BMW UK announces prices of the 2015 R1200R

BMW has announced that the 2015 R1200R motorcycle range in the UK will start at GBP 10,250 (Rs 9.87 lakh). The litre-class naked motorcycle will be available in three versions, with the R1200R Sport and R1200R Exclusive demanding a premium of GBP 11,060 (Rs 10.65 lakh) and GBP 11,910 (Rs 11.47 lakh) respectively.

The R1200R series is built around a tubular steel bridge frame which has the 1.2-litre liquid-cooled boxer engine as a self-supporting component. This engine churns out 125bhp and 125Nm through a six-speed gearbox. The R1200R gets a conventional telescopic front fork instead of the Telelever setup from its predecessor.

The R1200R’s instrument cluster is made up of an analogue speedometer and a digital display. The top-end R1200R Exclusive comes loaded with a modern electronics package including ABS, Automatic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control, Dynamic Electronic Suspension Adjustment, banking detection and different riding modes. The base R1200R has to make do with just ABS, traction control and ‘Road’ and ‘Rain’ riding mode selector. The mid-level R1200R Sport on the other hand, gets an extra riding mode, an engine spoiler and a ‘Gear Shift Assist Pro’ system.

The R1200R is available only in blue, the R1200R Sport in red and white and the R1200R Exclusive will be available only in metallic grey. The R1200R series competes with other naked motorcycles like the Triumph Speed Triple R and the Ducati Monster 1200 S.

Yamaha might launch the new YZF-R1 by May 2015

Last month, Yamaha lifted the wraps off its new litre-class superbikes, the YZF-R1 and the YZF-R1M, at the 2014 EICMA Show in Milan, Italy. While both these motorcycles have already gone on sale in Europe and America, rumour mills suggest that Yamaha India will start accepting bookings for the road-legal R1 sometime around March, next year and deliveries will commence in May. 

The new R1 is built around a new aluminium frame , which gets a magnesium rear subframe. It employs a new four-cylinder engine, christened CP4. This revised crossplane crank engine is capable of pumping out in excess of 197hp, without ram-air induction. The engine gets a modern construction with titanium fracture-split con-rods, forged pistons and a titanium exhaust system.

Aerodynamics has played a major role in influencing the design of the new R1, and it might not suit everyone’s tastes. The electronics package includes traction control, slide control, launch control, wheel-lift control and ABS. The new R1 also gets a fully digital instrument cluster with a coloured TFT screen.

The new R1 has been priced at USD 16,490 (Rs 10.19 lakh) for the US market, which means we can expect Yamaha to price it in the Rs 18 lakh to Rs 20 lakh bracket. It will rival other litre-class Japanese superbikes like the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade and the Suzuki GSX R1000.