Occasionally a manufacturer does something so weird and outlandish that you just have to stand back, take a deep breath, and applaud their sheer audacity – if not their logic! The BMW HP2 Megamoto is one such machine. Quite what possessed the usually fairly sensible Motorrad to unleash this oddball of a bike onto an unsuspecting public in 2007 is still something of a mystery, but they did and it has gone down as a glorious example of out-of-the-box thinking. Either that, or someone within BMW’s R&D team having a few too many during Oktoberfest...

The Megamoto was the second of BMW’s HP (High Performance) range of models (the ‘2’ in the name denotes a boxer twin), a family that already contained the HP2 Enduro, a year later was joined by the beautiful HP2 Sport and finally included the HP4 and HP4 Race (‘4’ for inline four engine) before the M Series took over as BMW’s exotic wallet-busters. So, what was the story with the HP2 Megamoto?

At the time, BMW claimed that the Megamoto ‘impressively demonstrated the outstanding dynamism and broad range of the boxer engine.’ Why did they feel the need to highlight this? Motorrad were worried about their ‘pipe and slippers’ reputation for touring excellence and were desperate to demonstrate to a younger audience that they could be a fun and exciting brand, and not just reliable and sturdy. And they chose to do this through the Megamoto...

Based heavily around the existing HP2 Enduro, the Megamoto took its influence from the new wave of big supermotos such as the KTM 990SM, and road-biassed adventure bikes like Triumph’s Tiger 1050 and the first generation of air-cooled Ducati Multistrada. It was designed as a road bike with no off-road pretentions – a fun one with little care for practicality.

Sharing the same tubular steel frame as the Enduro, the Megamoto replaced the off-roader’s long travel suspension (and air shock) with fully-adjustable chunky 45mm Marzocchi inverted forks (no Telelever front end here...) and an Öhlins shock with just 160mm of travel. To go with this firmer set-up, and in keeping with a supermoto’s sporting attitude, the Megamoto run 17” wheels and gained a second brake disc and four-piston calipers – an upgrade on the Enduro’s more basic set-up. To ensure it met the HP range’s high-end status, the tank fairing and cockpit featured carbon fibre, while its oddball asymmetric headlight reminds you it’s a BMW from the period. Now onto the engine...

To be honest, the HP2 Megamoto’s engine isn’t that special. While the air-cooled boxer gains 10bhp over the HP2 Enduro model, it lacks the HP2 Sport’s twin cams and only produced a claimed 113bhp (up 13bhp on the GS) with 115Nm of torque. That said, at 179kg dry the Megamoto weighed 20kg less than the GS, which made it feel considerably more peppy to ride!

And it sounded better too thanks to a twin-pipe Akrapovic silencer. As big supermotos go, there is no denying the HP2 Megamoto is pretty trick – which it needed to be. Back in 2007 BMW were asking for £12,595 for one, at time when the R1200GS was £8715! It was exclusive too, as BMW UK only brought 30 into the country.

Surprisingly, considering its limited appeal, those initial bikes sold out almost instantly (weirdly, mainly to buyers based in London) but that’s about where the Megamoto’s story ends. Although it was technically in BMW’s line-up until 2010, after the HP2 Sport was released in 2008, anyone wanting a sporty and exclusive BMW boxer bought that model instead, leaving the Megamoto as a quirky oddball. And when the world was plunged into the financial crisis at the end of the year, sales dried up. All of which makes the Megamoto a very rare beast on these shores.

Nowadays if you fancy owning this Bavarian big supermoto, you need to shell out roughly £15,000 to £18,000. Is it worth that amount? Honestly, when you can get an HP2 Sport for similar money, the Sport makes far more sense. As well as being faster, it is more practical and (arguably) more of a head-turner – in a good way. That said, if you are after exclusivity, alongside the Enduro the Megamoto is probably the rarest modern boxer model around. It’s certainly the wackiest!

Specs:

Engine: 1170cc, air-cooled, 8v, SOHC, boxer twin

Power: 113bhp @ 7500rpm

Torque: 115Nm @ 5500rpm

Seat height: 860-910mm

Weight: 179kg (dry)