BMW S 1000 R 2016 — Specifications

Imagine a S 1000 RR that has traded its fairings for a handlebar, removed its carbon fiber windscreen, and decided to come off the track to ride mountain roads. That is exactly what the BMW S 1000 R is. Not a roadster disguised as a sportbike, not flashy plastic on a touring engine, but a stripped-down superbike, brutal and direct, which arrives in this segment with the same quiet arrogance that Munich particularly favors. Facing the Aprilia Tuono V4 R, the MV Agusta Brutale 1090 RR, or the KTM Super Duke 1290 R, the BMW S 1000 R did not seek to convince. It simply laid its cards on the table.

The inline four-cylinder engine of 999 cm3 that powers this machine is a tamed-down version of the RR’s engine, and it’s important to understand what "tamed" means in this context. We’re talking about 160 horsepower at 11,000 rpm and 112 Nm of torque at 9,250 rpm. BMW reworked the camshafts and redesigned the cylinder head ducts to move the power down in the rev range, where a road rider actually uses it. The result is an engine that pulls hard from 4,000 rpm, without waiting for the needle to climb the upper echelons. On a Tuono, you seek the revs, you play the game of unleashed horsepower. Here, the BMW S 1000 R serves you torque on a platter much earlier in the range, which makes exits from corners both easier and more dangerous for your license.

The chassis comes directly from the superbike. Same perimeter aluminum frame, same 46 mm inverted fork, same competition swingarm. BMW simply adjusted the geometry for the road, slightly modifying the rake and lengthening the wheelbase to 1,439 mm. The riding position, with a seat at 814 mm and footpegs repositioned lower and forward, offers a combative posture without torturing your back over 200 kilometers. The Brembo dual-disc braking system with radial four-piston calipers does the job with surgical precision, coupled with a Race ABS whose parameters vary depending on the selected riding mode. For a BMW S 1000 R test ride in varied conditions, this modularity of the electronics is one of the machine's real assets.

The electronics, precisely, is where the BMW S 1000 R 2016 clearly distinguishes itself from its direct rivals. Two basic modes are standard: Road and Rain, with traction control ASC. But the Pro modes optionally open access to Dynamic and Dynamic Pro, where DTC replaces ASC and ABS interventions are much more discreet. The DDC damping, also optional, adapts compression and rebound in real time according to the road and the rider's behavior. Compared to a KTM Super Duke that emphasizes raw sensation, the BMW plays the card of technical sophistication, which gives it a real versatility without diminishing its character.

With 207 kg fully fueled, the motorcycle remains within the standards of the segment. The catalog price of 13,550 euros places it slightly below the KTM, at a comparable level of standard equipment. Owners of a used BMW S 1000 R will find on the market well-equipped examples, often from dealerships where the DDC option and the Pro modes had been checked. This machine is aimed at experienced riders who want a hypersportive usable on a daily basis, not at novices in search of their first large displacement engine. The most frequently recurring BMW S 1000 R opinion on forums confirms this positioning: demanding, precise, but merciless with mistakes. It does not forgive approximation, and that is exactly what makes it an honest motorcycle.