Best Supersport: 2019 Bikesales Bike of the Year Awards

The 2019 Bikesales Bike of the Year (BOTY) Awards recognise excellence across 11 separate motorcycle categories. And here’s how it will work. After a massive five-day test through north-east Victoria in early November – branching out from the beautiful town of Bright – we'll announce the outright winner on Thursday, December 5.

Let’s finalise all our 2019 contenders by naming the BMW S 1000 RR as our Supersport winner.

Earlier this year, Bikesales made the trek to Portugal with much anticipation to ride the latest S 1000 RR, a decade after the machine was first released. Since then, it has undergone several model updates, but this is the first ground-up redesign.

We rode the flagship M Sport version around the Estoril circuit, but it would not have mattered if it was the base model.

That’s because a combination of a new, lightweight “flex frame”, world superbike-style underslung rear wheel swingarm, Marzocchi semi-active forks, variable valve timing (or ‘ShiftCam’ in BMW parlance), massive weight reduction (between 11 and 14.5kg) and extensive electronic updates have made for a hugely improved motorcycle.

It’s the stuff that sportsbike lovers want: it steers better, is more agile, ‘finishes’ off turns better, and low to mid-range engine response has greatly improved.

Overall, our man on the spot finished his review with this: “From its linear power delivery to the comfortable cockpit, combined with mod cons such as cruise control and heated grips, this is the most user-friendly sports bike I've ridden. It’s also the fastest!"

Visually the S 1000 RR also looks ‘less’ BMW, with the trademark asymmetric headlights gone, while the bodywork shapes have also been softened.

The four-model S 1000 RR range in Australia starts with the S 1000 RR ($25,874), and then continues with the S 1000 RR Sport ($28,386), S 1000 RR Race ($30,446) and then the S 1000 RR M Sport ($33,556). All prices are ride away, and click here for the different spec levels.

We will be riding the carbon-wheeled M Sport model on our BOTY ride, which also has a special Motorsport livery. Congratulations BMW.

The $6299 (plus on-road costs) YZF-R3 continues to strike a chord with learner clientele, returning riders and commuters alike, and in 2019 some small updates to the aerodynamics, ergonomics, suspension and dash have hit the mark, adding to its commuter and – if you have the urge – race track prowess.