BMW
introduced the road going version of their S 1000 RR race bike
in May, 2009 at the Monza Racing Circuit.
Highlights of the BMW S 1000 RR include unique and striking
bodywork which is noticeably different on either side, and a
tremendously powerful four cylinder engine. Powering the bike
is a 999cc, inline four-cylinder engine which develops 193 horsepower
@ 13,000 rpm and 112 Nm (83 lb-ft) of torque @ 9,750 rpm. This
is mated to a six speed gearbox with dog-type shift.
The front view of the S 1000 RR is especially of interest due
to the unsymetrical headlight layout which although unique could
hardly be described as beautiful, it looks like a winking ogre.
Other noticeable styling choices include the different left/right
side fairings. On the left is a single large air outlet, while
on the right hand side are three air vents which appear similar
to the gills on a shark.
BMW Press Release:
Unique against the competition
Over the years and decades, the principle of combining a straight-four
power unit with an aluminium bridge frame has been consistently
developed and has become the dominating technical concept particularly
in the supersports segment. The reason, quite simply, is that
a motorcycle of this kind offers significant benefits in terms
of riding dynamics, long-distance endurance, and straightforward
production.
Maximum performance and riding dynamics.
The consistent concept of the S 1000 RR supersports is borne
out in particular by the truly fascinating, innovative high-performance
technology and incomparable riding dynamics of this new machine.
The result is an exceptional combination of supreme riding precision
and agility, on the one hand, with unparalleled engine power
and performance on the other.
Free choice of engine characteristics as well as Race ABS
and DTC Dynamic Traction Control
The new BMW S 1000 RR also excels through features and qualities
typical of BMW such as a long running life, superior quality
of production and optimum environmental compatibility thanks
to the use of the most advanced exhaust management with two
fully controlled three-way catalytic converters also able to
fulfill future standards and requirements.
Active safety when braking is significantly enhanced by Race
ABS developed especially for the BMW S 1000 RR as a genuine
supersports and available as an option straight from the factory.
A further most significant feature likewise contributing to
active safety of the highest standard is DTC Dynamic Traction
Control also available as an option and masterminded electronically
for supreme precision and practical value.
Facing various riding conditions such as wet roads (“Rain”),
regular road conditions (“Sport”), a race track with supersport
tyres (“Race”), or a race track with slicks (“Slick”), the rider
also has the choice of various engine characteristics and setups
available at the touch of a button. And last but not least,
Race ABS and Dynamic Traction Control are combined with the
respective riding modes and coordinated with one another to
ensure a supreme standard of performance and safety all in one.
Valve drive like in a BMW Formula 1.
The primary objective in developing the new S 1000 RR was to
create a supersports with supreme engine power combined with
optimum rideability for the highest conceivable standard of
all-round performance.
The water-cooled four-cylinder inline power unit chosen to provide
these qualities is brand-new from the ground up, developing
maximum output of 142 kW (193 hp) at 13,000 rpm and revving
up to a maximum speed of 14,200 rpm. Maximum torque of 112 Nm
(82.5 lb-ft), in turn, comes at 9,750 rpm.
Following the example of BMW ’s Formula 1 engines, the two intake
and exhaust valves per cylinder made of extra-light titanium
are operated by very small and equally light single cam followers.
In conjunction with the short sprocket driving the camshaft
via an intermediate gear, this ensures supreme revving qualities
at the highest speeds as well as exact maintenance of valve
timing combined with very compact dimensions.
The use of extremely small and light cam followers furthermore
gives the engineer greater freedom in choosing the ideal valve
lift curves and, accordingly, in selecting optimum performance
characteristics on both road and track.
All engine components are particularly compact and light, limiting
weight of the overall engine without ancillaries to 59.8 kg
(131.8 lb) and keeping the entire power unit very slim and slender.
Innovative exhaust system with interference pipe butterflies
for optimum power and performance.
