Power mixed with playfulness

The S 1000 RR has riding dynamics combined with everyday riding qualities.

BMW Motorrad had a big challenge on its hands when it decided to enter the 2009 World Superbike championship and so went about manufacturing a new production model.

The essential needs for a production-based superbike are a bucket-load of usable power, a strong, robust engine and a good strong chassis that perfectly matches the engine. Other features vital in the top league of supersports bikes are rideability, light-footed handling, and, above all, safety features such as rider assistance systems like ABS and traction control, giving the customer precisely what he needs.

For the first time, BMW has built a bike for supersports that at the same time retains many of the virtues attached to BMW. The S 1000 RR has riding dynamics combined with everyday riding qualities, playful handling together with riding stability, performance combined with safety, as well as dynamic design in conjunction with optimum ergonomics and aerodynamics.

Safety when braking is improved by Race ABS developed especially for the S 1000 RR and available as an option straight from the factory. Another feature is the DTC Dynamic Traction Control, also available as an option.

Facing various riding conditions such as wet roads, regular road conditions, a racetrack with supersport tyres, or a racetrack with slicks, the rider also has the choice of various engine characteristics and set-ups available at the touch of a button.

The water-cooled four-cylinder inline power unit is brand new from the ground up, developing maximum output of 142kW at 13,000rpm and revving up to 14,200rpm. Maximum torque is 112Nm in turn at 9750rpm.

Following the example of BMW's Formula 1 engines, the two intake and exhaust valves per cylinder are made of extra-light titanium and are operated by very small and equally light single-cam followers. A short sprocket drives the camshaft via an intermediate gear, thus allowing peace of mind at very high revs.

Made completely of stainless steel, the exhaust system is designed for power and performance. The exhaust system comes with two fully controlled interference pipe butterflies housed in two connection pipes for the two outer and two inner manifolds, in the immediate vicinity of the exhaust ducts. As a function of various parameters such as engine speed and the position of the throttle butterfly, an adjuster opens or closes these flaps, allowing exhaust gas to flow freely between the two manifolds or, respectively, interrupting the flow of gas.

Another feature of the bike is its light weight helped by the aluminium bridge frame integrating the engine for optimum torsional stiffness on minimum weight. The front wheel runs on upside-down forks while a torsionally stiff swing arm made of aluminium holds the rear wheel in position. The rear damping is provided by a central spring strut pivoting on a guide lever.

The dog-shift six-speed gearbox is very compact and light. The individual gears are shifted by a light, composite steel shift cylinder and shift forks resting on three points.

To keep the gearbox and transmission system as compact and short as possible, the primary and secondary shafts are positioned on top of one another, saving a lot of space. Again, this reduces the overall length of the engine and allows the use of a long rear-wheel swing arm in the interest of optimum traction. The S 1000 RR offers the customer the option to choose the HP Gearshift Assistant featured, thus enabling them to shift up without operating the clutch. In the process the ignition and fuel supply are interrupted for fractions of a second in order to keep the gearshift absolutely smooth and even very soft with the advantage of even faster acceleration.

With such a base for a superbike, BMW has just finished its first season in the SBX series with Ruben Xuas and two-time world champion Troy Corser piloting the new bike. Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport are more than happy with their first year in the SBX and are already looking forward to 2010.

The team always knew the year was going to be hard, but Corser and Xuas have performed better than many expected first time out on a new race bike. Corser finished the series in 13th and Xaus in 17th.

"This season has been hard for us all, but we knew that before the start and it is thanks to all the hard work everybody has put in that we have had so many top 10 finishes," Xuas told BMWpowerplanet.com.

"Considering that this is our first season, I think we should be happy about what we have achieved so far.

"The bike has improved since the last time I rode it and that makes me eager to find out how much more I can push it. The team are fantastic and the team spirit has been superb right from the start. It's not nice ending the season with a broken leg, but there was nothing I could do about the crash and I prefer to think about the potential of the bike and working with Troy and the rest of the team to put it on the podium."

To get your hands on a production model, contact Experience Motorcycles, 625 New North Rd, Kingsland, Auckland, ph: (09) 845 5950, email sales@experiencebmw.co.nz.

Additional information: www.bmwmotorrad.co.nz