BMW S 1000RR

If 2015 is the year of the new sports bike, then BMW has come out fighting to keep its crown as king of them all with a totally revised BMW S1000RR six years after it was launched. It gets more power, a new frame and geometry, weighs less and has a host of new gadgets to keep buyers interested. That included a pit-lane limiter like MotoGP bikes, cruise control, and launch control for those traffic light moments.

But it’s not just electronic gimmicks that make the the leading sports bike in terms of sales in recent years, and the winner of numerous accolades, the best S1000RR yet.

BMW has upped the ante for 2015 with a 6bhp boost taking it to 199bhp, and a 4kg weight loss programme. It now weighs 204kg with a full tank of fuel.

Widely acknowledged as an incredibly competent bike (and one of our favourites), the

The current S1000RR is only three years old, but BMW felt it was old enough for a substantial overhaul.

Although the styling echoes the BMW S1000RR, in fact every panel has been changed, including that trademark boggle-eyed front end which gets the headlights swapped over so the round one is on the right. The lights have grown bigger than previous models to give it a distinctive face.

In the motor, the S1000RR gets a re-engineered cylinder head, intake valves and intake camshaft, plus a new airbox to help with that 6bhp boost.

Amazingly for a bike that already feels so rideable, it also gets more torque from lower down the rev range, and maximum torque of 82 to 83ft-lb available between 9500rpm and 12,000rpm. It revs to 14,200rpm as before.

To keep that new power and torque in check, there’s a new chassis and the option of semi-active suspension developed from the £20,000 BMW HP4. As you’d expect, all the traction control, ABS and riding mode systems on the bike have all been refined for 2015.

But while BMW are going after all out horsepower, weight loss and rideability, the bike that already comes with heated grips as an option, also gets a new ride-by-wire cruise control! Yes, cruise control on a 199bhp bike is now available! BMW claim it not only helps on longer journeys but can also be used as a speed limiter if the rider chooses.

Along with the cruise control the bike also gets riding modes as standard – rain, sport and race – as before – but now has ‘Slick’ mode and ‘User’, allowing the rider to set-up their own preferences.

The ‘Rain’ mode cuts power to ‘just’ 187bhp and 80ft-lb of torque but does crank up the early activation of ABS and traction control, and makes the throttle response gentler.

Three of those four kilos saved in weight come from not having a front silencer, instead opting for a bigger can at the rear of the bike and twin pipes going into it. The other kilo was shaved from using a lighter battery.

The 2015 BMW S1000RR is available in red and light blue, black, or BMW Motorsport colours as seen here.

The S 1000 RR revolutionized the supersports class when it first came out in 2009. Now - six years later - it steps up to the very same challenge. The S 1000 RR model year 2015 has been completely revised: BMW Motorrad engineers have entirely revised the bike's technology, design and fittings. The result: in its origins a genuine Double R, on the road a new supersports machine.

A facelift is not enough.

The RR is the epitome of a superbike - and that applies to its design, too. Now in its third generation, you can instantly see its increased power. The profile is razor-sharp and extremely clear, the volume of the contours and shapes perfectly balanced. From the rear to the front section, every trim component has been redesigned - including the headlamp element, where the symmetry has been given greater emphasis.

Increased output, reduced weight.

The new S 1000 RR has an output of 199 hp - 6 hp more than its predecessor. But it is not just its higher rated output that makes the Double R faster and more agile. Weighing in at 450 lbs incl. ABS and traction control, it is some 8.8 lbs lighter than the previous version. Furthermore, it has a newly designed exhaust system as well as a new engine set-up for increased torque, an improved output curve and many other optimized details.

Consistently revised down to the last detail.

In addition to major changes to design and performance, it is primarily the technical details which allow the S 1000 RR to take such a quantum leap forward. The electronic suspension components DDC and DTC have been given a new set-up, as has the entire suspension. This ensures greatly improved traction as well as better feedback to the rider. Optimized riding is enabled by such features as the Shift Assistant Pro (shifting up and down without clutch) and the e-gas throttle actuator for more precise and direct control. The rider operates these new features via the newly designed instrument panel which can be adapted to the specific type of use.

All in all: a new S 1000 RR.

