BMW K1300R Review

BMW K1300R Review / Page 1 By Trevor Hedge BMW broke the mould when they first introduced the K1200R. While its brutish looks were a bit hard to take at first glance back in 2005, its hard edged Germanic take on nakedness eventually won many over. Those that like their naked Germans even more aggressive are going to love the makeover that BMW have given their stripped K bike for 2009. And like its predecessor, the R model is the most rewarding of the K bike family when it comes to riding pleasure. It is also not only the fastest accelerating motorcycle BMW has ever made, but also one of the quickest accelerating standard road going vehicles ever produced. That’s a big call but I am not just relying on my seat of the pants to make it. German magazine Motorrad has the most thorough and scientific testing procedures in the automotive testing field. They recorded consistent 0-100km/h times of 2.9 seconds for the K1300R, 0-140km/h in 4.3 seconds and 0-200km/h in 7.9 seconds. BMW themselves claim a 0-100km/h figure of 2.8 seconds. Not bad for a bike tipping the Motorrad scales wet at 252kg but it’s actually that weight and the resistance to squat of the rear suspension that helps the rider to keep the front wheel down to a manageable level and achieve such magic numbers. The K1300R is one of the easiest to launch bikes I have ever ridden, which is really quite amazing considering the claimed 173hp (127Kw) and 140Nm of torque. Just make sure you have the optional ASC system switched off though as it only allows the front wheel to rise a few centimetres off the deck before cutting the fun, and any really hard launch has the front hovering a good 30-50cm off the ground. Continue... BMW K1300R Review Page 1 (Intro) / Page 2 (Drivetrain) / Page 3 (Handling) / Page 4 (Dollars and Sense) / Page 5 (Wallpaper)

The BMW K1300R above Lake Eildon

BMW K1300R Review
Page 1 (Intro) / Page 2 (Drivetrain) / Page 3 (Handling) / Page 4 (Dollars and Sense) / Page 5 (Wallpaper)