BMW HP2 Sport - First Look

Back in 2005, BMW Motorrad announced a new line of Boxer-motored bikes with a special "HP2" moniker, indicating uncompromising performance. The first bike, which first hit our shores in 2006, was the HP2 Enduro, a 386-pound, shaft-driven 105-horsepower dirtbike that was as remarkable for its hardcore dirt performance as it was for its $20,000-plus pricetag. The next model, arriving in the U.S. next year, will be the HP2 Megamoto, a supermoto version of the Enduro with hotted-up motor and 17-inch wheels.

For those of you not interested in launching off doubles or backing into turns, BMW's HP boys are offering something completely different. The HP2 Sport is based on the current R1200S but uses lightweight materials and significant engine tweaks to create a two-cylinder sportbike that doesn't need to make any excuses for being air-cooled or shaft-driven.

The basic chassis, with its steel-tube trellis frame, Telelever front suspension and shaft drive were retained, but a narrower fuel tank was added, along with a self-supporting carbon-fiber tailsection and other weight-saving tricks. The net result is a bike that weighs in at just 392 pounds dry, 27 pounds lighter than the standard R1200S. Öhlins suspension and adjustable footpegs sweeten the pot.

The biggest change is in the motor. The R1200S's cam-and-pushrod valvetrain goes into der dumpster, replaced by a snazzy new double-overhead-cam design. Forged pistons are charged by 52mm Bosch throttle bodies, sending power to a six-speed gearbox with closer ratios than those used for the standard version. Power is now 128 hp, up six from the R1200S.Availability in the U.S. has not been announced, but the bike will cost about $32,000 in Europe. That's a lot of cash, but hey, this may be the best Boxer yet.

Sound Off! What do you think of the new HP2 Sport?