Five For the Open Road
FIVE FOR THE OPEN ROAD
CW COMPARISON
BMW'S NEW R1100RS IS LIGHTWEIGHT, LEADING-EDGE AND LOVELY TO LOOK AT. HOW DOES IT STACK UP AGAINST THE ESTABLISHED STARS OF SPORT-TOURING?
CONSIDER THE CASE OF OLD GENERAL COUNT Dietrich von Hulsen-Haeseler, in 1900 chief of the German military cabinet. At a soirée, he appeared before Kaiser Wilhelm II dressed in a pink ballet tutu and rose wreath. “The general’s ramrod back dipped low in a swanlike bow.” wrote historian William Manchester of the evening, “then he whirled away in a graceful dance as the assembled officer corps sighed passionately in admiration. Hulsen-Haeseler circled the floor, returned to the imperial presence for his farewell bow, and then, to Wilhelm’s horror, dropped dead of a heart attack... Still, everyone had to agree that he had ‘danced beautifully.’''
The moral of the story, perhaps, is that the Germans do know how to have fun; it’s just that it takes a lot out of them. BMW’s all-new Boxer Twin has been a long time coming (when the four-cylinder K-bikes were introduced to the U.S. in ’84, it looked as if it never would). But now that the RI 100RS is here, we find that, like the late general, it dances beautifully. And the new Boxer even sings-in a powerful baritone, no lessa characteristic that becomes clear every time the tach needle sweeps past 4500 rpm.
In our May, 1993, issue, Editor Edwards came away from the R1100’s world press introduction highly impressed. In that same issue, Technical Editor Kevin Cameron provided an in-depth analysis of the Boxer’s engineering highlights: Motronic fuel injection, catalytic converter, Telelever front end, Paralever rear, secondgeneration ABS, etc. We won’t cover that ground again. Quite simply, BMW threw its entire intelligence into this bike. And it shows.
The question to be resolved now is this: How does it rate against the rest of the world’s sport-tourers? We sent Feature Editor John Burns to the new Boxer’s U.S. press launch in Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains to retrieve CWs test bike, the plan calling for a rendezvous several days later in picturesque Sedona, Arizona, with the rest of the class: the BMW Kl 100RS, the Honda STI 100, the Kawasaki Concours 1000 and the Yamaha GTS 1000.
DAY ONE: LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
This is a broken town, littered with sobbing women pining for Bill. Nine new Boxers are assembled, several motojourna lists, a few BMW execs. To be frank, BMWs-and a large percentage of the people who ride them -have never been my cup of tea. BMWs are for guys intent on working Shakespeare into the conversation. Wheelies are frowned upon. Still, I'm willing to give any Twin a chance.
Stepping warily into the banquet room at the Capital Hotel, BMW’s plush intro location, I see the RS for the first time. She ’s beautiful, so unlike those other angular frauleins, so lithe....
DAY TWO: EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
In the sober morning light she ’s still beautiful, but can she be trusted? Some British press accounts told of horrifying tank slappers from the preproduction RSs. I proceed slowly at first, warily, then
faster...say, what’s that noise? Is a Ducati catching me? Could it be? Why, no, it’s the sound of my ven’ own Boxer. Unlike the old R, there ’s surprisingly serious power to be gained by revving the thing up. And the way she corners-are we sure this is a BMW?-is precise, supple and solid.
I’m not about to tell any of you bicoastal types what a great place northern Arkansas is-how swervy and empty are the roads, how crisp it feels to park the hike and swim in the Buffalo River-because I don 't want you all flocking there, traffic-jamming the place and raising the price of real estate. You ’d hate Arkansas. Stay away. J
DAY THREE: KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
A day of rest. Dropped by to visit the folks. Mother Burns, commenting that I could probably use a homecooked meal, rustles in the fridge for a bag of frozen tortellini, throws on ajar of Ragú, and nukes a box offrozen peas. It ’s good to be back in the land of Wal-Mart, but not that good.
DAY FOUR: TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO
Outta there, south by southwest, early sunshine turns to dark clouds, rain and high wind within an hour. ABS II (a $1200 option) much improved, much smoother.
Two hours later we break out from under the rain, slice off Oklahoma ’s panhandle and a corner of north Texas in a white-cloud blue-sky frenzy. Welcome to the west, fraulein.
The Boxer sucks up these long straights with absolute casual disregard (autobahnbred, tail-geared, definitely powerful). Tucumcari-about 650 miles-takes about 11 hours. I feel pretty fresh.
DAY FIVE: SEDONA, ARIZONA
Boycott the interstates and save your money. From drop down south from I40 onto the 60, double the double-nickel, and roll off the throttle only when approaching cars come within radar-range. Trust me. The Boxer passes through its heaviest vibration-not at all bad-at about 80 mph (4000 rpm), and anything from 85 to 120 is its sweet spot. No drama at all; just simple asphalt inhalation. Ms. Boxer is as stable as can be. Cranking the adjustable-rake windshield up gives my head a nice, quiet air-pocket when I put my 5-foot-7-inch body into its longdistance slump. Alternate that with windscreen-down, layon-the-tank. Throttle action is light; “claw-hand” isn 7 a problem, and the bike does no worse than 43 mpg. The 600 miles from Tucumcari to Sedona take 8.5 hours. The others are already there. Let the festivities begin. -John Burns
We thought at first that it would be necessary to define “sport-touring” in order to decide which of these bikes is best, but we soon realized that no clear-cut definition would be possible. While one rider’s “sport-tour” might mean Los Angeles to Vancouver, B.C., in two days over reasonably straight roads, another’s might mean a half-day, 200-mile twisty loop with frequent stops. What’s more important: Comfort? Or power and handling? It depends.
