The superbike market is shrinking. Fewer people are buying 1000cc superbikes. That’s not where the profit is…
All of it is true and undeniable, but that hasn’t stopped motorcycle manufacturers from continuously improving them and turning them into more concentrated sport bikes with every upgrade.
BMW entered the superbike game in 2009 and initiated a new era of sport bikes brimming with technology and new levels of performance. And the company has never gone backward since. The S 1000 RR was a trendsetter then and it has always been a great track and road bike, something only very few superbikes have managed to be.
2023 BMW S 1000 RR
There’s always something to improve or change for a better or different experience, depending on where the manufacturer chooses to concentrate. The new S 1000 RR aims to become a better motorcycle on a racetrack without losing any of its road-friendliness.
The most prominent visual change is the addition of the winglets on both sides of the front fairing, that are taken from the M 1000 RR but modified for the S 1000 RR. Depending on speed, these winglets can exert up to 17.1 kg of downforce on the front at 300 kph. This shall benefit the straight line performance, especially on track, as the aerodynamic downforce will require less work from the wheelie and the traction control; meaning more power on the rear wheel.
Allowing more fun on the track is the addition of the Slide Control system to the Dynamic Traction Control. The Slide Control function works based on the steering head angle, depending on which it allows the motorcycle to slide going through a corner before reaching the threshold and letting the traction control intervene. There are two drift angle presets that the rider can use. The Brake Slide Assist function, integrated into the ABS Pro, assists the Slide Control system by allowing the riders to set a drift angle.
Also, the aluminium frame, while same from the previous model, now has multiple openings on its sides. This is to improve lateral flex, or to improve the frame’s ability to flex sideways to further assist corner entry and overall manoeuvrability.
The inline-4 ShiftCam engine now makes 3 PS more power at 210 PS at 13,750 RPM and 113 NM of torque at 11,000. BMW claims that the engine is even more usable across the rev-range than before. And for more customization on track, the swing-arm gets an additional pivot point for adjustability.