Bythetimeyou’re readingthis,theTT willprobablybea distantmemory. Forme, having gotbackhomejust afewdays ago,it’sfreshinmymindand consumingmythoughtsina waythatonlythefastestroad raceintheworldcando. Whetheryou’re afanornot, there’snodenyingthatitisone ofthemostmind-blowing spectaclesonearth,and perhapsmanywouldarguethat it’sthemostimpressivetestof two-wheelsbysomemargin.I cannotfathomhow thehell they makeit aroundthatcourseat thespeedtheydo,brushingoff thewalls,thekerbsandthe realitiesoftheever-lurking dangerthat awaitsthemat everycorner…andeven down thestraights.Thisyearsaw the likesofHicky,Dunlop and Harrisonaveraging135mphlaps attimes,whichisjustludicrous, butwhat’sperhapsequally impressiveistheshapeoftheir bikeswhileclockingthatpace. Quiteoften,bothwheels areoff theground,orwithoneoutof line,leavingbigblacklinesas the reartyres struggletoput downinexcessof200bhpat anygivenmoment. Igotoutfor alapwhen Iwasoverthere, whichhammeredhomethefeat oftheirundertakings;athalf theirspeed,mymindfelt frazzled. IguessI’mwritingthis inadorationofeach andevery racer,pastandcurrent,who’s
ever takentothestart-line, regardlessof whetherthey’re thefastestornot.
Atthe endoftheSenior,I was in thepitlane watchingthe riderscomebackupthe return road,safeinonepiece, knowing they’djustdonesomething beyond special.Eventhen,their eyes seemedhard –theywere focusedandunfazed bythe noiseandcommotiongoingon aroundthemastheyprocessed theirthoughts and emotions before reachingparcferme.The reliefoffriends and familywas tangible, andmoreobviousthan awartatthe end of anose.For thebestpartoftwoweeks, the dicewerebeingrolledtimeand again,knowingthatinaninstant itcouldallgosowrong.Butfor thosewho finished,and especiallytheonesuponthe podium,theconsequences were life-changing. They’d writtentheirnamesinto the race’s117-yearhistorybook.
Oneman who’sdoneitmore thanmostisJohn McGuinness, whowas standingdirectlyin frontofme,watchingDavey Toddonthetopstep,havingjust claimedhisfirstSeniorTT.Itwas aprofoundmoment,witnessing thechangingoftheguard,andit promptedmetowonderwhat threadwould comenextinthis richtapestryofmajestic motorcycling.Whoknows?But withlessthan ayearuntil they’reblastingoffdownBray Hill,we’llsoonfind out.
Enjoythemag,
Ballisticbliss................................... 18
Scratchingontheroadandtrack withBMW’s awesomeM1000XR.
Project37:Partone. 26
Thestartofourbidtotake anewlaprecord onSuzuki’s GSX-8R.
MetzelerRoadtec 02...................... 00
Ratingfastroadrubber ontheTT course.
A2assassin.................................... 00
PuttingAprilia’sRS457 throughits paceson track.
UsedBike Guide.............................. 54
Whyyoushould buyKawasaki’s saucy ZX-10R.
Sub-litrenakedsontrack............... 60 Part twoofour naked shootoutontrack.
ChristianIddon 96 Theydon’tgetmuchtougher than Iddon. SteveParrish. 98 More madnessand wisdom from theman they call Parrish.
Alternatively, scantheQR code on thispageand order your nextcopy today.Wewill send it directly toyou!
Clutchingatflaws........................... 82 Honda’s launcheditsnewe-clutchsystem–isit anygood?
Some things arebetterleft behind,but Fast Bikes isn’tone of them trustus. Fora start, we’d miss you, butit’dalso mean you’dmis sout on awhole
load of news,reviews,tech, talksand insightintopioneering protagonists.Justthink about theroad trips, theproject bike builds –and allthe excuseswe throwinwiththem. We want you on this ride,and we want your stories, your inputand guidance, so don’t be astranger! Check outthe cracking dealswe’ve got here andlet’s getyou settled into anotherseasonof thegoodstuff from the UK’s leadingsport sbike magazine.
