Can BMW S1000 RR Become The Litre-Class Top Dog?

We test BMW’s new S 1000 RR at the BIC to see if this third-gen model can become the litre-class top dog – as its predecessor was a decade ago.

- Shivank Bhatt

2009 and ‘10 were a struggle. The world was going through a rough phase, and we were still recovering from the so-called ‘Great Recession.’ There was an extreme economic slowdown everywhere – the banks were tanking, and factories were shutting down. In spite of all this, BMW Motorrad decided to enter the litre-class superbike segment with an all-new motorcycle. And, thus, the S 1000 RR was born.

At first, BMW’s decision to venture into the litre-class superbike segment looked quite illogical, absurd even. You see, it was a period of Japanese supremacy. The segment was ruled by the likes of the Honda Fireblade, Yamaha R1 and Kawasaki Ninja.

So, what could BMW Motorrad, which was only known for making plucky GS bikes and tourers back then, have possibly brought to the table? Heck, they didn’t even have a racing team in MotoGP or any other road-racing series to back their new product’s credentials. And to make matters worse, the silly ‘asymmetrical’ face of the so-called BMW litre-class superbike made it look like that the Germans were really out of their depth.

But then the world got their hands on the S 1000 RR, and the rest, as they say, is history! The original S 1000 RR turned out to be an absolute masterpiece. Upon its launch, it instantly became the top-dog of the litre-class segment. It was simply relentless in beating the pants off its rivals. Moreover, it was the first superbike to introduce electronic rider aids, like traction control and a quick-shifter. The S 1000 RR was a phenomenon in every sense of the word.

But all this happened about a decade ago, and times have since changed. In short, the competition caught up with the S 1000 RR, and some of them even surpassed it. Of course, to remain relevant in the game, BMW gave it a substantial upgrade in 2015, but, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to get the bike to reclaim its former top position.