BMW is scheduled to unveil several new models at the EICMA show in Milan next Tuesday, but one of those has apparently leaked early. The completely redesigned BMW S 1000 RR superbike (we showed you patent drawings here) is the subject of a leaked document (apparently, a single brochure page) that we first saw on VisorDown.
If accurate, the new superbike, which will be piloted by Tom Sykes next year on a factory-supported WSB team, is pretty impressive in street legal form. Weighing a claimed 433 pounds with a full tank of fuel, BMW claims 207 horsepower at 13,500 rpm! The new engine features BMW ShiftCam, which is also found on the new 1250cc Boxers. ShiftCam is a variable valve timing system, which should provide increased mid-range in the high revving superbike.
The bike will also apparently receive all the, now typical, electronic features, accessed through a TFT display. It is interesting to note that there will apparently be an up-rated “M Package” which will weigh even less — a claimed 425 pounds! That means the bike will be significantly less than 400 pounds dry (with the 4.3 gallon fuel tank empty, and minus other fluids). Pretty impressive for a bike this powerful. Stay tuned for MD reports on all of the major EICMA announcements.
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Cool bike, but they shouldn’t have to build streetbikes this hardcore just to do some advertising in WSBK.
Looks like another amazing sport-bike for those who can still handle the associated ergonomics.
I really want a Triumph Daytona 765 to replace my ’10 S1000RR track bike but this is tempting… It may depend how long Triumph makes me wait.
Love it. I can only imagine the smile it would put on my face 🙂
What speed would you be at in 1st gear at peak torque?
Mach 0.5
I like the low weight but the extra power would be wasted on me. I think 115hp at the wheel is perfect for the street.
The trouble with low weight bikes is that they are disappearing. Zero storage or a place to mount a small rack to hold thermal gear or even a rain suit. Plenty of bragging rights though.
‘The trouble with low weight bikes is that they are disappearing.”
I just got off the KTM website looking at some of the available parts for the new 790. Perhaps with a windscreen, heated grips, and top case behind the passenger seat, this would meet your requirements?
Sounds impressive. BMW used to be known for dramatically overstating their performance and understating their weight, but with the liter sport bike they’ve been close to dead on, factoring in loss from the drive train. Hope Sykes can offer some competition to Rea in WSB on this, though he’s been riding the same machinery as Rea and hasn’t for a few years now.
Man, the parade of “this is pointless” sheesh, yes let’s all stick to oh let’s see what’s “enough” probably 40hp (really? with having to mix it up with modern SUV power levels?) and a stately, scenery-observing riding position (oh you’re short? hydraulic extenders for everyman!).
And for food, your soylent malt (ironically, now a real product – de-evolution is real, people!) should be tasty enough. As for sex, we have a little pod for that (pass me that orb please).
Ugh.
RIDE FAST TAKE CHANCES – CityBike
Too many pussies here.
Said the future statistic.
I’ve been living in Korea recently. Lots of Maseratis and McLarens here. Why? Parking spaces are so small you can’t get out of the car if you weigh more than 190 pounds. There’s certainly no where to run a car like that anywhere near its potential in Korea. Yet, they’re everywhere. The people that own them uncork the exhaust and scream from stoplight to stoplight and brag and profile. And if they do actually attempt a stunt, they wad the thing up because their hi-performance tires can’t get anywhere near optimum temperature, or they simply panic when the obstacle ahead is suddenly a lot closer than it appeared 5 seconds ago. Sound familiar?
This in no way denigrates Maserati or McLaren. Those cars have their place and I’d love to own one. But, like the S1000RR, Panigale, and others, their performance envelope has grown a whole lot bigger than the letter most people can mail.
But, as I originally said, “God bless them for giving us the choice.”
It’s just sad to think that most people that buy these will get passed in a corner by some kid on an old SV650.
Yes it would be sad, if it were anything close to true.
Do you honestly think a fast bike makes a fast rider?
