The BMW S 1000 R owes its roots to the more powerful S 1000 RR->ke3153 superbike->ke1888. In a lot of ways, the 1000 R is characterized as the smaller brother of the 1000 RR, a detail that shouldn’t go unnoticed when you’re thinking about buying the 1000 RR. It’s not as powerful as the 1000 RR, but it does have enough power to blow away a lot of other sports bikes->ke294 in its segment.

The S 1000 R isn’t all about power, too. It’s got to-die-for looks that underscore the impressive design credentials of BMW Motorrad->ke1398. The aggressive stance and the tail-up, nose-down configuration exudes the aura of a tried-and-true sports bike whose appearance doesn’t do justice to the massive power its capable of producing.

The bike even comes equipped with Race ABS, ASC systems, as well as a choice of two riding modes that come as standard to the bike. As far as handling is concerned, the S 1000 R provides the highest levels of performance and dynamics with an equally powerful emotional appeal.

Click past the jump to read more about the BMW S 1000 R.

2015 BMW S 1000 R

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 BMW S 1000 R
  • Engine/Motor: Water/oil-cooled 4-cylinder 4-stroke in-line engine, four valves per cylinder, two overhead camshafts
  • Horsepower: 160
  • Torque: 83
  • Transmission: 6-speed
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Design

The BMW S 1000 R is a sight to behold, not because it looks like a real road scorcher, although let’s admit that it does. It looks great because it somehow combined the characteristics of a true sports bike with the authentic German engineering of BMW.

Visually, the bike is completely stunning, embodying the “tail up - nose down” look of a real sports bike. Even the deep headlight cover, which is a unique design of the S 1000 R, highlights the sporty look of the roadster. The asymmetrical headlights and the bike’s central air intake are distinguishable characteristics of the RR, the same super bike that the S 1000 R traces its roots from.

Even though the S 1000 R is a little more simple than its RR counterpart, the former does have a sharper design, specifically how BMW engineers designed the opening on the cooling air exit side and the left side, gill-shaped air outlets, both of which help in creating a more defined and dynamic look. Ok, the aluminum tank and the airbag covers are also neat design traits of the bike, too.

Like any roadster worth its salt, the S 1000 R also features a low seat height of 32 inches. The seat height does play well with the aluminum handlebar with its forged handlebar clamp brackets. The distance between the seat and the handlebar creates a comfortable and relaxed upper body posture for the rider, especially on long, winding trips.

A particularly unique feature of the S 1000 R is its multifunctional instrument cluster. A large LC display is neatly located just in front of the rider, allowing for easy navigation of riding modes and gear changes. Heck, it’s even possible to use the right-hand end of the handlebars to switch between the different riding modes. The instrument cluster also has other functions, including a a switch that can display the track mode so riders can see details of the current, best or last lap time.

The cluster also displays the tachometer, speedometer, gear display, riding mode, total mileage, engine temperature, fuel level, remaining range (from start of trip), Trip 1, Trip 2, average fuel consumption, average speed, lap timer, shift indicator light, time of day, and best lap in progress, just in case you need to know these sorts of things.

Design Specifications

Length

81.0 in (2,057 mm)

Width (incl. mirrors)

33.3 in (845 mm)

Height (excl. mirrors)

48.3 in (1,228 mm)

Seat height, unladen weight

32.0 in (814 mm)

Inner leg curve, unladen weight

71.1 (1,805 mm)

Unladen weight, road ready, fully fuelled

456 lbs (207 kg)

Permitted total weight

897 lbs (407 kg)

Payload (with standard equipment)

441 lbs (200 kg)

Usable tank volume

4.6 gallons

Reserve

Approx. 1 gal

Color Options

Racing red, Frozen dark blue metallic, Light White


Frame

The level of innovation and technology BMW applied into the creation of the S 1000 R is a testament to the importance of the roadster within BMW’s roster of sports bikes. No more is that evident than in the chassis suspension technology given to the S 1000 R.

The chassis, in particular, is noteworthy because of the importance placed on the bike’s aluminum perimeter frame, which weighs just 26.4 pounds, including the 32-degree forward-inclined engine, making it one of the lightest roadsters in its class.

