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Wow, that should give Harley something to worry about! I currently have a boxer engined BMW (R1100S) and find it to be a fantastic and indestructable engine, so anything it's built into in will be a winner! It isn't a fast engine and if your used to Jap bikes will find it clunky and slow, but then that's a Harley through and through, but this way you get BMW build quality... when can I buy one? 

Couldnt agree more with snave, there does appear to be a design flavour amongst manufacturers at the moment, to produce machines which sit between an all out cruiser, and sports bike. There are some nice new cruisers such as the Yam star 950, but design wise it has not moved on that much from the cruiser style from old.

The sports bike and cruiser markets are set in stone and will be with us for years, but this market of a 'personal middleweight design' is going to be huge, and in a few years I fully expect there to be some crackin lookin bikes available, to suit varying requirements.

This Lo-rider for my taste looks brilliant, although a less futuristic headlight would be more suitable to the bike, maybe the triumphs tripple twin spots. Also a broad range of bmw engines to include an 850 for more local miles, as the larger engines are mostly used by the older gents who like to tour, and I cant see many of the older guys going for something so modern, so by introducing smaller engines, bmw would attract a younger market for commuting purposes. Great looking bike, I like it. 

Build it

I like the look of British bikes from the 30s & 40s and this 'Lo-Rider' looks like a great modern rendition.  The only problem is the boxer engine, put the inline 2 from the F800S in and it would look even better.  No flame wars I just don't like boxer engines on a bike.

BMW had another great bike in a similar vein R1150R.  I would buy one today if it didn't have the boxer.

If they want to make the 'Lo-Rider' then they need to keep the major asthetics, spoked wheels, single seat, high exahust.  Add some bar end mirrors and sell the thing at less than normal BMW prices call it the 'Depression Special' or something. 

I hope this is a wake up call to the rest of the manufacturers.  The public wants more than just the current race rep/cruiser/dirt bike product lines. 

Just 1 Problem....

The Lateral opposed engine just ruins the lines of the bike and makes the exhausts look stretched in a bad manner.

I have said before on the previous bulletin on this bike that i adore the use of a chopped-off tail section making the Triumph Speed Triple look like a big-ass.

Its an excelent take that BMW are taking, prolly, very seriously indeed. Its just that engine.... the worst thing is, they will have to saddle loads of EU emissions equipment to it, so the exhausts will look even worse. Exhausts are a really important feature of any cruiser because they are rarely replaced and are expected to be ok-from-the-box (ironic because "chopper" comes from chopping up the bike and putting other bots on it, but then again, people who buy this bike are as far-removed from a real "choppper" as you can get hahahaha).

Other posters are correct in saying that yes, the Cruiser market is FINALLY starting to stagnate enough to split up into different area's, presumably by people who are sick of wine-o's talking to them in the street and being hastled by other bikers and image concious folk alike....

If anything, this is actually a sensible bike, if you take that logic, as it is still in the same catigory as before, but its own tweeks and looks will separate the Lo-Rider enough to make it a niche.

mayby

its not a bad idea, but the look needs to be developed a hell of a lot more yet before i would even consider it as a serious purchase.