2019 bmw s1000rr tft display supplier

“ I have a 2015 S1000RR and was extremely skeptical when I heard about BT Moto and the power they got out of an ECU flash.  After speaking with the team at BrenTuning, all my hesitations were put to rest and I haven"t stop winning first place trophies since! BELIEVE THE HYPE! ”

“ Bren and his team did an awesome job on my bmw s1000rr. Went from 179rwhp an 83 rwtq to 206 rwhp and 93rwtq. Customer service was great and I highly recommend them for any of y"all that want to make that power!! ”

“ Purchased the tune for my 2015 BMW S1000RR. Was skeptical at first and initially had a bunch of questions. Chris was very patient with me and answered them all. Had some problems after receiving my ecu back and Chris was very helpful in getting all my issues worked out. Bike runs fantastic. Definitely worth it. Thank you again guys for dealing with my questions and taking care of everything before and after the purchase. Fantastic customer service. ”

“ After doing some research it was obvious that BT Moto was the best option for tuning of my S1000RR. I wont go into details but after multiple overnighting of parts to me at no additional charge, I"m really impressed and satisfied with the end result and I haven"t even tried out my race fuel tune yet! To top if off I received a random care package of goodies from Chris today. The customer service at BT Moto is probably the best I"ve received from any business I"ve dealt with. Their email response times are unreal as well, lol. Literally sometimes instantly, kinda weird. lol. I would recommend any and everyone to BT Moto for your S1000RR tuning solution. If anyone has any questions or are hesitant before purchasing, feel free to shoot me a message and I"ll help / assist / give you a more detailed opinion on my experience as well. ”

“ I have the Bren Tuning ECU flash on my 2015 BMW S1000RR and it is unbelievable how fast this bike is. This tune is the best thing I got for my bikes. I have also did the Bren Tune for my 2014 BMW S1000r for which it just made this bike really nice. Bren Tuning is the best. ”

Off to pit lane after laps around the race track: the last screen is now always displayed after having switched the ignition off/on. This will keep your concentration levels high and you focused on your mode. One Pure Ride Screen and three different Core Screens are available depending on your preference. The system displays an appropriate maximum speed when the engine is cold. Thanks to the flashing gearshift indicator, the tachometer now flashes as an additional indicator.

Unleashed passion: we have once again transferred all the experience from the race track to the high-performance BMW ShiftCam four-cylinder engine in the RR: 205 hp. The airbox from the M RR provides particularly good air supply and improved load changes. The cylinder heads with new channel geometry and reinforced bearing brackets also stem from the M RR. We have also optimized the standard Shift Assistant Pro. It now also permits gearshifts with overrun upshifts and overrun downshifts and provides improved load change damping – for gearshifting precision. And even the rear sprocket has more teeth now: just like in the M RR, it now has 46 teeth instead of 45 – for power down the straight.

The 6-stage DTC traction control with the new steering angle sensor enables two new functions: Brake Slide Assist for deceleration and Slide/Slip Control for acceleration. The new steering angle sensor measures your drift angle and, in conjunction with the DTC, helps provide optimum slip. DTC settings 2 and 3 have been optimized for the race track and slicks. Brake Slide Assist helps you master power slides like these in no time at all: for more dynamic performance around every turn. Thanks to the clearer illustration, you can now read the corresponding settings off the TFT display even more quickly. Always ride within your limits and within the law.

It’s about millimeters, milliseconds, more individuality, customization and protection for you and your RR: from the 6 x adjustable M footrest system to the water or oil cooler protector, you will find the right parts to further sharpen your RR in the original BMW Motorrad accessories range.

© 2022 BMW Financial Services NA, LLC. The BMW wordmark, BMW logo and Beyond the Ride are trademarks of BMW AG. BMW Financial Services NA, LLC, NMLS #2738

BMW Motorrad USA reserves the right to change specifications without notice. BMW Motorrad USA has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of information but does not accept liability for any errors or omissions.

