Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1508846
RIDE REVIEW I 2023 BMW M 1000 R M COMPETITION P98 four-cylinder superbike engine problem, and it's a shame to see it's still not resolved. Aim the M at your favorite twisty road, however, and this is where the motorcycle really shines. Carbon fiber wheels take 3.5 pounds of unsprung weight out of the equa - tion, and thus the M turns with the kind of speed normally reserved for Yamaha YZF- R6s. You're perched in a near-perfect attack position thanks to the 33.1-inch seat and 3.1- inch handlebar risers, allowing you to push the M on corner entry harder than you've ever been able to on a BMW sports-naked bike before. Under brakes, you've got everything from corner ABS to dynamic brake control, which is probably completely unnecessary, but the performance at the lever cannot be ques - tioned. BMW has invested in a good master cylinder to match the power of the four- piston brakes, and the modulation at the M Competition-special brake lever is superb. What you ask for at the lever, you get at the tire. If only more manufacturers stopped cheaping out on their master cylinders I'd be able to stop complaining about them. Part of the M Package with the M 1000 R is not just the carbon fiber wheels but also the beautiful billet footpegs and rearsets that give the machine such a quality look and feel. These add-ons are, of course, part of the BMW Motorrad aftermarket catalog, but it's nice not to have to go scrummaging through it after you've just spent the best part of $30K on your new ride. Considering what's out there at this ultra- high-end level of the naked bike class, the 2023 BMW M 1000 R M Competition repre - sents, in my mind at least, the best value in the market, usurping the Ducati simply due to the nimbleness given to the chassis via the carbon fiber wheels. It's an angry-looking thing, one I've never got tired of staring at in the few weeks I've had it. If they could fix the vibrations at highway speeds, it'd be the near-perfect high- performance naked bike. As it is now, it takes a hell of a lot of beating. CN 2023 BMW M 1000 R M COMPETITION ($26,945) ENGINE: Inline four-cylinder DRIVETRAIN: 4 valves per cylinder, BMW ShiftCam variable intake cam control COOLING SYSTEM: Liquid DISPLACEMENT: 999cc BORE X STROKE: 80 x 49.7mm FUEL INJECTION: Electronic fuel injection system, 48mm elliptical throttle bodies, Ride-by-Wire throttle COMPRESSION RATIO: 13.3:1 EXHAUST: 4-2-1 TRANSMISSION: 6-speed CLUTCH: Multi-plate anti-hopping oil bath clutch, mechanically operated ELECTRONICS: Five ECU modes Rain, Road, Dynamic, and Race, plus Race Pro, three level throttle response and engine braking, 16-level traction control, cornering ABS, engine brake, wheelie control, launch and cruise control, dynamic brake control, lap timer, hill-hold control, full LED lighting, daytime running light, backlit handlebar switches, TFT color display CHASSIS: Twin-spar cast aluminum FRONT SUSPENSION: 45mm inverted electronic Marzocchi fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: Marzocchi electronic monoshock, fully adjustable FRONT BRAKE: Dual 320mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted monobloc 4-piston calipers, Cornering ABS REAR BRAKE: 220mm disc, Brembo twin-piston, Cornering ABS FRONT TIRE: 120/70 - ZR 17 M/C (58 W) REAR TIRE: 200/55 - ZR 17 M/C (78 W) WHEELBASE: 57.1 in. SEAT HEIGHT: 33.1 in. FUEL CAPACITY: 4.35 gal. WEIGHT (CURB): 438 lbs. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S