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Home BMW Motorrad News K 1300 R takes centre

K 1300 R takes centre

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K 1300 R takes centre stage with top Hollywood actor

British actor Joseph Fiennes has been living life in the fast lane since taking delivery of his BMW K 1300 R just a few months ago. The world-famous star of stage and screen has recently reignited his passion for two wheels, getting to grips with one of the most powerful and well received bikes of 2009.

The K 1300 R isn’t Joseph’s first experience of BMW Motorrad machinery. The Shakespeare in Love star spent over 12 months as the proud owner of a K 1200 R – a bike, he feels, that was difficult to improve upon. However, after just a few weeks with the K 1300 R, Joseph was revelling in the increase in power and handling ability that the large-capacity naked bike offers, even if the sheer performance available demands serious respect! “It’s all about being sensible, but with a bike as delightful as the BMW K 1300 R, self control is far more difficult than bike control…” Joseph says.

Although he has been riding scooters and small-capacity motorcycles since the age of 16, it wasn’t until 2005 that Joseph finally took the plunge and obtained his full licence. “Motorcycles just make sense for me, particularly in big cities like London,” he says. “In Europe, motorcycle use in urban areas appears to be the norm and London has always felt slightly behind the times. But with more traffic on the road than ever, people seem to be coming round to the idea of using bikes to get from A to B.”

Using the K 1300 R to commute to and from meetings, rehearsals and performances has allowed Joseph to get around quicker than most. Yet despite having 173 hp and superior handling at his disposal, the 39-year-old has been treating the bike and his surroundings with due care. “I recognise the need to respect the different environments that I ride in, but on the open road I tend to loosen up a bit,” he says. “It’s more difficult in central London, as like most major cities, the roads are fraught with tension and you need to focus on other road users and not just on your own riding.”

To enjoy the full potential of the K 1300 R, Joseph plans to take the bike to the track at the first possible opportunity. “That would be a fantastic experience!” he enthuses. “I was working near the Goodwood circuit recently and would ride past and dream of having a go. I think it’s important that I do use the track one day, as it’s difficult to make full use of the outstanding engineering of the bike without testing it under certain conditions.”

As a fully-fledged member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Joseph is at home on the stage, however it was with the 1998 smash hit movie Shakespeare in Love that he found instant fame. This was followed with another highly-acclaimed on-screen performance in Elizabeth, the story of the 16th Century Queen of England. Even with two Academy Award-nominated films under his belt and a promising career on the silver screen in the offing, Joseph has since spent more time on stage than on screen, with the French play Cyrano de Bergerac being the latest in a long line of productions on his impressive CV.

Much like the K 1300 R, Cyrano de Bergerac has received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. Operating in an industry that is under constant scrutiny from reviewers, Joseph is well aware of the danger of bad reviews and is grateful that his recent stint as the lead in Cyrano de Bergerac has received such positive acclaim. “Probably about 40 per cent of an actor’s professional life is about disappointment, whether that be not getting a job or receiving a bad review. So, to see such a positive review was really heartening,” he comments.

“It was a great show and it was a pleasure to play Cyrano,” he says of the lead role. “He’s an extraordinary character who has been played by some great actors in the past. I enjoyed the project immensely. In many ways, the play is like the K 1300 R. It’s a great ride, full of twists and turns but has a remarkable stability!”

For his next role, Joseph will relocate to the glamorous surroundings of Los Angeles and swap the period costume that has been ever-present throughout his career for a sci-fi story that is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. “I’m doing some studio work for a new series called FlashForward that is being produced to fill the slot left by the popular TV show ‘Lost’,” he says. “It’s about a global blackout and premonitions of the future. It’s a departure from what I’m used to, so no more baggy shirts and horses!”

So what better way to prepare for starring in a futuristic thriller than riding the K 1300 R?

Last Updated on Saturday, 01 August 2009 18:25  

Newsflash

Monza - Races

By: BMW Motorrad Motorsport

 

It has been a historic weekend for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport with Troy Corser (AUS) achieving the team’s first ever podium finish in the second FIM Superbike World Championship race in Monza. Furthermore, Ruben Xaus (ESP) secured his personal best ever race result with the young team, finishing sixth in the first race. In total, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport scored 26 points in the manufacturers’ standings.

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