Cycle News

VOL. 51 ISSUE 46 NOVEMBER 18, 2014 P83 fault mark. Our test bikes were fully loaded with every conceiv- able electronics option, so we could experiment with any avail- able setup—okay, not cruise con- trol!—and for the morning three sessions we used Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP street tires (not race compound), mounted on the stock cast aluminium wheels, before switching after lunch to Superbike-spec slicks fitted to the optional forged wheels which save a hefty 5.4 pounds over the stock items. Using Race mode to start with, it was pretty evident straight away how much BMW has improved this motorcycle, even though it was already such a class act, and a paragon of performance. It's not just the extra 6bhp and eight pounds less weight which combine to thrust the S1000RR out of turns even more vividly than before, but it's the way the performance is delivered. It does so with such relentless but controlled acceleration. Along Monteblanco's short straights between its succession of sec- ond-gear turns, with an occa- sional quick stab into third on the sweet-action powershifter when the junior searchlight on the dash flashes at 13,500 rpm to tell you to hit another gear wide open, the BMW is fast. Then with the next slow turn coming stacks that are 35mm shorter for extra performance at higher revs. This helps compensate for the reduced torque of the short-stroke motor further down the revscale, allowing BMW's R&D team to utilize a quite extreme camshaft design, giving higher lift for improved top-end power without sacrificing bottom-end performance. It's the best of both worlds, although BMW continues to use trumpets that have no variation in length between the inner two and the outer two, as on some other bikes. The ratios of the six-speed gear- box, with the ubiquitous stacked shafts to further compact the engine, are unchanged, as is the ramp-style slipper clutch fitted as standard. Completing the drivetrain package is an all-new seven-pound lighter and much throatier-sounding stainless steel exhaust that no longer has a front silencer, but retains the pair of three-way catalytic converters and electronically controlled exhaust valves from before. The new system features a twin-pipe rear silencer incorporating a dB-killer, and, with a view to increasing gas speeds, the manifold diameter has been reduced and the exhaust back-pressure low- ered to deliver increased midrange torque and more power. Output on the new bike now peaks at 199bhp/146kW at 13,500 rpm, an increase of 6bhp/4kW over the HP4, while maximum torque has risen slightly from that bike's 112 Nm/11.4kgm/82.6 lb-ft at 9,750 rpm to 113Nm/11.5kgm/83 lb-ft at 10,500 rpm. But the usable rev range has been widened considerably on the new RR, so that near-peak torque re- mains on tap between 9,500 rpm (112 Nm) and 12,000 rpm (113 Nm), while the hard revlimiter remains unchanged at 14,200 rpm. This light, compact power unit, which retains a knife-edged oil sump bolted to the bottom of the crank- cases for optimum lubrication during extreme bank angles, is mounted as a fully stressed component in a heavily revised twin-spar chassis still consist- ing of four cast aluminum members welded together, but with a new lighter rear section saving a pound in weight. Together the whole package has been redesigned to incorporate greater so- called controlled flex for greater rider feedback, especially in the swingarm pivot area, as well as making the bike easier to handle and increasing the mechanical grip of the rear wheel for improved traction. The steering geom- etry has been sharpened up as part of this process, with the rake for the fully- adjustable 46mm Sachs upside down fork reduced by 0.5° to 23.5° and trail 2mm less at 96.5mm. At the same time, the swingarm pivot point has been lowered by 3mm to increase squat for better grip, and the wheelbase lengthened by 15mm to 1432mm, presumably also for extra traction via the fully adjustable Sachs shock. Wheel travel is 120mm at either end, and ride height has been increased 5mm overall. As a factory-fitted option, the new S1000RR can also be specified with an uprated version of the semi-active DDC/Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) electronic suspension found on the HP4. The handlebar width has been increased slightly by 5mm on each side, for extra leverage. The 320mm floating front discs are gripped by Brembo four-piston radial calipers (not Monoblocs, though, as on the HP4), with a fixed 220mm rear disc matched to a floating single- piston caliper, and switchable BMW Motorrad Race ABS included as standard. Claimed fully laden wet weight with a four-gallon fuel load is 449 pounds, an eight-pound saving over the HP4.

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