WE LOVED the old S1000RR, but this looks like it’ll move the game on by a fair margin. It has no less than 207bhp@13,500rpm – up 8bhp from before – from a new variable valve timing motor, and the overall mass has been slashed by 11kg, from 208kg to 197kg, ready to ride. Wow.
That all-new engine gets the firm’s latest Shiftcam variable valve setup on the intake side. The system has sliding concentric outer shafts, with two different cam profiles on them, on a splined inner shaft with the drive on one end. An ECU-controlled motor switches between low- and high-speed cams at 9,000rpm (in under 10 milliseconds…), so you get soft, low-lift, short-duration cams for great low-down and midrange torque, then lumpy, aggressive profile cams for peak power production. The outer shafts are moved by a system like you have in a bike gearbox – a movable pin engaging in a cammed slot on the shaft, which slides the outer camshaft section left and right as needed.
The variable valves also reduce fuel consumption and emissions, but for us, the best bit will be the torquier power production this will also deliver. BMW says the new motor is as at home bouncing off the limiter on track as it is lustily grunting along a country road. Whether it’ll be enough to keep in touch with the Ducati Panigale V4 1100 and Aprilia’s new RSV4 1100 Factory remains to be seen (prob not tbh). The head is new, with revised port shapes, the valves are not only titanium, but have hollow bored shafts, which is pretty OCD in terms of mass reduction. Rocker arms are lighter, steel con rods are shorter and 10 per cent lighter, and a new exhaust system is 1.3kg skinnier than before.
Overall, the engine is 4kg lighter than before, which is some achievement for sure, especially since the ShiftCam setup adds a kilo.
The engine is also more of a load-bearing part of the frame, which is also all-new. It’s over a kilo lighter, and made from four cast parts welded together. The wheelbase is longer, steering geometry steeper with less trail, and the swingarm is now 606.6mm long. Exactly. This all puts more weight over the front; weight bias is now 53.8 per cent forwards, for more stability on the gas. Suspension, wheels and brakes are all new, with electronic adjustment options on the forks and shock, and the latest ABS setup.
Speaking of electronics, there’s a new colour dashboard, where all the rider aids are controlled. The new display also has loads of extra info – lean angle, lap times, braking level, and much more. The bodywork is also all new, with LED headlights, and no more asymmetrical 'cock-eyed' front fairing. Will we miss that? Maybe, in time...
It all looks properly good, and with BMW moving to an ‘M Power’ brand instead of the ‘HP’ moniker, plus an all-new factory WSB effort coming, the signs are all good. Our only regret? That BMW didn’t plump for making a cheeky 1100cc roadbike version at the same time.
We're looking forward to a ride on one nevertheless...
