BMW S 1000 R 2019 — Specifications

When Munich decides to remove the guardrails of a racing hypersport to create a homologated roadster, what do you get? You get the BMW S 1000 R, a machine that since 2014 has managed the feat of being civilized in the morning and frankly dangerous in the afternoon. The 2019 version pushes this exercise even further, with 165 horsepower drawn from the inline four-cylinder engine inherited from the RR, five more than the previous generation. A modest gain on paper, decisive on the road.

The composite bridge aluminum frame retains the essential architecture of the sport model, with a lighter rear end and a frame/swingarm assembly recalibrated to better transmit information from the front wheel. The 46 mm inverted fork, adjustable in compression and rebound, does the job seriously; the single rear shock follows the same program. Those who want to avoid manual adjustments can opt for the optional DDC pilot damping system. At 205 kilograms fully fueled and 178 kilograms dry, the BMW S 1000 R 2019 plays in the mid-weight class of its category, a fine performance considering what it carries. The wheelbase of 1439 mm defines a lively behavior without superfluous nervousness.

The engine is the real subject. This short-stroke four-cylinder engine, with an 80 mm bore and a 49.7 mm stroke, revs up to stratospheric regimes and delivers its 114 Nm at 9250 rpm. In the first half of the tachometer, the mechanics are supple, almost docile; past 7000 rpm, it’s a different conversation. Enthusiasts who browse the BMW S 1000 R forums know what’s going on. The announced top speed of 250 km/h is electronically limited, not mechanically. As standard equipment, ASC and two riding modes cover the essentials. The Pro package, optional, adds cornering ABS, launch control, DTC and a fully customizable User mode. Electronic equipment is thus gradually catching up with the standards set by the competition.

Because the competition exists, and it doesn't sleep. Facing the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, the Yamaha MT-10 or the Aprilia Tuono V4, the BMW S 1000 R with a catalog price of 14,000 euros positions itself in the high end of the segment. The Austrian plays the card of assumed brutality, the Japanese focuses on electronic versatility, the Italian on sonic passion. The German offers a more cold, more surgical synthesis, with this slight reproach to the braking: the Brembo radial four-piston calipers are serious, but some rivals have already taken an additional step with more biting calipers. It's not a dealbreaker; it's a point of friction that regularly comes up in BMW S 1000 R reviews.

Whether we talk about the 2019 BMW S 1000 R test, a used BMW S 1000 R purchased a few years later, or the evolutions brought to the 2020, 2021 and 2022 model years, the philosophy remains the same. A motorcycle for experienced riders who have enough self-control not to let the throttle side decide for them. The 814 mm seat mechanically limits recruitment to medium and tall builds, which naturally filters out the imprudent. The 17.5-liter tank offers reasonable range despite a consumption announced at 6.7 liters per 100 km in mixed use. This roadster does not target the Sunday tourist; it is aimed at the driver who knows his limits and wants a machine capable of exceeding them when the desire arises, on the open road as on the track.