Kiwi Rider May 2022 Vol.1 | Page 50

about a boxer in a motorcycle is its naturally low centre of gravity due to the cylinders sticking out the side of the crankcases , rather than upwards . About the only thing I can complain about is that the cylinder heads are in the way when putting your leg out , it does take a little while to get used to them being there and avoiding whacking your shins on them . If you never stick your foot out cornering on gravel , it ’ s a not a big issue . With the recent Shift-Cam design , BMW is on to a real winner . The Shift-Cam allows for the low-end torque to be fully exploited without compromising the top end or the legendary smoothness of the power delivery . At 1254cc , the liquid-cooled twin produces 100kW of power at 7750rpm and 143Nm at 6250rpm , redline is at 9000rpm . However , most riding will be swiftly and easily done between 3000 and 5000rpm , such is the engine ’ s torque and flexibility . Even for slower backroads , revs below 3000rpm in top gear are easily tolerated and will still result in strong and seamless thrust from a turn when the throttle is re-opened . Between 5000 and 7000rpm the engine means real business and it continues to pull strongly to the redline . The overwhelming feeling is of smooth , linear and effortless grunt . Often ,
50 KIWI RIDER