into them. They are not superbikes (at least not in the form your dealer will provide), but its highly unlikely that you'll be left eating someone else's smoke. They handle very well and brake very well, and can probably keep you with any canyon racer. They are well-mannered and refined, carrying on in the grand tradition. There are some question marks. Will they have the reliability and longevity for which the marque is noted? Will BMW feel compelled to radically change them from year to year, in order to keep up with the Japanese? Will you be able to afford one of these beautiful machines? The vanilla machine will list for $6100, the RS for $7600, and the RT for $8100. ______ / \ _______| |_______ / | Darryl | \ ___/|________|Richman |________|\___ / | | | | | | ...!ima | | | | | | \ | | | \`|'/ | !ism780 | \`|'/ | | | | | | -( )- | !darryl | -( )- | | | | | | /| |\ | | /| |\ | | | \_______| |___ ___| |_______/ | | |________| | | `-' `-'