The homologation special version of the already impressive superbike is lighter, more powerful and faster

BMW certainly made the motorcycle world sit up and take notice with the first-generation S1000RR in 2009: at a stroke, it re-wrote many of the sports bike rules. Designed specifically to give BMW an entry into the World Superbike Championship, it failed to garner any significant success, but BMW is committed and its next weapon is the M1000RR, the first motorcycle to wear the famous BMW ‘M’ badge.

The M1000RR has a host of small but significant changes both to the chassis and the engine. The aim was less weight and more power and this has been achieved, and then some. The engine is lighter, the frame is lighter and so are the wheels, which are made from carbon fiber. The Akrapovic titanium exhaust itself saves a massive eight pounds of weight.

The engine produces a claimed 205 horsepower (independent Dyno tests have a rear-wheel output of 160 horsepower) and revs 500rpm higher than the S1000RR’s unit. However, the whole M1000RR has been designed to have power and performance unlocked with race-spec tuning changes,

The engine’s internals have been modified to allow it to rev higher and improve the torque curve (torque is the same as the S1000RR at 83 pound-feet).

BMW’s Shiftcam variable valve timing is employed but the S1000RR has that as well. What it doesn’t have are the ‘M’s lightweight Pankl connecting rods, lower friction Mahle pistons, higher compression ratio, and a host of lightened parts, such as the valve-actuating fingers.

While all these mods don’t raise the power and torque over the S1000RR, they will permit the engine to be race tuned to give higher power on the race track which, after all, is the reason for the existence of the M1000RR in the first place.

The engine of the M1000RR is a stressed member of the chassis, adding stiffness and reducing weight at the same time due to the loss of some chassis tubes. The rake of the front fork has been extended and the wheelbase is slightly longer. Weight distribution has also altered, with 52.1-percent of the 423-pound weight carried on the front wheel, compared to 53.8-percent on the S1000RR.

Overall chassis dimensions of the ‘M’ are smaller: it is narrower and lighter than the S1000RR’s chassis, improving ergonomics and helping to reduce squat on acceleration and dive under braking.

Marzocchi supplies the suspension components for the M1000RR but it is actually a lot simpler than that found on other track-focussed bikes.

Often, modern fork systems have dozens of clicks to adjust rebound and damping, and compression, but the forks on the M1000RR have only ten clicks for each adjustment, while the rear shock has a seven-position pre-load adjustment.

Having said that, you’ll need to be on your A-game to feel the difference between one click either way on the compression setting (or any setting for that matter!)

The M1000RR’s electronic rider aids are frighteningly complex and it is possible to have thousands of permutations of engine power, engine braking, traction control, ABS, and wheelie control, all of which are configurable via the TFT dash and controlled by the six-axis internal measurement unit.

There’s launch control and even a pit lane speed limiter for that full race experience. Naturally, a bi-directional quick-shifter that makes changing gear no more difficult than pushing a hot knife through butter.

Not quite so expected is hill hold control, cruise control (for those very long straights…) and even heated grips (for when you’re racing in winter…).

What would a cutting-edge superbike be without wings? The M1000RR’s winglets on the front of the fairing are straight from World Superbikes and add 30 pounds of downforce at the front and six pounds at the rear at 186mph. At slower speeds, they stop the front wheel lifting when accelerating out of corners and, entering corners, they help with braking stability.

Even if 186mph is not the speed you will be reaching on the road, the aerodynamics will still help you, even if it is merely helping you look cool!

The calipers are branded with the BMW ‘M’ logo but are actually made by Nissin. The initial bite is aggressive but, after that, they feel a little wooden which won’t be a problem for those who aren’t World Superbike or MotoGP riders or those who aren’t intending to head to the track.

In the real world, the brakes are more than powerful enough for any situation and BMW specifies two different pad compounds - one for track riding and one for street riding.

The overall weight loss, along with geometry changes help with the agility but what really makes the M1000RR turn on a dime are the carbon fiber wheels, which shed a not inconsiderable 3.7 pounds from the unsprung weight.

Ironically not allowed in competition, the carbon rims make all the difference in changing direction: the steering is super light and you won’t be surprised when, on your first exploratory laps, you turn in far too aggressively and quickly and find yourself on the rumble strips on the inside of the corner. You soon learn that minimal inputs are needed to change direction.

For even more adjustability, the swing arm pivot point can be altered slightly and, while most of us won’t notice the difference, the truly gifted will be able to tweak the handling to their heart’s desire.

BMW would have you believe that the only real rival to the M1000RR might be the Ducati Superleggera, that other completely uncompromising (and expensive!) superbike.

In reality, however, for most of us, the M1000RR’s rivals are any of the current crop of liter superbikes from every manufacturer. The performance parameters of any of the bikes on the list are beyond the vast majority of owners: you will be just as fast on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 as you will be on the M1000RR.

What the rivals won’t give you is that feeling of exclusivity: only 500 M1000RRs will be built for homologation purposes so turning up to a track day on one will put you in a class of your own, whether you can ride it to its limits or not!

So, here’s the rub. A BMW S1000RR, which is already more motorcycle than many of us could handle, will set you back $16,995, which, in terms of bang for the buck, is pretty impressive. If you want to add the carbon fiber wheels, that adds another $4,500.

However, upgrading to the M1000RR will double your investment, and then some: $36,995 is the asking price. Yes, you could justify the extra expense when you add together all costs of engine development and all the trick pieces, such as titanium connecting rods and Akrapovic exhaust and so on, and, for some people, the price won’t be a barrier.

In reality, the S1000RR is the sensible choice but the problem with that is that we ride motorcycles: any sensibility went out of the window years ago when we first swung a leg over a motorbike. With that in mind, the M1000RR needs to be celebrated as a pinnacle of motorcycle design and performance.

BMW claims 205 horsepower, but the rear wheel figure is 160 horsepower.

The BMW M1000RR costs $36,995.

The BMW S1000RR and the M1000RR produce the same power. The M1000RR revs higher, but you would have to be an expert rider to make the M1000RR go faster around a track than the S1000RR.

BMW claims 205 horsepower, but the rear wheel figure is 160 horsepower.

The BMW M1000RR costs $36,995.

The BMW S1000RR and the M1000RR produce the same power. The M1000RR revs higher, but you would have to be an expert rider to make the M1000RR go faster around a track than the S1000RR.

Harry has been writing and talking about motorcycles for 15 years, although he's been riding them for 45 years! After a long career in music, he turned his hand to writing and television work, concentrating on his passion for all things petrol-powered. Harry has written for all major publications in South Africa, both print and digital and produced and presented his own TV show called, imaginatively, The Bike Show, for seven years. He held the position of editor of South Africa's largest circulation motorcycling magazine before devoting his time to freelance writing on motoring and motorcycling. Born and raised in England, he has lived in South Africa with his family since 2002. Harry has owned examples of Triumph, Norton, BSA, MV Agusta, Honda, BMW, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Kawasaki and Moto Morini motorcycles. He regrets selling all of them.