Unsung SUPERBIKE

Dateline 2006. I was very fortunate to be seated among some of BMW’s most engaging and knowledgeable engineers, enjoying an early dinner in Berlin which produced more than just mashed schnitzel and a view of the city. The event introduced members of the press to the firm’s new R1200R twin. Emotions began to flow as the meal proceeded, lubricated by amber-tinted refreshment and inspired by my questions regarding BMW’s motives behind the R90S superbike.

‘A bold statement was needed, and delivered’ said the oldest of the engineers, who I’d unsuccessfully chased all day. ‘The S and the RS sold nearly every standard we made, which was good. For while we didn’t match Japanese totals, BMW stayed relevant by delivering a product they couldn’t; an exciting design with decades of heritage.’

The plot for the smoky red twin you see here, and others from the expanded airhead line, began late in 1969 when the first /5 model rolled from BMW’s new Spandau plant in West Berlin. Our feature bike is a 1978 R100S, imported into the US that year and sold as leftover stock