Bmw's New Baby
BMW's New Baby
A Sporting New Middleweight In the Old World Manner
Jerry Sloniger
Most of the rumors were true: There is a new BMW, it is smaller and more sporting than its bigger brothers and perhaps best of all, the new model is still very much a BMW.
The new machine is actually a family, on home ground at least. As the complete line has become larger, with the R75 replaced by the R80 and the R90 followed by the R100, the men in charge have not forgotten the market for smaller bikes—especially in the sports/touring line and in Germany for the man who likes to keep operating costs low.
So the new bike is three new bikes; the R45 with 450cc engine, lowered compression ratio to allow no-lead fuel and 27 bhp to take advantage of a tax break on low-
power motorcycles; the R45 Super with higher c.r. and 35 bhp, and the R65, with 650cc, 45 bhp and the ability, or so say the men at BMW headquarters, to outrun the old R90 on a winding road.
Because the R65 will be exported to the U.S., replacing the R60, we’re told, we’ll deal mostly with it.
The R65 engine is still another version of the boxer Twin, with its displacement juggled by use of a short stroke (61.5mm) and a large bore (82mm). This allows the engine to be fully 2.2 inches narrower than the R60/80/100 family, with a gain in cornering clearance and the need for a bit less ground clearance, which in turn allows the seat to be almost two inches lower than on the older and larger BMWs.
It’s hard to appreciate just how much more compact the R65 is until you look at it next to an R60 or R80, but the specifications tell most of the story. The new bike has three inches less wheelbase, 54.8 in. to 57.7, and the claimed dry weight is 452 lb., or nearly 25 less than the R80.
The R65 gets the 32mm CV Bings seen already in the U.S. I have to note that the ones on the R65 I rode at the press showing needed a bit of adjustment, but then, that bike—bright red with gold striping, by the way—carried chassis no. 1.
Inside the engine cases are a new ignition system, and larger generator and starter. Clutch is BMW’s dry single-plate unit. Internal gearbox ratios are the same for the new unit as for the larger engines. give or take a tooth here and there, but of course the final drive—need I say the R65 has shaft drive?—gearing is higher numerically. The driveline has a torsional damper, although you can still feel some surge and while upshifts are a tad smoother, there is still a clunk going down if you don’t get it just right.
The pre-release R65 available on press day had dual front disc brakes, but the production models will have one disc in front, drilled, and a drum brake in back.
BMW has an in-house design team headed by Hans Muth, a man who likes two wheels better than four; it shows in things like the airy appearing cast alloy wheels, the sculptured new tank and integrated seat and the cover for steering head, instruments, warning lights and ignition lock, all gathered into one unit. The complete package removes quickly for service. The wiring is also gathered together beneath the fuel tank, which holds 5.8 gal. With the R65’s expected fuel economy, that should be enough for the most dedicated tourer.
Because the R65 is smaller and lighter and more sporting, wheel travel has been reduced front and back, in contrast to almost all the other factories but then, BMW had long travel when some of the others thought any suspension was a fad. The R65 has an 18-in. front wheel, another
SPECIFICATIONS
way to lower the center of gravity and the seat. The specifications furnished didn’t list steering head rake or trail, but we can safely assume the new model will be as stable as the old ones.
There are two storage compartments, beneath the locking seat and inside the tailpiece. The front bin comes with the standard tool kit and a first aid kit.
Officially there is no sports fairing, as with the old R90S and one version of the RIOOS, but it wouldn’t surprise me if a fairing was offered before the end of the year.
BMW plans to increase production at the Berlin plant over the next few years, in part to accommodate the new line. Prices (in Germany) range from barely below $3000 for the base R45 to barely less than the old R60 for the R65. No word on U.S. prices, or when the bikes will be available there, but surely the same effort will be made in America to make this sporting new model as competitive as possible.
The R65 is most definitely a BMW, albeit a much less bulky one and is a better blend of road manners and power for all but the most performance-conscious. BMW is ready for the return of the halfliter class.