It’s been aweirdsortofmonth,with aloadoflimitededition specialsandconcept models beingshownof by Triumph, Ducati,Norton andBMW…
We’rekickingoffwiththis, the TriumphBreitling Edition Speed Triple.It’sbasedon the excellent 1200RRStriple,withits cheeky 178bhpmotor,electronic semi-activeÖhlins suspension, BremboStylemacalipers, performanceridingaidspackage andslickstyle.Andthatstylehas beendialledup even more thanks to atie-inwiththefancy Swiss watchmaker Breitling.Thebike comes with auniquepaintscheme,
completewithgoldhighlights, gold Breitling tank badge,and aspecial logoed rearwheel axlecap.There’s lightweight carbon fibre bolt-on parts,a special French-stitched leathersaddle,and aone-off Akrapovic end can.
Youalsoget afancy Breitling watchthrown in.It’s aChronomat B0142 in titanium and 18k red gold, with abrown leatherstrap and anthracitedial.Originally designedfor theItalianaerobatics
teamFrecce Tricolori in1983,the Chronomat poo-poos electronic quartzoperation,instead going for amechanicalchronograph (stopwatch).Nice,weguess! Thepackagecosts£22,995, which is a£5k uplifton the standardbike.A Chronomat B01 seemstoretailatabout £7-8k,so that’salmostabargain,itseems. They’ll besellingfast, nodoubt –your localTriumphdealermay be abletohelpifyoumusthave one…
Keepaneye onour online channels –Facebook, Twitter, andthe Fast Bikes website(www.fastbikesmag.com)–for news as ithappens.
Ducatidouble-droppedonthespecials frontthismonthtoo,with abeautiful 30thanniversarycommemorative AyrtonSenna EditionoftheMonster and aSupremeversionofthe StreetfighterV4S.
TheSennaMonsteristhelatestin alonglineofhomagemodelstothe legendaryF1 racerwhodiedina tragiccrash30yearsagothisyearat ImoladuringtheSanMarinoGrand Prix.Ducatireleased afewSenna edition916superbikemodelsinthe 1990s,beforeMVAgustatookonthe mantlewithF4Sennasuperbikes.
Allthebikesweresoldtobenefit theSennacharityfoundations,and thatcontinueswiththe30th anniversary SennaMonster.
ThebikewasunveiledatImolaby Senna’s niece,BiancaSenna,and DucatiCEOClaudioDomenicali.Itis ahigh-specversionoftheMonster SP,withthesame937cc111bhp Testastretta V-twinmotor,Öhlins steeringdamper,USDforksandrear shock,BremboStylemabrakesand lithiumbattery.Butitadds asetof forgedaluminiumwheelsthatsavea coupleofkilos,aswellas abespoke belly pan,yellowbrakecaliperpaint and aone-off Termignoniendcan.
It’sallfinished offwiththe gorgeousyellowpaintjobbasedon Senna’sfamous race helmetdesign. TheSennaMonstercosts£23,500,if
youcangethold ofone.
Thenextspecial Ducati isevenpricier(though webetitwillstillsell out) and abitmore obscure. It’saspecialStreetfighter, designedwiththe Supremefashionlabel fromNew York, best-knownforitsskate/ urbanwearandappeal toA-listHollywood celebrities,music,and sportsstars.The paintworkissimple enough:redandwhite, withthe ratherplain‘Supreme’logo (alsoseenonthefirm’s£250 T-shirts andhoodies)andwas produced by Aldo Drudi– better knownas ValentinoRossi’slid designer,of course.Thebikeis stockapart frompaint, which makes the £42k
price tag abit of ashocker;onefor Ducati completistsandSupreme obsessives,weimagine. Youcanalso buy amatchingAraiRX-7VEvolid, Dainese race suitandSpidi gloves... form aqueue outsideyourlocal Ducati dealer!
