BMW S 1000 RR goes faster

Is there anything the BMW S 1000 RR cannot do? As the fastest production bike ever made, with a recent East Coast Timing Association (ECTA) world record top speed of 325.1km/h, the heavy-set Beemer continues to go from strength to strength.

However the four-cylinder German sports bike is yet to win a world superbike race, a feat that would truly cement its place in history.

BMW Motorrad certainly isn't sitting still, fine tuning the BMW S 1000 RR's aerodynamics and ergonomics at recent wind tunnel sessions in Germany.

Hoping to gain an edge in the 2011 Superbike World Championship, BMW riders Troy Corser and Leon Haslam were in Munich, Germany, using BMWs wind tunnel apparatus in an attempt to reduce drag and increase top speed.

"The riding position is a main factor for the aerodynamic efficiency of the overall package of rider and bike," said Rainer Bäumel, the Technical Director at Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport.

"The intensive work in the wind tunnel enabled Troy and Leon to find out what riding position is the best for them personally. At the same time, we tried to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the bike as much as possible within the strict technical regulations [of WSBK]. This is why we evaluated several different shapes and positions of the windshield," added Bäumel.

FAST, FASTER, FASTEST
While the race team hopes to find an edge on the racetrack, a bloke called Chad Millholland has taken a stock standard (well, sort of) BMW S 1000 RR and reached 325.192km/h, officially making it the world's fastest production motorcycle according to ECTA.

The run took place on a 1.6km straight - an unused airfield in North Carolina, USA - and was achieved from a standing start. The production bike class allows for some internal modifications (new camshafts, lightweight pistons, con-rods, gear ratios) but the fairing and exhaust have to be stock.

The BMW sports bike was then fettled a little more for a tilt at the 'modified production' top speed world record, with Pit Bull and KWS Motorsports tweaking the bike and adding aerodynamic aids (new front fender and double bubble screen) and a LeoVince exhaust system. The result was another broken record, with a top speed of 327.701km/h.

Rider Chad Millholland said: "The Pit Bull/KWS Motorsports BMW S1000RR is an impressive package for sure. It takes a lot of horsepower to get a stock bike above 320km/h and this S1000RR just takes off like a rocket from 12,000rpm to redline.

"The internal ratios are perfect and the OEM quick-shifter is best shifter I have ever used. The whole package is great and the bike was set up perfectly," opined Millholland (last picture).

What's next for the big Beemer? Hopefully an all-new 600cc super sport model that weighs about 40kg less...

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