The new BMW Motorrad Connected display will offer a built-in navigation system via the Connectivity App installed on the smartphone, according to an official sneak peek of the new product. This will replace the turn-by-turn navigation currently used on the BMW TFT Dash.

This new product will make the standard GPS obsolete, thanks to the offline maps and to the user-friendly nature of the smartphone app. The sneak peek was revealed in the “RideAndTalk” BMW Motorrad podcast.

Looking at the size and the shape of the new BMW TFT Display, we think that it will debut on the touring segment, and not on the GS. The R1250RT and K1600GT series are featuring some old-school analog dashes, and BMW will probably introduce this new one pretty soon. More than that, it looks too wide to fit other models such as the R1250GS, R1250R/RS or S1000XR, F900 series, and so on.

Moreover, the whole BMW range excepting the G310GS/R and the touring series are already fitted with the first generation of the BMW Motorrad Connectivity Dash, which offers the turn-by-turn navigation.

How does it work? You have to download the free smartphone app, tho connect via Bluetooth, and to set up the destination on the smartphone. The TFT Dash is taking over the information and shows you the guidance (it also features audio guidance). Of course, you can also listen to music and make calls.

A turn-by-turn arrow navigation system guides you to your destination on the 6.5-inch TFT display. Pending riding manoeuvres, such as turns or roundabouts, appear together with a lane guidance.

The 10.25" TFT colour display, on the other hand, opens up new worlds to you, not only in terms of readability, menu navigation and operating concept. Its full-screen mode provides a fully interactive map view. In split screen mode you can rely on several functions at the same time, and you are able to control them in a straight-forward way using the multi-controller.

That’s what the BMW S 1000 RR is in a nutshell — blistering speeds, top-of-its-class specification at varying times (at times the most powerful, at times the lightest), completely beautiful, and still with comfort and keep-alive features that make it the best “everyday superbike” — if there can be such a thing.

Yes, yes it is. I lust after the S 1000 RR. If you’re not sure you can lust after a BMW (some people tell me “Never a BMW!” as their impression is they still produce bikes that feel like tractors), then go watch this scene from Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, put your qualms about all those extended head checks (and celebrities’ personal lives) to one side, and just enjoy the well-filmed knee-down action.

BMW surprised the motorcycling world when they released the first BMW S 1000 RR in 2009. It really changed how everyone perceived the brand — which was just what BMW intended.

BMW was at that point known for boxer twins and big sport tourers, with some (like the HP2 or the K 1300 S) getting pretty sporty, but nothing close to being a Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) competitor.

But the S 1000 RR was just that, a full-on sport bike intended to compete in WorldSBK. Borrowing heavily from the Japanese playbook, the BMW S 1000 RR has a familiar sounding spec sheet: a 999 cc inline four-cylinder engine with dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, producing lots of power above 10000 rpm.

By the way, “S 1000 RR” is written like that — with spaces. People often write S1000RR or affectionately S1KRR or just RR (which is confusing as Honda CBR1000RR and CBR600RR owners use the same shorthand). Anyway, I don’t get hung up on naming conventions or care at all, but just am sticking to BMW’s convention.

Also note: From 2021, BMW has another motorcycle in the same range called the M 1000 RR. It’s part of the same range, but more intensely track-focused.

So why did BMW make the first S 1000 RR? Simple: To compete in and win the Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), the world’s premier racing class for “production” motorcycles.

Why enter the sportbike market at all? According to Hendrik von Kuenheim, the then second-generation president of BMW Motorrad, it was partly a business decision. “Some eighty five thousand 1000cc sportbikes are sold per year worldwide, and we want to gain a foothold in that segment,” he told the press. BMW’s goal was to get a 10% market share, mostly through stealing share from the dominant competitors.

So that was why BMW chose WorldSBK and not MotoGP. Per Markus Poschner, BMW’s General Manager for the K and S series platforms, BMW chose to enter WorldSBK “… because it is the same bike racing that you can buy.”

