HP2 Sport - first ride reports

[roger albert]

Welcome, and glad to hear it Jerry. Personally, I think it's crap, but I'll subscribe to anything that prints my name

[SAHD]

"RRW&T this month" ??? Jerry thanks for clarifying.

I never got me free/sample issue!
I guess the RCMP held it up at the border.
I bet Roger must have tipped them off.

[roger albert]

Wow, I only recall ordering a strangulation of supply across the southern border. Must have writ the memo too broadly.
Sorry.

[twodear]

Some of you might recall that I had a (rather expensive) impulse and put a down payment on the HP2 Sport back in October. I got this email from my dealer today. Price is Aussy $

Hi Jim,

the price for the sport is $34,750
Your bike is planned for June production
I believe this is the earliest production so delivery will be around July.
Yes it would be lovely to have it now ............
talk soon

Bruce.

In a second email he tells me the rest of the story...that price is retail. On-road costs boost the price to $37276

Ouch!!

[SAHD]

Inside Impressions: TWIN THREAT
Increased track focus for Thunder champ

By John Sharrard

The BMW launch for its new HP2 Sport took place near beautiful and historic Ronda, Spain, at the ultra modern Ascari race resort. I don’t know if BMW intended to combine old world charm with cutting edge modern technology, but this contrast set the tone for the newest BMW. Here was a company rich with tradition, unleashing a road racing missile dripping with carbon fibre, full race brakes, full 2D data, forged aluminium wheels, and Ohlins suspension, blending old with new to create a jaw dropping motorcycle in the new HP2 Sport.

The HP2 Sport is based on the new-in-2006 R1200S. That bike, no slouch itself, took Michael Taylor to the 2007 Canadian Thunder Championship. The HP2 Sport gets many detail changes and enhancements, all aimed at improving performance on the racetrack.
From 20 yards away this bike will stop you in your tracks. The baby blue frame and rims leap off the white chassis. Then you notice the one-piece, all carbon fibre tail section, housing a gorgeous muffler. The gold that draws you in are Ohlins piggyback shocks front and rear. Then you notice the Brembos; while admiring them you look closer and realize they are Monoblock calipers gripping on huge 320mm dual front rotors, MotoGP stuff there!

BMW explained the engineering goals for the HP2 Sport, designed from knowledge gained in world endurance racing. In keeping with its sporting focus, the bike was trimmed of all unnecessary weight using many tricks. Every stitch of bodywork, including the tank, front fender, cylinder head covers and tail section are carbon fibre, as well as the heel guards on the billet aluminium rear sets. The generator is racing style and very light, while forged aluminum wheels are considerably lighter than die cast hoops.
In the engine department the pistons are lighter and push down on new connecting rods. The intake ports are all CNC machined during the last steps of production to correct for any casting or manufacturing intolerances. Attached to these ports are new shorter intake air funnels to help bring power to a claimed 128hp @ 8750 rpm. Maximum torque is 115Nm developed at a low 6000 rpm.
BMW is very proud of the first real dual overhead cam drivetrain configuration in a boxer. The four valves are radially mounted for optimum flow and peak combustion chamber efficiency. With all these improvements the cylinder and head are still 10mm slimmer in each direction than the current boxer. Spent gases are for the first time ever routed below the oil sump through a new stainless steel 2-into-1 exhaust system that features an integral flap valve to boost torque and improve the traditional Boxer sound.
This exhaust system, coupled with a slight rise in engine placement and new cylinder head covers yields impressive ground clearance for the new boxer engine. Holding the exhaust system in the rear is a complete self supporting carbon fibre tail section that thermally decouples from the exhaust system while at the same time allowing for thermal expansion and contraction of the system during warming and cooling. Two sensors in the header pipes monitor oxygen levels to maintain proper efficiency for the catalytic converter and guarantee a proper air-fuel ratio over the entire torque band.

Putting the power to the ground is a new six-speed close ratio gearbox that has higher ratios than the R1200S in first and second to keep the spread tighter, providing improved acceleration during upshifting. Speaking of upshifting, for the first time ever on a ‘road bike’ the BMW comes standard with an electronic quick shifter. When the gearshift pedal is raised without the clutch switch being operated the ECU softens the ignition timing and reduces the injection. In this unloaded state it shifts like butter – you don’t have to think about a thing, just nudge the shifter under wide-open throttle and it upshifts beautifully. If you want to use the clutch the system doesn’t function and lets you work things normally without assistance.

The chassis is mostly new, with the mid frame coming from the BMW R1200S, the rear adapted to hold the CFK single piece tail section. This year, the fork tubes permit ride height changes (although BMW doesn’t like to call them fork tubes, rather an “expanded surface around the slider clamping device in the lower fork brace allows fine adjustment of the vehicle height”).
The shocks are top shelf Ohlins with the front growing a piggyback reservoir and a compression clicker this year while the rear Ohlins gets the ride height adjuster that it didn’t have last year. However I do have concerns about potential road debris damage to the almost-unprotected rear shock shaft.

