BMW HP4 RACE VS. BMW S 1000 RR
COMPARISON TEST
P98
son to the S 1000 RR?
Opening the throttle on the HP4 to drive
onto COTA's back straightaway will remind
you exactly why it's dubbed a superbike.
Throttle response is direct, but not so direct
that it makes the motorcycle unrideable. In
fact, the initial power delivery is linear and
forgiving, giving you the confidence to twist
the throttle on corner exit and not worry
about being spat off. Race bikes have to
be aggressive enough to produce quick
lap times, but gentle enough to allow mere
mortals (with all our flaws and limitations) to
still manage them over the course of a race.
Through years of racing, BMW has perfect-
ed that balance. And the HP4 Race is proof.
It isn't docile though. As the revs pass the
10,000 rpm mark, the HP4 transforms into a
full-blown rocket ship. It acceler-
ates with (mildly) controlled an-
ger, forcing your eyeballs to the
back of their sockets as it wheel-
ies towards its redline of 14,500
rpm (300 rpm higher than the
S 1000 RR). There's no time to
relax on the straightaways; snap
your fingers and you'll be slamming on the
brakes for the next corner.
Like the HP4, the S 1000 RR's power deliv-
ery is soft off the bottom, although the throttle
doesn't feel as connected to the rear wheel.
A near quarter-turn of the throttle is required
for the S 1000 RR to begin driving forward,
but once it starts rolling, it isn't any slouch.
There's a hit in the powerband at around
10,500 rpm, but the quickshifter's overly
intrusive ignition cut hinders the true potential
of the S 1000 RR by slowing it down in be-
tween each gear. Comparing top-end speeds
between the two bikes is almost useless; the
HP4 will be light years ahead of the S 1000
RR by the end of the straightaway.
The S 1000 RR
is by no means a
slow motorcycle!
Wheelies exiting
COTA's final turn
were common
during our day.
