I'm writing this article ahead of a long weekend and after a long week, so bear with me as I'm not sure I have the words to properly convey the awesomeness that is BMW's Concept RR. It is, at it's core, Certified Rad as Shit, as it's basically a glimpse at the next generation of M1000RR.
Debuting at Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, the same place we saw BMW's 2-liter boxer cafe racer prototype last year, the Concept RR is a showcase for BMW's racing division to display what they're technically capable of building using all its race-bred know-how, but made for mere mortals like you and me.
I mean, Toprak already has most of this stuff on his WSBK racer.
Underneath all that carbon and bare aluminum sits the same water-cooled inline four-cylinder engine out of the company's race and churns out a whopping 230 horsepower. BMW also threw all the WSBK's electronics at the motorcycle, so you get its "engine management, traction control, and engine brake" systems.
The brand also highlights the work done to the Concept RR's aerodynaics, stating, "The BMW Motorrad engineers placed special emphasis on aerodynamics, particularly on the challenging objectives of 'riding stability at very high speeds,' 'maximum cornering speeds,' and 'minimal air resistance for optimal top speed.' These competing goals are realized by the Concept RR through an unprecedentedly compact package, reduced external attachments, and enhanced precision of airflow, even through the motorcycle – from the ventilated front to the monolithic, also ventilated, aerodynamically optimized rear. In addition, the concept bike is equipped with an aerodynamically optimized fairing with integrated winglets and high-performance brakes – uncompromisingly perfected for ambitious super-sporty use on the road up to professional racing."
What we don't see, however, are the adaptive winglets BMW patented last year that RideApart reported on and speculated that would be seen in its next generation WSBK racer or the homologated road-going M1000RR. Maybe that'll show up on a future model?
As for everything else, well it follows form and function, as the bike's been sculpted and honed to delivered the most performance possible. And it looks amazing and BMW should let me ride it.
According to BMW Motorrad's CEO Markus Flasch, "Never before has BMW Motorrad provided such an early glimpse into a future generation of the RR models. The BMW Motorrad Concept RR is a true masterpiece of our development team, both technically and in terms of design language. Guided and inspired by the BMW Motorrad factory superbike M 1000 RR, with which BMW Motorrad factory rider Toprak Razgatlioğlu was able to dominantly win the FIM World Superbike Championship last year, the Concept RR offers a true firework of superlatives for both street and track use. The transfer from racing to road has never been shown more clearly. It represents BMW Motorrad's leadership claim to offer the highest engineering level and maximum performance in this segment."
Will we ever see it in production? Well, BMW does have a habit of displaying almost production-ready concepts at events may just lead to real bikes. But only time will tell. For now, let's just stare, drool, and pray BMW follows through.
