Coastline BMW

Today, with the exception of the F650 the R Series is still a sports tourer at heart. Beating beneath the cowling is, of course, the famous BMW Boxer engine. The K-series of 1983 was designed to replace the boxer twins, but of course history shows this didn't happen. Public demand for the R-series Boxer was such that production not only continued beside the K-series, but the boxer's share of BMW production (around 40-50%) remained constant throughout the 1980s.

The Boxer was not going to die and so BMW embarked on designing a new flat twin in what they called their 'Boxer Workshop'. It started as an 800cc, but by production had become a 1,000cc to meet the bigger capacity engines of their competitors as well as the higher horespower demands of riders. A basic layout of longitudinal twin with the cylinders protruding into the airstream was a required design parameter. A prototype boxer engine, using a revised valve setup with shorter pushrods and altered crank layout, eventually became known as the A60 as a 1,000cc and A61 as a 1,100cc. The all-new boxer made its debut in the R1100RS sport tourer of 1993, but the engine wasn't all that was new on the new boxer. A new telelever front suspension - where a separate, sprung A-arm connected to the engine reduced front end dive under braking - complemented the bigger-capacity engine, making for better handling & steering. The Paralever single-sided rear suspension, a long-standing BMW design element, only needed minor adjustments to suit the demands of the new powerplant.

From the R1100RS, the new boxer was developed through the popular R1100RT tourer, R1200C cruiser and R1100R naked bike that in turn led to the R1100S, a decidedly more sports-oriented bike (hence the 'S' designation) that benefited from all that had been learned on the above-mentioned models. With sports in mind, weight reduction was a priority. The shaft-drive boxer engine was heavy by nature, so the pounds were stripped from other areas - lightened Telelever A-arm, lighter alternator, magnesium valve covers, lighter cast alloy wheels, even a carbon-fibre front mudguard - all leading to a 10kg weight reduction compared to the R1100RS. The A61 in the R1100S also produces more horsepower thanks to an increased compression ratio of 11.3:1. A reshaped inlet tract, redesigned air filter and 2-1-2 stainless steel exhaust system delivers 98 bhp @ 8,400 rpm - not quite in the league of a ZZR or even a VFR, but still more than enough for those who want a comfortable ride with a big dab of sporting performance - an ideal high speed, long distance tourer, one could say!

The half-fairing, which incorporates indicators in the grip guards, was designed in a wind tunnel to to make the R1100S slipperier at speed. It's no surprise then that the R1100S has been put to the racetrack.

The Boxer Cup started in 1999 as a support event for several Motorcycle World Championship rounds in Europe and became a hugely popular GP undercard event. Running R1100S's exclusively, the Boxer Cup attracted riders of the calibre of Randy Mamola (who put his name to a Boxer Cup replica in 2003), Luca Cadalora and Kevin Schwantz. 2006 marked a change in name for the series to the Power Cup and a change in bike to the bigger BMW K1200R.

The R1100S model featured is brand new has upgraded sport suspension, ready for the road - or the track if you desire. If the former is more your thing, it carries the usual comfort features like heated handgrips, comfortable riding position and provision to attach hard panniers. If you're after the latter, BMW's "will they?" "won't they?" coyness over a future MotoGP campaign means the K1200R (see below) and the now-superseded R1100S are the closest most of us are ever likely to get to a racing BMW. Looking for a quick Beemer? Call into Coastline BMW and cast your eye over what's likely to become a collector's item.

Coastline BMW goes racing!
With the precedent set in the Power Cup, Coastline BMW were inspired to put the performance potential of the BMW racers to the test on Aussie circuits by running a pair of K1200Rs in the Australian Nakedbike Championship.
Against the likes of Yamaha FZ1s and Aprilia Tuonos, the Coastline sponsored K1200Rs, piloted by Stuart Fripp and Graham Wilshaw have had some promising results in the three rounds of the series contested so far.
Always knocking on the door of a podium position, Fripp concluded the most recent round at Mallala with third overall, including a second place finish in race two - not bad for the team's debut season.
Coastline BMW's dealer principal Robert Kurz is excited about the prospects for the team running the World's fastest production nakedbike.
"With a little testing before the coming round, we are hopeful of closing the gap even further to the leaders.", Fripp, said after round three.
"Queensland Raceway should allow us to utilise the BMW's immense top speed to better advantage".

The QLD Nakedbike round is scheduled for July 7 - 9.