…And neither has the German powerhouse decided to take any half-measures with its press kit - we’ve attached it below in all its abundant 43-page glory.
Full details of the 2010 BMW S1000RR have finally been released, and the beemer superbike delivers its butt off on a number of levels.
Firstly, a power figure of 193 horses at the crank (there have been reports of 182hp at the wheel in dyno testing) puts the S1000RR right at the top end of the litrebike class. BMW claims a fully fuelled and road-ready weight of 206.5kg, or 183kg without fuel. The Japanese bikes might look lighter on paper, but they arrive at their figures in a process that’s at best obfuscation and at worst plain shonky. BMW have typically been very honest with their weight figures. Either way, power-to-weight is sky high for a stock bike. (more…)
Can’t afford a Desmosedici RR? Me neither. I’d bloody love to ride one though, 200 Italian stallions from a GP replica V4 engine… The 990cc, of course, from that time long ago when men were men and MotoGP bikes were actually scary. I can dream, though, of wedging myself into that midget seat, the firm but supple Ohlins suspension, the scrotum-tightening experience of wrenching that terrifying throttle all the way around in fourth, then third, but never first.
Excuse me, just having a moment. Anyway, the point is that there’s a lot of bikes we’d all love to ride, but would never own, either because they’re too niche, or too expensive, too highly strung, too impractical, or too Italian. Which makes Sydney’s Superbike Club such a fascinating idea. A signup fee of AU$1,750, and then AU$7,000 per year thereafter, gives you access to book the Desmosedici RR, as well as a host of other very tasty motorcycles, for a ride whenever you feel like it. (more…)
I couldn’t resist posting this series of pics. Guy on a Gixxer6 or 750 overcooks a right-hander at Deal’s Gap USA, slams into a van and loses his “safety sneaker” in the impact. Fantastic case of right place, right time for the photographer… Or then again, did this guy overcook the corner trying to get himself posterized? If so, he might not be that keen on blowing these ones up for his bedroom wall… Great photos!
If you aren’t already a fan of the TED: Ideas Worth Spreading conference, then here’s a great reason to get started. At the 2009 TED event, which is happening as we speak in Palm Springs, Mission One is unveiling the most exciting piece of battery-electric motorcycle technology we’ve seen to date. The Mission One electric sportsbike will be the first machine to hit the market with genuine sportsbike performance and the range to make it a worthwhile addition to the garage.
A top speed of 150mph is well into supersports territory and more than enough for the road - but the shattering 100 foot-pounds of torque available right off idle should make this one of the quickest-accelerating tyre-shredding streetbikes on the planet. As Mike Hanlon points out over at Gizmag, by comparison the 2009 R1 only makes 85 foot-pounds of torque when it hits 10,000rpm. The brutal torque allows the Mission One bike to operate completely without the use of gears, saving the weight of a transmission. Sadly this means there’ll be no clutch for wheelies either. (more…)
Here’s a sight to warm the cockles… BMW’s roadgoing superbike contender has officially gone into production, the first of the vaunted new models rolling off the line in Berlin today. The bike is already looking like it could be a contender in the 2009 World Superbike championships, and will ship with traction control and a “sports ABS” system for the road. From the press release:
The series production BMW S 1000 RR is a completely new motorcycle for BMW Motorrad with a compact and light 999cc in-line 4-cylinder engine. The dry weight of the motorcycle is 183 kg.(more…)
It’s the one big-four superbike that’s capturing everyone’s interest in 2009; the new R1’s unevenly spaced firing order makes it the first roadbike to be able to claim big-bang MotoGP ancestry. More than just sounding totally horn, the new engine should give a slightly more grippy drive out of corners right at the edge of traction, as the longer breaks between power pulses allow tyre rubber to spring back into shape a touch better.
But there’s also the issue of combustion versus inertial torque - and this Yamaha video shows how the crossplane crankshaft and its uneven firing order virtually eliminate inertial torque to allegedly deliver a more intimate connection between the throttle and the engine’s torque output.
The original Bimota DB7 was never accused of lacking anything in the desirability stakes; Ducati’s barnstorming 1098 engine got the mouthwatering Bimota design and handling treatment to be the small company’s flagship sportsbike in 2008 with a mix of serious power, agility and stunning bespoke looks that seemed to stagger you even more the closer you looked at it.
But considering Bimota caters to such an elite market in the bike world, the company saw fit to ratchet things up a few notches with the Milan unveiling of an upgraded special version - the DB7 Oro Nero, or ‘Black Gold’ - that leaves no opportunity for the use of carbon fibre unplundered to result in a magical 1:1 weight to horsepower figure and a truly extraordinary hand-built production bike. (more…)
BMW have upgraded their outrageously overpowered K1200S, R and GT models with an extra 136cc for 2009. The bored-and stroked-out K1300S and K1300R now shunt out an extra 8 horsepower and 10 ft-lbs at a claimed 175hp, and 103 ft-lbs of torque. But the real news is on the left hand switchblock… Look closely… That’s right! A NORMAL, SINGLE INDICATOR SWITCH instead of those wacky Bavarian 3-switch jobbies that have confused japanese bike riders for decades!
In Paris, the veils have finally come off the 2009 Gixxer thou’ and specs are starting to come through for the Suzuki flagship superbike. The most significant changes for the 09 model appear to be a new, more compact, more powerful and more oversquare engine, a longer swingarm, slightly shorter wheelbase and the much-maligned double trashcan exhausts from 07/08 have been replaced by equally offensive titanium “Horns of Gondor.” (more…)
Kawasaki has launched its new supersport for 2009 with a look very similar to this year’s ZX-10R. The underseat exhaust has given way to a triangular side-mount muffler as seems to be the rage these days, the tail has taken on a distinctly GSX-R sort of look in its absence, and the tank has gained a huge indentation into which you can settle your helmet’s chinpiece as you assault the main straight on trackdays.
The engine has been revised for a little more peak horsepower (final details yet to be released) and a fatter midrange, with an emphasis on smooth throttle response mid-corner. The new double-bore intake funnels, situated at two different heights, presumably help to boost the low-end and midrange power. The chassis has been lightened, and mass has been purposefully moved around the frame to provide this year’s optimal centre of gravity for quick handling. (more…)
