BMW S1000RR HP4 RACE 2018 : The ultimate German Superbike

BMW HP4 RACE 2018 - The ultimate German Superbike

Since the release of the S1000RR in 2009, BMW has introduced several high-performance versions (HP4) of its supersport. Super-equipped machines with exotic pieces. With the HP4 Race, the Bavarian firm takes another step and offers us - way to speak - an exclusive bike ready for the track. A concentrate of know-how, technology, sportsmanship, exoticism, and passion.

Before going further in my presentation, let's start with what annoys: the price. Indeed, the HP4 Race is an exceptional bike and, as such, it is proposed at the exorbitant price of $ 95,000. And, because of this, it is not addressed to the mass of motorcyclists, but to a wealthy elite who can afford a sport with technical characteristics worthy of a motorcycle World Superbike Championship (WSBK).

The irony is that this bike built in the workshops of the BMW racing team in Berlin, which has the same parts as the BMW S1000RR of the official BMW Althea team, is not homologated to compete in the FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) championship whose rules stipulate that the motorcycles selected must be based on a road bike, which the HP4 Race is not. It can only be used on the track, for exclusive driving days, excluding the championship.

BMW presented this exceptional bike at the Estoril circuit in Portugal, where our colleague Costa Mouzouris had ample time to discover and appreciate it.

Although it looks like the S1000RR, the HP4 Race - a limited edition produced at only 750 copies - shares nothing with the production machine, except for the crankcases. So it's not a motorcycle modified for the World Superbike Championship, but a new machine whose centerpiece is a sublime carbon fiber frame that weighs only 7.8 kg, or 4 kg less than the aluminum version of the road version. When you weigh this frame, it feels like a toy in the hands, not the spine of a Superbike of more than 200 horses. And the engineers could have made it even lighter if they wanted to. At least that's what designer Elmar Jaeger claims: "BMW had to take into account the longevity of the machine, its crimping and its resistance to corrosion, all of which are not crucial on a motorcycle intended for competition on the market. which life of parts rarely exceeds a few races. "

To address the problem of crimping - the material compresses over time due to the assembly at the mounting points - aluminum inserts are used on all frame attachment points. Since carbon fiber contains carbon (a Lapalisse truth), it reacts with aluminum to cause corrosion, such as when aluminum is in direct contact with steel. These inserts are molded into the frame instead of being pressed, so that oxygen does not seep between the two materials, thus limiting corrosion. The thickness of the frame wall is also optimized for better longevity. The wheels, the rear loop of the frame and the body are also made of carbon fiber.
All these technical tips help to reduce the weight of the HP4 Race to 171 kg fully loaded, 37 kg less than the production bike and 8 kg less than the race.

The comparison of the chassis geometry with that of the S1000RR is irrelevant since the hunting angle (23.5 / 25.5 degrees), the offset (95/112 mm), the offset of the fork crown (26 / 32 mm) and swivel arm pivot height (+/- 4 mm) are all adjustable, and all necessary inserts are included on the motorcycle. The height of the bike, the seat and the height of the footrests are also adjustable. The HP4 Race comes with three different box-outlet sprockets and five rear crowns.

Öhlins supplies the suspension components - real units used in WSBK -, including a fork FGR300, which is designed so that it is not necessary to remove the brake calipers to remove the wheel. The single shock is a TTX36 GP. Both elements are fully adjustable and identical to the parts found on the Superbike racing team, Althea.

The brakes are Brembo GP4-PR racing at the front, with a nice little four-piston caliper at the rear (a single piston on the production bike).

But these are not the only race pieces on the HP4 Race. If you've read my exclusive test of BMW racing motorcycles, published last year on motoplus.ca, you'll remember the content of BMW's runner-up program and the three different types of engines that the German firm offers them... The HP4 Race uses a combination of the 6.2 and 7.2 engines (modified cylinder head, race camshafts, and 6.2 engine valves combined with the lighter crankshaft and 7.2 forged connecting rods).

It also uses a close-ratio gearbox, the third gear being identical to that of the production bike. Each HP4 Race engine is checked on a chassis dynamometer to ensure that it produces at least 215 horsepower (only 5 hp less than the WSBK engine, but 16 hp more than the production one). If the numbers are not satisfactory, then the engine is destroyed.

You now understand that the HP4 is not a variant of the S1000RR. However, what differentiates the two machines the most is the electronic arsenal which is much more elaborate on the HP4 Race. It has four modes of driving (Rain, Intermediate, Sec 1, Sec 2), a dynamic traction control with 15 levels of intervention, an adjustable anticorrosion which intervenes only in the three inferior ratios, an adjustable engine brake on 15 levels, a starting mode that works on the first and second gear and a speed limiter in the pit lane.