Dont believe that at all. Also don’t believe over half (according to you) of the S1000RR owners, being 51 percent or more, are going to get passed in a corner by anybody on an old SV650. I doubt you will often see the those two bikes on the same road at the same time for such a thing to happen. That which you describe is wild speculation too far from reality. I was addressing your exaggeration and not the bike or the ability of any of its owners.
depends on the road -long sweeper vs. bumpy goat trail
Isn’t that he truth. How about some old fart on an ST1300? LOL
I have had my but handed to me by someone on a Goldwing of all things before in the mountains…a sobering day for sure
The younger, more aggressive, fearless kid with quick reflexes, riding an old SV650, will smoke me and this BMW on the corners and straights. I’m 59. I in know manner wish to get up close and personal with the pavement. One spill would send me directly to an extended stay in a hospital or possible permanent seating on a wheel chair. Kids are amazing.
Meh, i don’t get out of bed for anything less than 215 hp
I hate it! Back in my day doing the ton was good enough for us. We had to spend 2 hours wrenching for every 15 minutes of riding. And BMWs were for guys with sidecars and beards who smoked pipes. Get off my lawn you kids!
you forgot the tweed jacket with patches on the elbows…
… and helmets! Helmets? Those freakin’ brain buckets are for cheesers and loosers. Why in my day, we rode free with the wind combing our hair. If we crashed, we flew over the bars and split our noggins on the nearest telephone pole … and we LIKED it!
Oh who needs it? It’s just marketing to flaunt your hp numbers. I’m not interested in this bike.
When is the horsepower competition is going to stop? same goes for cars, we are seeing 200+ HP bikes and 600+HP cars that can only be ridden or driven with traction control in operation or a really smooooooth throttle control. With the traction control on the vehicles are using probably 50% of the power at most.
I know I am a junky for horsepower so I also like big HP numbers and the thrill to use it, but practically never do since it is really hard to do so on the street, maybe on a racetrack but even there only can be used in a straight line.
I am very interested in this as my next race bike. I don’t know why so many of you, on this site, hate the idea of a good race bike. I would think, that’s what these bikes were meant to be used for. My current bike was never ridden on the street; it was just purchased and set up for the track. My next one will be the same. What’s wrong with buying a race replica bike and wanting to use it?
I only own 2 bikes — my road race bike and my MX bike. Neither has ever been on the street. I really want both bikes to be light and fairly quick. It’s not a lot fun to go to a race and get smoked just because of machinery.
I know most of the people here wants us all to ride a GS500, but they probably aren’t the best race bikes ever. Some of us really want to push ourselves on a fast bike. Some of can put down better lap times on faster bikes. My biggest concern with this bike is the rate that it will eat through rear tires. I’m anticipating a $4-6k a year tire bill for this monster, running a modest 16 weekend schedule.
Kudos to you for actually using a sportbike for it’s intended purpose, but most probably won’t (OK with me–it makes track days less crowded), and I can’t think of a scenario where 200+ HP would ever be necessary on the street. Either way, I can’t fault a manufacturer for building what sells, or a consumer for spending their money how they see fit. But given how often sportbike riders choose to outrun police rather than stop, I have to think that government will step in at some point.
When a new GS or dirt bike comes out do you write in about how few riders can fully use the bike? When a new commuter bike appears do you write in about how commuters cannot fully exploit those bikes? So how come all the negativity when a new liter bike appears. No bike or rider does everything 100%. It’s not about the numbers. It’s about the personal experience and that is the 100% I use no matter what the speed or conditions. Ride what you enjoy and enjoy the ride…
The only 2 people who’ve mentioned “100%” are you and “John.”
Let’s compare riding your 13-year-old bike with the new BMW at a “reasonable” 8/10ths pace on the street. Still want your Triumph? Really?
Ah, John…Nobody gives a flying intercourse what you do on a the track but kindly keep your “reasonable” 8/10ths pace off the streets. The roads are public, not pubic so don’t be such as dick.
This ain’t a measuring contest but you’re starting to come across as a big dick.
Get it? Got it?
Good.
As to the new BMW? Nice but in all honesty I’ve no use for something I cannot use.