Made completely of stainless steel, the exhaust system featured
by the S 1000 RR is designed consistently for optimum power
and performance. It works according to the 4-in-2-in-1 principle
with four individual manifolds of equal length first merging
into two pipes beneath the engine block and then extending into
a large-volume pre-silencer. From there the exhaust emissions
flow through a very short and dynamically designed rear-end
silencer to the outside.
A homogeneous power and torque curve ensuring optimum rideability
is acknowledged as the requirement for sporting performance
on the road and fast lap times on the track. Precisely this
is why the exhaust system featured on the S 1000 RR comes with
two fully controlled interference pipe butterflies housed in
two connection pipes for the two outer and two inner manifolds,
in the immediate vicinity of the exhaust ducts. As a function
of various parameters such as engine speed and the position
of the throttle butterfly, an adjuster opens or closes these
flaps, allowing exhaust gas to flow freely between the two manifolds
or, respectively, interrupting the fl ow of gas. This coordinates
the sequence of oscillations in the exhaust gas mass flow, reducing
exhaust gas counter-pressure at the decisive point (like on
a racing muffler) and increasing the cylinder charge accordingly.
Putting the rider right in the centre.
The rider’s seating position leaning forward towards the front
wheel for an active style of riding is simply ideal for the
sporting rider with his particularly dynamic style.
Developing the S 1000 RR, BMW Motorrad has given particular
attention to the superior ergonomics of the machine, providing
ideal qualities for both small and tall riders and therefore
focusing consistently on the rider’s individual requirements.
The tank section is as slender as on a 600-cc machine, giving
the rider the assurance of excellent control and handling at
all times
High-output four-cylinder inline power unit for maximum performance.
As an absolutely new development from the ground up, the straight-four
power unit featured in the S 1000 RR comes with displacement
of 999 cc, with cylinder bore of 80 millimetres or 3.15" and
stroke measuring 49.7 millimetres or 1.96". The particularly
short stroke/bore ratio of just 0.621 provides the foundation
for an absolutely outstanding high-output power unit with supreme
performance at all times.
Maximum output is 142 kW (193 hp) at 13,000 rpm, peak torque
is 112 Nm (82.5 lb-ft) at 9,750 rpm. So again, the power unit
of the S 1000 RR sets new record standards in the supersports
1000-cc class also in this respect.
Optimum riding dynamics and supersports features combined with
optimum rideability and compact dimensions together with minimum
weight were the primary targets in developing the new drivetrain.
And with its engine weighing just 59.8 kg (131.8 lb), the S
1000 RR boasts the lightest 1000-cc four-cylinder in its entire
segment.
Like all engines from BMW Motorrad, the power unit featured
in the BMW S 1000 RR excels through its supreme overall concept
as well as the space-saving arrangement of all ancillaries and
the integrated six-speed gearbox with its dog-type gearshift.
Following the brief to build a thoroughbred supersports power
unit, the engineers at BMW Motorrad have created a particularly
compact engine with ideal concentration of masses around the
machine’s overall centre of gravity. Despite the large cylinder
bore of 80 millimetres or 3.15", engine width at crankshaft
level is only 463 millimetres or 18.23". And at 558 millimetres
or 22.0", the engine is also very low in terms of its overall
height.
Free choice of “Rain”, “Sport”, “Race” and “Slick” riding
modes for optimum adjustment to road and track conditions.
At the simple touch of a button at the end of the right handlebar,
the rider is able to choose among various riding modes for all
kinds of different conditions and requirements such as riding
on the road, on a wet surface, or the race track. To make his
choice, all the rider has to do is press the Mode Switch on
the right handlebar control unit until the display in the instrument
cluster reaches the mode desired. Then, pulling the clutch lever
and turning the gas handle to idle, the rider is able to confirm
his request also while riding and the mode is switched accordingly.
The mode last chosen is always retained when restarting the
motorcycle.
When riding on a wet surface with reduced grip, the Rain Mode
automatically reduces maximum output to 110 kW (150 hp). This
mode also provides a particularly homogenous power and torque
curve, with engine response and power build-up by the engine
being extra-smooth and soft.
