Quickride: Bmw Hp2 Megamoto
BMW HP2 MEGAMOTO
ROUNDUP
QuickRide
THE MONSTER MOTARD movement has bred some incredible motorcycles. The Ducati Hypermotard is one, and the KTM 950SM (sadly, now departed) is another. And you can count the BMW Megamoto among the incredibles.
At first, it seemed like a bit of silliness, this whole giant motard thing. What did a BMW flat-Twin have to do with a converted dirtbike running on 17-inch wheels?
Well, it was surprising to find the upsizing recipe worked so well for this class of streetbike. In the case of the BMW, the HP2 Mega is based on the HP2 enduro launched in 2006, the world's wackiest and most expensive dual-sport bike. And its con version to pure street duty and Megamotoness takes the predictable course with the switch to 17-inch cast wheels with griptastic 120/70 and 180/55 sport rubber, a spiffy Akrapovic exhaust and a mini-fair ing with the Cyclops-and-ahalf headlight.
Cooler features include the exposed steel-tube frame, inverted telescopic fork and Ohlins shock. The triple-disc brakes are superb and use braided lines at the front. ABS is a $1000 option on top of a $20,520 price tag.
Being a rather large primate of Germanic back ground, I and my 6-foot-2 frame fit the Mega well, but the 36.2-inch seat height still can be a challenge. The bars are quite wide, too, and even when you've got your feet up on the dirtbike like clawed footpegs, you're never cramped for space.
Power from the 1170cc engine is snappy and fun, although the flat-Twin won't win the Passion Award for the Most Moving Soundtrack. The claimed 113 horsepower is delivered however, with predict able strength and vigor, while being accompanied by excellent torque. This 11.0:1-compression, high cial is not at all like your average Boxer fare. The latter engines are satisfy ing if somewhat stoic; this one runs as though a mad German scientist was in charge of tuning.
Same goes for the chassis. Okay, it's a big, tall bike, and that wheelbase stretches out to 63.4 inches. But the front-end geometry is intended to keep things reasonably lively (28.4 degrees rake/3.7 inches trail), so as the road gets tighter, things get better and bet ter. It is stable in high-speed sweepers, yes, but wide bars and the in-command riding position favor quick flicks and rapid directional changes. The perch-like highness of this type of bike always feels a bit strange as you take the first few corners, but soon you realize that the extra suspen sion travel and altitude make deep lean on bumpy roads your path of choice, and it all feels quite natural.
So, like the other bikes in this class, the BMW Megamoto is just a tall version of a standard with vaguely dirtbike-like styling and a bitchin' motor. Superb fun, in other words.
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Mark Hoyer
