Find of the Month: 2004 BMW R1100S Boxer Cup Replika

By
CMG Staff
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  1. Welcome back to the Find of the Month, where we share some of the cool bikes we find for sale on autoTRADER.ca. This month, we’re checking out a 2004 BMW R1100S Boxer Cup Replika for sale in Brantford, Ontario.

In an age gone by, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, BMW didn’t have a four-cylinder superbike in the lineup, but did have an interesting alternative: behold, the R1100S Boxer Cup Replika. Or is it Replica? That’s the spelling the seller uses, but BMW usually called it the Replika, and they’d know best …

At its core, this was an R1100S, a sporty version of BMW’s first-gen oilhead. The R1100S was introduced in 1998, and was the first Beemer to come with clip-ons. At the time, it was BMW’s most powerful boxer ever (about 98 hp). It was considerably lighter than the R1100RS that it was derived from. It had a Telelever front and and Paralever back end. And, it was also extremely ugly — your opinion may differ, of course, but this bike will likely never be reckoned one of the all-time aesthetic greats.

Although the bodywork styling leaves much to be desired, the paint on this Replika is gorgeous. At least the chin fairing made the Replika prettier than the standard R1100S.

However, despite its visual miscues, the R1100S was fun to ride. So much fun that BMW decided to build a spec series around it, the Boxer Cup, and it ran for several years in Europe as a support class for MotoGP. It even attracted some big names: guys like Randy Mamola and Kevin Schwantz hooned these bikes all over the Euro circuits. Capitalizing on that grand spectacle, BMW released this machine, the R1100S Boxer Cup Replika, with a few upgraded bits.

The most noticeable difference is probably the modified rear suspension. BMW realized it had to jack the bike up so racers wouldn’t scrape cylinder heads at max lean angles, so the Replika got a higher tail. That made it one of the tallest street bikes on the market at the time. A set of carbon-fibre cylinder-head guards also helped protect the engine.

There were other carbon-fibre bits too, but they were more for looks than actual function. The chin spoiler obviously helped aerodynamics, and also made it more attractive. The handlebars came mounted lower from the factory (although many riders moved them around). And the paint was different, obviously, screaming to everyone that the rider was a real speed junkie. Or at least, that was the idea.

Alas, the most important part, the engine, was not upgraded at all.

BMW made some slight improvements to suspension, but did nothing to improve the engine.

The Boxer Cup Replika is an extremely rare specimen in the wild. The seller says there were only about 300 of these machines in North America for 2004, and that jives with numbers we’ve seen elsewhere. The seller also says this machine was in a private collector’s showroom for seven years, and judging by the photos, it didn’t see a whole lot of hard use otherwise. It does have more than 32,000 km, but it looks like this bike is still in prime shape.

To make things even easier, the buyer is offering delivery, within reason. BC buyers, you’re probably out of luck.

So, at $7,999, is it a good buy? Any individual bike is its own special case, but autoTRADER has standard R1100S models for more money, and less money. If you’re seriously interested, check out the ad and shoot the seller a note. And, considering it’s for sale in Brantford, make sure the seller never lent it to local go-fast boy Jordan Szoke for a weekend …

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Ugly? Proclaiming any vehicle ugly or not is personal taste, I hardly call it so. BCR’s are interesting bikes, something a little different, not overly quick and tended to eat gas.

  5. Extremely ugly? You seemed to give the new Moto Guzzi v85 similar abuse about its looks. What exactly don’t you like? Bright colours? Round flowing styling? Air cooled engines?
    Both these bikes are works of art in my opinion.

    • I find boxer “sportbikes” to be among the ugliest two-wheeled creations ever made. Lots of attractive ways to dress up a boxer, but not in a sportbike. At least not with this one. It combines all the worst styling elements of the 90s with the peculiar awkwardness of the oilhead. They should have referred to the ’90s Katana for advice on how to dress up an unstylish engine.

    • I would guess that, like beauty, ugly lies in the eye of the beholder! What I don’t get is why “looks” seems to be the primary reason why some folks judge a bike or car. Things like performance, reliability, price, fit and finish, the ability to find tires that fit, etc. can be as important as “looks.” IMHO.

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