It was expected that BMW would launch the 2019 S1000RR at the 2018 INTERMOT show, but the German marquee had some other plans. Instead of Cologne, BMW Motorrad has chosen to unveil its new litre-class superbike at the 2018 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, next month. Patent images of the upcoming motorcycle had emerged last month and now, with just a month remaining for its global reveal, new images have emerged of the bike undergoing testing. The test mule’s images confirm that the 2019 BMW S1000RR will carry forward the radical new styling that was seen in the patent images.
The controversial, yet distinctive, asymmetric ‘winking’ headlights have been replaced with a more conventional dual-projector unit. While the fairing is a new unit, the gill-like outlet vents have been carried forward. Overall, the new superbike looks much more compact than its predecessor and also has a petite exhaust muffler.
The German brand has been tight-lipped about engine details of the upcoming superbike. However, there are reports that the in-line-four powerplant will feature a counter-rotating crankshaft as seen on the Ducati Panigale V4. It’s also likely to be equipped with variable valve technology, which recently made its debut on the new BMW R1250GS. The current BMW S1000RR churns out close to 200hp and it will be safe to assume that the next-generation machine will be even more potent.
Another noticeable difference on the 2019 S1000RR is the new trellis subframe, while the main chassis remains the same twin-spar aluminium unit. Back in 2009, BMW Motorrad had made a splendid debut with the first-generation S1000RR, and nine years later, the brand and its followers are expecting an encore.
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
