BMW Bikes That Handle Weight Better Than Their Rivals
With motorcycle dynamics, it is not merely how heavy you are, but where the weight is that matters. Adding luggage or a passenger ruins agility on most motorcycles, but BMW relies on surgical mass centralization to keep vital mechanical weight down low. Horizontally opposed boxer twins place heavy cylinder heads inches off the pavement, while its 55-degree canted inline-six drops substantial engine mass deep into the frame. Paired with Telelever front ends and dynamic suspension, this low center of gravity prevents its products from feeling their actual weight. Here are 10 BMW motorcycles that manage their weight better than rivals.
BMW R 18
Price: $15,395
The R 18 defines what “long and low” is for a motorcycle. At its heart, it has BMW’s largest-ever boxer engine: the 1,802 cc unit with air and oil cooling. It generates 91 horsepower and 116 pound-feet of torque. There is also basic safety like traction control and ABS, and with a base price of under $15,500, you cannot really go wrong with this one. Its weight negates some of the performance, but if you like riding two-up or just want something that is different, this makes a lot of sense. Shame that they ditched the fishtail mufflers after the First Edition, but this will likely become a future classic anyway.
BMW R 1300 R
Price: $16,695
The R 1300 R might just turn out to be one of the bargains in the market because it is a full-size roadster that is available for nearly midsize pricing. Even when you add the automatic gearbox, its price climbs to just over $21,000, and the addition of the auto makes it surprisingly easy to live with. The 1,300 cc boxer twin generates 145 horsepower and a very useful 110 pound-feet of torque that is spread over the rev range thanks to the ShiftCam variable valve lift and timing tech. It also has premium features like electronic suspension, a six-axis IMU, keyless ignition, and Dynamic Cruise Control.
BMW R 12 G/S
Price: $17,095
The R 12 G/S is the scrambler in BMW’s lineup. This one displaces 1,170 cc and generates 109 horsepower and 85 pound-feet of torque. Think of it as an off-road-ready motorcycle that sits between the F 900 GS and the R 1300 GS, and you won’t be far wrong. It is also not a coincidence that it looks like the original adventure bike, the R 80 G/S, with its long-travel suspension, but it has a full safety suite and all the electronics of a premium motorcycle. For those who really want to take it off-road a lot, you can upgrade the rear wheel from a 17-inch to an 18-inch one.
BMW R 1300 RS
Price: $17,195
The R 1300 RS sits in a weird niche all by itself: it is not light enough to be a truly sporty motorcycle, and it is not comfortable enough to be an all-day touring motorcycle. BMW has given it telescopic forks for the front suspension so that the handling is sharp and predictable, but that is only in comparison to the R 1300 RT. Whatever the case may be, it has the 1,300 cc boxer-twin engine that generates 145 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque, and you can specify it with the automatic gearbox, which makes it a unique performance bike that can be had with a fully automatic gearbox.
BMW R 12 nineT
Price: $17,245
The BMW R 12 nineT utilizes the same boxer-twin engine as the R 12 G/S, and it generates 109 horsepower and 85 pound-feet. Here, it is put into a roadster frame, and with the right options like the retro fairing, it looks truly amazing. There is some top-quality hardware as well, with Brembo supplying radial four-piston fixed calipers at the front, inverted front forks, and the Paralever single-sided swingarm. It is not a cheap motorcycle, but it is worth the upgrade.
BMW R 1300 GS
Price: $20,395
Adventure bikes always make the best one-motorcycle garages, and out of them, the R 1300 GS is the standard that everyone has to beat. In its current form, it runs the 1,300 cc engine with 145 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque; the variable valve timing has added variable lift to this generation of the engine. A fully automatic gearbox is also an option for the first time. The usual full electronics safety suite and unlimited list of options are present, so you can configure your big GS whichever way you need to make it perfect. Whatever you do, it will handle its weight really well because most of the mass is low, below your knees.
BMW R 1300 RT
Price: $22,745
The R 1300 RT is the sport-touring version of the GS. It uses a wishbone front suspension instead of the telescopic forks on the R 1300 RS, but is otherwise mechanically identical to the latter. It is a big, heavy motorcycle, but you would never realize it because it carries its weight really well, and the electronics help immensely. This is one of the few motorcycles that makes technology feel like a good thing because it just makes life on the motorcycle easier. Especially if you equip it with the automatic gearbox, it suddenly becomes this massive motorcycle that is still agile enough to use within city limits regularly.
BMW R 1300 GS Adventure
Price: $23,795
The R 1300 GS Adventure is a long-distance tourer, the kind that you want to take for casual 600-mile weekend rides. It has one of the largest fuel tanks in the business at 7.9 gallons, and it offers a number of features that help make that mission easier: they include a taller windscreen, better crash protection, auxiliary lighting from the factory, and the knowledge that you have one of the most capable tourers in the business. The automatic transmission is available here as well.
BMW K 1600 B
Price: $25,075
If you like the idea of a BMW tourer to cross state lines with but do not like adventure motorcycles, then the K 1600 B is the answer. It offers some of the best value in the segment. In fact, it is comparable to a Honda Gold Wing without the price tag, not least because it is the only other motorcycle on sale today with a six-cylinder engine. This I6 powerplant displaces 1,649 cc and generates 160 horsepower and 132.7 pound-feet of torque. BMW also offers an optional quickshifter for the six-speed gearbox, but reverse assist is standard. Other standard features include electronic auto-leveling suspension, heated grips, and cornering headlamps.
BMW K 1600 GT
Price: $26,945
The K 1600 B encourages the rider to take things easy, whereas the K 1600 GT encourages the rider to up the pace. The electronic suspension with Duolever and Paralever technology, shaft drive, aluminum twin-spar frame, and canted-over engine all help keep the center of gravity really low, which means this behemoth is surprisingly agile in the corners and easy to balance in a parking lot. Of course, you get all the creature comforts that BMW can offer, including a 10.25-inch TFT screen, Bluetooth, navigation, and electric everything. The K 1600 GT is so good at what it does that it even has Gold Wing owners reconsidering their choices.
Source: BMW USA
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