The beautiful Magura clutch and brake master cylinders have a hinged quick clamp system normally found on factory racers that integrates the reservoir and a cool little bleeder into the clamp, so it all comes off as one piece. The masters are mounted to billet aluminium clip-ons that are height and angle adjustable using machined eccentrics in the front of the bar.

Wheels are surface milled forged aluminium 3.5 x 17” front and 6 x 17” rear to hold the latest, greatest super sticky Metzelers. These lighter wheels benefit the handling characteristics enormously and help the boxer change directions in a snap. Huge 320mm front brake rotors provide incredible stopping power.

[SAHD]

It is widely known that the Telelever front-end design on the boxer doesn’t ‘pile in’ like a conventional front fork while on the brakes, rather it takes the load straight back into the chassis. You could say the BMW doesn’t dive while stopping, it just weight transfers forward under braking.

This trait coupled with the best brakes in the industry allows levels of deceleration that you wouldn’t have thought physically possible. On the track, I was braking so hard coming off the back straightaway that I thought I was going to spin the tire on the rim… incredible!

To further benefit the racing ‘feel’ the seating position has been moved forward and the tank area has been slimmed to help the feeling when hanging off, especially since the engine changes allow much more lean angle than ever before.

The rear-sets are adjustable in this neat eccentric that allows probably 30mm or more of front to back/up and down movement. The brake and shift pedals adjust the same way, using pinch bolts and eccentrics. This is by far the nicest and fastest method of moving pedals around I have ever seen – no more plates with 20 holes, taking stuff apart, getting the Loctite out, just a quarter turn on the pinch bolt, make your adjustment and tighten it back up.

The last and possibly coolest feature on the bike has to be the dashboard custom made for BMW from 2D, a leader in data acquisition. The dash has four modes or screens to choose from; ROAD and RACE are two options for when you are underway, and SET UP and INFO allow you to program the dash and then read all the data before and after your ride or session.

I could burn up a full article on this dash and its potential, but suffice it to say it has functions like elapsed time, gear position, number of shifts per lap, current lap time, best lap time, speedometer, top speed, average rpm, shift light adjuster, clock, average throttle position and percentage of time you spent pulling on the brake lever, all recorded per lap!

Heading out on the track, the first thing I noticed, or rather didn’t notice was that this BMW had no torque reaction when revving the engine. Other Boxers I have ridden would physically twist beneath you as the heavy crankshaft (with ends pointing front to back in the chassis) accelerated, twisting the engine cases in the opposite direction. Rudolph Schneider, BMW’s head Project Manager in the engine department explained that the counter balancer spins backwards inside the cam drive system to eliminate this torque reaction… Well done!

Accelerating out of pit lane the bike felt fast and really light, flicking through the corners more like a 600 than I would have thought possible, but with way more torque. The boxer engines torque curve is almost flat, allowing wheel spinning power off of the slower corners and very brisk acceleration up top. The power doesn’t fall off either, so the shift lights came in quite handy, as did the quick shifter. BMW already has an electronic shifter that works in the ‘race’ pattern and is but a part number away.

The shifter, while working perfectly as it was intended during high load, high rpm, full throttle upshifts, didn’t really like working for short shifts, where you needed to pop up a gear during part throttle, low load mid-corner stuff. It made the bike surge and leap fairly severely, which causes concern when you are at the edge of the tire. Perhaps the delay is just a bit too long for this low load scenario.

At speed the bike was fantastic, accelerating quickly and stopped like I had thrown out an anchor. The turn-in was OK. Back in the pits I gave a quick push on the suspension to feel the compliance and discovered the rebounds were a bit unbalanced, holding the bike low in the back and high in the nose, exactly what you don’t want for quick responsive steering.

No problem; reach into the bike, grab the Ohlins, click, click, click, and back out on the track… way better, the thing steered like a 250 now. Midday I spent a whole 45 seconds raising the foot pegs as I was dragging my feet quite a bit exploring the tremendous lean angle capability of the bike.

The rest of the day I spent learning the circuit, getting faster and faster on what was basically a perfect track bike with great controls, good clear mirrors, a comfortable seating position and legendary BMW quality.

The only chassis issue I wasn’t able to correct was a front-end chatter straight up and down when hard on the brakes. I think the front Ohlins bottomed onto the bump rubber and then started to bounce off the bumper as I continued to brake. Turning in the compression clicker didn’t help and adjusting preload on the front shocks is a big job on these bikes, so I just shut up and went back out for the last session.

