As a young sport bike enthusiast, I never really took the BMW HP2 Sport seriously during its brief tenure as part of BMW Motorrad’s two-wheeled lineup (the BMW HP2 Sport was discontinued after the 2012 model year).
Under-powered, overweight, with clearance issues from the air-cooled boxer engine – I just didn’t “get it” when it came to the HP2.
As a more veteran rider, who too now is a little underpowered, overweight, with some clearance issues, I have a better appreciation for this quirky street bike, and a sort of longing for the HP2 to return to BMW’s arsenal. So too does Oberdan Bezzi.
Here, the Italian designer imagines a machine that benefits from BMW’s liquid-cooled version of its boxer-twin engine, the same lump that powers the current line of R-bikes, like the venerable BMW R1200GS adventure-tourer.
This would give a new HP2 Sport north of 130hp, and with a diet and a modern chassis, perhaps the machine could see a wet weight south of its original 488 lbs wet weight.
Of course, BMW’s motorcycle line is already fairly impacted, and such a machine would have to slot in somewhere between the S1000RR and R1200RS.
There could be another route though, looking at the BMW R nineT platform. It would mean that such a concept wouldn’t benefit from BMW’s liquid-cooled boxer engine, but it could mean a more affordable and modular package for the HP2 Sport.
The R nineT is meant to capture a more lifestyle-focused customer, a certain irony when talking about the prototypical BMW rider, but it could make for an interesting launching point for a sport bike – especially one that was focused towards price-point buyers, who are keen on customization.
This is all an interesting thought experiment, though I do believe we have already seen the last of the HP2 line. I do hope that BMW keeps up with its HP series of machines though…it has already been two model years since we last saw the HP4 in the offering.
For a company that is fueled by aspirational riders, it surprises me to see the German brand devoid of a proper halo bike.
Source: Oberdan Bezzi (Blog)
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