Mercy ASMA

Tuning house asal Jerman, ASMA memperkenalkan hasil modifikasinya pada Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Istimewa jika memandang bagian gril dan komponen body yang ditransformasikan dari model Mercedes Benz S-Class anyar.



The Eagle I, seperti namanya, tak cuma mengaplikasikan body kit berkarakter aerodinamis, meski sedikit radikal, juga membuat S-Class membesut velg berdiameter 21-inch yang dilapisi ban 255/30 ZR21 pada roda depan dan 295/25 ZR21 di belakang. Konsep modifikasi lain yang khas tuning house Eagle adalah seputar aplikasi stiffer suspension, dimana ketinggian bodi kini nyaris hanya 2 inchi saja dari permukaan tanah. Sementara tampak belakang dilengkapi sport exhaust system yang semakin menambah aura sporitf yang ditempilkan “The Eagle”.

Lumma Bikin Keren BMW X6

Lumma kembali menggarap ulang BMW X6 menjadi lebih menggigit dari soal penampilan dan menjadi semakin oke dalam segala situasi, terutama sangat pas untuk ajang pamer saat dibawa menuju tongkrongan mobil-mobil modif. Berawal dari ketidakpuasan para tunernya ketika menyertakan SUV ini dalam event otomotif Essen pada tahun lalu. Sehingga sebuah paket modifikasi telah dirancang guna mengubah tampangnya menyongsong ajang pamer di Geneva tahun ini, mereka menyebutnya dengan istilah CLR X 650 GT.

Semua sisi eksterior dan interior mengalami perubahan signifikan. Terlihat dari bagian depan si putih ini, terdapat spoiler berbahan karbon demikian juga pada bumper belakangnya. Guna menambah aksen dekoratif, pada bagian samping pun dipadukan dengan grafis bergaris panjang, dari atas headlights-nya menuju buritan. Kemudian kubah roda juga dibuat lebih melebar lagi dari semula. Pada atapnya pun dipoles dengan warna hitam sebagai harmonisasi dengan warna bodinya.

Membangun harmonisasi dan kekompakan dengan bodinya yang full custom, sang modifikator memberikan nuansa lis putih pada velg berjari-jari hitam berukuran 11x23 inchi. Melengkapi tampilan sang pendukung kaki-kaki ini dipakailah pelapis karet yang mempunyai kemampuan performa tinggi dengan ukuran 315/25-23. Semakin eye catchy karena bentuk ban yang tipis membuat tongkrongan berkesan ceper, hal ini ditunjang pula oleh penurunan suspensi menjadi lebih pendek.

Untuk mesin memang tidak mendapat sentuhan berarti karena sang owner sudah cukup puas dengan mesin standar berikut beberapa racikan baru dari para mekanik di rumah modifikasi yang bermarkas di Jerman ini. Hanya dengan bermodal program ECU, yang dicangkokkan pada mesin bertipe 4.4-litre turbocharged V8, cukup mampu meningkatkan respon terbaik dan agresif dari sang dapur kebutnya ketika dikendarai.

Setelah puas merombak semua wujud eksterior, kini giliran bagian dalam kabin yang mendapat giliran. Pada interior-nya hanya terdapat lingkaran kendali roda produk dari Lumma sendiri, berikut speedometer yang yang mudah dibaca oleh pengemudi. Selanjutnya untuk jok turut mendapat sentuhan custom dengan kombinasi warna yang sangat sesuai, hingga terlihat begitu menawan. [nus/timABT]

Specifications :

Car : BMW CLR X 650 GT
Basic car : BMW X6
Engine : 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 with reprogrammed ECU
Wheels : 11x23-inch, high-performance tyres Michellin of size 315/25-23
Exterior : Rear carbon fiber spoiler, line all the way to the sides ending at the front headlights, front and rear fenders are enlarged
Interior : Custom steering wheel and seats

Beutler Future BMW Concept

"Where did your spaceship land?“

The man in his mid-fifties shakes his Schuberth flip-up helmeted head, befitting his station in disbelief. "Could you please move over for a second? I have to take a closer look on this bike -- is it really a BMW?“ Five minutes later his perfect motorcycle world has finally collapsed when I told him that I was actually sitting on a BMW GS just like him.

He probably continued to shake his head for another hour when I spurred the silver-black bike again and the two-cylinder boxer engine plunged itself again into the thousand curves of the Black Forest, orchestrated by the greedy slurping of the two small open air filters and the deep grumbling of the shortened standard exhaust system.

Yes, this absolutely isn’t a one-man Starfighter that was launched from a starship -- it really did start life as a totally stolid BMW R 1100 GS.

Klaus Beutler is the man behind this project. Normally he is running a paint shop and among bikers in Germany and in the adjoining properties – since his hometown Görwihl is just a few minutes away from Switzerland and about an hour to drive from Austria – he is one of the best places to go for special paint jobs.

