Letter From Europe

LETTER FROM Europe

ROUNDUP

ALAN CATHCART

Endurance Beemer

The Spanish JJ Cobas team, after surviving a shaky track debut at the ’84 Barcelona 24 Horas endurance race when both bikes suffered electronic teething problems, ultimately swept Spain’s Superbike championship last year with eight straight victories on a BMW KlOO-powered racer. Built with the help of BMW Iberia, the spaceframe-chassised bike is so far the only racing version of the four-cylinder “Flying Brick” engine to have been built and raced successfully in Europe. Now Cobas boss Jacinto Mariana plans to offer a limited-edition street version of the “Superbrick.”

BMW Triple on the way

Two years after BMW’s launch of the Kl00—known more or less affectionately in Europe as the “Flying Brick” because of its engine’s distinctive appearance—the German company is about to follow the commercial success of its four-cylinder motorcycle with its first Triple: the 750cc K75, due out in midSeptember. Though the anticipated price for the basic model is only $400 or so less than the cheapest K100, BMW evidently has determined from its market research that there is a demand for such a machine, which is, in effect, a K100 with one less cylinder.

Both models share the same undersquare, 67mm by 70mm engine dimensions, but the K75 crankshaft has its throws at 120-degree intervals, necessitating the use of a counterbalancer to offset the natural rocking-couple caused by that style of crankshaft. Like the K100, the Triple is liquid-cooled, uses Bosch electronic ignition and fuel injection, and retains the Four’s twovalves-per-cylinder design. Rumored power output is 75 bhp at 8000 rpm, though an RS version, which could have a hotter engine, is planned for introduction some months after the launch of the basic K75.

Other than having 18-inch wheels and a drum rear brake, the K75 will be quite similar in appearance to the K100, sharing essentially the same chassis, but shortened slightly due to the smaller engine. The principal distinguishing element, apart from the “missing” cylinder, will be the exhaust pipe: While the K100 had a controversial square silencer, the K75’s will be triangular. It will be some time, however, probably midto-late 1986, before a US-certified version is available. BMW still has further work to do before the K75 can meet Federal and California noise and emissions requirements.

Japanese invasion of Spain

At one time or another, many American motorcyclists have ridden one of the cheap if not always cheerful Spanish off-road two-strokes in the Sixties and early Seventies. Marques like OSSA, Bultaco and Montesa introduced a generation of Americans to dirt biking before the Japanese came along and did it better and cheaper. Now the Japanese are moving into the Spanish marketplace by buying into some of the now-almost-defunct companies. Montesa was struggling until Honda acquired a controlling interest two years ago as a means of gaining a foothold in the protected Spanish market. Now the next two largest Japanese companies have followed suit, with Suzuki acquiring the Puch Iberia operation, and Yamaha picking up Sanglas, best forgotten for the primitive, long-stroke 500cc thumpers it built up to 1983. Kawasaki has taken a slightly different route and struck up an import agreement with Spain’s largest and most prosperous remaining manufacturer, Derbi, whose range of 50cc, 125cc and 250cc two-strokes sells well at home, aided by the company’s success in roadracing and motocross.

With the recent entry of Spain and Portugal into the European Common Market, bets are that Japanese control of these companies will soon become much more than a means of selling Honda dreams to Spaniards. Assembly of Japanese machines with Spanish workers is already under way, with complete manufacturing a likely possibility. And will the off-road expertise of Spanish technicians perhaps bring benefits to owners of Japanese motorcycles all over the world in the future? Could be.