Ducati’sScramblersub-brand showedoff apair of concept modelsattheBikeShedShow inLondon.Theflat-trackRR24I wasinterestingenough, witha stripped-back look,but it’sthe half-fairedCR24ICaféRacerthat
caught theeye.Clip-ons, rearsets andthe1970s-style fairingwithround headlamp addedanewangletothelittle retro-roadster,and the café racerconceptcould wellfindits wayinto aproductionmodel.
We imaginethatTVS,ownerofthe Nortonbikefirm,hasbeen abitlikeus whenwe buy anewprojectbike. Everywhereyoulook, there’salot moreneedingdonethanyouthought. Itallcosts afortune,takesages,and makesyousadattimes –butit’sall worthitinthe end.
ThegiantIndianfirm –whichmakes nearly fivemillion motorbikes ayear –hasownedNortonformorethan fouryearsnow,afterbuyingitfrom disgracedformerownerStuartGarner. Andwhileit’sreckonedtohave abig rangeofall-new bikesinthepipeline, it’salsohadtoclearuptheprevious mess, whilesettingupanentirelynew productionline,R&D,dealernetwork andmuchmore.A big job.
We areexpectingbignewsfrom Nortonlaterthisyear, butinthe
meantime,thefirmhas launchedan all-new‘OneofOne’custompaint service,which willletowners create theirownbespokepaintdesignon the Commando961 andV4models.The schemewaslaunched at theLondon BikeShedShow with afabulous replicaofSteveHislop’s‘White Charger’RCW588rotarythatwon the famous1992SeniorTT.
Norton’salsosignedup anew seniorexecutivetohelpmanage the transformationin theUK.Richard Arnold,theformerCEO ofManchester United,is akeenbikerand actually owns aNortonV4SV,soheknowsthe score.
•Norton’salsoopened itsfirstnew dealerinScotland.Revolutionsin Perth willhavethefullrange of V4 and Commandomodelsavailable.
BMW’sbiggestengine,the R18,iscurrently restricted to powering arangeof massivecruisersand AmericanGrand Tourers, which limitsitsappealin other markets somewhat.
Butall thatR&Dand toolingmustbepaid for somehow,soitmakes sense to see the enormous Boxer motor earning its corninanotherrole. Perhapslikethis –theR20 conceptroadster. Shown off attheConcorso d’EleganzaVilla d’Este eventatLakeComoin Italy,it’saneven bigger two-litre versionoftheR18 lump,inamassively reduced chassis, witha near-200mm shorter wheelbase, aBobberretro roadsterstyle,and super-trickrunning gear. ÖhlinsBlackline forks and monoshock, dualISR six-piston frontbrake calipers and sporty120/70 17and200/55 tyre sizes point towardssomething witha cheeky approachto handling.
Ifthey canget themass downabout 200-odd kg andtuneitfor some decentpower(astockR18 makes 90bhp; we’d want 120bhp,really), it could makefor atorqueybarrel of laughs inthemouldof theTriumphRocket3.Orit couldendupas asortof Bavarian Yamaha MT-01for themid-2020s.Watchthis space,andregisteronthe www.m2000r.com website is ouradvice.
KTMisset to releasea newautomaticmanual transmission(AMT) forits bigadventuremachines. Details were scantas we wentto press,butthe firm hadaprototypebike racingatthe Erdberg Rodeo,usingan LC8 V-twin enginefrom the 1290/1390 rangeand Frenchenduro aceJohnnyAubert riding it.
“Thegearboxwas being put to thetest atErzberg assome extremeproduct development andtesting,” according tothefirm.
“Moreinformation will be available come September this year.”
Itmakesthetyres forMotoGPand has producedsome prettyamazing roadtyres downthe years.Now, FrenchrubberaceMichelinis kicking offanew Track Experienceprogrammeinthe UK,withlimited numbersandsomeexclusivetrack riding eventsata selectionofthe biggesttracksthisseason.
