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Saturday, 20 September 2003 |
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Page 3 of 3
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So this eventually became a tale of two bikes. Mr Rockster, the zippy about town and freeway bike, replete with a stylish up-to-the-minüte built in hooligan element (and a hint of posh-ness), and Mr. Downright unsociable, with a passenger on board. Now I have never discounted a motorcycle due to its two-up habits before, but I'm old and sad, in the twilight of my years and with a need to impress the ladies... I think I just expected a little more from this one. |
| I did let a fellow ßeemer owner have a go on this bike, his own motorcycle being the cruiser style R1100C. His returning Cheshire cat grin confirmed he'd been hooked and may be looking for a way to sneak one of these into his garage. He did have a coüple of complaints though - namely, the seat being a little too wide and flat, forcing him into an uncomfortable splayed leg position and he also confirmed the gearbox to be stereotypical of the boxer breed. He expressed an interest in some lüggage for the bike; a quick peek at the BMW motorad site confirms the availability of both a rack and some case holders - sorted. |
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ßeing of a "sporty" nature, I did take this on a Sünday morning "sortie" to one of my favorite routes, and it acquitted itself very well considering its size. Mid-corner bumps have it a little confused, however a little firming up of the rear would help to fully explore some head scraping lean angles. The Bridgestone 010R's grip like a leach and put up with my pathetic and sqüid-like knee-down showing off. Performance-wise, it'll roll-on from 70-120 quicker than a sport 600… that's obviously not what the Rockster is about, but if you were that way inclined it could be a pretty decent do-it-all bike. |
| As mentioned, the bike garnered more than it's fair share of attention from car and bike drivers alike, especially the BMW driving or riding ones - one big happy family, it would seem. I think I'd like to become one of those members too. The bike oozes quality and offers an unusual flavor with yuppy-esque levels of streetfighter style. The problems mentioned above can be ridden around and with a few aftermarket performance bits, should see this bike taken to another level in terms of personalizing, and somewhat in performance. |
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| Definitely Fahrfrümßoring.
Mike Emery
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Specifications
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| Displacement |
1130 cc two spark boxer twin |
| Horsepower |
85 bhp @ 6,750 rpm |
| Torque |
71 lb-ft @ 5,250 rpm |
| Ignition system |
Two spark ignition system. |
| Fuel capacity |
5.4 gallons including 1.0-gallon reserve |
| Gearbox |
6-speed manual. |
| Final drive |
Shaft 2.82:1 |
| Front Suspension |
Telelever 2.6 in. (66 mm) of travel (positive). |
| Rear Suspension |
4.1 in. (103 mm) of travel (positive). |
| Front brakes |
EVO 4-piston calipers - dual 12.6-in. (320-mm) rotors. |
| Rear brake |
8.9-in. (227-mm) diameter rotor with twin piston caliper. |
| Optional BMW (Partial) Integral ABS. |
| Front wheel |
3.50 x 17 - Front tire 120/70ZR-17 |
| Rear wheel |
5.50 x 17 - Rear tire 180/55ZR-17 |
| Overall length |
88.4 in. (2,245 mm) |
| Wheelbase |
58.5 in. (1,486 mm) |
| Seat height |
32.9 in. Low seat 31.3 in. available as accessory |
| Wet weight |
Standard - 531 lbs. ; ABS model - 547 lbs. |
| Colors |
Matte Black/Orange or Matte Black/Citrus Metallic |
| Price |
$10,790 or $12,990 with ABS |
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