Re: I have one question and a statement

[Steve Makohin <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 1/16/04 5:38 PM, ABSDoug2@xxxxxxxxxxx ABSDoug2@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>Why doesn't the Oilhead have supercharging? It would be part of
>the BMW tradition, so why not do it?

Bingo! Take the new "GS" generation engine with dual plugs, 
counter-balance shaft for smoothness, and allegedly smooth, sure, and 
clunkless transmission, and add a low-boost blower to _easily_ get 140 
crank hp. According to R.B. Racing (www.rbracing-rsr.com) who claim over 
a decade of experience turbocharging BMW boxers, BMW's current engines 
are over-engineered and can easily take the added stress from a low-boost 
blower to deliver 40% more power. Imagine an R1150R with more juice than 
a K1200RS at a fraction of the weight.

Anticipated downsides to this approach include:

 o Reduction of reliability?

 o Increased insurance premiums?

 o Increased fuel consumption would make BMW's blown boxers appear to
   be gas guzzlers (against BMW's "green" image)

 o World-at-large may perceive this move as an "admission" that BMW is
   incapable of creating "modern" motorcycles, and must resort to
   supercharging their "old tech" engines to get them up to current-
   day output levels.




>	As for the statement; the Oilhead is stuck in a design based on
>tradition. BMW will probably always have a boxer, even if it is
>forever underpowered. The REAL complaints should be about the K
>bikes. The K bikes are where you point to if you want modern
>design and performance. If there is anything you don't like about
>the K bikes, you have (IMHO) "valid" complaints, but to knock the
>Oilhead is really pissing up a waterfall, something I've been
>guilty of. This thread/discussion has convinced me of this. I'm
>done being critical of the Oilhead. It is what it is. If we all
>stopped buying them in large numbers and started buying K bikes,
>there would be different K bikes available.

Nice insight, and consistent with the stats that the most popular BMW 
bike sold (by numbers) is the RT. Most BMW riders prefer the boxer, 
whether that's because they gravitate to its heritage design, or because 
the Ks are less compelling (to Joe Bikebuyer) when compared to Asian 
bikes, or for other reasons. Interesting.

- -Steve

 Oakville, Ontario, Canada
 2000 R1100S/ABS, Mandarin

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