My Yamaha XJ6

Honda Super Cub

BMW HP2 Megamoto (2007-current)

The The BMW HP2 Megamoto’s £12,595 price tag is ridiculously high and will stop most of us from ever experiencing it, which is a great shame. The HP2 Megamoto is far more agile, powerful and fun than you’d ever imagine just by looking at it and a million miles away from being a common or garden Steady-Eddie BMW. If only BMW made their sportsbikes like this, they’d have the Japanese quaking in their boots; it really is that good.

 

Engine

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Big BMW boxer twins are usually big on grunt but low on excitement, but the BMW HP2 Megamoto’s hand-assembled and blueprinted fuel-injected 1170cc motor couldn’t be more different. Although this motorycle still has loads of low-down torque and an immaculate throttle response for lazy, everyday riding the engine has lots of zing and a healthy appetite for revs, which gives it a very un-BMW-like wild side. The way the it pops and bangs through the Akrapovic can on the overrun is pure theatre.

Ride and Handling

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Unlike most BMW’s the HP2 Megamoto isn’t blighted with Telelever front suspension or ABS-assisted brakes. The net result of this is there’s lots of confidence-inspiring feel through the front end going into corners (which the Televeler bikes have very little of) and lots of braking power (BMW’s ABS always seems to chime in too soon). Not only this, if you fancy ‘backing it in’, supermoto-style there’s no ABS to stop you. Like we say, if their sports bikes were built like this, BMW would on to a winner. Supple suspension a soft seat and a tall riding position means the HP2 Megamoto is supremely comfy too.

Equipment

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As far as supermotos go, the BMW HP2 Megamoto is very well appointed and extremely well built. It has a maintenance-free shaft drive system, which you never notice when you’re riding, as well as Ohlins rear suspension, a carbon fibre tank cover and an Akrapovic exhaust can. Compare and buy parts for the BMW HP2 Megamoto in the MCN Shop.

Quality and Reliability

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The best way to describe the BMW HP2 Megamoto is that it is reassuringly expensive. It is a lot of money but the words reliability, dependability and quality go hand in hand with BMW. It’s built like a giant Tonka Toy, but if anything was ever to go wrong with it while you’re out riding, BMW over free two-year roadside recovery anywhere in Europe; if they can’t get you going, they’ll send you a car to finish off your journey instead.

Value

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Costing well over 12 grand the BMW HP2 Megamoto isn’t good value for money; it is just a glorified supermoto when it comes down to it. Yes, the performance is electrifying, it’s well put together and big, big fun but this is an eight grand motorcycle not a twelve grand one.

Model History

2007 – Model introduced

Other Versions

BMW HP2 Enduro

Specifications

Top speed	140 mph
1/4-mile acceleration	11.8 secs
Max power	113 bhp
Max torque	84 ft-lb
Weight	178 kg
Seat height	890 mm
Fuel capacity	13 litres
Average fuel consumption	35 mpg
Tank range	100 miles
Annual road tax
Insurance group	17 of 17

Engine size	1170 cc
Engine specification	8-valve boxer-twin, 6 gears
Frame	Tubular steel frame
Front suspension adjustment	Preload, rebound, compression
Rear suspension adjustment	Preload, rebound, compression
Front brakes	2 x 320mm discs
Rear brake	265mm disc
Front tyre size	120/70 x 17 in
Rear tyre size	180/55 x 17 in

BMW HP2 (2005-2008)

It’s hard, objectively, to see the point of the BMW HP2. It’s a 105bhp, 175kg off-roader that costs almost £11,000. Yes, it does have some clever technology like air suspension, but on the flip side its use as a road bike is limited, which is why the factory now offers free 17-inch rims and tyres with each new HP2. It’s still hard to see the point, even so. HP stands for ‘High Performance’ by the way.

Engine

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Although the BMW HP2's engine based on the top-selling R1200GS unit, the HP2’s motor ekes even more horses from the 1170cc Boxer motor – up 5bhp and an incredible 14ft lb of torque on the GS. The price for this extra power is a healthy dose of vibes (the HP2 does without the GS’s balance shaft), which can be intrusive.

Ride and Handling

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On the trail tyres the BMW HP2's on-road handling is severely compromised, slithering about on the Metzeler Karoo rubber. Off-road – its weight and power militate against unbridled fun on Britain’s often muddy, gooey terrain. The HP2 is fabulous on dry trails or gravel when you can find it. Against the odds the single disc works OK, but get overwhelmed if used hard and often.

Equipment

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The BMW HP2 has no ABS, no heated grips and no pillion provision, but you do get superior suspension and a spirit level to get it spot-on. The headlight’s useless and the small tank’s a real pain for road use. Compare and buy parts for the BMW HP2 in the MCN Shop.

Quality and Reliability

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BMW enjoy a reputation for excellent build quality and your HP2 should be good for many tens of thousands of miles. It pays to spray the cylinder heads with a corrosion-resisting spray such as Scottoiler’s FS365 to keep them in good nick

Value

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It’s hard to recommend the BMW HP2 unless you really want one or you have the use of a lot of open land or desert. BMW’s own R1200GS is better on the road, as is KTM’s 950/990 Adventure – and they’re much cheaper, more practical and, in most cases, as good as the HP2 off-road. An HP2 will hold its value well, though.

Model History

2004: BMW introduce the R1200GS.
2005: BMW HP2 introduced, BMW hope to introduce more ‘HP’ (High Performance) models in the future.
2007: BMW HP2 Megamoto version unveiled, see seperate review.

Other Versions

BMW HP2 Megamoto: A pure street version with smaller, 17-inch cast wheels, uprated brakes and revised suspension.See seperate review.

Specifications

Top speed	130 mph
1/4-mile acceleration	11.8 secs
Max power	105 bhp
Max torque	85 ft-lb
Weight	175 kg
Seat height	920 mm
Fuel capacity	13 litres
Average fuel consumption	40 mpg
Tank range	120 miles
Annual road tax
Insurance group	14 of 17

Engine size	1170 cc
Engine specification	8v, Boxer twin, 6 gears
Frame	Tubular steel trellis
Front suspension adjustment	Compression, rebound
Rear suspension adjustment	Air shock
Front brakes	Single 305mm discs
Rear brake	265mm disc
Front tyre size	90/90 x 21
Rear tyre size	140/80 x 17