US racer beats track record on bog stock BMW S1000RR

AN AMERICAN racer riding a bog standard BMW S1000RR has trounced the current lap record set at a US racetrack on an AMA specification Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike.

Chris Peris rode the all-new 1000cc BMW at a motorcycle dealer's promotional event, where sportsbike riders who probably wouldn't normally go for a BMW could see the new 193bhp machine in action.

"We have this great new product in the BMW S1000RR and we were looking for a way to introduce the bike to the sportsbike crowd who may have never set foot inside a BMW dealer before," said John Cartwright, owner of Iron Horse Motorcycles, an Arizona-based BMW dealer.

Peris rode the slick-shod stock BMW, complete with headlights and all street equipment- minus the mirrors and passenger footpegs. On his second session at the brand new Inde Motorsports Park, he beat the standing superbike lap record by over a second, posting a 1:54.07. Peris was familiar with the track, having set the motorcycle lap record, with a time of 1:55.60, on his AMA Superstock specification, VIR podium finishing GSX-R1000 racer.

After the test, Peris said: "Wow. I've never ridden one of these new BMWs before, I can't believe I went faster on a stock bike with headlights, then I did on my own personal racebike. I can't wait to ride it after the ESP boys turn it into more of a racebike."

It reminds us when the Yamaha R1 turned up in 1998 and obliterated everything in its path.