The bike also features adjustable suspension components with large damping reserves. Pay close mind to this, specifically the front wheel that’s put in place by an upside-down fork with 1.8-inch diameter fixed tubes. The fork comes with inner cartridge inserts that allows compression and rebound damping to be adjusted, clearing the way for as much as 4.7 inches in total front-wheel suspension travel. Speaking of its rear, the bike’s rear-wheel location also plays a part in creating impressive riding dynamics for the bike, thanks in large part to a central spring strut with adjustable spring preload and adjustable compression-stage damping, contributing the same amount of travel - 4.7 inches as the front tires.

The S 1000 R’s wheels and brakes combo also offers a dramatic one-two combo of high-caliber performance, allowing the roadster to run on peak performance on whatever road surface it’s in. The 17-inch, 10-spoke die-cast aluminum wheels are some of the lightest in its segment while the brake system is provided by a twin-disc brake with two radial four-piston fixed calipers and two floating steel brake discs in the front and a hydraulically actuated single-disc brake with single-piston floating caliper at the back.

It’s worth noting that the brake discs are not separately mounted. Instead, BMW designed them in such a way that the disc rings are directly mounted to the specially designed wheel hub, leaving out additional bolted connections that would’ve otherwise increased the weight of the bike altogether.

Frame Specifications

Frame

Aluminum composite bridge frame, partially self-supporting engine

Front wheel location / suspension

Upside-down telescopic fork Ø 46 mm, compression and rebound stage adjustable

Rear wheel location / suspension

Aluminum 2-sided swing arm, rebound damping adjustable

Suspension travel front / rear

4.7 in / 4.7 in (120 mm / 120 mm)

Wheelbase

56.7 in (1,439 mm)

Castor

3.9 in (98.5 mm)

Steering head angle

65.4°

Wheels

Cast aluminum wheels

Rim, front

3.50 x 17"

Rim, rear

6.00 x 17"

Tyres, front

120/70 ZR 17

Tyres, rear

190/55 ZR 17

Brake, front

Dual floating disc brakes, diameter 320 mm, thickness 5 mm, radial 4-piston fixed calipers

Brake, rear

Single disc brake, single piston floating caliper, diameter 220 mm, 5 mm thick

ABS

STANDARD Race ABS (part integral, can be switched off)


Drivetrain

The BMW S 1000 R is powered by a one-liner four-cylinder in-line engine that pumps out an impressive 160 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque, creating a staggering power-to-weight ratio of 2.85 pounds per horsepower. All that power is sent to the wheels courtesy of six-speed gearbox. When the bike is running on all cylinders, the S 1000 R is capable of covering 0 to 60 mph in around four seconds to go with a top speed of over 125 mph.

Despite that much power bursting at the seams, the S 1000 R can still produce an impressive 44 mpg at a constant speed of 56 mph. Pretty impressive, right?

Drivetrain Specifications

Engine Type

Water/oil-cooled 4-cylinder 4-stroke in-line engine, four valves per cylinder, two overhead camshafts

Bore x stroke

80 mm x 49.7 mm

Capacity

999 ccm

Rated output

160 hp (118 kW) at 11,000 rpm

Max. torque

83 lb-ft (112 Nm) at 9,250 rpm

Compression ratio

12.0 : 1

Mixture control / engine management

Electronic injection

Emission control

2 closed-loop 3-way catalytic converters, EU-3 norm with interference pipe and acoustic valves

Maximum speed

over 125 mph

Fuel consumption per 100 km at constant 90 km/h

44 mpg at a constant 56 mph (5.4 l)

Fuel type

Premium Unleaded

Alternator

350 W

Battery

12 V / 9 Ah, maintenance-free

Clutch

Multiplate clutch in oil bath, anti-hopping clutch, mechanically controlled

Gearbox

Constant-mesh 6-speed gearbox, straight-toothed

Drive

Chain 17/45


Pricing

The BMW S 1000 R comes with a base price of $13,260, including ABS.

Quotes

“The S1000R might be 33 horsepower (25 kW) down on its S1000RR superbike brother, but it's vastly more aggressive, raw and challenging on the road. We spent 10 days with BMW's latest, greatest super-naked motorcycle, its bad-tempered hair-trigger throttle, its full suite of rider assist and comfort technologies, and one magnificent, beautiful thumbswitch that we hope to see a lot more of.” ----- gizmag