My one-day experiencing the HP2 Sport’s performance around the beautiful Ascari Race Resort made me a Motorrad fan for life. Of all the bikes I have tested over the years this Beemer, with its race track manners, street comforts, track goodies and the expandable dash would be one that I might buy for myself!

Hmmm, maybe I could even race the HP2 Sport this year; I already have more seat time than Taylor…

[Raging InfeRno]

This is most interesting: "There's more feel from the HP2's Telelever front end than the latest GSX-R1000 could give with ten minutes spent fiddling its damping adjusters"

Feel is usually a point which the Telelever has been traditionally criticized in comparison to its Japanese counterparts. If it exceeds telescopics in feel, then coupled with the lack of front end dive, that's a pretty unbeatable front end.

[SAHD]

The Canadian Inside Motorcycle report posted above reveals some new info that characterizes the HP2 Sport as a ground breaking bike for BMW, just as the Fireblade was for Honda.

It will be an awesome street and track bike! And as a race bike in the hands of N8 and the Cdn Thunder BMW team, will prove very competitive in its class.

It will be legal in Canada's thunder series and go up against Dukes 990 and the new Buell, the new 848 Ducati etc.
http://www.2wheelcentral.com/cdn_thunder08.htm
Should be a great test for the HP2 Sport. And prove all the nay sayers wrong.


I have to have this bike now more than ever!

[rein]

Got to have one. OH YEAH!

[RC51DRAG]

COMPETITION BULLETIN
TO: All Road Race Licensed Riders and Season Credential Holders
FROM: AMA Racing
DATE: January 17, 2008
SUBJECT: Road Race Supplemental Rules for 1000cc – 1200cc twins in 2008
Effective immediately, 1000cc - 1200cc Twins are permitted to compete in the AMA Superbike class.
For the 2008 season, 1000cc – 1200cc Twins will prescribe to a set of Supplemental Rules that will be available in the 2008 Superbike Championship Rulebook.
A complete listing of the 2008 Supplemental Rules Governing 1000cc – 1200cc Twins competing in the Superbike class is now also available for view and downloads at amaproracing.com: Rulebook and bulletins in the Supplemental Rules section.
Should you have any questions concerning this information, please contact Anthony Grilli,
Technical Development at (614)856-1900 ext1272 or agrilli@amaproracing.com.

Interesting... and dang late for the 1098 crowd.

[zx9rmal]

Now if only mere mortals with less than 6 figure incomes could afford one, for performance equal to the best supersport bikes under $12,000.

I'd still love one though.

[Dr. Curve]

Its not the money Mal...........its the message.............and BMW has sent one out for all to solve.
Can barely wait for mine to get here.

[EZ-RIDER]

Hey Doc; You may never see it

[Dr. Curve]

Why not EZ???? Do you know something we don't? I think we will have them in the showrooms here by the last week in April at the very latest. Hope my information is correct.

[X-Triple]

Originally Posted by zx9rmal

Now if only mere mortals with less than 6 figure incomes could afford one, for performance equal to the best supersport bikes under $12,000.

I'd still love one though.

Speaking for myself, I can't justify that kind of money for a part-time hobbist weekend warrior type yuppie. There seems to be a lot more other bikes with simular options at lower price points. (I know I am throwing rocks)

[SAHD]

USA pricing confirmed?
$25,850

http://www.bmwmoc.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?veh=63769&pov=734160
http://www.powersportsnetwork.com/enthusiasts/pre_owned_detail.asp?PreOwnedVehicleCode=734160

[JRMSR]

Originally Posted by SAHD

USA pricing confirmed?
$25,850

http://www.bmwmoc.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?veh=63769&pov=734160
http://www.powersportsnetwork.com/enthusiasts/pre_owned_detail.asp?PreOwnedVehicleCode=734160

No that's a $1000.00 gouge! It's begins, just like I told you it would. Dealers are already stacking the chips. Man that really sucks!! I'd say that any dealer that sells them above the retail should be boycotted!

Cheers

Jeff

[Kristian,CO]

Originally Posted by JRMSR

No that's a $1000.00 gouge! It's begins, just like I told you it would. Dealers are already stacking the chips. Man that really sucks!! I'd say that any dealer that sells them above the retail should be boycotted!

Cheers

Jeff

Kinda like the GT500?

[zx9rmal]

Originally Posted by Dr. Curve

Its not the money Mal...........its the message.............and BMW has sent one out for all to solve.
Can barely wait for mine to get here.

Believe me, I'm impressed with the bike, AND would love to own one (I still might). But, what's the message for all to solve Jim?

[SAHD]

The message is...

"Beemers are at home globe trotting around the world or leading a World Superbike Race on the most famous tracks raced by man."

Now let's drink the kool-aid and get on with it!