When riding on a dry surface the Sport Mode provides full engine
output of 142 kW (193 hp) in combination with even more spontaneous
and direct response to the gas lever. This mode is intended
above all for use on country roads.
The Race Mode has been developed specifically for racing the
S 1000 RR on race tracks using street-legal supersports tyres.
Here again the rider benefits from the full power of the engine,
with an even more direct and significantly more dynamic response
at all speeds.
The Slick Mode is intended exclusively for racing on the track
using slick tyres. Like the Race Mode, this mode not only provides
full engine power, but also ensures maximum engine response
for racing or riding under race-like conditions. Contrary to
the Race Mode, the Slick Mode allows DTC Dynamic Traction Control
to cut in permanently only from a side angle of 200. This, in
turn, allows the rider to wheelie for up to five seconds when
leaning over to an angle of less than 200, ensuring optimum
acceleration and pulling force when accelerating out of a bend.
While the three modes Rain, Sport, and Race are activated by
the rider directly from the end of the handlebar, the Slick
Mode comes with an activation lock function provided by a code
plug for the control unit beneath the rider’s seat of the S
1000 RR.
Innovative suspension technology for supersports performance
of the highest standard.
Through its consistent concept, the BMW S 1000 RR, as a genuine
supersports machine, offers not only the most outstanding drivetrain
technology for optimum performance at all times, but also comes
with truly exceptional riding precision ensuring unparalleled
riding dynamics and almost playful agility. So the suspension
and running gear of the S 1000 RR likewise offers the highest
standard of excellence and sporting performance.
The “heart” of the suspension is the aluminium bridge frame
weighing just 11.98 kg (26.42 lb), tilting the engine to the
front at an angle of 32° as a load-bearing element.
While this type of frame is already state-of-the-art in large
sectors of the supersports segment, the engineers at BMW Motorrad,
in developing the S 1000 RR, focused consistently throughout
the entire process on the need for maximum riding dynamics.
And particularly through their close communication and cooperation
with the departments responsible for drivetrain development
and design, they ultimately created a suspension and running
gear setting new standards in many respects.
Aluminium bridge frame with the engine serving as a load-bearing
element.
The result of this development process is an aluminium bridge
frame made up of four castings. This particularly configuration
serves above all to meet the great challenges in designing a
motorcycle with a very slim waist and a large airbox. The spread
of stiffness values follows a wide range of calculations and
simulations as well as many riding tests taking all kinds of
variants into account.
The steering head and the two side sections with their integrated
engine mounts are manufactured in a tip casting process, while
the rear section with the rear engine mount, the swing arm supports
as well as the mounting points for the footrests and kinematic
elements are made in a low-pressure die-casting process. A high-precision
welding robot then assembles the individual components in the
Aluminium Competence Centre at BMW Motorrad’s Berlin Plant to
form an extra-stiff and sturdy unit all round.
The rear frame section on the S 1000 RR is a welded structure
made up of square aluminium profiles bolted on to the frame.
Again, this combines low weight with superior stability and
robust strength appreciated particularly by competition riders
and teams on the race track. A further advantage of this configuration
is that it allows optimum access to the spring strut, for example
when changing the set-up for specific requirements.
Fully adjustable spring elements with very high damping reserves.
Seeking to give the new S 1000 RR optimum suspension qualities
with perfect running gear, the engineers and specialists at
BMW Motorrad decided to give the new machine a central spring
strut with an adjustable spring base as well as adjustable damper
inbound and rebound control. A further advantage is that this
configuration allows the adjustment of low-speed damping (for
example on long, stretched-out undulating surfaces) and high-speed
damping (eg on short bumps) on the pressure stage (inbound),
thus offering perfect set-up qualities with maximum precision.
The spring strut is activated by compact and light kinematic
levers and makes allowance for the wide range of use also on
the race track by offering a wide range of adjustment as well
as very substantial damping reserves.
Overall spring travel on the rear wheel axle is 130 millimetres
or 5.12", with 90 millimetres or 3.54" positive and 40 millimetres
or 1.57" negative spring travel.