And FastBikes will be theretoo– we’veteamed up withthefirm, andBruce,TimandJoeareallsetto appearattheexperience.
Theevents announced sofarareatDonington Park on July23andBrandsHatch GP circuit on August 28. Bothdayswillfeature topVIP race starsincluding SylvainBarrier,James Toselandand KyleRydeas specialguestinstructors.
“Wehavethree or four worldclass/BSBinstructors,” saidBarrier.“Theywilltakethe timetoshareallthe experienceandthe knowledge for ourclients.
“Wehavemechanicassistanceontrack, aswellas Michelintechnicians. Clientsneedjustto bring their bikesinourgaragewith astandandtyrewarmers.”
Ridinggroupswill be small,accordingtoBarrier.“A groupof20peoplewouldbesplitintotwosets.We’ll have10ina beginners’ group and10in amedium-plus group.
“Bothsessionswill havetwoinstructorswhowill filmthemandgive afulldebrief betweensessions.”
It’s notjust on-tracktuition,either.“Afterwardsand betweensessions,wewill be talkingaboutsafety, airbags,bikemaintenance,noiselimits,and allabout the rangeofMichelintyres.There will becoffee,drinks andsnacksprovidedtoo.”
Ifyouliveinthesouth-east of Englandand haven’tbeentotheBikeShedMotoShowin London,you’redefinitelymissing out.It’sa verydifferentaffair from theusual production bikesshowslikethe NECand ExCel, witha loadofcustommachineson show,aswellas decentfood,drinkanda nice locationin Wapping.This year,organisershad aspecial Japanesecustom room,withsome sweet specials,including atrick KawasakiKR-1Sand acoupleofsweet oldSuzukiGSX-Rs,plus someBōsōzokubikergangdesigns.Putitin thediaryfornext year!https:// bikeshedlondonshow.com
What do youneedtodo totakepart? Accordingto Sylvain,itcouldn’tbe easier.“Theclientneedstobuy aset of Michelintyres(PowerSlick2,Power Cup2orPower GP2),thengotothe Michelin website.We’llsendthem out acodeandtheycanchoosethedatetheywant.” Moreinfo:www.michelin.com
They cameup withthe mentalKingofthe Baggers race series,andnowthe crazy Yanks areatitagain. TheAMAFlat Track raceorganisersarelaunchinga production-basedadventuretourerdirttrack race classcalledAdventureTrackers, withsuperstock-like regs.BikesapprovedincludetheBMWR1300 GS, Ducati MultistradaV4Rally,Harley PanAmerica, Honda Africa Twin,Kawasaki Versys 1000,KTMSuper Adventure,SuzukiV-Strom1050, Triumph Tiger 1200 andeventheold YamahaSuperTénéré.The series kicksoffatSturgis on August11. Moreinfo: www. americanflattrack.com
Magnetictankbagswere alifechangerwhentheyappearedabout 100 yearsago –butthe growth of plastic‘tankcovers’has ruinedtheir appeal abit(plus,theycanscratch paintwork). Entertheclip-onsystems, likethis Wunderlich set-up. Asmall
bracketboltsonto the fuelcap anda rangeofbags attachesquickly and easily,withno magnets and no fuss. Available for awide rangeof BMWs includingtheGS,M1000andS1000, andwith achoiceof small, mediumor largebags.
TheGPPlusis Alpinestars’top-end leatherjacket, packedwithsmart designand premiummaterial, andisnowinits fourthversion.It’s idealforthrowing onwithridingjeans oraspartofa two-piece zip-together leathersuitwith matching trousers.Thisis theStella model,whichis recutina women’sfit, usingthe same high-end designasthe GPPlusmen’s jacket.Thereare loadsofstretch panels,which addcomfortas wellas accommodating thefirm’s various Tech-Air airbagsystems.CE levelone armourin shoulderandelbow, backprotectorpocket, zip-outthermalliner, extensiveairvents andsmartcolour options roundoff thespec.
