2012 BMW S1000RR First Ride

When BMW introduced its S1000RR sportbike in the fall of ’09 it instantly became the benchmark in the ultra-competitive Superbike class. Considering its prodigious level of performance engineers could have very well left it alone for 2012. Instead they bestowed it with its first technical update. The enhancements are intended to make it a friendlier and more effective racetrack weapon.

One of the few complaints with this German-built machine is how hyper-sensitive the throttle felt in its Race and Slick power modes. This made it more challenging to control especially at lean when accelerating hard off corners. New throttle maps were installed with the Rain setting using its own map and Sport, Race, and Slick sharing another separate one. Complementing these updates is a new throttle tube with a shorter and lighter pull. Another change, which might sound a little foolish to the hardcore sport rider are the optional heated grips. Yes, I’m not joking, the S1000RR is the first sportbike to offer this as an option.

Each of the four engine power modes (Rain, Sport, Race and Slick) were also modified for added torque at low-to-mid engine speeds. Rain mode also now cranks out an additional eight peak horsepower. Lastly the Slick map (designed for use with high-grip racing tires) provides improved vehicle stability during deceleration when the engine is in the overrun phase (at 14,000 rpm redline).

Both the air intake and the exhaust systems were also tweaked. The ram air induction opening is 20% larger and feeds a slightly modified airbox (necessitated due to revised chassis geometry, more on that later). The stainless-steel exhaust was also altered with the catalyzers relocated from the headers to the muffler. This allowed the removal of the oil sump’s heat shield, which saves a little bit of weight. Furthermore a complete exhaust system built by Akrapovic is available as an accessory directly from the dealer.

BMW’s optional Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) also received fresh programming. Most of the changes revolve around the functionality of wheelie control with the throttle butterfly valves opening more smoothly when a wheelie is detected. This was done to help avoid the abrupt and rather violent intervention experienced on the first generation bike. TC functionality in Race and Slick mode was also optimized based on the updated engine/throttle mapping. Lastly, a race data logger is available as an accessory and allows you to analyze the dynamics of the motorcycle at any point on track.

Other electronic upgrades include additional functionality within the instrument display. Not only has the font of the engine speed changed (so it’s easier to read at a glance), the display offers “Best Lap in Progress” and “Speedwarning” lights. The first light illuminates when the bike detects that you are traveling at a higher rate of speed than the lap before and the second light is used if you want to be alerted if you’re traveling above a preset speed on the highway. The brightness of the display can be adjusted in five-way increments.