BMW S1000RR stars in Black Eyed Peas music video

The BMW S1000RR makes an appearance in Black Eyed Peas' new music video, I'mma be rocking that body. The video is kind of cool, even if you aren't into their kind of music

BMW S1000RR takes on Japanese litre-class superbikes, and wins!

The BMW S1000RR goes up against the R1, Fireblade, GSX-R1000 and ZX-10R, and comes out on top! Pretty amazing

New Bike BMW S1000RR What lies beneath...

A useful video that provides an in-depth look at the BMW S1000RR's bits and pieces. It all looks and sounds pretty impressive, but the only thing is, can this BMW take on bikes like the Aprilia RSV4, Ducati 1198S and the 2009 R1? Hmm... we suppose we'll find out over the next few months!

Photos The BMW S1000RR

Model Ann Kathrin Ruhl, astride the BMW S1000RR

Pics: Hell for Leather / 2WheelTuesday

BMW have released new pics of its S1000RR superbike, with model Ann Kathrin Ruhl upping the glam quotient. While bikes like the BMW K1300R, K1300S and HP2 Sport do offer a fair bit of performance, the S1000RR – the machine which BMW will be racing in World Superbikes this year – is in a different league altogether.

With its aluminium beam frame, high-spec USD fork and monoshock (both ends fully adjustable), Brembo brakes, carbonfibre bodywork and high-revving 1,000cc inline-four that makes about 200bhp at the crank, the S1000RR is more in line with Japanese litre-class superbikes. That, and perhaps even more, because the S1000RR is likely to be equipped with advanced traction control, ABS, variable length air-intake tracts and positive valve actuation of some sort, the details of which have not been revealed yet by BMW.

When the road going version of the S1000RR goes on sale – probably towards the end of this year – the bike is expected to cost around US$15,000. If BMW can stick to that kind of pricing, the 1000RR should be a lot of bike for a relatively reasonable amount of money.

With all-new bikes like the Aprilia RSV4 and the 2009 Yamaha R1 and Suzuki GSX-R1000 to beat in World Superbikes this year, BMW riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus are going to face an uphill battle. Still, with BMW prepared to go all out on research and development, the S1000RR’s prospects don’t look too bad at all…

And here's the first official pic of the street-ready S1000RR. Four-mode ABS, advanced traction control, 183kg dry weight. Price, in Europe, is 15,150 euros. Place your orders now at your friendly, neighbourhood BMW dealership.

World Superbikes: BMW S1000RR vs Aprilia RSV4

BMW S1000RR vs Aprilia RSV4, Germany vs Italy. World Superbikes is going to be an all-out war zone this year...!

Strange things seem to be happening in the world of top-flight motorcycle racing. In a year when a major Japanese company like Kawasaki has announced its withdrawal from MotoGP, two European companies – BMW and Aprilia – are actually getting into World Superbikes, with all-new four-cylinder machines.

Forget the recession and cost-cutting, BMW and Aprilia are planning a no-holds-barred assault in World Superbikes this year, and they seem to be bringing the right kind of firepower for the battle that lies ahead for each of them. First, the BMW. The brand-new S1000RR, which will be ridden by Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus, is fitted with a liquid-cooled 999cc four-cylinder engine that, according to BMW, makes 200+ horsepower at 14,000+ revs.

There's never been a BMW bike quite like this ever before...

The S1000RR comes with a six-speed gearbox, Dell´ Orto fuel-injection system (with 48mm injectors), fully adjustable Öhlins suspension (43mm USD fork at front, TTX shock at the back) and Brembo brakes (twin 320mm discs with four-piston callipers at front, single 220mm disc at the back with four-piston calliper). The bike rides on 16.5-inch wheels shod with Pirelli tyres and weighs 162kg dry.

On to the Aprilia, and the all-new RSV4, which is fitted with a liquid-cooled, DOHC, 999cc, 65-degree V4 that Aprilia claim is the most powerful engine they’ve ever built. Indeed, the street-legal version of the RSV4 packs 180bhp at 12,500rpm, so the World Superbikes racer should, like the S1000RR, easily have more than 200 horsepower.

The Aprilia RSV4, all set to take on the BMW S1000RR

Like the BMW, the Aprilia also has a host of electronics making sure the engine delivers its best at all times. The RSV4’s engine has bits like variable height intake trumpets, four throttle bodes, eight injectors and ride-by-wire fuel management. There’s also a six-speed cassette-type gearbox, aluminium beam frame with mixed cast and pressed sheet sections, fully adjustable Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes with monobloc radial-mount callipers.

The RSV4 rides on 17-inch forged aluminium alloy wheels, shod with 120/70 (front) and 190/55 (rear) tyres. The streetbike weighs 179kg dry, so we suppose the WSBK-spec bike will be at least 10-15 kilos lighter. On paper, the RSV4 and S1000RR seem pretty evenly matched, though it remains to be seen how they’ll perform on the track. What’s certain is that the 2009 World Superbikes season should be the best ever and the action is likely to be fast and furious. Bring it on now

Just how fast are those WSBK bikes?

For now, at just 300km/h, the BMW S1000RR is the slowest of the lot...!

From left: Max Neukirchner (GSX-R1000), Max Biaggi (RSV4) and Noriyuki Haga (1098 F09)

From left: Tommy Hill (CBR1000RR), Makoto Tamada (ZX-10R) and Ben Spies (YZF-R1)

Ever wonder just how fast those World Superbikes machines really are? During practice yesterday, at the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar, Max Neukirchner’s Suzuki GSX-R1000 hit a top speed of 314km/h, Max Biaggi’s Aprilia RSV4 did 313km/h, Noriyuki Haga’s Ducati 1098R F09 did 311km/h, Tommy Hill’s Honda CBR1000RR did 310km/h, Makoto Tamada’s Kawasaki ZX-10R also did 310km/h and Ben Spies Yamaha YZF-R1 did 309km/h. Troy Corser’s BMW S1000RR was way down the charts, at just 300km/h. But then, of course, the season has just begun