BMW has been out of the cruiser market since it stopped building its R 1200 C models a few years back. The market shift towards ever-larger engines was what prompted the German marque’s withdraw, as the firm’s latest Boxer engines just can’t be bored or stroked nearly enough to compete with some of the V-Twin behemoths that currently fill the market. Lately, though, there has been a new segment emerging, and it could be described as custom standards. Sure, placing a torque-rich motor into a standard-style frame isn’t anything new, but bikes like the Moto Guzzi Griso, Suzuki B-King and the latest Yamaha VMax prove that there is a revival in that particular niche. BMW could definitely fit into that category with its latest concept bike.
Introduced at the EICMA Show in Milan, the BMW LO Rider concept uses a variation of the standard Boxer theme, stripped down to its bare essentials. Up front, the traditional Bavarian Telelever fork has been replaced with a beefy USD telescopic fork holding twin wavy disc brakes. Two projector-style headlamps add some urban flair to the front of the bike while a single saddle seat marks the bike’s minimalist design. Twin high-mount tailpipes, which do an excellent job of exposing the single-sided swingarm, complete the look. Rumors indicate that BMW is seriously testing public reaction to the new concept and could put the bike into production in very short order if demand is there. We say go for it.
Source: AutoBlog