The A is a sta touring build q strong fifth-ge has be season There’ and
rai Tour-X(or Tour Cross)lid alwartinthe adventure g sector,withflagship-level qualityandprotection, plus g styling. Thisisthelatest enerationversion,which een hittingthe shops this n with afull revamp. ’salargervisorsystem d aremovable peaksoyou can have thehelmetin ADVstylewith peakand visor, off-roadwith peakandyourown goggles,oron-road with nopeakand visor in place.You alsogeta newventilationsystemandthe usual high-endremovableinner
RRP:
lining.Itcomesin awide rangeof graphics,including this tasty Discovery Red.
£699.99w ww.w hyarai.co.uk
These new budget tyrewarmers from German bikeretailer Louis Motooffera Bluetoothlinkfor control viayour AppleorAndroid smartphone.They have three heat settings (60, 80 and95°c), fit120/70 17 front and180-200/55 17 reartyres, andalso comewithahandy carrying case.Available without Bluetooth control for£43 less.
It’sacommoncomplaint:bikebootswhichhavezero griponthe soles,makingthemuselessforanyserious walkingwhenoffthebike.TheseTCXClimatreks addressthathead-onwith adesignthatcoversboth bikingandhiking.They’reshort,with atoughtextile outer shell,impactprotectionbuiltintotheankle,toe and heel,andthermalandGore-Texbreathable waterprooflining.Thechunkysolehelpsgripwhen walking,andtheylookdecentoffthebiketoo.
RRP: £199.99w ww.t cx boot s.com
TwoBritishfirmshavejoinedforcesonthis:R&G RacinghasteamedupwiththeEazigriptank grip padmakertoexpandthebrandworldwide.The Eazigripsystemusesapairoflarge,grippy stick-onpadstogivemassivelyimprovedtraction betweenyourthighsandthebike,improving stabilitymid-cornerandonthebrakes.Custommadeforloadsofbikes,includingthelatest2024 Kawasaki500Ninja,andavailableinEVOtrack andproroadversions.
RRP: Fr om£38w ww.r g- racing.c om
AspecialBolognianedition of theNolan X-Lite race lid,theDucatiSpeedEvoV2 lid hasafullcarbonoutershell,extensive track-friendlyventing, positivevisorlock
Agreat-lookingsuit fromRSTin aspecialladies’ cut,theTractechEvo 5boasts afull cowhide outer constructionwithstretch panels,comfort neckand cuffmaterials,race hump and perforatedsections. For2024,thesuit nowhas CEleveltwoarmourinknees,hips,elbowsand shoulders andalso comes with aleveltwo backprotector alreadyinplace.Thatgetsita CEAAA certificationrating–nice. Availablein three colours: ablack basewithwhite,greenor fuchsia highlights.
RRP£569 ww w.rst- mo to.c om
and amassive rear aero spoiler.It’s preparedfora hydration backpack systemtoo,and hastheusualemergency releaseinner pads,removablelining, quick-release visorsystem andextra-wide visor aperture.The best bitisthe style, of course: it comesintwo colouroptions, and bothwillgo perfectlywith asuitable Panigale.There arealso fouroutershell sizesfor optimal dimensions whatever yourcranial dimensions.
RRP: £699 www.ducat i.com
Triumph’snew400singlesaresellingwell –andth aftermarketis catching on.Here’sanewtailtidy optionfromBritishfirmPyramidPlastics, which replacesthestockrearmudguardandplateholde with aminimalistinstallinstead.
RRP: £94.99 ww w.py rami dmot o.co.u
Ano-fussshortsummerridingglove fromOxfordProducts.The RP-4Shasa leatherbaseconstruction, with perforationsandmesh panelsin low-impactareasfor optimal cooling airflow.TherearePUimpactabsorbers
inthe palmwithtoughabrasion resistant layers,and twinwristand cuff straps. Touchscreen fingersare present and correct,andthey come inthree colourways: black,red or yellow.
