Is this BMW's new road-going superbike?

hmm - single sided Duo-lever?  Certainly doable - if a bit heavy I'd have thought.

Be very interested to see more pics...

Posted: 23/07/2008 at 15:42

Interesting - Where's Admin's original post gone??

Posted: 23/07/2008 at 20:17

Gawd, why, when they have professed to want to conquer the sportsbike market (well, so my dealer told me anyway) do BMW bring out something like this?

You know it's going to be heavy, you know the handling will be good but quirky and you know that pure sportsbike riders will shun it for just those reasons.

sheesh!

Posted: 23/07/2008 at 21:03

And it will have an 'aspirational' price tag meaning the hoi polloi can forget it until it's about 5 years old anyway.

Posted: 23/07/2008 at 21:48

I'd like a ride though 

Posted: 23/07/2008 at 22:07

Big Nige wrote (see)

Gawd, why, when they have professed to want to conquer the sportsbike market (well, so my dealer told me anyway) do BMW bring out something like this?

You know it's going to be heavy, you know the handling will be good but quirky and you know that pure sportsbike riders will shun it for just those reasons.

sheesh!

Given that the bike itself looks tiny - the front end's weight may well be accomodated by less weight elsewhere (I'd wager the tail unit is a CF monocoque as standard for example).

Also a fair few will like the "trickness" of the front end - although I grant you that a lot will be too shy of the new technology.

Posted: 24/07/2008 at 09:25

It doesn't matter how advanced the front suspension is, with only one front disc it's never going to be a contender to a conventional superbike.....

Posted: 29/07/2008 at 09:08

Team Spidey wrote (see)

It doesn't matter how advanced the front suspension is, with only one front disc it's never going to be a contender to a conventional superbike.....

Why not??

If the disc is fixed to the rim of the wheel (like Buells) , then the stopping force is pretty strong.

I don't think Buells have any braking issues...

Posted: 29/07/2008 at 12:32

It's a BMW so will be stupidly expensive.

That in itself will prevent BMW from conquering the sportsbike market.  Of course that depends what 'conquering the sportsbike' market means.

Posted: 29/07/2008 at 12:43

 

RiceBurner wrote (see)

Why not??

If the disc is fixed to the rim of the wheel (like Buells) , then the stopping force is pretty strong.

I don't think Buells have any braking issues...

Dont think the Buel single disc rim mount thing is up to heavy use. I remember reading some details about a race team that was dealing with Buels and their biggest problem was the rim mounted brake.

If the system was so great then the MotoGP boys would be using them.

Posted: 29/07/2008 at 13:15

Good on BMW for being bold enough to try something different. If we don't try new radical ideas, then new technologies will not be refined and adopted. Its a shame that Norton didn't have the oppertunity to develop their rotary engine. And on a simialr subject, why not fuel injected boosted two strokes with exhaust trapping valves?

Posted: 29/07/2008 at 20:26

 ELF HONDA 500GP Team tried to develop single sided front end in the eighties to some success, nothing great though. Not enough feel coming from the front end if i remember correctly. Ron Haslam scored better on the conventional front end bike.

Posted: 29/07/2008 at 23:46

interesting point of view.

Let wait and see.   if works as engineers thought or we see an more conventional aproach 

Posted: 31/07/2008 at 22:14