HP2 Sport At Daytona - Motorcycle.com

Pete Brissette
by Pete Brissette

"Five seconds? It takes almost twice as long to change a light bulb. How bad could it be?"

In motorcycle racing, or just about any motorsport for that matter, five seconds might as well be five minutes. And when you've spent countless hours testing and scrutinizing every possible combination of engine, brakes, suspension, tires, rider position, etc. on your bike to shrink those brief flashes of liquid crystal on a stop watch, those seconds start to feel more like hours.

With the Daytona 200 AMA roadracing season opener only weeks away, BMW Motorrad appeared to be in just such a jam, looking for seconds, during Pirelli tire testing on its new HP2 Sport in the beginning of December, 2007.

For 2008, AMA rules allow, among others, 990cc-1200cc 4-stroke air/oil-cooled 4-valve twin-cylinder machines to compete in the Formula Xtreme class. BMW learned a lot campaigning the then-in-development high-performance Boxer during the 2007 World Endurance Championship, so it seemed a logical choice to enter the 200. But like we've come to expect from the German giant of performance vehicles that does nothing if it doesn't do it well, they'll be coming with not one but four HP2 Sports.

Perhaps BMW learned something between December of last year and now. They better have if they have any hope of a podium finish. At the close of testing, Pirelli reported that Nate Kern had posted a 1:46.70 on the Sport with his German teammate Thomas Hinterreiter turning a 1:45.20.

In comparison, newcomer to Attack Kawasaki, Chaz Davies, put down a 1:39.53 on his Pirelli-shod ZX-6R Formula Xtreme bike while teammate and 2007 Daytona champion Steve Rapp burned off a 1:40.20. Honda rider Josh Hayes also had a 1:40.20 on Dunlops, and Honda-mounted Englishman Neil Hodgson posted a 1:41.51 on Dunlops.

In the accompanying video from our friends at OnTheThrottle.tv you'll get to hear how the BMW race team was dealing with the unique venue of Daytona Speedway. Nate Kern of recent endurance racing fame seemed a bit frazzled in the video about his time aboard the Sport, but he blamed his struggles on transitioning from his race-prepped R1200S to the newest HP2.

"The bike's great. It's awesome," said Kern. "I really muscled the R1200S around. The input I put into this [HP2 Sport] almost plows it everywhere. I really need to just take about half the energy – it's an effortless bike to ride."

Effortless, indeed. Motorcycle.com attended the world press introduction of the HP2 Sport in Ronda, Spain, only days after the Daytona tire tests completed, and from our time at Ascari Race Resort we'd have to agree with Nate.

A final note on the HP2 Sport: U.S. MSRP remained unknown during the press launch, but our best guess of at least 25 large was spot on as BMW announced recently the bike will have a sticker of $25,375 plus a $495 destination charge. A strong finish at Daytona would do wonders to help prospective HP2 Sport buyers forget the pain in their pocketbooks.

Related Reading:
2008 BMW HP2 Sport: First Ride

2008 BMW R 1200 HP2 Sport Specs
Engine
Engine Type:Air-cooled/oil-cooled Boxer twin-cylinder
Bore x Stroke:101.0 mm x 73.0 mm
Displacement:1170 cc
Horsepower:130 bhp @ 8750 rpm
Torque:85 lb/ft @ 6000 rpm
Compression Ratio:12.5 :1
Valve Gear:DOHC chain driven
Valves:2 x 39 mm mm intake / 2 x 33 mm mm exhaust
Valves / Cylinder:4
Engine Oil Capacity Info.:Unavailable
Engine Management:BMW Engine Controller - BMS K
Fuel Requirement:Premium Unleaded
Fuel Tank:HDPE, internal pump and internal filter
Fuel Capacity:4.2 U.S. gallons
Charging System:480 Watts @ 14 Volts
Battery:12 Volts 12 Amps/hour
Cooling System:Air and thermostatically controlled oil cooling
Drivetrain
Primary Drive:1.734
Clutch:180 mm dry, single plate w/ hydraulic actuation
1st Gear Ratio:2.17:1
2nd Gear Ratio:1.62:1
3rd Gear Ratio:1.29:1
4th Gear Ratio:1.06:1
5th Gear Ratio:0.93:1
6th Gear Ratio:0.84:1
Final Drive System:Enclosed driveshaft with two universal joints
Final Drive Ratio:2.75:1
Frame and Suspension
Frame:Tubular steel trellis with carbon rear subframe
Front Suspension:BMW Telelever
Front Travel:4.1 inches
Rear Suspension:BMW Paralever
Rear Travel:4.7 inches
Brakes
Brake System:Front and rear disc with optional ABS
Front Brakes:Radial mounted Brembo monobloc
Front Rotor:12.6 inch Dual Rotors
Rear Brake:Brembo double piston floating
Rear Rotor:10.4 inch single, fixed rotor
Actuation Method:Hydraulic, DOT 4 fluid type
Wheels and Tires
Front Wheel:3.5 x 17 forged aluminum wheel
Rear Wheel:6.0 x 17 forged aluminum wheel
Front Tire:120/70 x 17 tubeless
Rear Tire:190/55 x 17 tubless
Dimensions
Overall Length:84.1 inches
Overall Width:29.5 inches
Wheelbase:58.5 inches
Ground Clearance Info.:Unavailable
Seat Height:32.7 inches
Steering Angle:66.0 degrees
Front Wheel Trail:3.4 inches
Weight - Dry:392 lbs. excluding options & accessories
Weight - Wet:438 lbs. excluding options & accessories
Maximum Load:726 lbs. GVWR
Other Specs
Standard Colors:White Alpine
Optional Equipment:ABS
Pete Brissette
Pete Brissette

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