I pulled the door of the house closed on a blustery Tuesday morning and eyed the sky. Rain was going to hit at some time today, so I was glad to have put on the appropriate clothing for a full day on two wheels.
BMW has a couple of new 2004 machines and when Connor from BMW asked me, along with two fellow motoring journos, out for a test run all work was put aside.
First up was the latest evolution of the ‘James Bond’ Cruiser, seen in Tomorrow Never Dies, the R1200C. I loved the cruiser from day one and the big 1200cc machine’s latest evolution is called after a place in Long Island, ‘Montauk’. It is now the most powerful version with a torque figure of 98Nm. So after checking
the power-assisted brakes are functioning I head up the N11 and on to the M50 en route to Joe Duffy Motors to meet up with Connor, Tony and Phil.
An hour later (in rush hour traffic) I had covered the 45 miles and arrived with a broad smile on my face. Cruisers are all about grunt and the Montauk will pull strongly in any gear. The long wheelbase means that mastering slow control takes a bit of skill but you can filter through traffic if you keep an eye on your wide mirrors.
I wouldn’t recommend this bike to the fainthearted, nervous or weak legged, but despite its low slung 265 kgs. (wet weight) it handles very well, mainly due to the large section front tyre first seen on the R1200CL (touring version). Riding in a staggered four formation we head up the M1 en route to the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim through two vicious rain showers that leave us bruised!
But today we intend to ride out anything and in the distance there is clear sky. Apart from the Montauk we have two spanking new R1200GS machines and, for a laugh, a cheeky R1150 Rockster. We stop for fuel and coffee north of Belfast in Carrickfergus and then on up the coast road through Larne.
The twisty coast road is beautiful and despite the blustery conditions we are having a ball. We stop for lunch at Ballycastle and then it is onto the Causeway. I change machines with Connor and find out that the Rockster is a bit of a hooligan and very un-BMW-ish. The naked street bike has a Suzuki Bandit-like riding position (lean forward, sharp steering) that screams “wheelie me”. Of course, I resist the urge.
We turn in to have a gander at the famous Rope Bridge but find that the area of the car park reserved for motorcycles is made out of the tarmac equivalent of quicksand!
Literally, our tyres sink in the stuff so we decide to keep going after having a good laugh in disbelief. This is my first time at the Giant’s Causeway (excluding daydreams in geography class). I make a couple of “you’ll never guess where I am” phone calls and chat with the boys about the real origins of the wonderful hexagonal basalt rock formation.
The shuttle bus strains up the last steep hill back to the money making end of the Causeway. We swap bikes around and I get my hands on the R1150GS replacement, the R1200GS.
I have been a huge fan of the big BMW ‘Traily’, particularly the Adventure version, that continues for the next year or so. The most striking thing about the 1200 is the reduced bulk. It has a much narrower profile and is far less intimidating than the top heavy 1150. The new bike not only has more power but is also 30 kilos (12%) lighter. The bike feels as nimble as a 650 and is a joy to use. The wheels are five-spoke now with the famous and heavy spoked wheels now on the options list (for the serious off-roader).
As we ride a new inland route home the GS nails the title of best all round bike on the planet. It accelerates like a whippet thanks to a 15% increase in power, handles effortlessly, and you’ll really enjoy the tall position when filtering through traffic.
On the twisty undulating road to Keady the new GS is fantastic. You are in control and nothing upsets the long travel suspension. We stop in Monaghan for a coffee and some apple tart. Tony isn’t sure the big cruiser is up to GS or Rockster chasing so as bikers do we slag his ability (he can ride rings around me) but all agree the GS is a great bike for real Irish roads.
We mount up for the final time and head towards Dublin. Horns are tooted as we split up near the Navan road. Tony and I head back to Joe Duffy Motors to return the bikes (I have left a test car there). I get home in darkness having travelled close to 500 miles, 440 of which were highly enjoyable.
R1200C Montauk €16,300
Capacity 1,170 cc
Rated output 61 bhp @ 5,000/min
Max. torque 98 Nm @ 3,000/min
Wet weight 365 Kgs. Fuelled
R1200GS €15,750 (Includes pannier rails, hand guards, ABS, first service and full tank of fuel)
Rated output 98 bhp @ 7,000 rpm
Max. Torque 115nm @ 5500 rpm
Wet weight 225kg
R1150 Rockster €13,500
Capacity 1,130 cc
Rated output 85 bhp @ 6,750/min
Max. torque 98 Nm @ 5,250/min
Wet weight 239 Kgs. Fuelled.
- Michael Sheridan
RTÉ Guide
