SportBiKeZ

At first, most people wouldn’t, probably, think of pitting the American-made Buell 1125R against the all-German BMW HP2 Sport. And yet, come to think of it, the two bikes are somewhat similar – at least on paper. Motociclismo recently did a shoot-out between the two bikes, and here are some excerpts from what they had to say:

The BMW is very stable, the Buell is more agile. At 20,200 euros, the HP2 Sport is expensive and and exclusive, the 1125R is more accessible at 12,995 euros. When it comes to riding, the German and the American bikes come from different worlds, starting with the riding position. The 1125R has wider handlebars, lower seat height and better wind protection. The BMW HP2 Sport’s riding position is racier, more committed.

The Buell v-twin makes about 14bhp more than the BMW boxer-twin, but it also vibrates significantly more. The BMW engine also vibrates, but not so much that it begins to get annoying. And yes, the Buell’s clutch requires more effort to operate than the BMW unit.

According to Motociclismo, the BMW is more stable, the Buell is more agile




On the track, the Buell’s single front brake disc doesn’t feel as powerful and responsive as the BMW’s twin-disc setup. The BMW’s front suspension also shows better composure under hard braking.

In terms of handling, the two bikes represent two different schools of thought on high-speed cornering. The Buell is more agile, while the BMW is more stable. We prefer the German bike for the feeling of security it offers, and the ease with which it allows the rider to corner at over 200km/h.

So there you are – the guys at Motociclismo seem to prefer the HP2 Sport over the 1125R. Which one would we take? Er… well, a ZZR1400 for touring, this ZX-10R for trackdays and an MV F4 CC for the weekend… :-)