| Author | Message | ||
     Jaimec |
 And here's the story behind that "Franken-Bike:" http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2015/05/bmws-concep t-101-the-german-firms-perfect-embodiment-of-ameri can-touring/ | ||
| Ourdee |
First impression, "70s" Now to the rest of the story. | ||
| 86129squids |
 I'd have to see it in person... I like that BMW is willing to execute some radical design ideas though. Didn't used to be that way... | ||
| Steveford |
I can see a little of the Vetter Mystery Ship in that thing. It probably accelerates like mad but you might need a couple of people to help you pick it up when you grind the pipes in a corner and crash into a mangled heap. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Hmmmm... been done.  | ||
| Jaimec |
That bike was my thought exactly. What's up with BMW trying to cash in on every possible trend? Whatever happened to being true to yourself? They're trying to outdo Honda with the plethora of new models they introduce every year, but there is one IMPORTANT difference between the two companies. Honda's reputation for reliability has never waivered. BMW's, on the other hand, is right in the crapper. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
BMW execs went the design department & said "We need a cruise tourer for the US market." Designers said "Well give us a clue." Execs said "What Would Arlen Ness Do" And here's the result. This bike is kind of the answer to a question that was never asked. | ||
| Tootal |
Wow, the wood trim is like my old 1980 528i! A truly nice car but my goodness that looks like a gold wing wan-a-be! I agree, what is BMW thinking these days. I had a K100RS and loved it at the time. I was also president of the BMW Car Club at the time. Still own an 89 M3. But the new stuff just doesn't do anything for me. I appreciate the technology but the platforms are beyond recognition! Guess I'm getting old but everything they do looks like they are copying the Japanese! There has been a disturbance in the space time continuum!  | ||
| Trevd |
I kind of like it. Not something I would own, but I applaud companies for pushing the boundaries and trying something different. | ||
| Teeps |
BM/Davidson? Looks good; but I wouldn't buy one. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
Looks like they are just filling in holes in their marketing dept. There are all of people (wealthy) that will want that ..."thing". | ||
| Pwnzor |
Every time I see one of those giant front wheels I think of this:  | ||
| Jaimec |
 EXACTLY! Some of the customs I saw this year in Daytona were BEYOND stupid looking. A wheel with a three foot diameter and NO suspension travel. WTF??? That thing in the OP looks to mimic the "No suspension travel" part very well. BMW used to be synonymous with reliable, all-around, good handling motorcycles. Nothing class leading in ANY category, but being the perfect "All day, any day, any where" ride. Their performance in Iron Butt Rallies and Paris Dakar made them legendary. Now, no one in their right mind would dream of using any of their recent models in those kinds of events due to the unacceptably high failure rate in their final drive bearings. They've been eliminated from the Dakar Rally simply because the new rules don't allow for any model BMW currently sells, but the same would apply. This article provides a very good insight into what changed at BMW: http://www.affordablebeemerservices.com/bmwthought s/ | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
That's a great read. | ||
| Rick_a |
Most every bike ever made has its niggles, some of which have persisted for decades on legacy machines. When it's minor people deal with it. When it's expensive or a safety risk folks get a bit more vocal. Like anything else, the older BMW's are not completely trouble free, either. I've researched a few and they all have their pros/cons with some kind of Achilles heel to keep an eye out for. On the Iron Butt riders, those guys tend to be loaded up heavy. I've seen plenty of Goldwing trikes with similar failures due to the increased weight and stress on drive components. Back to topic...   | ||
| Patches |
not davidson... more victory arlen ness design. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Wouldn't be the ugliest bike BMW has ever made:  | ||
| Sifo |
Fake wood grain paneling (or real for that matter) has no place on anything with two wheels.  What were they thinking? | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Fake wood grain paneling (or real for that matter) has no place on anything with two wheels. What were they thinking? That's about the only part of the bike that looks interesting (and somewhat cool). | ||
| Jaimec |
As far as "Ugliest Bike BMW Ever Made," I'd say it's a toss-up between the R1200CL pictured above, and this monstrosity:  | ||
| Uncle |
I don't think it's that bad either. It's certainly better than some of the production BMWs. (see previous examples)Beemers are quality bikes but a few of them are fuuuuuugly! | ||
| Sifo |
Who you callin' ugly?  Raises the question... What's that bike look like from the front? Or the right side? | ||
| Jaimec |
I remember when the R1150GS first came out in yellow. Someone commented it looked like a "Duck on Drugs." Everyone lambasted Pierre Terblanche for ruining the Ducati Superbike, but no one ever talks about the string of HIDEOUS looking bikes produced by BMW when David Robb took over their design department. Those asymmetrical headlights STILL live on even after he left. | ||
| 86129squids |
Tom, thanks for the belly-laugh! I feel that the Outland comics were almost as good as Calvin and Hobbes... miss them both! I saw a belt-drive 650 like that in a different color scheme, it helped a LITTLE BIT... but that 1200CL is just, WRONG. I remember when Smoky Mountain HD took one in on trade... can you say "boat anchor"? I have heard they're great bikes aside from the butt-fugliness. Yeesh. | ||
| Jaimec |
Squids, not sure where you heard they were great bikes. They weren't. At the time they had the largest four-cylinder oilhead engines made, yet they only peaked at 61bhp, one more than my antiquated, two-valve, air-cooled R100RT which was 200cc smaller (for reference, the 1100cc oilheads were putting out 95bhp). In the basic cruiser (R1200C) it wasn't TOO bad, but then they added two hundred pounds of plastic and chrome to create the R1200CL "tourer" and left the engine tuning alone! To make up for it, they added a sixth gear, so you had to shift the crap out of the thing to keep it moving at a decent clip; exactly what you DON'T want to do with a touring bike. They still sold a lot of them (I have no idea how), but they didn't last long. Good riddance, I say. | ||
| Alfau |
Only the best survive. Like it or lump it. | ||
| 86129squids |
I stand (sit?) corrected, Jaimec, didn't know all that. They were certainly doing some wacky things back then. | ||
| Rick_a |
They've always been a bit quirky.   I have rode a K1200 and it stopped, went, and handled far better than a bike that big and heavy should. Admittedly, I like these:   ...and actually wouldn't mind owning this one:  | ||
| Tootal |
The R 9T is the best effort in a long time as far as looks. I had a K100RS that was an autobahn burner. Ran through the panhandle of Texas cruising at 120, in forth gear! Now I know why they put those gear indicators on them. Great, dependable machine but I got old...  |
