BMW S1000RR
The 193hp Superbike from BMW Motorcycles

visit 'on road test' at bikepoint "In the flesh the bmw S1000RR is simply gorgeous. BMW has been down the asymmetrical headlight path before, and here – once again – it works. Step a little closer and a multitude of lovely touches catch your eye: The precision machined top triple clamp, the numbered rebound and compression adjustors, the beefy alloy swingarm. From the smallest bracket to the largest bodywork panel, the S 1000 RR exudes quality and supreme attention to detail."

visit Bikepoint " what certainly stood out for me during the first few sighting laps were the procession of asymmetrical headlights (or the so-called split face) in my rear view mirror. While some people proffer that it's the work of a loony design team, it certainly ensures a unique look, all a part of a body and design exercise which BMW says is almost "reminiscent of a hungry animal ready to pounce at any time". There's no doubt the BMW S1000RR is a slender bike, especially through the waist and tank. And that's a boon for the whole turning and change of direction caper, where riders can really grip the tank for extra leverage."

visit motorcycledaily "The frame is a light, sturdy truss, the swingarm is extra-long for maximum traction, and the tank is lightweight aluminum. The Sachs suspension is easily adjustable for rebound and compression damping using the tip of the specially designed ignition key, and the asymmetrical styling sets the bike apart. The reason for the squinty-looking headlight? The high beam doesn't need a large reflector, so it can be smaller than the low beam, which means less plastic, and less weight: every gram counts, right? The "gills" on the left side aid cooling, and the simple, stubby muffler completes the SBK racer-for-the-street look. "

visit Motorcyclist "Asymmetry is the theme, with both sides of the bike looking distinctly different. The right-side fairing features a trio of shark gills while the left has a single large cooling hole. The headlights are mismatched too, with a conventional trapezoidal-shaped lamp on the left side of the V-shaped air inlet and a round projector beam on the right. Arrowheads on each side cowl point to the BMW logo, while the twin tips on the lower cowling and above the clear LED taillight are subtly carried through to the subfender and chain guard."

visit ashonbikes "The engine, frankly, is staggering. It revs eagerly at a standstill, promising much with its quick-fire snarls, and once you’re rolling its thrust is immense. Comparing figures between bikes is a wasteful exercise as no one seems to measure things in quite the same way, but BMW says its bike has the best power to weight ratio of all the superbikes, and when you open the throttle at the start of a long straight like Portimao’s, the way the bike fires itself up the track like a missile suggests that’s probably true. It is noticeably and significantly quicker than a GSX-R1000, this is obvious even without a direct back-to-back comparison, and right up there with the quickest, the R1 and Aprilia."

visit motorcycle usa "To give to an example of the new BMW’s engine performance, my top speed on Ben Spies’ factory Yamaha R1 was 301 km/h (187 mph) at the end of the massive front straight, and according to the data on the stock BMW S1000RR I clocked high 280s with ease and a peak of 289 km/h (180 mph), a mere 12 Km/h (7 mph) down on the world championship-winning machine. To say this is impressive is an understatement. These speeds on the stock Beemer were also equally as quick as the factory-supported Kawasaki WSBK I rode at the same time. Unreal!"

visit motorcycle.com "We applaud the way BMW has incorporated the electronics into the S1000, as the selectable modes essentially provide four motorcycles in one. And if you're too cool for DTC or traction control, they can be switched off with a push of a button. I wasn't the only journalist at the launch who was highly impressed with BMW's new supersport literbike. It's devastatingly powerful yet easy to manage, and its electronics package is more advanced than anything from its rivals. It's also a responsive handler, its brakes are as good as they get and have the added safety benefit of ABS. I can't really think of any single thing it lacks."

visit mcn "BMW’s S1000RR is the German company’s first venture into modern superbike territory and what a serious effort it is. Although it shares similar technology to the competition (GSX-R1000, Fireblade, ZX-10R etc) of dohc, 16-valves, stacked gearbox and so on, the engine delivers a mighty class leading claimed 190bhp at the back wheel. Add a good gearbox, impressive fuel injection and electronics, it all adds up to make the BMW shine brightest. As for handling; the BMW S1000RR was launched at Portugal’s Portimao circuit and couldn’t be faulted around one of the most tortuous tracks going."

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Compare the S1000RR you've seen here with these great examples of superbike design:

Aprilia RSV4

KTM RC8

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