Using eccentric inserts on the upper spring strut support, the
rider is able to raise the entire rear end of the S 1000 RR
by 10 millimetres or 0.39" on the spring strut support, thus
taking his individual requirements and the specific character
of the respective route into account.
The S 1000 RR meets equally high demands in terms of riding
dynamics also on the front suspension. The configuration used
up front is an upside-down fork with its fixed tube measuring
an ample 46 millimetres or 1.81" in diameter. This size alone
is quite unique in the supersports segment, offering far greater
braking stability and better feedback than the usual fixed tubes
measuring 43 millimetres or 1.69" in diameter.
The fixed tube is mounted on the steering head by a light aluminium
steering shaft tube running in two extra-large ball bearings
as well as two fork bridges made of forged aluminium in the
interest of minimum weight. To adjust the height of the motorcycle
at the front to the personal needs and preferences of the rider
as well as the route he is taking, the immersion tube at the
front provides an appropriate overlap, overall adjustment travel
of 15 millimetres or 0.59" allowing the front end to be lowered
by up to 5 millimetres or 0.197" and raised by up to 10 millimetres
or 0.394".
The upside-down fork comes with cartridge inserts inside, that
is a separate hydraulic piston cylinder system, and allows adjustment
of both the spring base as well as damper rebound and inbound
action. Here again, the sensitive behaviour and response of
the suspension, the wide range of adjustment and very significant
damping reserves even on the race track offer superior flexibility
and individual choice. Overall spring travel is 120 millimetres
or 4.72", with 75 millimetres or 2.95" positive and 45 millimetres
or 1.77" negative spring travel.
To allow simple and reliable control at all times, the individual
settings on both the spring strut and the upside-down fork are
clearly specified by numbers ranging from 1 to 10. So there
is no need to count up to 30 clicks in the usual tedious process
required on some other models in this segment.
Multi-functional instrument cluster with racing features.
The instrument cluster comes with a large, easy-to-read LCD
display as well as an analogue rev counter also with a clear
scale very easy to read.
In developing the instrument cluster, the responsible engineers
and other specialists attached utmost attention to clarity and
the avoidance of any reflections in the display. Apart from
the gear currently in mesh, the display also presents the mode
currently chosen by the rider, that is Rain, Sport, Race, or
Slick.
The rider is able to switch from one mode to the other from
the right-hand end of the handlebar also while riding, simply
pulling the clutch and turning the gas handle in idle to confi
rm the change in mode.
The instrument cluster featured on the S 1000 RR comes with
a far wider range of functions than is generally the case in
this class, making it absolutely unique in the supersports segment
in terms of its wide range of options and practical use. As
an example, the rider may switch over the display to the race
track mode, receiving information on his current, best and latest
lap times. And in conjunction with the lap-trigger likewise
available as special equipment, he is able to make precise time
measurements for the subsequent analysis of data.
A gearshift light fl ash integrated in the system and adjustable
in terms of frequency and brightness allows the driver to achieve
precisely the shift speed required. At the same time this flashlight
may also be used as an engine speed indicator for starting in
a race, fl ashing on and off at the appropriate speed – approximately
9,000 rpm – for an optimum start.
Whenever engine speed is too low, the light flash will go off.
Whenever engine speed is too high, the light display will come
on permanently.
Dynamic, asymmetrically arranged lightweight headlights.
The asymmetric configuration and layout of the main and high-beam
headlights comes from endurance racing, applying the principle
of maximum effect on minimum weight. Precisely this is why the
high-beam headlight is much smaller than the low-beam unit.
The front direction indicators come off easily and quickly for
racing the S 1000 RR on the track. Similarly, the numberplate
support including the rear direction indicators and numberplate
light may be removed very quickly, simply by pulling a plug
and unscrewing three fastening bolts.
LED direction indicators for further customisation are available
as an option. The LED rear light cluster comes as standard in
clear glass design, use of LEDs instead of conventional bulbs
ensuring reliable and maintenance-free operation and offering
a much longer service life.