But before this, you’d be excused for thinking BMW would never even build a superbike. Project leader of the BMW S 1000 RR, Stefan Zeit, recalled: “When I started at BMW, I had an interview with Markus Poschner, and he asked me, ‘What should BMW do next?’ I told him a sportbike, and he said, ‘No, BMW will never do this!"”

Poschner himself was a sportbike fan, though. He confessed that he had always dreamed of these bikes since starting at BMW, even though he didn’t think BMW would go in this direction.

Since building a superbike was a new thing for BMW, they had to benchmark the competition. There was no suitable internal benchmark. The bike they picked was the 2005-6 Suzuki GSX-R1000, known now affectionately as the K5.

In 2008, Peter Müller, BMW’s VP of Development and Product Lines, surprised everyone by announcing at the Mondial du Deux Roues Motorcycle Show in Paris that BMW would enter a factory team into the 2009 WorldSBK.

“In 2007 BMW returned to road racing with the sports boxer after more than 50 years. In 2008 we will continue our activities in the Endurance category. At the same time we will be preparing our entry into the Superbike World Championship in 2009 with great intensity.”

(2007? What “sports boxer?” He was talking about the BMW HP2, a race-tuned BMW R 1200 S. And the Endurance was the HP2 Enduro, a kind of stripped-down R 1200 GS.)

In that year, BMW came sixth in the manufacturer titles. Ducati won. Kawasaki, who came seventh, went on later to win for many years with their revamped ZX-10R.

BMW just wanted to play in 2009, but in subsequent years, they haver had a factory win, though they came close in 2012 by coming second. At the end of the 2013 season, they terminated their factory involvement, saying they wanted to focus on consumer bikes.

If you look at the BMW S 1000 RR and compare it to most other superbikes you may think it’s just another 1000cc inline four-cylinder engine in a sportbike chassis with USD forks and so on.

All the other manufacturers’ production literbikes peaked in power before 12,500 rpm, whereas BMW peaked at 13000 (or a shade over, per the dyno). BMW got to these high RPM figures with a high-speed, extra-sturdy valve drive with individual cam followers and titanium valves.

Akrapovič, the exhaust manufacturer, did its own apples-to-Äpfel dyno comparison. The order is very slightly different, but BMW is still on top in both metrics.

More importantly, the S 1000 RR’s broad torque curve became a well-loved feature — something BMW learned, no doubt, partly from studying the K5 GSX-R1000’s virtues.

The 2009 BMW S 1000 RR was a rare production superbike with optional ABS and Dynamic Traction Control, which is traction control that takes lean angle (and later, cornering acceleration) as an input.

BMW’s system was unique in that it was lightweight, weighing only 2.5 kg / 5.5 lb. Other brands (e.g. Honda with its CBR1000RR) had ABS as an option, but it was less often chosen because of the considerable added weight (up to 10 kg / 22 lb).

Ducati was also very early in 2012 with acceleration-aware traction control from the IMU. Other brands were earlier with cornering ABS, but when BMW made it an option in 2017, it was retrofittable back to 2012, thanks to the advanced hardware.

Not everyone likes it, of course, and BMW ditched it in the 2019 generation. I would be more dismayed if the 2019 gen didn’t look so good. (Pics below in that section!)

The BMW S 1000 RR hasn’t changed fundamentally since its launch. It has always had a 999cc liquid-cooled 16-valve inline four-cylinder engine making north of 140 kW (190 hp).

The DTC on the first-generation BMW S 1000 RR was advanced for the time. Depending on the ride mode you were in, it worked by interrupting power based on the angle at which the bike was leaning.

BMW’s DTC system from 2012 onward takes input from more advanced sensors. The sensor array is good enough that you can retrofit 2012+ models with “ABS Pro”, BMW’s name for cornering ABS, when it became an option from 2017, via enabling codes (see this guide, which discusses the retrofit option).

BMW refined the way DTC worked intervened, allowing more slip in race and slick modes. Slick mode deactivates wheelie control altogether in the 2012 model, whereas in the first gen, slick mode let you do wheelies of up to five seconds.