The 40-year old doesn’t really know or doesn’t want to remember how he happened to buy his conservative Enduro-Tourer motorcycle back in 1998. Before this decision Beutler’s garage was rather occupied by Japanese bikes from the legendary Kawasaki Z1 up to the current superbikes.

But you quickly learn to estimate the virtues of a GS on the narrow and curvy roads in our region. You will even rarely find a rider of a modern superbike who can leave you behind with this 170 hp rocket”, the master smiles.

One day back in the year 2000 Klaus Beutler had some difference of opinion with a pensioner regarding the right of way, and that is what changed the design of the BMW GS. Since a motorcycle painter also has to work on damaged bodywork every day, it didn’t take long until the R 1100 GS was repaired again, and as a side effect he also modified it a bit in a quite subtle way.

With this first conversion, he developed a taste for it and since he needed a show bike anyway for his different appearances at motorcycle shows to promote his Carbonlook paint jobs, he started to think about how to turn his Enduro into a unique eye-catcher with a very innovative "Streetfighter" look.

There were some strange UFO sightings recorded at this time, but maybe the famous Black Forest beer lent a hand in the development, along with many meetings with his pal Peter Stoll, who is distributing Streetfighter parts under the name MEGATEC.

Although they have strayed from the path of virtue at BMW with motorcycles such as the K 1200 R or the HP2 Megamoto over the past few years, I am sure that even the wildest concepts of the BMW designers for the bike of the year 2020 are comparatively conventional in contrast to this bike.

Klaus Beutler started with a plain white sheet of paper, and also with lots of moulding foam, filler, a pile of fiberglass mats and epoxy resin.

Some original parts were thrown in the dustbin immediately. The high standard front fender isn’t wanted on the FUTURE BMW just as little as the standard fuel tank cover or the standard saddle including its auxiliary frame which is exchanged for a much shorter self-made construction.

Passenger footrests are equally pointless – the black knight of apocalypse rides alone into the street café. The massive enduro-style tire didn’t suit the constructor’s plan either, nor did the huge 19-inch standard front wheel. And toss the lamps and turn indicators all around, along with the upright stock instruments, which haven’t been the favorite choice of the customizer.

As a result, the former enduro stood quite naked in Beutler’s workshop, who meanwhile had quite an exact idea how his BMW should look like in the future. Futuristic and aggressive – this philosophy characterizes the face of the former GS.

Beutler Future BMW - wBW Lightbox - Click photo to view.

The handlebar cover design, which includes the handlebar and the new digital cockpit, takes after the skull of a bull we have seen thousand times in western movies and that certainly isn’t by change. The two tiny ellipsoid headlights, one coming from a Ferrari F50, gives the bike this special kind of Star Trek look in the rear view mirrors of the bike in front of you, which clears the road ahead.

The BMW-typical Telelever front wheel suspension also got a new suit and looks quite technical due to its contrasting Beutler-painted carbon-look and brushed aluminum finish. It is even hard for experts to reveal that these parts are made from simple plastic.

Behind that the bike hunches its shoulders that even the hunchback of Notre Dame would be proud of. The Monocoque-style unit from fuel reservoir cover and tiny saddle, which has got such a strange design, that it looks like it would like to take the rider’s butt into a loving grip, isn’t only very special due to its hemispherical shape but especially due to its tasteful combination of – you’ve guessed it – carbon and gleaming silver.

The two small rear lights round out the design language of the front section while the two-tone fenders front and rear are more or less an alibi. The rear mudguard perfectly matches the whole design due to its inspiration taken from the bike’s standard single-arm swingarm. The aggressive look is finished by the spoiler fitted below the engine.

Of course the conversion also contains special wheels and it was quite helpful that BMW uses a modular wheel system for their motorcycles. The 3.5Jx17 and 6Jx17 rims with 120/70 ZR 17 and 180/55 ZR 17 tires come from the strong-as-an-ox K 1200 S.

Before BMW owners run to their dealer to ask for a set of ultra-light Carbon wheels like this for their bike, they should know that the remarkably real high-tech look of the rims on the FUTURE BMW isn’t a result of the super-light carbon material, but from the paint shop of Klaus Beutler. This finish is also available for all cast alloy wheels of other motorcycle manufacturers.

"The 1,085 cc two-cylinder boxer remained basically unchanged, but for a better sound I have adapted the open air filters and got the standard exhaust system made shorter", Beutler explained; he should know, as he invested about 900 working hours into his jewel. The exhaust wrap on the headers give the bike an even more angry look.

In a time when the 200 hp barrier has already been touched by some bikes, the 80 HP of a R 1100 GS doesn't sound too impressive, but if you ever made a trip across the Alps you will know that it is pretty tough to follow any BMW with an experienced rider.

