[4940]

It's good to see that BMW is making an effort to lighten it's new bikes, as they have grown ever more portly in recent iterations. I question the decision to go with cast wheels instead of the lighter spoked rims however. The spoked wheels on my R 100 G/S have performed flawlessly with over 100,000 miles of fast road riding and many miles of off road exploring on them. VWW

 

[9878]

Agreed on the cast wheels, the three spoke variety were notoriously soft. BMW’s purported "safety advantage" some how offsetting the outrageous replacement cost.



Hopefully Bosch has had another crack at the injection as well.

 

[wheat]

Gee, how about "the danged things buzz too much" fixes. I wonder how that will pan out for the new machines.

 

[39110]

Just bring 'em on. Those of us who like BMWs are going to love them. The folks who spend all their time whining about switchgear will continue to whine.



And I wouldn't be too upset if I had just forked over an obscene amount of money for an Adventure. I'd be out riding it.

 

[DataDan]

As the current 1150GS makes 85bhp, and other models in the range have outputs in the high 90s, the new engine is likely to top 100bhp—a first for boxers.

First of all, the 1150GS makes about 75hp at the rear wheel (Motorcycle Consumer News, 9/02). And even if it did make 85, an extra 70cc on top of its current 1130 wouldn't be enough to pop the boxers' century cherry. It's just magazine hype, no different in the UK than it is here.

If someone wants to start a pool, I'll take 80hp, when tested by MO.

 

[The_Aerodynamic_Head]

God**mnit!! You guys really suck! I'm takin' my Cheezy Poofs, and I'm goin' home!



I *did* just lay out for a new Adventure (traded a Road King for it, actually), and I am pissed.

Because now I'm reading that the dual-plug heads are going to fix the suging problem that BMW says doesn't exist. Then the dealer tells me that it's *only* for emissions, no power increase. But now this article is talking displacement increase, which means at least SOME more power, and probably more torque (always welcome in any bike, but especially a big trail bike).

"It's the same bike with two plugs per head, that's all" says the dealer. Now it's lighter, too? Any decrease in weight is really good on this bike.

And now the cat is in the can? (hehe)

Which makes it easy enough that I can take it off for fun, noise, power, and weight, but also easy enough to put back on for emissions-testing? And I can't have it? Yeah, I won't be trading my Adventure, because I just got it, and I owe to much on it. But damn, Man, had I known, I might very well have waited.

 

[runner00]

Thats exactly why Mo is so great. Where else are you going to get info so fast. Info that you need to

make purchase decisions. I also think it's a good marketing procedure to release information about

new developements on future models as many will wait for the bike that has the stuff they want. Notice how Honda is showing 2004's early. Thats smart marketing and good for the consumer also.

It's a win win type of thing.

 

[Bikeaddict]

I did Tuesday, but then today we had an ice storm and I didn't feel like picking the bike up....

 

[Bikeaddict]

I'm not really bothered, I like the way the Adventure looks in the same way I like the '90 PD GS. I traded a 996 for it.



Have a GSXR1000 helps.....

 

[longride]

Now you kow how the sportbike guys feel every year! If you always waited for the better one, you would never buy a bike. Distinct advantage buying a Harley. They are never coming out with something better!

 

[4940]

What about those cool new and expensive 100th anniversary badges? VWW

 

[smallj]

It will be great if all this is true, but I have my doubts that the source is very reliable. I too will be a little miffed. I've got a '01 R1100S with about $6000 in engine mods and HID lighting. The engine mods have it real close to 100 Rear Wheel HP (not measured yet) and a new Boxer would mean I have to start all over.

 

[12250]

"And now the cat is in the can? (hehe)

Which makes it easy enough that I can take it off for fun, noise, power, and weight, but also easy enough to put back on for emissions-testing?"



Actually, it is very doubtful that you would notice any H.P. gain or noise increase. Modern Cats create almost unmeasurable backpressure if working correctly, and the muffler does the...um...muffling. You might save a few pounds, but I'm not sure it'd be worth it.



Ride on!

 

[The_Aerodynamic_Head]

How is the HID lighting? It seems like the PIAA driving lights are almost standard equipment on GSs, especially the Adventure. I think they're cool, but I don't know how much good they'll do or if they're worth the money.



The Jessee bags also sem to be standard equipment for most GS owners, as well. But I'm definitely getting them...Jessee bags are cool.



And to the others: I would like to get a sporty bike to go along with my Adventure...oh, wait, I just dusted a 954 with it, nevermind. The Adventure makes me a better rider than I am otherwise. I thought I was getting pretty good with my Road King, but then I touched peg to pavement for the first time when I demo'd the GS. that's right, a demo ride. Now I grant you that the rider of the 954 must have been even more novice than myself, and that's quite a statement. He had a nice pipe so I could hear him missing his clutchless shifts.

Still, it felt good to me, blowing him off like that.



I did demo a Duck M620dark, last weekend. It felt light, quick, almost scary, damn uncomfortable, and almost as fun as my Adventure.

I must either be older than my 26 birthdays would indicate, or I'm a little girl.

 

[Buzglyd]

I sense a Geezer Glide in your future Barbi.

 

[Buzglyd]

$6000 in mods and you still don't get 100hp? I hope it's at least shiny!



I've ridden my friend's boxer and that non-existent surging thing is really annoying as is the giant hole in the middle of the torque curve. He loves it and that's what counts.

 

[Buzglyd]

But at least if you spend $6000 in engine mods you get way more than 100hp at the rear wheel.

 

[sarnali]

Harley's are one of the most advanced engines/ frame design going, to build an air cooled pushrod twin that meets emission's and appearance criteria at the same time is pretty impressive, BMW has a free range realitivly speaking as their customer base expects technical improvements, Harley customers on the other hand expect the design's to stay the same, while the factory is required to meet ever tightning emission and noise requirements, Harley can't be blamed for selling an "image" if thats what their new customers think they're buying, in the end that's all most BMW buyer's are doing. 'Ya know, longride, if you got something like a ZX9 and a shovelhead, you'd understand too. (ROFLMAO)

 

[12er]

Ah the adventure can handle it, that tank is incredible. 300+ mile range, talk about butt burn... Dont strain your cheek muscles grinning!

 

[3832]

Legal regs

Unless regulations have changed recently in Germany, I don't believe that they can legally sell a motorcycle that produces more than 100 bhp. If this is true, there wouldn't be much point in upping the performance of their existing engines. We'll see when the bike hits the journo's in a few months.