Every nowand then,a bike comes alongthat reallychallengeswhat you know–orthought youknew–about howagiventypeofbikefeelsand behaves. ThenewBMWM1000XRisonesuchbike.
It’shardtoknowwhereto startwiththe latest‘M’-specadditiontotheBMW range. In some ways, it’sanobviousand relatively simplestatementmaker –justbolta full-bloodedS1000RRsuperbikeengineinto
theexisting S1000XRand in astrokeyou’ve addedenoughpowertojustifyswopping the letterS forthe letter M. If you’rewondering whatthepowergainis,31bhp extraisthe exactfgure, whichtakes theM1000XRupto 201bhp –a fgurethat dwarfs everythingelse in the ever-popular‘crossover’ sector.The newDucati Multistrada RS has180bhp,the Pikes Peakhas170bhpandthe KTMSuper DukeGThas 175bhp.
So,that’s inthen?I canpretty muchwrap up this reportontheBMWM1000XRnow, can’t I?It’s justanS1000XRwith aloadmore powerthan itsrivals, andif youopt to not have the‘competitionpack,’it’salsocheaper thanboththeDucatis.Evenwiththe £5100 optionalpackadded,which includescarbon wheelsand averylong list ofothercarbon andtrickalloygoodies, the BMWisstill more powerful,lighter and cheaperthanthe
Multistrada RS.Which leaves theKTM as the onlybike inthesectorthatcanoffer somethingtheBMWcan’t –price.It’sanot insignifcant£3400cheaperthanthebase M1000XR.
Ifit’ssosimple,why is theM-XRsucha challenge formetounderstand?Aftera coupleofhundredmilesonit, Irealisedit’s becausetherehas neverbeen abikelikeit before. Itistruethatthe‘crossover’and ‘tallrounder’genres haven’tbeenaroundfor very long,andthere’svariousinterpretations ofwhatconstitutesafastbikethatcancover longdistancesincomfort, yetstilldeliverhits ofadrenalinewhencalledupon.Onceupona time,continentcrushersthatcouldalsoslap youinthefacewereSuzukiHayabusasand KawasakiZZRs, butnow there’ssomething
fromallthemanufacturers– from ahumble SuzukiGSX-S1000GTthroughtothis behemothfromBMWand everything in between –that claimstobethe best ofboth worlds.
By defnition, crossoverbikes are compromisedbecausephysics dictatesthat if youput asuperbikeengine into aheavier chassiswith longer suspensionand ahigher centreofgravitythan asuperbike, itcan’tbe as preciseasasuperbike. Equally,ifyou makethesuspensionfrmer than atouring bike andtakeaway alotofits weight, it won’t be as comfortableandeasy toride long distancesasatouringbike. So,youend up havingtothinkaboutthese bikes intermsof howlittlethey’ve beencompromisedatthe
twothings they’re supposedtobegood at, ratherthan howgoodtheyare atthe one thingthey’re supposed tobe good at,which, inthecaseofacrossover, is being good at twothings.
I’ve been lucky enoughnowtohaveridden boththe Sand Mvariantsof all of BMW’s four-cylinderenginemotorcyclesand Ihave to saystraight outthatthe Mversion of the XR standsout as having the greatest amount ofdaylight betweenitand the Sversion of the samemodel.Inthe case of the M1000RR, most ofwhat’sdifferent betweenitandthe S1000RRisengine internalsand some massivewingswhich BMW needs to homologatefor racing– andwhich make
zerodifferencetothedynamic ofthebike in allother scenarios. In thecase ofthe M1000R, there’samuchbiggerjump in performance betweenitandthe S1000R thankstothe extrahorsepowerthe Mgets fromthe shift-camenginebeingbolted in. However,inthe case oftheXR,it gets the samepowerboost as theM1000R,PLUSa massiveoverhaultothe chassis –which moves thedynamicsofthe bike, andhowit ridesandfeels,milesaway fromthe S1000XR.
