Response to the 1098 – 2009 BMW HP2 Sport

In Germany, Sport by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

The HP2 Sport was produced from 2008-2012 and was BMW’s answer to the Ducati’s 1098 lineup. 2,260 units (though some sources say 2,259) were produced with more than 500 of them staying in Germany, this combined with the fact that many were raced and thrashed makes the HP2 Sport a pretty rare specimen. The German manufacturer also released several other HP2 models in the form of the HP2 Enduro and HP2 Megamoto. All these machines borrowed their engines from the R1200S and boasted seriously impressive power out of a close to century old engine design.

The HP Sport was breathtaking when it was first debuted in September of 2007 at the Mondial Du Deux Roues motorcycle show in Paris. The dated headlight assembly is a bit dated but if you look at the bike in race trim, (or endurance with its tiny round mono-headlight), it looks remarkably modern with a noticeable front end to that of to the S1000RR, all atop the engine that BMW Motorrad built its name on. The HP2 Sport is powered by a 1,170cc, flat-twin “oil-head” engine that used air-cooled cylinders and oil-cooled heads. The powerplant is heavily derived from the pushrod layout of the R 1200 RS/S if not arguably borrowed from it almost entirely. The boxer engine was tuned to a ridiculous 128hp at 8,400 RPM. Before BMW’s 2013 introduction of liquid cooling on some of its flat twins, the HP2 Sport wore the title of BMW’s most powerful “oilhead” of all time. The folks at BMW clearly have a wildly impressive understanding of their iconic boxer twin because the route taken to achieving the HP2 Sport’s dyno results were pretty clever.

Further one-upping the predecessor of the R1200S is the HP2 Sport’s 392lb (or 178kg) dry weight, almost ten pounds lighter. The HP2 Sport ditches its subframe and simply uses the carbon fiber semi/rear-monococque seat as its subframe. Otherwise the steel tubular frame isn’t that different from the R12S. All of the panels and bodywork on the HP2 Sport and full carbon fiber, and BMW made sure to leave a few minor areas (such as the vented rear cowl area) exposing the bare carbon that is otherwise covered with the machine’s livery.

The muscle from the engine was achieved via a higher rev ceiling as a result of a new four-valve DOHC design and lightweight pistons, both helped along by some seriously outstanding electronics. The HP2 Sport that was raced in the World Endurance Championship used the stock ECU of the HP2 Sport. This particular example also has the optional full factory BMW race exhaust and while I couldn’t find any numbers on this, I’m extremely confident it bolsters the bike’s performance.

Though its top-speed is nothing to write home about, it can get there quickly and handles wonderfully while doing so. Many journalists who tested this machine found it could keep up with its Japanese (or lone Italian) competitors who utilized more modern engine layouts. This was supposedly achieved via the HP2 Sports powerband and gear ratios but most importantly, the machine’s superb handling. The HP2 Sport is also solid as a rock. The tuned boxer twin “oilhead” can stand an insane amount of abuse without ever misbehaving as a result.

The mechanical feat that is this BMW ran in the later stages of the World Endurance Championship 24 hours of Bol d’Or hell at the Magny Cours (one of my favorite tracks to digitally ride on) without any issues. Magny Cours puts a lot of stress on a bike, it requires the gearbox and transmission to take some abuse, and its multiple long straights put the engine’s top end to the ultimate real world test. The HP2 Sport uses the same engine, ECU and air-filter that the endurance racer utilized in the World Endurance Championship.

These machines originally sold new for about $20,000 (£14,500) and have only become more rare since then. So, the owners asking price is becomes more justifiable, especially considering this example has been kept indoors and only has 4,200 original miles. You can find this 2009 BMW HP2 Sport for sale here on Craigslist in Glendora, California with a price of $22,500.