From: crawford@boole.mitre.org (Randy Crawford)
Subject: Re: Dealer won't budge on '91 ST1100
Originator: crawford@boole.mitre.org
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 15:01:55 GMT


In article <1993Jan9.130128.20644@osf.org>, jsm@rosencrantz.osf.org (John S. Morris) writes:
> In article <1993Jan9.053238.23133@linus.mitre.org> crawford@boole.mitre.org (Randy Crawford) writes:
> >
> >Harley, BMW and Ducati have developed styles of their own over the years.
> >Now they are enslaved to them.  None can (or would) adapt to the technical
>
> Can't say I agree with that. The K bikes and especially the K1 don't seem
> tied to any past. The R1100RS looks to be radically different with the
> common BMW thread being quality and advanced engineering (flame bait!!!!).

The K1 was clearly an attempt to take the high-end sport-tourer market, and
as such it failed badly.  It lost out to the ZX11/FZR1000/900SS/even FJ1200 
in performance and the Concours/ST1100/Pacific Coast in light touring.  In
large part this was due to a deliberate attempt by BMW to constrain the
behavior of the bike to remain BMW-ish without committing themselves to
either a sporting or sport-touring style or temperment.  In the end, the 
bike failed to interest almost all riders in either camp.

> 
> >To compete with more modern sport machinery, BMW would have to raise the 
> >horsepower of their flat 4s, extensively retooling and redesigning not only 
> >their engines.  Their chassises and powertrains would need modifications to 
> 
> Germany currently has a voluntary 100HP limit, the EC will make that law.
> BMW's already up against the 100HP limit with the K1100 engine. And in case
> you hadn't noticed - Luftmeister offers a turbo for the K100 which requires
> minimal modifications (clutch plates) to handle the additional hp. No
> chasis mods are required.

Did this 100 BHP limit precede the advent of the K1?  Or was the K1 always
slow and heavy, for other reasons?

> 
> You miss the point about the K series - their competition is not sport bikes,
> but touring and sport touring rides. If you doubt there's insufficient
> hp for competing in that market you haven't talked to anyone who's
> come up against Pridmore on his K bike.

His STOCK K bike?  Comparing professionally modified versions of cycles is
like comparing a Buick Regal with it's stock car namesake -- pointless.
The K1 does little well (given its competition)-- and that disappoints me.  
I would have really liked a serious sporting K bike (albeit without the 
teeny-bopper graphics), but the K1 lacks too much out of the box for me to 
ante the 15K needed to join the club (much less the thousands in follow-on 
HP and suspension mods needed for either serious sporting or fast sport-
touring -- IMHO).
 
> 
> All this drivel about BMWs being down on hp is just that. My piddling 58
> hp GS is fast enough to get the adrenalin flowing. It handles twisties at 
> maximum safe road speeds. It whips your head back when you wack the throttle. 
> Sure, in theory I'll never win at the dragstrip - but ya know - I don't 
> spend much time at the dragstrip. (oh and btw, I have owned several high hp
> Japanese bikes which *would* have won at the dragstrip. They all had that
> ancient quaint technology called chains. 8-))

:-)  `Piddling 58 hp' isn't a great way to convince _this_ reader of BMW's
conviction to keep up with the Joneses.  And that's just what it takes.
The K1 is well down on power-to-weight when compared to all sport/tourers 
but the Pacific Coast types out there.  For some that's acceptable, but for 
those not in love with the BMW marque already, it's not.

Why would anyone prefer less power or poorer handling or less reliability
(not a BMW issue) when more is available?  Why spend those hard earned bucks
and then place your life in the hands of a bike which will (relatively
speaking) bore you or fail to protect your arse to the best of modern 
technology's ability?  That isn't logical. So it must be emotional.

It's that trade-off between logic and emotion (and income) that dictates 
the bike each of us rides.  Because the Beemers are not the lightning-fast, 
great handling, inexpensive rides they could be, many of us will not buy them.
Those who do must do so because they place greater value on other measures.
It's my contention that those other measures are style or character.
-- 

| Randy Crawford        crawford@mitre.org        The MITRE Corporation
|                                                 7525 Colshire Dr., MS Z421
| N=1 -> P=NP           703 883-7940              McLean, VA  22102
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