Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
In September 2003, I went to Autohaus BMW (now RSA Autohaus) in Libis, Quezon City to collect a media test unit. I was given the privilege of being the very first Filipino motoring journalist to ride a brand new 2003 BMW R1100S Boxer Cup Replika. Before I rode out, Eymard Aquino, who was then the Vice President of the dealership, told me that this demo unit was the very first Replika officially imported into the Philippines.
I later learned that BMW produced only 200 Boxer Cup Replika units in 2003 and all were painted an exclusive mix of Alpine White and Pacific Blue. After a weekend of riding the BMW, I thoroughly enjoyed it and fell hopelessly in love with it. At the time, I couldn’t afford the retail price of a brand new unit so I expressed my intention to buy the demo unit once BMW Philippines was retiring it. Long story short, the demo unit went through several owners before it became mine in December 2007.
When I collected it from Autohaus BMW, the odometer of the Replika read 16,939 kilometers but it came with new carbon fiber valve covers, new fuel pump, new battery, new signal lamps, a Xenon low beam head lamp, and a set of new Bridgestone Battlax tires. The original sponsors’ logos on the fiberglass belly pan fairing were missing because the pan was repaired and repainted after it suffered some deep scratches and cracks while it was being ridden by its previous owners. The Replika, which was one of only 6 units in the Philippines, became the subject of a series of long term test reports in MotorCycleMagazine.
During my ownership of the Replika, I found a 1:12 scale die-cast model of an R1100S made by New-Ray Toys Co. Ltd. of Hong Kong under their Road Rider Collection series. Since it was a stock BMW R1100S finished in silver with yellow graphics and silver wheels, it didn’t have the belly pan lower fairing and the various carbon fiber parts, such as the valve covers and front fender, like my actual Motorrad.
Initially, the idea was to have the model bike repainted and finished like my Replika. I was even asking around if anybody knows a modeler who can make a lower fairing for the model from scratch. However, after examining the model bike closely, I was amazed with the details that New-Ray poured onto it.
The front fairing has a very clear BMW roundel in its left and right flanks…
… while the cooling fins of the big Boxer twin are well made.
The single-sided rear swing arm holds the 5-spoke rear wheel.
Even the rear panel is detailed with the model designation.
On my desk, the model bike looks almost real that I just want to take it out and ride. That’s how much I miss my actual Boxer Cup Replika, which I sold in 2014. I regret selling that bike but at the time, our business needed funds and I thought that I could buy the BMW back when business becomes better and funds became available again. In the mean time, I guess I should carefully consider turning this silver-and-yellow R1100S die-cast model into a white-and-blue Boxer Cup Replika.
After all, what’s a guy to do with his idle time while in self-quarantine during this worldwide pandemic? Thankfully, scale model hobby shops are closed so I won’t be able to get supplies to turn this, ahem, nicely-made R1100S 1:12 scale model bike into an amateur’s model of a much-missed limited edition race bike. So, back to the box this model bike will go…
For more stories about our die-cast scale model collection, please click “The Rack” button on the header bar near the top right of your screen. Thank you!