2023 BMW S 1000 RR Revealed; Gets More Power, Tech Than Before

BMW Motorrad has updated its flagship sportbike, the S 1000 RR for 2023 and now the motorcycle is laden with even more tech than before along with getting significant styling updates and more power too. The 999 cc, liquid-cooled, four-cylinder engine now makes 206.5 bhp at 13,750 rpm, which is 3 bhp more than the previous iteration. Peak torque continues to be 113 Nm, coming in at  11,000 rpm. BMW says that the engine speed range on the new RR is now broader than before, with maximum engine speed being 14,600 rpm. The gearbox continues to be a 6-speed unit, with a bi-directional quick-shifter.

In terms of design, the 2023 S 1000 RR now gets a new front-end, with winglets, similar to the M 1000 RR. The rear section gets a few tweaks too, making it look sportier than before. The winglets add more downforce on the front wheel, reducing the tendency of the motorcycle to wheelie upon hard acceleration. With the aim of optimising flexibility laterally, the main frame of the new RR was given several openings in the profile of the motorcycle.

The focus was also on increasing riding precision and therefore, the steering head angle has been flattened out by 0.5 degrees and the offset of the triple clamps has been reduced by 3 mm. The new chassis geometry offers even better precision, and feedback from the front wheel. The wheelbase of the motorcycle has been increased from 1,441 mm to 1,457 mm. The rear swingarm also gets an adjustable pivot, which could be used to change the geometry on the motorcycle along with the ride height.   

In addition to the updates made on the chassis, engine and design, BMW now offers a ‘slide control’ function on the dynamic traction control, which uses a steering angle sensor. The slide control function allows the rider to select two pre-set drift angles for the traction control system when accelerating out of corners. Up to the respective leaning angle, the traction control system allows slippage at the rear wheel when accelerating out of a corner, thus enabling rear wheel drift. When the pre-set steering angle value is reached, traction control intervenes, reduces slip and stabilises the motorcycle.

The other big update to the electronics suite is the ‘brake slide assist’. The brake slide assist feature, similar to the slide control feature, will allow the motorcycle to slide into a corner, at maintained speeds, when braking. The 2023 BMW S 1000 RR also gets three new colour schemes which are - Blackstorm Metallic, Style Passion in Racing Red Non-Metallic and the racing-oriented Lightwhite Non-Metallic/BMW M.