2023 BMW M 1000 R Is A Winged Naked Superbike That Rides High on M Fever

2022-10-17 05:47:58 By : Ms. Loy Liu

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The BMW M 1000 R pushes the envelope for the roadsters further with winglets, 45 hp more power, and tweaks to its chassis over the S 1000 R.

The letter ‘M’ holds great significance at BMW, and its importance expanded to its two-wheeler division by the end of 2018 when BMW Motorrad announced M performance parts and M range of exclusive motorcycles. The BMW M 1000 RR was the first step in this direction, and while BMW Motorrad has recently launched its updated version, it has also pulled off a surprise by launching the M 1000 R, the M version of the already brutal S 1000 R.

The BMW M 1000 R is to S 1000 R what the M 1000 RR is to S 1000 RR – a more exclusive piece of engineering based on an existing motorcycle, which exhibits the best limits in aerodynamics, powertrain, and chassis from BMW Motorrad. Designed and engineered for the most extreme use for roads and tracks, the BMW M 1000 R features a host of upgrades over the S 1000 R, thus making it one of the most mental production-spec roadsters right now.

Related: Superbike Showdown: 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 Vs BMW M 1000 RR

A roadster can’t beat a super sport in aerodynamics, though the BMW M 1000 R tries to create new benchmarks among roadsters with its winglets. The front side panels of the M 1000 R come fitted with winglets to achieve faster lap times and additional stability at higher speeds. Due to the aerodynamic downforce, the winglets offer a front wheel load of 24 lbs at 137 mph. To counter the aerodynamic resistance at the front of the motorcycle, BMW has also added a small wind deflector ahead of the instrument console.

The 6.5-inch full-TFT instrument console of the S 1000 R has been retained in the new M 1000 R but with different M start-up animation and extended red speed range. The buyers can also spec this console with M GPS Laptrigger and M GPS Datalogger for a premium. Apart from that, the M 1000 R retains the taut and aggressive design of the S 1000 R and is available in two color options – Light White non-metallic/M Motorsport and Blackstorm Metallic/M Motorsport, the latter of which is included in the M Competition package.

Based on the S 1000 R, the mechanical hardware of the BMW M 1000 R is one notch above the former. The overall chassis of the M 1000 R is based around an aluminum bridge frame and gets 45mm upside-down forks with closed cartridge inserts, separate hydraulic piston-cylinder systems, and additional adjustability of the fork’s spring base. The front forks also have a triple milled-over clamp at their top, while the tubular handlebar is wider than the S 1000 R and features laser-etched ‘BMW M 1000 R’ lettering. Additional inclusions are bar-end, aluminum-forged rearview mirrors, and an adjustable steering damper.

Compared to the S 1000 R, the bottom part of the forks is modified to accommodate the new M brake calipers, which feature a blue anodized coating and M logos. The braking setup of the M 1000 R includes dual 320mm discs with black anodized aluminum brake disc carriers and a new radial hand brake pump. The M 1000 R also comes equipped with a brake slide assist feature to brake drift while cornering and lightweight forged aluminum wheels.

The BMW M 1000 R gets the same inline-four, water-cooled engine of the S 1000 R, though the folks at BMW Motorrad have tuned this engine to pump out 210 hp of maximum power – 45 hp more than the standard S 1000 R. Though the torque output has dropped to 83.34 lb-ft from 84.08 lb-ft in the S 1000 R.

The higher power output has resulted in faster acceleration figures for the BMW Motorrad, which is also possible due to the shorter secondary gear ratio achieved by a sprocket with 47 teeth, two more than those in the S 1000 R. Even the gear ratios of the 4th, 5th, and 6th gears are shorter than those of the S 1000 R, thus enhancing traction at the rear wheel while accelerating hard.

Related: 10 Things You Need To Know Before Purchasing A BMW S 1000 RR

Even after all the performance and visual enhancements, if you think the BMW M 1000 R is still not exclusive enough for your taste, the M Competition package by BMW Motorrad offered for this motorcycle is worth making the stretch.

The long list of M Competition package for the BMW M 1000 R includes M carbon finished wheels, rear wheel cover, chain guard, front wheel cover, tank covers, winglets, airbox cover with tapes, and sprocket cover. This package also includes a milled and fully-adjustable M rider footrest system and M pillion seat cover.

Hailing from India, Jeo has grown up dreaming about a red-colored Porsche 911. This fascination led him to study more about cars and their functionality in his automotive engineering days from the past. His passion for writing about cars directed him towards blogging, which he has been doing for almost a decade.