Cycle News

VOL. 56 ISSUE 16 APRIL 23, 2019 P63 fits of BMW's equally radical chas- sis development on the new mod- el, whose most outward change is the dismissal of the old S 1000 RR's trademark asymmetric headlights, while still retaining its recognizable silhouette fitted with a full range of LED lighting equip- ment. But beneath that the all-new 2.7-pound lighter twin-spar frame made from four cast aluminum sections welded together uses the engine as a fully-stressed member, with its cylinders inclined forward by 32º. However, in pursuit of excellence in this no-compromises machine, BMW has been ruthless in changing suppliers for its chas- sis hardware. Marzocchi replaces Ohlins as its suspension partner. Continental chosen instead of Bosch as its ABS supplier, and perhaps most surprising of all, American brake specialist Hayes supplanting Brembo to provide the rigidly-mounted four-piston radial brake calipers gripping the new S 1000 RR's floating 320mm discs via a radial Nissin master cylin- der. These discs are, however, still made by Brembo, ditto the 220mm rear disc and its single- piston caliper. "We wanted to have a really small and also light ABS system, and Continental has a much smaller control unit weighing just 2.4 pounds, which meant we could package it better," says Michael Thewke. "Moreover, they were prepared to work with us in developing the system, and that's the reason we chose Marzoc- chi as our electronic suspension partner, too. Marzocchi was able to bring new technology with a completely different damping sys- tem which is working faster than its rivals. We worked very closely together throughout the develop- ment, and it was a win-win for both sides—they also learned a lot from us because we have great experi- ence in manufacturing, also for the damping system. And it's the same story with Hayes because we developed the new brake caliper completely together, not just took something from the shelf. Of course, we tested the perfor- mance of this brake, and it's the same level as the Brembo one." Sadly, I wasn't able to try that out for myself properly beyond discovering that the U.S. brakes don't have too fierce an initial bite, which might have proved how well the Continental ABS worked. Still, I found that out later. But I could certainly feel the benefits of the new S 1000 RR chassis design, which as soon as you sit on the bike you realize is much narrower across the frame behind the fuel tank. Even though the 32.4-inch seat height is actually slightly higher than the old model's 32 inches, it feels lower thanks also to the fact that the fuel tank made from three aluminum sections is noticeably narrower at the rear where it meets the seat. This makes you feel much more as if you're sitting in the new bike, rather than perched on top of it, which was always the case with the old one. The new chassis re- duces the width of the BMW by .5 inches to 1.2 inches between your upper legs, so as a result, it was possible to make the new RR only about .8 inches wider there than a V4 motorcycle of equal capac- ity, says Michael Thewke. The new bike's handlebar position is a little different, too. It is wider, and the semi-clip-ons themselves are slightly dropped compared to before. However, the rider does sit in the same place relative to the axles, says Thewke. It is within the .3 inches longer 56.7-inch wheelbase. But definitely out on the track. Two-way powershifter is included as stock with a vast array of improved electronic rider aids.

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