BIKEBMWBMW R1150R ''ROCKSTER''

Intro: A TRIMMED UNITY IN THE ROCK

BMW want to attract the young and if the young are interested by sports roadsters at the moment, then the Munich based firm is ready bring them what they want. Since the original version of the R1150R was a bit old hat to fight its corner in this category, they’ve redesigned it.

Esthetique: A WILD CHILD

A surprising design, which radically changes the personality of a bike that until now didn’t exactly turn young ladies’ heads in the street... An asymmetrical headlight like the GS has appeared at the front together with a new, finer mudguard.
Flat handlebars, a new windbreaker, some rather flashy green and orange decoration and black colouring for the frame and the engine – in the end it didn’t take much to overturn the rather sad image of the past and replace it with ... the Rockster The metamorphosis isn’t just physical : so as to let it’s hair down ever further, the Rockster has also taken the cycle part from the sporting R 1100 S. This geometry has a shorter wheelbase and a reduced column angle, which, on paper, should give the bike more agility.

Motorization: ITS STRONG POINT

The engine has kept the same figures and although the German manufacturer might have wanted to play the rebel, they haven’t " boosted " the flat dual cylinder. The only modification to the engine is the addition of a 2nd spark plug per cylinder in order to reduce the polluting gases. An engine that, even if it is never going to compete with its Japanese rivals in terms of power, is nonetheless one of the strong points of this bike. With as much torque as you could wish for, it proves vigorous from 2,500 revs and distils strong sensations from 4,000. That avoids having to use the not always well-behaved gearbox too often. The gearbox is a pity as it is the only thing that isn’t up to the rest of the bike.

On the road: A MODEL OF BALANCE

The biggest change when you climb onto the Rockster is the riding position. The saddle is now higher at 835mm, but more importantly, the handlebars are flat and very wide... you could almost think you were on a Super motard, and the non-existent protection reinforces this feeling. Only after that do you notice the differences in the on road behaviour. Compared to the R1150R that it is derived from, the Rockster proves to be more " intuitive " in front. It is easier to feel what is going on under the wheels, without having lost either comfort or shock absorption. But the most interesting thing is the feeling of balance that fills the rider after a few dozen kilometres behind the handlebars of the Rockster. In spite of its heavy weight for a roadster, the handling of the bike remains easy and it goes from corner to corner serenely whatever the road surface or the intensity of the braking. All that’s left is the price, which is unlikely to please those young people in BMW’s sights. You need to spend 12,000 Euros to buy, and there’s no doubt about this, a chassis that is model of balance, an agile cycle part and a full engine.
3 elements that make the Rockster a very homogeneous bike and that’s its really strong point.