In taking the S 1000 RR a step further for model year 2015, absolutely every component was re-assessed. The result is a superbike what will once again set the benchmark in its class - in other words a genuine Double R.

The new model year 2015 S 1000 RR has been completely revised: BMW Motorrad engineers have entirely reconceived the bike's technology, design and fittings. The result: in its DNA, a genuine Double R; on the road, a new supersports machine.

Not all of what is new in the Double R is instantly visible - many of the innovative details are concealed beneath its exterior. Find out here about the expertise that went into enhancing the technical excellence.

ENGINE.
MORE POWERFUL THAN EVER BEFORE.

The new engine now delivers an impressive 199 hp; 6 hp more than in the predecessor model. In addition, the maximum torque range has been increased to 10,500 rpm. The throttle valves are electronically controlled using the new electromotive throttle actuator technology. Other improvements have been made to the mapping, cylinder head and the intake tube geometry.

FINGERTIP CONTROL.

In contrast to its predecessor, the 2015 S 1000 RR has been converted to 100% electromotive throttle control. The electronic control of the fuel feed means that the relevant throttle valves are operated much more directly This ride-by-wire system gives the rider more accelerator input and release control. What is more, operating the accelerator is physically easier with no mechanical transmission.

RIDING MODES.
FOR EVERY ROUTE, FOR EVERY RIDER.

The riding modes Rain, Sport and Race with ABS and ASC come as standard on the new S 1000 RR. The Slick and User modes are new optional extras.

With the latter modes, the rider can define various DDC and DTC settings to allow two different suspension set-ups to be evaluated during travel at the press of a button.

DAMPING CONTROL (DDC).
SET-UP IN MILLISECONDS.

Dynamic Damping Control (or DDC for short) is an electronic control unit which adjusts the suspension fully automatically to the given situation. At intervals of 10 milliseconds the DDC control unit processes a wealth of information such as traction, banking and damper feedback.

From the rider's point of view, this means that the RR has the optimum set-up for damper compression and rebound at all times. So compromises in the suspension settings are now a thing of the past.

DISPLAY.
MORE AT A GLANCE.

With its exceptionally high resolution, the instrument panel of the new S1000RR provides even clearer display of selected settings along with road speed and engine speed.

These are some of the information items and functions which can be read and set by the rider: set-up for DDC and race track, banking, DTC, lap time and lap distance, lap-specific speed, active riding mode, gear changes per lap and much more. 

SHIFT ASSISTANT PRO.

CHANGE GEAR LIKE THE PROS.

This is a feature racing riders know and love: the Shift Assistant Pro enables the rider to shift up and down without using the clutch.

This optional extra provides numerous benefits: the riders can leave their hand on the handlebars when braking as it is not required to activate the clutch, there is considerably less load change impact on the rear wheel and in addition, reduced shift time.

EXHAUST SYSTEM.
OPTIMISED FOR RIDER AND FORWARD PROPULSION.

The new rear silencer with dual flow results in increased torque within the lower engine speed range as well as an improvement in the charge cycle. This also reduces exhaust gas back pressure for increased power. All in all the new exhaust system without front silencer reduces the bike's weight by three kilos.

FORGED WHEELS.
FULL CONTACT TIRES.

Tires are the only point of contact between the asphalt and the motorcycle. For this reason, aluminium HP forged wheels (optional extra) are available for the new S1000RR. They weigh 2.4 kilos less than the standard wheels of the previous model and improve handling.

SUSPENSION.
INCREASED AGILITY AND TRACTION.

A steeper steering angle, longer wheelbase, lower swing arm rotation centre, shorter fork protrusion, wider handlebars and a lighter rear section: the suspension of the S 1000 RR has been optimised in numerous details.

The new suspension geometry provides a much improved feel for the front. It was also possible to achieve increased agility, lighter-footed handling, increased mechanical grip on the rear wheel and more rear-wheel feedback in the threshold range.

Here is a summary of the optimised details: steering angle increased from 66° to 66.5°, swing arm rotation centre lowered by 3 mm, wheelbase extended by 8 mm to 1,425 mm, castor shortened by 1.5 mm to 96.5 mm, fork protrusion shortened by 6 mm, spring struts extended by approx. 40 mm, handlebars widened by 5 mm each.