Its easy to talk tough while sitting in front of your computers wearing your legwarmers. I don’t think its that you have no use for the S1000RR I think your one of the limp wristed crowd and are afraid of the BMW.
The S1000 is buzzy, has the steering lock of an oil tanker, a first gear that starts making sense where speed limits top out, an rbw throttle designed to flatter and smooth rather than excite, and a steering damper that makes all sub 1G riding about as eventful as an Antoniennui movie….
Not familiar with his particular Triumph, but if I remember correctly, it was targeting the VFR. Which is a darned nice street bike, even 20 years after they stopped making changes to it.
Americans are generally very capable of using 100% of any bike primarily designed for the purpose of hauling too much stuff, and too heavy riders, to cubicles accessorized with Costco sized candy jars, as well as Starbucks’ serving caramel macchiatos…..
A more serious demerit against bikes like this, is that all that power and speed potential, comes with features making those easier and safer to harness. Largely by employing technologies aimed at dulling both rider input and rider feedback. Excessively smoothed RbW throttles, steering dampers, lack of steering lock, clutchless rev matching transmissions, wheelie control, stoppie control, slide control etc…. Which makes sense at the kind of speeds these things are capable of being ridden at, but do nothing but dull the experience at the kind of speeds most people ride most of the time. If you’re a racer, obviously the goal is going as fast as possible. So anything enabling you to go faster, is good by definition. If you’re a track rider on big open tracks with long straights that get boring after a while on a mere 600, perhaps ditto. And ditto for street racing, for those into that. But for the way most people ride, most of the time, a bike that dulls inputs and feedback on purpose, just isn’t all that optimal. At least not for what I am looking for in a motorcycle.
I want BMW and the rest to agree on a 53-55″ wheelbase, VFRish sized cockpit, 400cc multi, 450 triple, 550 twin and 700 Single class (or something) to race eachother in. Something that allows for this level of development, but without the need for so much intervention. And without the bikes shrinking to Marquez-only sizes, the way the 600s were headed before their development dollars were cut off.
Very cool BMW…thanks for bringing us a very impressive super bike.
The naysayers of the capability of this bike make me laugh. OF COURSE you can’t use this bike’s capability 100 percent of the time on the street, that would be foolish. I think intelligent and insightful buyers of this machine will however, want to use 100 percent of this machine’s capability every once in awhile. If you can afford it, and have the cajones to challenge yourself, then it’s worth it. Otherwise, don’t be jealous.
What “naysayers”? I read every post and there’s not a naysayer in the bunch. Can you please point one out? Also, the first one to mention 100% is you. As far as my comment, I was relating personal experience from my life around the California Sierras, where deer, corners, and the “man” conspire against speed. The capabilities of machines like this cannot be exploited on the street and since I don’t have enough time to haul it to the track every weekend, I’ll pass. But, as I said, I applaud manufacturers for giving us the choice so that people with big cajones like you can get in my way at Thunderhill and Sonoma.
This’ll be of great interest to the testosterone-driven, co-signer crowd — those least able to handle the performance.
Wait, maybe I just figured out why motorcycle sales are declining.
Amazing accomplishment for BMW. However, it’s gotten to the point where the top-tier sportbikes are leaving us behind. At some point one has to look at these beasts as track-only weapons. I have a sweet 2006 Triumph 955 RS with GSXR USD forks, Ohlins shock, etc, that makes about 110 HP. At least here in California in the Sierras, there are very few places where I can hold the throttle wide open for more than a few seconds. I’d like to give the new BMW a go at Thunderhill, but am not even remotely interested in riding it on public roads. Many cars (e.g. Corvette Z06) are similar. They’re too good to be fun at semi-legal speeds and fast enough to ruin your day at a track. But…God bless them for giving us the choice!!