The second gen still had an asymmetrical headlight design and the analogue tachometer. But BMW improved the display for better legibility of the speed display, also letting you dim it, and adding more functions like “best lap in progress” or “speed warning” if you need it.

The BMW HP4 is a race-focused bike, released in mid 2012 (see press release) for the 2012-2013 model years. It’s distinct from the BMW HP4 Race which was released in 2017 for that year only (see below).

The HP4 is technically a successor to the boxer-powered HP2 Sport, which in turn had more in common with the boxer sport bike the BMW R 1200 S. But the HP4 is the first four-cylinder HP bike.

The BMW HP4 is heavily based on BMW S 1000 RR. It shares the inline four-cylinder engine, with the same specs on paper, but with tuning to increase midrange torque between 6000 and 9750 rpm. The engine also has the same throttle response and full power output in all ride modes (but other characteristics change, like ABS/traction control).

But the BMW HP4 is much lower weight (199 kg DIN unladen, vs 206.5 kg for the 2012-2014 S 1000 RR, both including ABS), due to lighter 7-spoke forged alloy wheels, a lighter sprocket carrier, a lighter battery, carbon parts, and a lighter titanium exhaust.

The DDC system doesn’t just measure speed and acceleration/ deceleration. It takes input from an IMU that can also feed it information about pitch and lean angle. Because the BMW HP4 has an IMU already, BMW offered in 2014 the ability to retrofit these bikes with cornering ABS (ABS Pro in BMW nomenclature).

BMW also added Race ABS with an enhanced “slick” mode. The internal “IDM” setting configures Race ABS with specific parameters, obtained from experience on the track, to optimise the HP4’s ABS for track use.

In late 2014, BMW announced a new revision for the S 1000 RR for the 2015 model year, with more power again, a slight weight reduction, and a host of technological features, which would be improved upon again slightly in 2017.

But BMW didn’t just improve top-end power; they focused on producing a broad spread of torque from 5000rpm all the way up to 12000 rpm (though not as impressive as the even flatter torque of the 2019+ ShiftCam engine).

BMW added a “Race Package” from 2015, which gave the user DDC (a more advanced version, from the HP4), launch control, a pit limiter, and cruise control.

In 2017, BMW made a small change to the S 1000 RR when they made cornering ABS (which BMW calls ABS Pro) standard. Shortly afterwards, BMW made ABS Pro available as a retrofittable option to earlier models from 2012 onwards. (Many took them up on this as it only cost around 400 Euro/500 USD — check that “ABS Pro” shows up on the dash if you’re buying a used one.)

Finally, I prefer the analogue white-faced tachometer of the Gen 3 S 1000 RR. This is a personal preference. The TFT on the Gen 4 is great looking, but ultimately, it reminds me too much of my phone and of technology — something I’m trying to leave behind when I’m riding (or taking part in any kind of leisure).

The BMW HP4 Race is another race-focused version of the BMW S 1000 RR, an evolution of the BMW HP4 made between 2012-2013. Only 750 were made, all in the year of 2017.

Unique Rider aidsStandard ABS, ABS Pro (optional), Optional quickshifter, Ride modes (street oriented, optional customisable)HP Shift Assistant Pro, DTC (later intervention), EBR(+/-7), 4 customisable ride modes, data loggers, dash with mechanic sideBMW S 1000 RR Gen 3 (2017-2019) vs BMW HP4 Race core differences

The engine itself is hand-crafted by a small team of experts at BMW in Berlin. There are a number of changes that contribute to its increased power and torque:

In case you were wondering, yes, the BMW S 1000 RR in 2019 is both more powerful and lighter — in fact, the weight of the S 1000 RR is the lowest it has ever been. With the M package it’s an absurdly low 193.5 kg.

Aside from power and weight, another marquee features of the 2019+ BMW S 1000 RR is that ShiftCam engine. ShiftCam is BMW’s name for variable valve timing (VVT). The tech means that they alter the valve timing and stroke, allowing the engine to breathe differently depending on its load.

