BMW S 1000 RR: GEN 4

So, what difference does 13 years make to a model?

A lot, you’d hope, which is exactly the case with the 2023-spec RR. It batters the Gen 1 in every way, which it should do, but before we get into the nitty-gritty of what it’s like to ride, let’s look at the basic differences between the two machines. The new RR’s a chunk lighter, especially when presented in this RR Sport version that’s been kitted out with optional carbon wheels. It’s 7kg leaner, to be precise, but perhaps the biggest talking point is the increase in horsepower. Going off the claimed outputs, the new machine produces 27 more ponies, with an additional dose of 7Nm of torque to back things up. Interestingly, peak horsepower comes in at a similar figure (13,000rpm versus 13,500rpm), but the spread of torque on the new bike is much greater thanks to its integration of BMW’s Shiftcam technology that allows for optimisation of cam timing according to the engine’s revolutions. This is a piece of engineering that wasn’t even heard of back in 2010 – and the same can be said for six-axis IMUs, aerodynamic wings on bikes, and technicolour TFT dashes... and add into that mix 15 levels of traction control, dynamic damping control (electronic suspension), hill-start technology and even a slide control function that’s in place to moderate your degree of drift on the exit of a corner. The list goes on, but you get the point. These two bikes might share the same branding and model designation, but the raw DNA they possess are akin to comparing Ten Pint Sylv down the pub with Kelly Brook.