The HP4 Race also includes a bi-directional electronic gear selector and a 2D data logger. The dashboard can be configured to display a multitude of information, including traction control, engine braking, driving modes, lap times (validated by the onboard GPS), as well as more elaborate data such as accelerator opening, front and rear wheel rotation speed, tilt angle, and if optional sensors are installed, brake pressure and travel of the suspension.

The settings of the electronics can be made on the fly thanks to the equipment reserved for the race which is simplified compared to that used on the production bike (only three big buttons on each side) and very easy to use.

RUN A MOTO OF $ 100,000
Before you even sit on the HP4 Race, you know you're about to have an amazing experience and drive an exclusive bike that you will not be able to afford. The fine tuning and finishing of the carbon parts, the precision-engineered crankcases, and levers, the truncated rear section all speak to the performance. Efficiency. The exhaust is not exceptionally noisy. He is even quieter than most of the Superbikes at the CSBK Canadian Championship.

To allow us to make a comparison and measure the progress made on the HP4 Race, a fleet of S1000RR 2017 series is available to recognize the circuit that is unknown to the majority of journalists invited.

The only changes made to these machines are the configuration of the gearbox (inverted box, as in competition and on the HP4 Race) and the Pirelli Diablo Superbike SC2 slicks tires, the same ones that equip the HP4 Race.

Each of us is entitled to four 20-minute sessions on the HP4 Race in addition to being able to drive an S1000RR every time we are not on the test bike. After two sessions at the controls of the production bike, I jumped on the HP4. Immediately, I found the driving position much more radical. The saddle is higher and the feet are abnormally raised, even if both are adjusted to their intermediate positions.

The other surprise is the lightness of the machine. Its superior rigidity and extreme precision. It took me less than a ride to feel completely at ease on his handlebars. The HP4 Race is much more precise than the S1000RR, which is a motorcycle with exceptional handling. I had to put in less physical effort to push the HP4 Race to the limit, especially in the pins and pifs pafs and achieve faster lap times.

The electronics of this exceptional machine are incomparable to the one currently found on the market. She is much more evolved. The anti-wheelie is virtually invisible, allowing the bike to propel itself forward at unimaginable speed, without lifting the front wheel into the air, at least until you reach the fourth gear, where it will end by getting up at very high speed if you are not careful. On the production bike, the wheelies are more frequent, especially at the exit of slower turns, which makes it more demanding to drive (and marginally faster in these sections).

For the first ride on the HP4 Race, the engineers selected the "Intermediate" mode, until we got used to the bike. So set, the bike is very fast. Only when I returned to the wells did I realize that it was actually set to "Sec 1" mode ... I wonder how it is possible? Our hosts have specifically asked us not to try the "Sec 2" mode because the anti-wheelie is disabled in this mode, which could have unfortunate consequences. Still, the HP4 Race is easy to master for such a powerful bike.

At the end of the curve, the control of the accelerator borders on perfection. Despite the phenomenal power of the bike, you can exit turns on the three lower gears with the throttle open wide, without the risk of being ejected. The control modes offer different power curves in the first, second and third gear. This makes the throttle remarkably easy to manage, especially coming out of the chicane that was negotiated first and at the exit of which we accelerate thoroughly while we are still learning. Once in the straight line, in fourth gear, the acceleration is brutal. In comparison, the standard S1000RR looks almost like a small engine.

Traction control also works smoothly, producing only a slight detonation, indicating that it handles grip effectively. I started at level +6 (the available settings range from -7 to +7, that is to say, at least to the most interventionist). At the end of the day, I opted for level +3, without any problem. Having had more time, I would have reduced traction control, even more, to see when it became inoperative.

At the end of the straight line that we negotiate at nearly 300 km / h, you have to brake very hard to jump into a right to 90 ° which makes you raise blood in the face. In these extreme conditions, Brembo brakes do a remarkable job. On rare occasions, I noticed a slight loss of efficiency at the end of the session. Unlike the front brake of the S1000RR which had to readjust the lever in the same circumstances.

The only problem I have experienced with the HP4 Race comes from the saddle lining. It offers too much grip and I can not slide easily on the saddle during swaying, which forces me to lift my rear to go from one angle to another.

A TRUE MOTORCYCLE
The BMW HP4 Race is not a replica Superbike. It is a real race bike, although it is not legal in any type of competition at the moment. Of course, the HP4 race is expensive to buy and use. The maintenance intervals are set at 5,000 km. BMW then recommends replacing the engine - an investment of about 15,000 euros - which is more economical than rebuilding the existing engine according to the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, this is the price to pay for the exclusivity and performance of a bike worthy of the WSBK. That BMW has decided to produce this exclusive bike is remarkable. Even daring! Especially since the S1000RR has been at the top of the open class class since its release in 2009 and has consistently put the bar of performance at a very high level. If you can afford to add an HP4 Race to your collection, you will not regret your investment. But to realize the extraordinary potential of this bike, you will have to drive it ...