2019 BMW S 1000 RR: All You Need To Know

BMW Motorrad’s flagship superbike, the 2019 S 1000 RR is here! The changes it brings are so exhaustive that we just had to do an in-depth analysis of the litre-class monster

It’s been a decade since BMW gave the world the S 1000 RR, an astonishing litre-class superbike that blew everybody away. Now, for its 10th year, the mad engineers working at BMW Motorrad have gone completely insane! Along with a host of new features, the 2019 iteration is meaner and more powerful than before. And if you’re planning to add this beast in your garage, then we have good news for you. BMW Motorrad has gone ahead and launched the 2019 S 1000 RR in India at Rs 18.50 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). At this price, it is just Rs 45,000 more expensive than the model it replaces. 

Here’s all you need to know about the 2019 BMW S 1000 RR.

It looks meaner than before!

For 2019, BMW has ditched the quirky asymmetrical headlamps and instead equipped the superbike with symmetrical LED headlamps. Apart from this obvious change, it features new turn indicators, a slightly restyled fuel tank and completely redesigned body panels. 

BMW has made it lighter than before

While the earlier model tipped the scales at 208kg, the new one weighs just 197kg. Thanks to the redesigned chassis and WSBK-inspired aluminium swingarm, the 2019 S 1000 RR weighs 11kg less than before. As if that wasn’t enough, BMW Motorrad is also offering the bike with an “M Package” which further drops the weight of the superbike to 193.5kg!

Speaking of the M Package…

If you tick the right boxes, you could opt for the special paint option, carbon-fibre wheels, a lightweight battery, rear ride height adjustment, adjustable swingarm pivot points and a sport seat.  

It’s loaded with features

The standard equipment on the S 1000 RR consists of a fully digital instrument cluster, IMU-based cornering ABS, disengageable race ABS, dynamic traction control (DTC), hill start assist and four riding modes: Road, Rain, Dynamic & Race. There’s more: the M Package features launch control, wheelie control, slide control, a pitlane limiter, cruise control, Hill Start Control Pro and additional riding modes (Race Pro 1-3). It comes with BMW’s ShiftCam technology, the company’s parlance for Variable Valve Timing. 

Coming to the heart of the matter, the engine

Powering this monster is a new 999cc inline-four motor which belts out 207PS at 8,500rpm (up by 8PS) and 113Nm of torque at 11,000rpm. The engine is now a whopping 4kg lighter than before and is paired to a 6-speed transmission. 

It gets top-shelf features, of course

The 2019 S 1000 RR features a 45mm upside-down fork at the front and a monoshock at the rear, both fully adjustable. BMW claims that the suspension setup is slightly lighter than before. The German bike maker has also updated the Dynamic Damping Control (DDC), which is available as an optional extra. Braking hardware consists of twin 320mm discs coupled with radially mounted four-piston calipers up front and a 220mm disc brake at the rear. 

Do its rivals have something to worry about?

Absolutely! With the new iteration, BMW has upped the ante quite a bit. This does come at a cost though: the new S 1000 RR  isn’t exactly the most affordable litre-class out there. That honour goes to the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, which is priced at a mouth-watering Rs 13.99 lakh. Even the Honda CBR1000RR (Rs 16.84 lakh), the Suzuki GSX-R1000R (Rs 19.81 lakh) and the Yamaha YZF-R1 (Rs 20.39 lakh) cost less than the Beamer. The only top-tier superbike out there more expensive than the S 1000 RR is, you guessed it, another European exotic, the Ducati Panigale V4 (Rs 22.70 lakh).