Power play: BMW S 1000 RR

A lot has been said about BMW's new S 1000 RR sportsbike -- most of it good. But one topic that seems to be dominating discussions is power output.

Arguably the most powerful production motorcycle in the litre-class sportsbike segment today, BMW claims its latest magnum opus outputs 193hp (142kW), and various dyno tests across the globe would attest to this figure.

Our very own Mark "Maverick" Fattore recently hammered the bike around the Phillip Island circuit and was blown away by the top end power the bike creates. "It all kicks off about 10,500rpm and continues to surge past redline, so the next click through the close-ratio gearbox ensures the bike never comes off the boil," explained Fattore.

So where to from here? Australian deliveries of the new model have begun in earnest and you can bet your bottom dollar there'll be aftermarket parts hitting the shelves faster than uncle Bill can say, "It don't look like a BMW."

Already there's a mob in the Netherlands which has apparently managed to squeeze out 210hp (154kW) from the S 1000 RR with no tuning whatsoever, the only modification being the fitment of full Akrapovic exhaust system.

At the other end of the spectrum, cold water has been poured on the idea of a de-tuned naked version of the S 1000 RR, after UK mag MCN quoted a BMW spokesperson saying: "We're concentrating on the launch of the S 1000 RR and have no plans to expand the S range."

The Bikesales Network contacted BMW Motorrad Australia about the prospects of a spin-off model, whose spokesperson wouldn't be drawn on the potential of a nakedbike version of the S 1000 RR, saying: "To date we have no information along the lines of questioning below."