2014 BMW HP2 Roadster Spotted

Spy photographers have snapped a picture of a new retro-styled BMW roadster. Dubbed the BMW HP2 Roadster by Italian site Insella.it which published the grainy photograph, the new boxer-engined streetbike is expected to be officially unveiled at November’s EICMA show in Milan.

The spy photo reveals the HP2 Roadster uses BMW’s air-cooled R-series boxer engine and not the new water-cooled engine introduced on the 2013 R1200GS. Exhaust pipes clearly exit from the front of the cylinders instead of from the bottom in the new water-cooled engine’s design, continuing on to the two stacked silencers on the left side.

The photos also reveal a thick-looking upside-down fork instead of BMW’s patented telelever front suspension. Other details include radial-mount brake calipers, wire spoke wheels and an old school single round headlight. The design is a bit reminiscent of the Lo-Rider custom concept BMW revealed in 2008 (pictured below).

We first caught a whiff of this new roadster when initial spy photos surfaced last summer, but we were disappointed it was not revealed at last year’s EICMA or Intermot shows. The test unit looks close to being ready, and we hope to see it this November at EICMA, where we also anticipate a naked version of the S1000RR and a new R1200RT (or perhaps GT?).

[Source: Insella.it]

By Dennis Chung