BMW Concept RR: Carbon, Aero and 230 Horses: A Taste of the Next Superbike Era
The Concept RR gives us a glimpse of what BMW believes is the future of the superbike
BMW Motorrad chose the velvet lawns of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, usually more accustomed to one-off Ferraris and concours-prepped Bugattis, to unveil a machine that’s anything but delicate: The all-new Concept RR.
Think of it as a high-decibel whisper of what’s coming next in the RR lineage. Sure, the current S1000 RR and M1000 RR are still fresh out of the update oven, but the Concept RR looks beyond them, straight into the next chapter of BMW’s superbike story.
And while it’s technically still early days, BMW couldn’t resist slipping a few juicy bits under the carbon-fibre skin. At the heart of the Concept RR is the same inline-four cylinder engine that powered Toprak Razgatlıoğlu to the 2024 WorldSBK crown. It’s claimed to produce north of 230 horsepower, and while that is wild and exciting, don’t get too attached to it. This engine is very much a placeholder, with the final production-spec unit still in development back in Munich.
What is worth noting, however, is the Concept RR’s electronics package, lifted almost wholesale from the current M1000 RR WSBK machine. We're talking full-fat race-spec engine mapping, traction control, and engine braking systems, all several steps ahead of what’s on offer in today's showroom models. That alone gives us a strong clue where the production bike’s development is heading.
But make no mistake, this concept isn’t about engines and chassis geometry. BMW’s focus here is aerodynamics and construction. And they’ve gone to town on it.
The fairing plays a greatest-hits medley of RR design cues. Yes, the shark gills are still there, but now the engine is more exposed, with the fairing’s underbelly extending further back than ever, almost brushing the rear wheel. It’s a visual sleight-of-hand: all aggression and lightness, and very obviously sculpted by CFD.
Carbon fibre is absolutely everywhere: the bodywork, the fenders, even the swingarm. The tail unit is aluminium and features a glowing ‘RR’ logo that doubles as a sort of minimalist taillight. It’s not just for show. BMW says it channels air between the carbon and aluminium components, smoothing the airflow and increasing performance.
And then there are the now-obligatory winglets. Concept RR’s aero elements are sharper, more integrated. They curl around fairing flanking the slender headlights and flare upward into the bodywork, giving the bike a much more taut and chiselled look than the existing, more swooping, S and M1000 RR.
When this bike, or the ones it inspires, land in the market remains to be seen. We’ve just received BMW’s updated top-spec superbikes already in 2025. If the four-year update cycle is respected, we could be set to wait until 2028 before we get another peek at the project!
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