I rode my strontium-yellow 1997 Triumph T595 (955cc) to work today, as I do once or twice a week. (The other days I ride my 2012 BMW K1300S HP, or one of my cars.) I bought the Triumph new, 21 years ago, and I have no intention of ever selling it (it has just shy of 33,000 miles). When that bike came out, it was competitive with the Japanese literbikes for a year or two. But the never-ending march of technology left the Triumph behind, and today, sadly, Triumph doesn’t make a single sportbike. On the street, the Triumph triple is superb, and I can keep up with anything. In the mountains on the occasional weekend,it’s pure joy. At most, I’ve used maybe 70% of this 21-year old bike’s capacity, so it has more performance than I’ll ever need. Mind you, if I went racing, I’d want this new BMW S1000RR. But like probably 97% of all motorcyclists, I don’t ride on the racetrack, so although I greatly admire the 2019 S1000RR, it’s not a bike that makes much sense for a rider like me.
“Triumph doesn’t make a single sportbike”? WHAT?
Very sad but true. Triumph hasn’t made a full-fairing literbike for over 10 years, and last year they discontinued the 675. Check it out: https://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/
Last I heard the 675 was getting upsized, I thought. What the hell. Sigh.
And now that I’m home and can research – what happened to the 675? Euro 4. Well, take that, those of you thinking bikes were killing the planet and Euro 4 is not excessive.
And Euro 5 comes in 2020? Man, sorry, but F the EU. Jesus they are making California look reasonable.
Triumph scored a real coup by getting the entire Moto2 field to standardize on their 765cc engine starting next year. It gives me great hope that Triumph will capitalize on this and reintroduce a new 765cc sportbike for the street. However, even though I’m certain that a 2020 Triumph 765 will have more horsepower than my 1997 955cc T595, as well as being faster overall, I fear it’s going to be too physically small a motorcycle for my 6’0” frame. But it’d be awesome nonetheless.
Jesus they are making California look reasonable.
and THAT’S very hard to do
I like the fact the weight is advertised as wet…Honda started doing that a while back….aside from that the new S1000r may actually be a tad lighter than the CBR1000RR now
That’s pretty close the weight of the CBR1000rr…..
Yup. The BMW just gives you 30 more horses, while the Honda gives you a balance shaft to quell the buzz.
Compared to the 636, as a sporty street and track bike, they’re both distant runners up….
At least going by the dyno chart of the 14 CBR 1000rr vs S1000r ….it had 25hp over the Honda….but only after 10500RPM ..the Honda was stronger from 6-10000rpm and the acceleration figures showed the Honda was stronger in 80-140 roll on and quarter…
I think were getting to the point where yes, HP gets higher if we chase it up the rev range…its a simple mathematical calculation torque x rpm divide by 5252…..but the last time I checked even for fast road use 6-10500 is pretty much the meat of the powerband…on a liter bike for canyon use…..I’m just saying for real road use using cam profile to gain RPM will make an extra 25-30 hp but means your peak revs are 3000rpm higher…..works well on a 600….for a 1000 only on the track. Same with ZX10R it feels weaker than the Honda till 8500rpm in my view….. of course the new CBR(if it ever comes) will probably chase top end HP too
“acceleration figures showed the Honda was stronger in 80-140 roll on…”
80 to 140 roll on? really? that’s a statistic ?
sport rider archives 2014 cbr vs S1000r and dyno chart shows
sorry 60-80 roll on and 80-100 roll on the honda is quicker and makes 20hp more at 8000rpm
Looking forward to hearing the first person claim that it needs more power and less weight because some other massively powerful/potato chip-light bike exists somewhere on the interwebs. It will also be amusing to hear criticisms of its handling from some fat shlub who rode it once on surface streets at sixty-five mph.
Yeah, suffice it to say that this bike is laughably better than nearly all of us will ever be as riders, and the vast majority of us will never even begin to scratch the surface of what this thing can really do.
You’ll hear it from me. If this bike were..maybe 50 horses stronger and weighed 50lbs less. I’d consider. Come on manufacturers you can do it!
I’m looking for a builder than will allow me to exploit my full street riding capabilities which is believe is about 2 bhp for every pound of wet weight.
Yes impressive especially the weight and almost free senor.
BMW’s paper claims are often pretty close to real world measurements. Pretty impressive.