Pics: BMW S 1000 RR superbike officially in production

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.

The engine has a very compact cylinder head and is narrow in shape. The valves are activated by means of very small, light cam followers, virtually at Formula 1 level in terms of their dimensions. This construction ensures very high engine speeds and allows maximum freedom in engine design in terms of torque and output.

The BMW S 1000 RR optionally receives a newly developed sports ABS featuring four different modes as well as the dynamic traction control system DTC will be available. The principal function of the traction control system has been borrowed directly from the racing version.

The valve actuation system used on the S 1000 RR has been the object of some speculation since the announcement of the bike. After promising some innovations ‘around the cylinder head’ many expected a mechanically operated desmodromic valve system not dissimilar to what Ducati use - but BMW was quick to squash that rumour. Pneumatically actuated valves are precise, they allow high engine revs and they’re now well-understood in racing, but are not practical for roadbikes. The S 1000 RR press release conjures up links with Formula One development, but it remains to be seen exactly what this means, or how the valves will be closed quickly enough at very high revs. For an excellent overview of BMW’s Formula One technology and how it will benefit the S 1000 RR, see this piece at BMWSuperBikes.com.

In terms of appearance, the new Beemer is comewhere between a GSX-R1000 and a CBR1000RR, with the side fairing shape of the former and the tiny, aerodynamic tail section of the latter. It will be available in silver, green, grey and the blue/white/red BMW racing team colours.

Expected availability is around the European summer or earlier, pricing is EU15,150 including taxes, a grand less than a KTM RC8. Click through on any of our photos for HUGE hi-res versions.

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