As we thought, today sees us getting our first glimpse of a new motorcycle from BMW Motorrad, but even so, give a proper hello to the BMW M1000RR superbike.
Of course with the “M” name now on a motorcycle, we see that the S1000RR package has been cranked to 11 in order to make the M1000RR a reality.
First off, you will see the prominent carbon fiber winglets attached to the front of the fairing, which is very en vogue right now, and thus obligatory. They provide 36 lbs (16.2 kg) of downforce at 187 km/h.
Underneath the hood, things are more rowdy with the BMW M1000RR, with peak power coming in at 209hp (156 kW) and peak torque at 83 lbs•ft (113 Nm).
With only 500 units coming worldwide, BMW Motorrad has already made its indication of homologating the BMW M1000RR for WorldSBK use, and to make the bike potent and ready for Superstock racing. Accordingly, pricing is set at €30,000 in Europe.
The center point for the BMW M1000RR is the bike’s inline-four motor, which receives the bulk of the machine’s upgrades over the more pedestrian S1000RR superbike.
To put down the impressive 209hp (156 kW) figure, BMW has basically upgraded all of the engine internals, leaving no stone unturned and priming the bike for racing duty.
The changes start with new two-ring pistons (from Mahle), which are attached by titanium connecting rods (courtesy of Pankl). Engine compression has been bumped as well, and now sits at 13.5:1 (up from 13.3:1).
There are also slimmer and lighter rocker arms, and revised intake ports. The new titanium exhaust is good for more than an 8 lbs weight reduction as well.
All of this culminates in a bike that not only has more peak power, but also makes more power from 6,000 rpm all the way up to the new 15,100 rpm redline.
On the electronics side, there are four standard ride modes (Rain, Road, Dynamic, and Race) along with three Race Pro modes. All of these are tied into the six-axis IMU, with dynamic traction control.
BMW also has two adjustable throttle curves, so you can tune engine response, and there are three engine braking maps as well, in the Race Pro modes.
The up/down quickshifter is standard, as is the launch control, pit-lane limiter, and Hill Start Control Pro feature. BMW will make you shell out some more coin if want to use the data-logging features, however.
On the chassis, we can see no shortage of carbon fiber bits, and you can get even more of those if you buy the optional M Competition Package kit, which includes the new M Endurance chain from BMW.
BMW Motorsport has also upgraded the brake kit on the M1000RR, which should be welcomed news to sport rider ears, as the BMW S1000RR has perhaps the worst brake package in the segment.
The calipers are labeled “M” branded, which doesn’t get our hopes too high (we would have preferred to see something like the Brembo Stylema R in use here), but we’ll reserve judgment until we try them.
Moving rearward, those looking closely at the M1000RR swingarm will see that it has been modified as well, and is now 220 grams lighter. The rear brake mount has also been moved, to under the rear wheel, which should make wheel swaps much easier.
Perhaps the most underrated aspect of the BMW M1000RR is the fact that the optional carbon fiber wheels for the S1000RR come as standard on the M1000RR, which in addition to the other carbon fiber additions, help bring the bike’s weight down to 423 lbs (192 kg) at the curb.
If you like what you see and hear, you can expect to see the BMW M1000RR at dealerships in March/ April of 2021. Hopefully before then we will have word on US pricing, but it would be fair to say that price in the $35,000 range would be likely.
BMW Motorsport has made no secret about the fact that they are using the BMW M1000RR as an homologation special. As such, we can expect to see it on the WorldSBK grid, Isle of Man TT, and other professional and amateur series around the world.
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