On the heels of this summer’s BMW M 1000 RR 50 Year Anniversary M, BMW has announced the release of 2023′s two M 1000 variants, the M 1000 RR and M 1000 R. Although less challenging color-wise, they continue Munich’s mission of blurring the lines between the street and track experience.
Sifting through BMW’s exhaustively thorough press releases, the headline here is “Updated M 1000 RR aerodynamics, plus a new M 1000 R streetfighter model.” Although BMW brand guidelines forbid the use of terms like “streetfighter” or “naked,” the M 1000 R is either and/or both. Let’s start here.
Building on the S 1000 R, the M 1000 R gets the water-cooled 999cc four-cylinder inline engine from the M RR, good for 205 hp at 13,750 rpm and 83 lb.-ft. torque at 11,100 rpm. This is 40 hp more than the S 1000 R’s engine, with redline increased from 12,000 rpm to 14,600 rpm.
This motor is the M 1000 RR motor, before tuning and without competition bits. Befitting its “roadster” nature (BMW’s term for streetfighter or naked), the M R (for short) gets a 47-tooth rear sprocket (versus 45 for the S) and shorter fourth, fifth, and sixth gear ratios. BMW’s familiar ShiftCam varies the valve timing and lift on the intake side through the use of torque and power cams.
Curiously, it offers “…almost the same high torque range in the middle and lower ranges as the previous S 1000 R engine, but with the same peak power as the RR.” But a bulleted item below reveals the point: “Reduction of exhaust emissions and optimized sound.” There you have it.
Riding modes include Rain, Road, Dynamic, Race, and Race Pro 1–3, plus the latest version of Dynamic Traction Control DTC and DTC wheelie function with a six-axis sensor box. Brake Slide Assist assists brake drifting, while Shift Assistant Pro does the clutchless quick-shifting. Also, Race Pro mode allows you to adjust engine-braking.
Ultimately, what you get is 7.5 seconds to 124 mph with 62 mph to 93 mph taking a mere 2.9 seconds. And 87 mph to 112 mph takes just 2.8 seconds, versus 4.0 for the S 1000 R. These figures make more sense when you consider they originate from German testing, in kph.
And like the M RR, it gets redesigned winglets and updated intake systems. Speaking of which, let’s talk M 1000 RR.
A total of 500 M RR (for short) motorcycles will grace the world, thus making them legal to race in, most notably, the World Superbike Championship. Born in 2021, the M RR pushes the “legal” in “street legal” to the very last letter of the law.
The 2023 iteration leaves the water-cooled 999cc four-cylinder inline engine largely intact while significantly updating aerodynamics and downforce, with more top speed said to be available. The same 205 hp and 83 lb-ft. of torque are merely the starting point for further tuning and testing. One new trick bit is longer Pankl titanium connecting rods, said to be 3 ounces lighter. Intake funnels are shorter, for improved flow at high speeds.
Most notably, the M winglets and fairing get a redesign for more downforce. The winglets have noticeably more surface area, keeping front wheels on blacktop in corner exits. Fewer wheelies mean less DTC, meaning more power put to pavement. The windscreen is actually higher, part of a fairing redesign meant to help rider and bike punch a smaller, smoother hole through airspace.
The claimed higher top speeds come from these aerodynamic improvements with the added downforce helping contact patches stay robust. Downforce is said to increase from 9.1 pounds to 12.6 pounds at 95 mph, and from 15.8 pounds to 22.0 pounds at 125 mph.
The rear end and seat have likewise been revised, with more padding for riders leaning hard off the seat. Carbon wheels are standard, and if you opt for the M Competition Package, the front wheel will be beautifully obscured by carbon fiber brake cooling air ducts integrated into the front mudguards.
Lastly, the M Competition Package offers lighter, milled components, levers and such. A 7.8-ounce-lighter swingarm also comes with, alongside a plethora of carbon bits replacing pedestrian plastic ones. These are technically part of the M Billet Package and M Carbon Package, which are included with the M Competition Package. In the interest of thorough reporting, forged wheels are available in lieu of the standard carbon ones.
Anything built with the purpose of homologation (making enough production bikes to qualify for racing) is an exercise in ambition and dreaming. In that spirit, the M 1000 RR serves as the ideal competition platform, with the M R as a hyperbolic commuter for morning practices. Do F-22 Raptor pilots commute to work in T-38 Talon trainers? Likely not, but you get the idea. Dreams, man.
Available January 2023.
2023 BMW M 1000 RR Specifications
| PRICE | $32,995 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 999cc, liquid-cooled, inline 4-cylinder; 4-valve |
| BORE x STROKE | 80.0 x 49.7mm |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 13.5:1 |
| FUEL DELIVERY | Electronic fuel injection w/ 48mm throttle bodies |
| FINAL DRIVE | 6-speed/chain |
| CLAIMED HORSEPOWER | 205 hp @ 13,000 rpm |
| CLAIMED TORQUE | 83 lb.-ft. @ 11,000 rpm |
| FRAME | Aluminum composite bridge, engine self-supporting |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | Inverted 45mm fork, spring preload, rebound and compression adjustable, optional electronically adjustable damping; 4.7 in. travel |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Central spring and shock absorber, spring preload, rebound and compression adjustable, optional electronically adjustable damping; 4.6 in. travel |
| FRONT BRAKE | 4-piston fixed calipers, twin M 320mm floating discs w/ ABS |
| REAR BRAKE | 2-piston fixed caliper, 220mm w/ ABS |
| WHEELS, FRONT/REAR | 17 x 3.50 in. / 17 x 6.00 in. |
| TIRES, FRONT/REAR | 120/70ZR-17 / 200/55ZR-17 |
| RAKE/TRAIL | 23.8°/4.0 in. |
| WHEELBASE | 57.3 in. |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 32.8 in. |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 4.3 gal. |
| CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT | 426 lb. |
| WARRANTY | N/A |
| AVAILABLE | January 2023 |
| CONTACT | bmwmotorcycles.com |
BMW M 1000 R Specifications
| PRICE | $21,345 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 999cc, liquid-cooled, inline 4-cylinder; 4-valve |
| BORE x STROKE | 80.0 x 49.7mm |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 13.3:1 |
| FUEL DELIVERY | Electronic fuel injection w/ 48mm throttle bodies |
| FINAL DRIVE | 6-speed/chain |
| CLAIMED HORSEPOWER | 205 hp @ 13,750 rpm |
| CLAIMED TORQUE | 83 lb.-ft. @ 11,100 rpm |
| FRAME | Aluminum composite bridge, engine self-supporting |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | Inverted 45mm fork, spring preload, rebound and compression adjustable, optional electronically adjustable damping; 4.7 in. travel |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Central spring and shock absorber, spring preload, rebound and compression adjustable, optional electronically adjustable damping; 4.6 in. travel |
| FRONT BRAKE | 4-piston fixed calipers, twin M 320mm floating discs w/ ABS |
| REAR BRAKE | 2-piston fixed caliper, 220mm w/ ABS |
| WHEELS, FRONT/REAR | 17 x 3.50 in. / 17 x 6.00 in. |
| TIRES, FRONT/REAR | 120/70ZR-17 / 200/55ZR-17 |
| RAKE/TRAIL | 24.2°/3.8 in. |
| WHEELBASE | 57.3 in. |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 33.1 in. |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 4.3 gal. |
| CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT | 439 lb. |
| WARRANTY | N/A |
| AVAILABLE | January 2023 |
| CONTACT | bmwmotorcycles.com |
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com