If you want a naked bike that looks like it could have come out of a public-school punk rocker then the 2004 bmw r1150r might be your thing. It's a bit out of character for a brand that prides itself on being sensible, but it offers plenty of pleasure.
It's a very comfortable and practical bike for shorter journeys, and has an excellent riding position for the rider and pillion. The air and oil cooled, four stroke, two cylinder boxer engine is smooth and responsive for city commuting.
The handling is good, and once you get used to the Telelever front end it's easy to whip about quite quickly, particularly when traffic is light. The brakes are also fine, with the front 320mm discs and four-piston calipers providing plenty of stopping power.
Its gearbox feels a little agricultural and the lumpy engine and idiosyncratic indicator switchgear make it difficult to set pulses racing, but once you overcome these problems it's an honest-to-god BMW that will happily be your commuting companion for years to come.
If you want to go on longer journeys, however, you'll probably find that the R1150R has a very thirsty motor and you'll struggle to reach 200 miles from a tank of fuel. Thankfully, BMW has recently introduced twin-spark cylinder heads, which should help to reduce fuel consumption.
The 2004 bmw r1150r comes with an array of standard features including a dashboard w/speedometer, odometer, trip-odometer and tachometer, warning light for fuel reserve, emergency flashers, key switch in the centre of the dashboard, center and side stand, luggage rack, windshield (two versions), heated grips, cylinder guards, and rear seat cover. It also has an optional antilock brake system (Integral ABS).