These five bikes helped lead us to that conclusion. A couple stress comfort, another one is barely removed from a serious performance machine. Nevertheless, they pay us the big money to make the hard decisions. And so we’re back to square one: Which of these five motorcycles most successfully combines comfort with performance?
Simplifying is good, but when that fails, the next best thing is to quantify. We consumed mass quantities of food and drink over the course of this test, lobbied for our favorites, consumed more, and seemed to reach no consensus. Much like Congress. This called for numbers and a tax hike. We decided, unlike Congress, to do it in the simplest possible way. Six riders (Associate Editor Miles brought
along his project ZX-11, see page 37) would rank the bikes in each of three crucial categories: engine, handling, comfort. Each rider’s favorite bike in each category would score a 1, second favorite would get a 2, etc., so that the lowest total would win that category.
ENGINE
Not the Concours. Though the Ninja 1000-based Four makes good power, it requires many revs to do so, and each excursion around the tachometer sends serious buzziness through the grips, pegs, gas tank and rider. Lower in the rev band, the bike runs smoother, and it’s not bad for straightline droning. But in the presence of the smoother, torquier motors in the other bikes, all six of us rated the Kawasaki last: 30 points.
Things happen fast. Just last year, we ranted about the ST's great torque-monster of a motor, and now we’re whining about it being a bit “uninspiring.” Actually, the ST’s 1084cc V-Four is still a fantastically smooth and manageable motor, producing the most torque and damn near the same horsepower as the sportbike-bred GTS engine. The problem is that it has to propel the biggest bike here. Sorry, ST, with three all-new players in the field, your motor ended up fourth in class: 20 points.
BMW’s new K1100RS finishes mid-pack in the engine department. While there was never any doubt that this is a quick motorcycle, seat-of-pants impressions had us convinced that the K would be no match for the Yamaha GTS. Never trust your pants. Our last GTS was a pre-production unit, and ran a best quarter-mile of 11.66 at 115 mph; the production GTS tested here managed only 11.90 at 113 to the K-bike’s 11.79 at 115. Top-gear roll-on times were almost identical, the BMW a tenth of a second quicker from 60 to 80 mph. But even though the K’s motor makes it the quickest bike here-highly impressive-that doesn’t make it the favorite. Except for a serene sweet spot between 68 and 80 mph in top gear, the motor hits various vibratory resonances up and down the tach, and somehow discourages the kind of hard usage the GTS engine invites.
Ahhh, the new Boxer. The last R-bike we strapped to the dyno-an R100R for our May, 1993, issue-made 50 rearwheel horsepower at 6750 rpm, with 54 foot-pounds of torque. The new RI 100RS makes 80 horsepower at 7000 rpm, with 65 foot-pounds at 5500 rpm. We’re talking PeeWee Herman to Arnold Schwarzenegger, here. The gearbox is still BMW-notchy, but the engine idles quietly, revs easily, makes great sounds at speed, feels smoother than before yet still produces that wonderfully satisfying thump-thump vibration and, when prodded, has plenty of arm-straightening ability. And, it’s a Twin. You can’t not like it: 16 points.
Score a perfect 6 for the GTS in the engine department. Okay, so the Kl 100 was a tenth quicker through the quarter, so what? The GTS’ 20-valver is eerily smooth, makes the most power, gives tons of torque, enjoys walks on the beach and likes to cook. On the GTS, you go as fast or as slow as you want; the motor doesn’t intrude. The fact that the injection system is a bit abrupt in off-on throttle transitions didn’t keep all six testers from rating its motor numero uno-the only clean-sweep winner of the test.
HANDLING
Sorry, Concours. It may finally be time to step aside. New in 1986, the Kawasaki’s older-tech chassis doesn’t quite cut the mustard in this company. The bike works fine in most situations, steering with a light touch and arcing nicely into comers. But when the pace inevitably picks up, the road deteriorates, or both, the Concours loses some of its composure. The single-piston brake calipers require a strong hand, and the bike’s somewhat top-heavy design and underdamped legs give the rider a less-than-secure feel at speed: 28 points.
Score another fourth for the STI 100. While it’s still possible for a skilled rider to really hustle the Honda, the front end now feels a bit vague compared to the best bikes here. The ST’s manners still belie its weight (at 668 pounds without gas, it outweighs the lightweight Boxer by 148 pounds). It still comers, stops and accelerates like something much less hefty. But the competition is brand-new and rookie-hot for a job: Give the ST 24 points.
