[net.cycle] BMW K100 Review

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.
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	       /       | Darryl |       \
	  ___/|________|Richman |________|\___
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	|   | | -( )- | !darryl  | -( )- | |   |
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