The absolute ease of maneuverability is certainly lost a bit because of the change to the wider low profile tires. And in the much lower and wider handlebar makes the biggest disadvantage of the BMW Telelever front suspension even more noticeable: The rider would certainly appreciate a better feedback from the front wheel.

But this becomes a matter of habit, just like the handlebar cover which moves with the bar and which also houses the instruments.

But the uniqueness generated by the FUTURE BMW is simply fascinating. The boxer engine makes lots of fun with its enormous propulsion power and it doesn’t matter that the bike doesn’t run faster than about 200 km/h. Nevertheless you shouldn’t underestimate 80 horsepower on two wheels: With an acceleration time of about four seconds from 0 - 100 km/h you are on the same level like a current Porsche 911 turbo.

But the road performance is of minor importance on such a bike. Its owner is always confronted with astonished looks and countless repeated questions. And for all this, you'll need a good measure of self-confidence mixed with a shot of exhibitionism and a well-stuffed wallet.

In the end the investment of 12,000 Euros for the conversion alone plus the 17,000 Euros that are required to get a new R 1200 GS released from the dealer’s showroom are all it takes. Then you can sit behind the handlebar of one of the most extraordinary bikes of our time – the applause at the street café is guaranteed. Just like the impeccable quality of the conversion. Klaus Beutler doesn’t only seem to be great painter but also a great customizer.

BMW GINA : Mobil konsep ringan

Pabrikan Mobil selalu tertarik untuk mengeksplorasi bagaimana masa depan itu nantinya. tapi kuncinya adalah apakah kita bersiap menghadapi tantangan atau menyediakan pilihan terbaru. kita tahu bahwa BMW selalu memperkenalkan mobil2x konsep yang mencengangkan tetapi bahkan di dalam “mimpi terliar” kita kita tidak menyangka untuk melihat mobil konsep terbaru BMW akan dibuat dari “kain pakaian”. desainer Group BMW telah menciptakan GINA atau Geometri and Function dengan mengunakan huruf “N” nya.(huruf “N” pada Funcion maksoodnya red.).BMW GINA yang merupakan mobil konsep ringan mengusung pemikiran inovatif yang memungkinkan
kebebasan maksimum kreativitas. BMW juga telah mengeksplorasi pilihan yang kreatif lebih dari sekedar menggambarkan bagaimana kendaraan masa depan nantinya.Mobil ini dapat merubah bentuk dan permukaannya hanya dengan sebuah sentuhan sebuah tombol, dan prinsip “GINA” telah digunakan untuk “memciptakan” desain BMW masa kini.

K1200S - TECHNICAL BITS EXPLAINED

GOOD BALANCE

Twin balance shafts are gear driven.

In order to prevent those bar-buzzing secondary vibes that an inline four configuration inherently produces (and one that plagued the original four-cylinder K motors to such an extent that BMW ended up using extensive rubber mounting between the motor and frame), a set of twin balance shafts are used.

These are driven by gears off of the crankshaft, and rotate at twice engine speed (the required frequency to counter secondary vibration).

GOOD HEAD

The cylinder head incorporates almost straight intake ports (for optimum air flow) and a relatively flat combustion chamber, enabling a very high compression ratio of 13:1 (see ‘MANAGED’ below for associated anti-knock control). According to the BMW literature this “clearly confirms the ideal geometry of the combustion chambers with an ideal combustion process and optimum efficiency”. Consider yourself told.

Chain (lhs) drives the exhaust cam, which in turn drives the inlet cam by direct gearing (counter-rotating).

The valve-train uses little follower arms (rockers) that apply the force of the rotating cam in a direct line down the valve, as opposed to the more conventional cam to bucket system, which includes an undesirable side to side force as the cam comes on and off the bucket (BMW citing their Formula 1 experience as justification for this design). They also reckon it saves a bit of weight.

The clearance adjustment mechanism is worthy of note, as without buckets, conventional shims cannot be used. Instead, the end of the follower incorporates a cup into which a semi-spherical shim is located. These come in different sizes depending on the clearance required.

Drive to the cams is by a conventional chain and sprocket system, but the chain drives only one of the camshafts (exhaust), with a pair of gears – part way along – transmitting the drive to the inlet. BMW reckon that this achieves two things: more precise valve timing and a narrower cylinder head. Although any system that uses a chain will have some timing inaccuracies (as the chain wears it stretches and so as the tensioner takes up the slack it pulls the cams around a tad and retards the overall timing), minimizing the length of the chain will reduce that undesired effect somewhat.

LUBED

Oil pumps and crank feed.

