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Originally Posted by Dr. Curve
While going over the new, very trick, RS that BMW will reintroduce this coming year, I was struck that the bike will revert back to standard forks instead of continuing the development and production of the proven Telelever design. I, like many of us, have been waiting for a new water cooled boxer "S" unit but it is not to happen in 2015 as once expected. Instead, the RS will be back, with many wonderful improvements, 125HP, 92 foot pounds of torque, and the latest in safety designs for traction and such.............but gone is the telelever which has been opted out in favor of a very strong looking, but traditional, fork design. Is this all good, or might it have been better to stick with the telelever for long run, serious pavements eaters, like the RS unit riders have been known for? Thoughts on the new RS from the brothers, just curious.
I for one, who always said that the 1000RR was just too much for us older riders........may well spring for one of the new 2015 units, especially after seeing all the improvements they have made for their flagship performance unit. Now with 199 peak HP and 9 full pounds lighter, the new RR also is the first to offer ABS especially tailored to be used while in the corners if necessary. BMW remains the absolute leader in high performance bikes that are also the safest, two wheel units made by anyone. Any thoughts on just how many more points BMW can improve their sales...........which continue to break all past records. What a wonderful year of new models they have offered us faithful and I know in time a Water Cooled Boxer "S" will appear................but not until they decided to up its HP well beyond the 125 they are putting in the WC units now in the showrooms, or soon to be. The new "boxer S" when we see it should put out at least 145 HP, don't you think?
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I really hope we see another "S" Boxer with 140-150 hp down the road but I doubt it will happen. I hate to admit it but the Boxer is so far behind in the the engine performance department compared to the S1000 packages that the average buyer will go for the four instead of the big twin. IMO the R1200RS biggest competitor is the new S1000XR. Both bikes compete directly against each other. Similar styling, size, weight and ergonomics. I bet the prices will be within a thousand dollars of each other too.
My reasoning is this: Let's assume that you try to keep the same engine width as on the current boxer. If you design in a truly performance oriented head design for the boxer it will be have to be taller thus adding width. Making more power also means more rpm. BMW boxers with 2 bearing cranks have durability issues after 9000 RPM. Making the engine completely water-cooled would help but the keeping opposed twin design would be then simply be for aesthetics only. Yes, I'm sure there are still small improvements that can be made to the big twin but other than increasing the bore size ...
IMO... The main reasons we are attracted to the Boxer style is it's inherit teutonic simplicity in design and the ability to work on it yourself. Same goes for the the telelever and the driveshaft. It's a little quirky, different and stands out amongst the other UJM's out there. I'm afraid that the day is coming soon that the boxer no longer "LOOKS" like a boxer and becomes just another appliance with a zillion techy farkles added on for marketing sake. Yeah, I'm sure I will have one of those high tech appliances in my garage some day but it will have to share the space with my 05 BCR and 1200S.