BMW K1200RS (1999-2000) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 1999, the German motorcycle manufacturer launched the BMW K1200RS, a sport-touring motorcycle that was arguably the most powerful sports tourer on the market then.

The bike debuted in 1997 and replaced the BMW K1100RS. It was BMW's last evolution of the four-cylinder longitudinal-mounted engine. The motorcycle was often referred to as the flying brick.

The 1999 BMW K1200RS was fitted with standard features, such as a full fairing with a single headlight, a small windscreen, a one-piece dual seat with a passenger grab handle, and lightweight five-spoke cast aluminum wheels.

The bike's backbone was a die-cast aluminum frame with a BMW Motorrad Telelever front and BMW Motorrad Paralever rear suspension system that offered excellent suspension performance and handling capabilities.

In the braking department, the bike's wheels were fitted with two 320 mm discs managed by four-piston calipers on the front wheel and a 285 mm disc with a dual-piston caliper on the rear wheel, offering reliable stopping power.

Underneath its bodywork, the 1999 BMW K1200RS had hidden from plain sight a 1,171cc four-stroke four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine fed by an Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) system, delivering 130 hp at 8,750 rpm and 117 Nm (86 lb-ft) torque at 8,300 rpm.

The bike's power was handled by a six-speed manual gearbox fitted with a hydraulically-controlled dry multi-plate clutch that spun the rear wheel through a final shaft drive, pushing the motorcycle to 246 kph (153 mph).