F1 Heidfeld gets another BMW
BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld is set to enjoy Formula One style performance on the road as well as the track as the proud owner of a new BMW K 1200 S motorcycle
BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld is set to enjoy Formula One style performance on the road as well as the track as the proud owner of a new BMW K 1200 S motorcycle. The dynamic Formula One racer, currently fifth in the 2007 Driver’s Championships, has taken delivery of a new road bike in his home town of Stafa, Switzerland.
Heidfeld is one of a very small number of highly-paid professional sportspeople who thrives on adrenaline, wearing a helmet while travelling to and from work as well while working. The K 1200 S delivers the ultimate road-going BMW adrenalin rush in an irresistible, if blurred blend of performance and handling. The two-wheeler delivers very familiar levels of explosive acceleration for Heidfeld, scything to 100km/h from a standstill in 2.8 seconds, barely two-tenths of a second slower than the four-wheeled BMW Sauber F1.07 race car.
The K 1200 S is BMW’s fastest and most powerful motorcycle. It is powered by a 1,200 cc engine delivering 123 kW (167 hp) at 10,250 rpm and 130 Nm of torque at 8,250 rpm – relatively low revs for a superbike or a Formula One car, but indicative of the high levels of technology not to mention riding enjoyment the bike delivers. It weighs just 248 kg fully fuelled, less than half that of the BMW Sauber F1 Team’s F1.07 racer, and with significantly less drag. Nick – who has owned a BMW R 1200 GS Enduro for the past 12 months – could well have been a motorcycle racer rather than a top Formula One driver, as he started out competing in motocross races at the tender age of five.
But following a bad accident that damaged the muscles and ligaments in his leg, he turned to racing karts, quickly progressing through the many echelons of open-wheel racers to the very pinnacle. Nick lives close to some of the best riding roads and mountain passes in the Alps, so the lure of the high-tech, high-performance K 1200 S is easy to understand. Living life at full throttle under the glare of publicity is fun for most of the time, but there are occasions when a dose of anonymity, especially on the road, can be a very good thing. That’s why Nick likes to slip on a helmet and ride his new K 1200 S.
Watch for him on the Alpine passes next time you’re in Switzerland.
