2018 BMW HP4 Race review

A decade ago, BMW decided to mount a serious global attack on the sportsbike ranks with the affordable, powerful and truly advanced S 1000 RR.

The second major update for the S 1000 RR has just been announced at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, featuring some tasty numbers – 207hp and a wet weight of 197kg – and the introduction of the company’s variable valve ShiftCam technology.

In quintessential German style, though, BMW wanted the previous generation S 1000 RR to go out in a blaze of glory. And that leads us to the $114,000 HP4 Race!

The HP4 Race is the most advanced BMW S 1000 RR on the planet. It’s certainly no ‘parts bin’ special but rather a bike that has taken 10 years to design – and I know that better than anyone.

I spent seven years working for BMW on its S 1000 RR project, testing and helping develop strategies and hardware that nearly saw it win a world superbike title before the company pulled back its factory effort.

Much of the HP4 Race’s core is taken straight from that program, where millions and millions of dollars were spent on development. Items like the Suter swingarm aren’t just built and fitted, but have gone through a rigorous testing program. I remember testing the swingarm at Lausitzring in Germany to produce the most perfect feel of any bike I had ridden.

The same with the minimalistic front triple clamp: exhaustive testing with different variations of stiffness to get that edge feel from the front tyre normal clamps just can’t give.

The engine is no slouch either, with a hyped-up version of the rapid in-line four that has come out of one of the world endurance race bikes. Endurance isn’t a by-word for slow, though, because this engine pumps out 212hp (158kW) in a package with a claimed wet weight of 171kg. The HP4 is a blur down any straight!

The Ohlins suspension comes straight out of the world superbike paddock with a FGR300 fork and TTX shock. The rear linkage is also world superbike-spec, while the seat is adjustable up and down over a 30mm distance.

The big-ticket item, though, is the frame, which is a full carbon monocoque RTM design with an adjustable steering head angle and swingarm pivot. It’s a piece of art.

Without a doubt, it’s the frame which differentiates the HP4 Race from anything else on the market, and also contributes aplenty to the bike’s low weight.

Most manufacturers have dabbled with carbon, and the first bike I remember having one was the Skoal Bandit Suzuki RG500 way back in the 1980s. Cagiva also had a 500 GP bike with a carbon frame in the 1990s, and Ducati has also played around with them in more modern times in MotoGP.

There are definitely advantages, and I was keen to get out on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit to put them to the test on the fastest and lightest S 1000 RR production bike ever made.

The HP4 Race isn’t ADR compliant, so minus all the normal road-going gear it feels exactly like a superbike down to the dash and special switchblocks.

There’s no key, so a quick flick of the starter fired the bike straight into action. There’s a warm-up mode that won’t let the bike rev until the temperature says the time is right – but once it was ready and I was heading down pit lane I soon realised this was something special.

It feels so light and responsive, but the big thing I noticed was the quality of the electronic control.

I've ridden some of the world’s best bikes in anger and have felt what it’s like to have perfect electronics. A bugbear of mine on the current crop of 1000cc sportsbikes is that the electronics are good but could be better. The HP4 Race is on point straight out of the box.

The slicks on the HP4 Race give it a real authentic race feel, while flicking through the gearbox is effortless with the bi-directional quickshifter.

We first fitted the quickshifter to a race bike in 2009, and the main advantage is under brakes where less rider input is required to downchange. It helps to keep everything nice and smooth.

The acceleration is epic. It launches in any gear, and fourth gear wheelies onto Gardner Straight were possible without any effort. However, the way power is metered is the real key to fast lap times, and there are several different maps available to personalise throttle response.

I had a comfortable feel from the outset, with its race-orientated seat keeping me positioned right where I needed to be to feel every bump and dip on the road below.

Even though there is so much power, the rear end is equal to the best I have ever used. It lets the rear slide with complete confidence rather than letting go quickly and re-gripping. But that’s why you pay the extra money for a proper experience.

The carbon frame produces a vastly different feel to the standard item – just like a GP bike, really. It meant that the front had to be fiddled with a little bit to get the HP4 Race to absorb bumps the way I wanted, but after a couple of clicks and it felt great.

The Brembo monobloc brakes – also world superbike-spec – are also phenomenal, with more than enough force to do an endo at top speed.

There is no real racing class for the HP4 Race, and you can’t ride it to the shops. It’ a last hurrah for the last generation of S 1000 RR – but what a blast it is to ride and look at.

It’s every bit a factory racer and more with its carbon frame and wheels. Straight off the track and into the lounge room would be my recommendation, because it’s too good for any shed. With the new S 1000 RR just around the corner, the HP4 Race is one hell of a going away present.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, 16-valve inline four-cylinder
Capacity: 999cc
Bore x stroke: 80mm x 49.7mm
Compression ratio: 13:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 212hp (158kW) at 13,900rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 120Nm at 10,000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Carbon monocoque RTM frame with steering head angle and swinging-arm pivot adjustment, load- bearing engine
Front suspension: O¨hlins FGR 300 WSBK fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Horizontal O¨hlins TTX 36 GP central spring strut, rebound and preload adjustable, 120mm travel
Front brakes: Dual 320mm discs with four-piston Brembo calipers
Rear brake: 220mm disc with single-piston floating caliper
Tyres: 120/70-17 front, 200/60-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 171.4kg
Seat height: 816mm to 846mm
Wheelbase: 1440mm
Fuel capacity: 17.5 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $114,000
Test bike supplied by: BMW Motorrad Australia