Ever since the germans from BMW launched their S1000RR superbike and especially after the liter bike turned out to be 2010’s best, the question just popped: will BMW build an S600RR? The answer is no, they won’t! At least not so soon. The news comes from the car and motorcycle manufacturer itself and it’s as bad as it can be.
BMW was actually needed to release a statement saying they haven’t developed a 600cc machine to enlarge their superbike lineup after the word was out that they own the internet domain name www.s600rr.de. Apparently, that’s just to make sure someone else won’t use it in Germany. In other words: no BMW S600RR for you…at least not for now.
BMW explains why:
“Developing a 600 supersport bike is more or less as expensive as a 1000cc superbike; the production costs aren’t very much lower but the retail price would be.
"Therefore, trying to recoup development cost for such a project would be much more difficult.
“Now BMW already has developed a successful superbike there are other market sectors for us to concentrate on that offer a better return on investment.”
Bikers often happen to pick up chicks with their two-wheeled magnets, but the chances for all of them to find themselves in the scenario proposed by Markus Hofmann in his latest short movie featuring the BMW F800R are pretty small. That’s why they’re still doing it, but the guy in this video must have had the surprise of a lifetime when waking up. See it for yourself.
Those of you who at seeing BMW’s tablecloth trick said frenetically that neither the S1000RR nor any other superbike could ever do that no matter the acceleration times, will surely find reward in this video. Bike Magazine have taken the exact same bike and used a much smaller table only to demonstrate how the trick just isn’t possible at large scale.
The original BMW R90/6 was a very reliable touring motorcycle and many of those maintained properly still ride strong today, so a 1976 model year should be a bargain. But taking a look at the bike you suddenly realize that this is no mean machine to make your neighbor jealous with. The quickest solution to make such bikes visually attractive again (and the neighbor finally jealous) is by turning them into café racers.
Rob Snow from Salt Lake City, Utah did so with his 1976 BMW R90/6 and with approximately $450 he turned the old Goldwing competitor into a veritable café racer that simply cannot be ignored. Looking at the before and after pictures, it’s kind of hard to believe that the radical change was achieved with only a new tailsection, seat and taillight as well as handlebar and mirrors. Obviously, the huge fairing had to go and it is now replaced by a much cooler bikini-style one and the new black paintjob does help a lot too. More photos after the jump.
Leslie Porterfield, who was recently declared the world’s fastest female motorcyclist by Guinness, has just been introduced to the BMW S1000RR, not to ride the 193 bhp German superbike full throttle, but for a classy picture gallery by Markus Hofmann, one of Germany’s best photographers.
Hofmann, who has in the past made other similar photos with various models on the same bike and in the same aircraft hangar, seems to have reached to the conclusion that fashionable Leslie Porterfield is the most appropriate person to photograph on his apparently favorite superbike.
The artist started from the fact that ‘There are so many motorcycle manufacturers that combine motorcycles and women in an artless and sleazy way, that I thought there just had to be a better way of doing it’ and mentions: ‘I had no intention of putting a naked woman on a bike, and it was very clear to me that the bike had to be the S1000RR superbike in the same colour that people have seen on the racetrack in 2009. I didn’t want the bike to fade into the background either – showing the name of the manufacturer was also very important for me, because it made the feeling of a pit stop and racetrack environment much more authentic.’
Looks to us like the world’s fastest woman on two wheels makes 2010’s best superbike look faster and classier!
German BMW tuner AC Schnitzer finally got its hands on the S1000RR and turned it into a much better daily use superbike. That’s right. It may be hard to believe, but their approach aims towards comfort and practicability simply because the bike doesn’t need any upgrades on the performance side.
So, what’s new on it? Take the adjustable handlebars and yoke for instance. They’re straight and feature an adjustable clamp, definitely not an everyday fitment on a bike like this. Other new features on the AC Schnitzer S1000RR are the brake and clutch levers, a carbon fiber exhaust silencer, crash bungs, performance air-filter and a numberplate hanger, all leaving a distinct mark on the already kind of unique bike.
While it may be hard to believe that someone can lift the front end of a fully loaded BMW R1200GS and keep the bike steady for enough distance to call the achievement a wheelie, this video simply blows away all expectations.
It shows a very skilled rider performing a 3km wheelie during the 2.26 minutes video on the Beemer in South Africa. Looking at it, you’re not too far off if suspecting this guy can go like this forever and ever as long as there’s no traffic and the road is nice and straight.
It is things like this that spice up one’s journeys and we really like to see people taking bikes beyond what they thing the limits are.
BMW tuner Van Harten Performance from Holand recently got its hands on a brand new BMW S1000RR superbike and, apart from turning it into what appears to be a carbon fiber edition, it can also brag about being the first to take the S1000RR beyond the 200bhp barrier. And I’m not so sure you’ll believe us when saying they managed to squeeze 210bhp out of German inline-four by only adding a four-in-one Akrapovic exhaust system. But it is the truth and it really shows this bike’s tuning potential.
Since BMW introduced the S1000RR less than a year ago, the motorcycle press began to speculate about the possible half-faired or naked models that could be derived from what has meanwhile become the best superbike out there.
We even brought you the BMW R1000RS and S1000RS concepts by Oberdan Bezzi, but according to an official release, BMW doesn’t yet have other plans for the S1000RR platform as spokesman Scott Grimsdall said: “We’re concentrating on the launch of the S1000RR and have no plans to expand the S range.”
While this is sad news for buyers of such models and good news for the current kings of 1000cc sport-touring and naked classes, we reckon BMW are just playing it safe for now and will get their fair share of the market after all.
It looks like BMW would go to any lengths only to impress their audience and because simply releasing a video of their new S1000RR superbike performing on a closed-course track would have made them look like pattern followers, they instead choose to pull out an old trick with new means.
Pulling the tablecloth off a table without smashing the dishes is cool, but where does the S1000RR intervene? Well, the 193 horsepower superbike capable to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds can slightly increase the scale. So, will the dishes stay put or go flying all over the place? Click past the break for an answer that comes in a blink of an eye.
BMW motorcycles
