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Click on the movie image above to see the R1200S in action.

Powerful treatment for the ideal line - this is how perfect sporty riding can be.

It's weekend, early morning: sunshine, dry roads. There's a great feel in the air. You take a light breakfast, slip into your leathers and then: one bend after the next, at every possible angle, long drawn-out and short, lots of tricky changes. Great braking manoeuvres, superb acceleration - and you are always at one with the bike, always feeling the ideal line as if for the first time, taking your powerful steed to the limit. You want a fantastic sound too? It's all yours. Sporty like no other flat-twin before it, the BMW R 1200 S.

Power-to-weight ratio, ideal centre of gravity, chassis, engine characteristics, styling - all the facts about the BMW R 1200 S signal pure power. 190 kg dry weight, 122 bhp and 112 Nm! With this trio of figures you are definitely moving the ideal line in the direction of sporty riding - whether on regular roads or the race track.

The tubular space frame, the exclusive chassis, the 1200 flat-twin engine, the raised exhaust, the slim line - everything about it is tight and muscular. Whether for an outing in your local area, race track training on the Nordschleife or ticking off mountain passes: the perfect integration of rider and machine gives sporty riding a new dimension. The BMW R 1200 S is the right bike for everyone who are closer to the asphalt than to anything else...

If you heart beats for a sporty ride - your BMW Motorrad dealer will show you how sporty the flat-twin is. Find out about the new definition of sporty motorcycling.

The most important features of the new R 1200 S at a glance:

• Air-cooled flat-twin 1,170-cc power unit with balance shaft
• Max output increased to 90 kW/122 hp at 8,250 rpm
• Electronic BMS-K engine management with dual ignition, knock control, two oxygen sensors, and a fully-controlled three-way catalytic converter
• Light and stable, three-piece frame structure made of steel and aluminium tubes
• Extra-stiff Telelever with sensitive response and superior steering precision
• EVO Paralever with extra-light driveshaft
• Dry weight 195 kg/430 lbs, weight in road trim with full tank 213 kg/470 lbs.
• Front fairing support made of extra-light pressure-cast magnesium
• Tail light with 18 LED’s
• Silencer with tailpipes positioned beneath one another directly under the rear fairing
• Aerodynamically optimized, extra-slender body
• Sports suspension with superior steering precision
• High-performance brake system
• New, extra-light ABS (optional)
• Wide range of accessories tailored to the sports rider
• Best power to weight ratio in our BMW product range, even better than HP 2

Engine

The current flat-twin ‘boxer’ engine has undergone numerous modifications for use in this sports ‘boxer’. The result is a 122 hp unit, the most powerful production ‘boxer’ that has ever been built. The available engine-speed range of this free-revving engine goes up to 8800/min – a new ‘sports boxer’ dimension. The nominal maximum power output is obtained at 122 hp at 8250/rpm, and the peak torque of 112 Nm at 6800/rpm.

As well as the excellent features of the new 1170-cc ‘boxer’ that was first seen in the R 1200 GS, the following modifications have resulted in even greater power and willingness to rev freely:

• Third camshaft bearing for better vibration suppression
• Sodium-cooled inlet valves, hollow-drilled for lightness
• More extreme valve timing, greater valve lift
• Modified valve springs
• 12.5 :1 compression ratio (raised piston crowns)
• Modified rods made from high-strength alloy
• 52 mm diameter throttle butterfly and intake pipe (+ 5 mm)
• 5 mm larger exhaust system diameter (now 50 mm)
• Modified air intake pipe

Transmission

The gearbox used on the R 1200 S is the same as on the R 1200 GS except for modified bearings. The only change is to the secondary drive from the gearbox to the rear wheel.

Frame and suspension

The R 1200 S has a three-section frame with the engine forming part of the load-bearing structure. The center and front sections are basically lattice-tube steel structures. For package and weight optimization reasons, the bolted-on rear section is made from square-section aluminum tube. The passengers footrests are also bolted on, so that they can be removed if the bike is ridden in competition.

Wheel location is by means of the Telelever and Paralever already familiar from other new ‘Boxer’ models. The geometry of the Telelever has been modified to suit the sports character of the R 1200 S. With this new frame and suspension, the bike has a maximum leaning angle of 52 degrees 2 degrees more than the R 1100 S.

Brake System

At the front the R 1200 S has two floating brake disks, 320 mm (12.6 inches) in diameter, with a 4-piston caliper for each disk.

The 265 mm (10.4 inches) diameter rear disk is braked by a 2-piston floating caliper.

Pressure is supplied to the brakes through low-loss flexible steel brake hoses. The R 1200 S can be obtained as an optional extra with BMW Motorrad ABS in its newly developed form.

Choosing an appropriate ABS anti-lock brake system, BMW Motorrad focused from the start on the sports-minded rider: The system used on the R 1200 S is an upgraded two-channel ABS configuration based on the F 650 GS system without an integral function or brake servo, excelling through low weight and compact dimensions and thus adding just 1.5 kilos or 3.3 lb to the overall weight of the machine.

Seat ergonomics

As on all the latest BMW Motorrad model lines, the dual seat on the R 1200 S has been optimized according to the rider’s inner leg length.

Since the frame and body panels are so compact, the front of the seat can be very narrow, which makes it extremely easy for the rider to put a foot on the ground and also for the knee angle to remain comfortable. The standard dual seat height is 830 mm (32.7 inches).

The Headlight

The geometrically optimized free-form reflector is the same as on the R 1200 GS. Two H7 halogen bulbs, one next to the other, provide the high and low beam.

The Taillight

The rear light consists of a cluster of 18 light-emitting diodes (LED’s). Two levels of intensity are provided, one for the rear light and one for the brake light. Apart from attractive design, the LED principle has the following main advantages:

• Faster response for greater safety
• Much longer life
• Only 10-20 percent of the power consumption of a conventional rear light