TheupshotisthattheM1000RRridesand feelspretty muchjustlikeandS1000RR, unlessyou’rebotheringlap records;the M1000R is justlikeanS1000R but much morepowerful(whichis agoodthing);and theM1000XRisnothingatall likethe S1000XRinanyway,shape orform –itisits ownentityand,arguably,ofall the Mbikes is probablythereforethe worthiest ofthe badge.
I’ve alreadycoveredthe differentengines in theM-XR,butbeforeImoveonto thestuff that makes theM-XR noticeablydifferentat
allspeeds,it’sworth mentioning that as well as givingit amassive 30bhp extra,BMWhas addedtwoteethtothe rear sprocket comparedtothe S-XRandshortenedfourth, ffthand sixthgearsfor even morethrust. Theframeand swingarm arethesameasthe S-XR’s, butthanks tothe largerrearsprocket, thewheelbase is 4mmshorter, which might notsoundmuchbut is asignifcant amount. Theridingpositionis more forward-biased largely duetodifferenthandlebars, which results in a53.3/46.7weightdistribution frontto rear versus52.3/47.7 on the S-XR, andthe steeringgeometry is half adegree steeper to completethe holy trinity of things youneedtodotomakeabiketurn faster–shorterwheelbase,moreweight on thefront, and steepersteeringangle.Also, at 223kg fully fuelled,itis4kg lighter thanthe S-XR withoutthe competitionpack,and 7kglighter withthe competitionpack–moreonthat later.
It doesn’tend there. Thesuspensionhas had athoroughworking over, withthe main headline being areduction intravelat both
“Can anyone help me up?”
OBVIOUSLY,
Besp oketothe M100 0X Rand slimmerthanthe S1000XR’s.T he seat is aw hopping8 50 mm high and sculpted to lock therider pret ty much into oneplace. Also,the M1000XR do esn’tget ahardlug gage rack ,so ifyou really must bringthe kitchensinkw ithyou,then mayb ethe S1000XR is thebikefor you. We wouldn’t be surprisedifthe reas on fornohardlug gage is simply becaus ep anniersand atop boxcould well cause st ability is sues at thes or tofspeedsthe M1000XR is capableof.
Theframe ands wingarmare thes ameasall theother four-c ylinderBMWs, butanextra twoteeth on therear sprocket co mp ared to theS10 00XR result sina shor ter wheelb as e, which, co mbined with adif ferent riding position,changes theweightdis tributiontob emore forward- bias ed.T hrow in at weak to thes teering geometry to o, andyou’vegot racier geometry allover.
As well as four th,fifthand sixthgearb eing shor terinthe gearbox, the final driveisals oshorter by virtue of therearsprocketb eing bigger (47 teeth) co mp ared to theS10 00XR’s (4 5teeth). Theresultisobv iously even greateraccelerationand quitep os sibl ya higher topspeed. So metimes, higher topspeedsc an be achieved with slig htly lower gearing, especially if thebikeisn’t very aero -friendl y, whichthe M10 00XR isn’t. It ’s ac ademic becaus etheydon’t have thes ame engine,sothe M100 0X Rw illhaveamuchhig hertop sp eedany way.
Thes ameb east of amotor takens traightout of theM10 00 R, so that ’s the full 201bhp,w hich backsupBMW ’s marketingg uf fthatthe M100 0X Ris ‘the lightest andmos tp ower fulpro ductioncross over bike in theworld.’ It ’s 31bhpuponthe S100 0X Rand redlines at 14,6 00 rp mcomparedto 12,0 00 rp monthe S100 0X R. It ’s allb eens aidb eforeabout BM W’ss econd at temptatafour- cy linderengine, butthe addition of shif t- camvariable valvetimingand thesheer qualit yoffinish andcomponent sused internally make it oneofthe mo dern -day masterpieces in engine design.