BMW’s newest K-bike again stakes out the middle ground. Said Managing Editor Boehm, “Competent to a point very near the limit, with neutral steering, good cornering clearance, great suspension action (especially in bumps), and enough flickability despite somewhat heavy steering.” Senior Editor Thompson agreed: “Amazingly stable and solid.” Add 20 points to the K’s total.
But in the end, the handling derby came down to the two forkless wonders, where the GTS edged out the Boxer 8 points to 10.
All six test riders ranked these bikes either 1 or 2, but the two have distinctly different characteristics. The GTS front end is a bit numb, though aggressive riders quickly learn to trust it and rail through curves like a tabby cat on carpet. Speedracer Canet thinks the “fly-by-wire” feel is due to the fact that bumps don’t deflect the GTS’ bars. He ranked it first. Boehm, our heaviest rider, also picked the GTS first. So did Matthew Miles and Jimmy Lewis.
The more touring-oriented among our entourage preferred the Boxer, which steers considerably lighter, and gives more front-tire feedback. A big part of that is due to the fact that, at 520 pounds dry, the BMW weighs a full 89 pounds less than the GTS. In slower comers (or downhill or off-camber comers), that lightness makes a big difference, especially to less confident riders who might be reluctant to chuck the big GTS onto its side. Both bikes have compliant, smoothly damped suspensions-the BMW’s front and rear Showa shocks are a bit more softly sprung than the Yamaha’s. Both can whoosh right up to a bumpy apex, brakes on, with complete nonchalance. In this class-and perhaps in any class-both set new standards for steering precision. The BMW is a bit more accessible, a bit more forgiving of indecision, a bit more feline; the GTS is a military fighter locked on target, and prefers its rider have the Right Stuff.
COMFORT
And, as with all great heroes, we come to the GTS’ fatal flaw: It finishes last in terms of comfort. For long-distance use, the bars are too low, the windscreen too noisy, the seat a squidge too hard for our Goldilocks behinds. And if you like to ride with the balls of your feet on the pegs, the bodywork allows no place for your heels. It’s not bad, but the other bikes are better: 26 points.
Hard to believe the big, roomy Concours didn’t score better here. Believe it. The engine buzzes, several riders complained of severe buffeting from the windscreen (even as they praised the seat and riding position) and the suspension is harsh: 25 points.
We have a Teutonic tie for second-most comfortable, with both Beemers scoring 16 points. Despite the engine vibes and a heat problem that can cook your inner thighs in a halfhour on a hot day, we like the K1100RS’ thick, flat seat, its roomy, semi-upright riding position, its high level of suspension compliance, and its superb weather protection.
Fraulein Boxer may have the best seat here, though all is not perfect. Some of us felt the pegs were too far rearward. Taller guys denounce the adjustable windscreen as a gimmick. Protection from the fairing is minimal, though BMW says a fully faired RSL version will be available shortly-with ABS II as standard and a fuller complement of gauges than the RS has-priced at $13,990. Though the Boxer is adjustable for seat height, handlebar reach and bend, we did too much swapping to have time for everyone to get ergonomically dialed in. Even so, supple suspension and an outstanding saddle helped the RS tie for second-most comfortable.
Comfort is what the Honda ST is about. It gives the best wind protection, superior seating and body positioning, and plenty of room for rider and passenger. Maybe two passengers. And while the big V-Four may not be the most exciting engine of the bunch, it is perfectly in keeping with the unobtrusive character of the total package, and has enough oomph to propel the ST as fast as the rider wants. Score the ST 7 points for comfort.
MAY WE HAVE THE ENVELOPE PLEASE?
Adding up the numbers brings us back, really, right where we started. We figured the Honda would be the most comfortable. It is, especially if you travel with a passenger. But the BMWs are not far behind. We had a good idea that the Yamaha GTS would be the sportiest and least comfortable of the bunch. It is both. But the new Boxer finished second in the motor department, and the GTS only barely edged it out in handling.
We could’ve almost agreed on this from the start. If your main criterion in choosing a sport-tourer is comfort, buy the ST. If it’s speed and handling and solo riding you’re after, get the GTS. If you want some from each category, the revised BMW Kl 100 will serve with distinction. If you’re on a tight budget, the $7400 Kawasaki is sport-touring’s bargain bike, though it lacks such niceties as fuel injection and anti-lock braking.
BMW
K1100RS
$14,676
BMW
R1100RS
$13,656
HONDA
ST1100 ABS-TCS
$11,399
But chew on this interesting tidbit before buying: The bike that most successfully combines performance and comfort, is BMW’s beautiful new R1100RS. R should stand for Renaissance, because that’s how this bike feels compared to the last Boxer: reborn. It incorporates everything BMW has learned about internal combustion, yet retains just enough Boxer character and minimalist simplicity to satisfy those opposed-Twin faithful who still regard inline BMWs as blasphemous. More importantly, you don’t have to be a BMW guy, quote Shakespeare, or ride really slow to enjoy this BMW. It flat works. Welcome to the Nineties, fraulein. □
KAWASAKI
CONCOURS
$7399
YAMAHA
GTS1000
$13,679
* PRICE INCLUDES OPTIONAL SADDLEBAGS ** TESTED WITH SADDLEBAGS IN PLACE
