2016 Bmw R1200rs
2016 BMW R1200RS
IGNITION
FIRST RIDE
New boxer-powered sport-tourer goes high-tech
Blake Conner
BMW is convinced there is still a big market for traditional twincylinder sport-touring machines. Of course, considering it invented the class with the original 1973 R90S, it would feel that way. The brand-new 2016 R1200RS is the sportiest BMW to ever wear the RS badge. It even flirts with the performance territory once occupied by the HP2 Sport, the most athletic production boxer ever made.
Our press ride took place in Ontario, Canada, around Muskoka Lakes. Like the rest of the R line, the new RS gets the latest version of the airand liquid-cooled i,i70cc DOHC twin. BMW claims 125 hp at 7,750 rpm and 92 pound-feet of peak torque at 6,500.
On a riding route made up primarily of country lanes, a bit of highway, and some fast, flowing secondary roads, the RS felt right at home. Power from the twin feels good in this fairly lightweight application. Throttle response is good, and the engine’s torque-rich nature invites you to pick a gear and just leave it there for long sections of road.
My RS was equipped with the Touring package, Keyless Ride, and GPS. Optional Gear Shift Assistant Pro made shifting pretty slick. In Road mode, power delivery is good, while Rain offers much tamer response. A quick downshift now and again to pass cars allowed excellent acceleration, but most of the time the boxer engine’s torque allowed good roll-on performance without toeing the shifter.
The beauty of the new RS is its unflappable chassis and its diesel-like engine. This bike never tires of linking long sweepers together. A must-have option is the Dynamic-ESA suspension. Why suffer through the crappy part of your ride when a magic-carpet ride is just a button press away? So for those looking for a traditional sport-touring machine, the boxer-powered RS is about as good as it gets.
2016 BMW R1200RS
air-/liquid-cooled boxer twin
DISPLACEMENT 1170cc
HJiUiHMiH 32.3 in.
idUdWCVMUkUi 4.7 gal.
519 lb.
$14,950