By using a dry sump system (oil stored in a separate tank instead of in the sump) they not only keep overall engine dimensions down, but also ensure a steady oil feed to the motor under extreme conditions (oil-in-sump designs can theoretically gulp air into the pump, although the bike’s probably no longer shiny side up at this point or just well low on oil). However there is a price to pay in the form of an additional oil-pump (scavengeand feed) and extra oil lines to and from the oil tank (although BMW are using aluminium ones to try and reduce the associated weight penalty).

It’s probably a good time to mention that oil feed to the big-end bearings of the crank is delivered directly via drillings through the crank itself. Conventional supply is through crankcase drillings to the main bearings – which need a special ring grove to collect the oil – directing it into individual crank drillings and then from there on to the big-end bearings. According to BMW this means that not only are larger main bearings needed (increasing engine width) but the oil is also being pumped against the centrifugal forces of the rotating crank. As a result of this design, the 1200S’s oil pump can be run at a much lower pressure.

COOLED

Pump is on the head!

Since the vast majority of heat in an engine is developed at the very top of the cylinder (the combustion chamber), BMW have adapted the cooling system so that cooled coolant from the radiator is fed directly to this area. This is done by mounting the water pump on the cylinder head itself, with its drive coming from the intake camshaft.

Some of the coolant is directed to the cylinders, but their water jackets only extend partially down the sleeves – BMW stating that this allows for faster warm up time and subsequently, reduced wear of the cylinders and pistons. All in all, this system means that there is less plumbing and coolant (2 litres) required than a conventional system, saving weight.

However, unless I’m missing something, it also means the coolant flow no longer follows the natural flow of convection (i.e. hot liquid rising).

GEARED

Cassette style gearbox can be fitted as a complete assembly.

In order to fulfil their compact design-brief, BMW veered away from K-convention and not only fitted a multi-plate wet clutch (gasp) but also an integrated gearbox. The box is of the cassette-type, meaning that it can be replaced quickly (although that wouldn’t really apply in this case), but more importantly, assembled and tested before being fitted to the engine. Although this doesn't really effect the final product, it does give some savings in production time.

In order to keep it slick, the shafts and gearshift cylinder are mounted in roller bearings. In order to keep it compact, the input and output shafts are stacked (as per most other sportbikes).

Not willing to go too far from tradition, final drive is by shaft (the only sportbike to use one). Although a chain drive is a more efficient way of transferring power to the rear wheel, BMW point out that this is true only for a chain in good condition, whereas their shaft set-up suffers only a few percent of power loss and is maintenance free (albeit a tad heavier).

It’s a similar unit as used on the new R1200GS and is a sealed-for-life affair.

MANAGED

Remember the super-high 13:1 compression ratio? Well, although high-compression provides for a greater power production for a given amount of fuel, it also puts the engine perilously close to blowing itself up if the fuel’s octane is not sufficient to cope with the heat generated (high compression = high heat = fuel detonating before the plug can fire = bad. Very bad).

In order to protect itself from this possibility, the K1200S uses the anti-knock control first seen in the R1200GS. Sensors in the cylinder head check for any signs of knock developing and counter it by retarding the ignition timing, thus reducing the combustion temperatures.

This system also allows for regular fuel to be used, although the resulting ignition retardation will result in a modest drop in power and slight increase in fuel consumption.

IN AND OUT

Huge exhaust at least sounds good.

Thanks to the forward angle of the cylinders, a large (10 litre) airbox can be installed above the motor. There’s also space for two direct feeds from the left and right of the headlight (where air pressure is the greatest), giving effective ram-air at higher speeds. This in turn supplies a greater charge of fresh air to the motor, boosting engine torque and subsequently power.

Once it’s all burnt up, the charge exits the motor into a rather humongous (9.5 litre volume) exhaust containing a catalytic converter – yet it manages to tip the scales at a respectable 10.4 Kg. Oh, and they reckon that it’s tuned for a sporty sound – which I can confirm, ‘cause I rode it.

ENGINE

The over-riding requirements for this motor by BMW were to try and keep it compact, light and efficient. After some amount of research on different layouts and types, BMW came to the conclusion (somewhat reluctantly I suspect) that the across the frame inline four was the best format for this type of bike.

Okay, so an inline four cylinder with DOHC and four valves per cylinder is not exactly a revolutionary design, but there are some interesting ideas incorporated into the new K1200S motor:

LOW AND COMPACT

Lean it over 55 degrees.

Unhappy with the high centre of gravity of the conventional inline four designs, BMW incorporated a 55-degree forward lean angle into the cylinders of the K1200S. This moves more of the load toward the front wheel and opens up space above for a large airbox, as well as giving freedom of frame design (no requirement for it to go around the motor).

By making the motor a dry sump design and slapping the alternator behind the cylinders instead of on the end of the crank, they have also managed to keep the overall width and height of the motor to a minimum. This enables a low mounting of the motor, while maintaining lean clearance (50 degrees) and aiding a low c of g.

Okay, that’s all fine and dandy, but what’s going on inside then?

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