BMW also made chassis improvements in the Gen 4 BMW S 1000 RR. They implemented what they call the Flex Frame, increasing the load-bearing function of the engine, and improving the ergonomics as a result, by

The 2019 BMW S 1000 RR has different brakes to the earlier versions. They’re no longer made by Brembo and are now made by Hayes, an American company (owned by Brembo), apparently chosen after blind testing. The rear caliper is still made by Brembo.

Note — BMW recalled the Hayes calipers S 1000 RR. The calipers may leak when parked. It’s slowly and doesn’t cause the brakes to fail, but riders would notice fluid marks on the rim, tire, or ground. As part of the recall, the caliper would be replaced by the same Nissin caliper that came standard in the 2021+ models.

BMW also changed the analogue tach + LCD to a full-colour TFT display. While it looks cool and clean, I will miss the white dial. (Am I already old? Perhaps I’ve just dropped too many a phone and see all screens as fragile… in reality, I’ve also had CAN bus bikes fail to start when an analogue tacho was broken.)

From late 2020, the latest BMW S 1000 RR has also been available with the M Endurance chain, a low-maintenance chain with a very hard diamond-like coating on the rollers. See more about the M Endurance chain here.

Anyone familiar with motorsports would be familiar with the iconic M range from cars — the BMW M3, M5 and so on. Well, 2021 is the first year that the M range has included motorcycles. Remember this and tell your (or someone else’s unwitting) grandkids!

Bear in mind that the 2019 S 1000 RR is available with an M package that significantly reduces the weight. The M 1000 RR is even lighter than the S 1000 RR + M package, and has its own M package that reduces its weight even more (though not by as much).

The 5th gen BMW S 1000 RR has the same ShiftCam engine as in the 4th gen BMW S 1000 RR, but BMW has implemented a few things from the M 1000 RR (which came after the 4th gen), including

BMW added a new tech feature of “Slide control” to the 5th gen S 1000 RR. Just in case you didn’t feel like enough of a superhero with the IMU that the S1KR has had since the 3rd gen, BMW added a steering angle sensor to help control how you power slide!

Here’s how slide control works. The BMW IMU / ECU interprets measures slip angle and compares it with the set value per the DTC settings. If the computer thinks you might go past maximum slip, the slide control system moderates the amount of drive to limit slip.

Improve Shift Assistant Pro. BMW improved the quickshifter, implementing your shift request via a “torque model” and thus letting you use it in all situations. They also improved the mechanism. It’s now easier to change to race shifting, too.

BMW also refined the chassis geometry, flattening the steering head by 0.5 degrees to 66.4 degrees rather than 66.9, and reducing the offset of the triple clamps by 3 mm. The goal of this, and a few other changes, is to subtly improve riding position and feedback from the front wheel.

Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. Since the first 2004 CBR1000RR, Honda has always been a bit lower on the power and features than its competitors, only getting an IMU as of the 2017 model year for example. You’d pick the Honda if you’re after legendary Honda reliability or if you’re tickled by the history of the Honda FireBlade. But otherwise it stacks up comparably with the S 1000 RR on power and torque delivery, and the BMW outclasses it in tech and functions. As of 2021 though, the CBR1000RR-R SP is a very expensive and exclusive bike.

Aprilia RSV4, RSV4 R, RSV4 Factory, RSV4 R APRC, RSV4 RR. You’d buy an Aprilia RSV4 if you want a V4 engine. It’s an incredible machine. You give up a bit in terms of comfort — it’s smaller, with a more aggressive position. In recent years the 1100cc RSV4 has been more powerful AND lighter than the BMW S 1000 RR. Cornering ABS and cruise control since 2017.

Suzuki GSX-R1000. Another iconic sportbike — recall that the 2005 model was a primary inspiration for the first S 1000 RR. The latest 2017+ Gixxer is comparable in power (150 kW/202 hp) and weight (201 kg/443 lb) with the latest S 1000 RR. The 2017+ Suzuki superbike has quite an advanced engine too, with variable valve timing equipped. But the latest standard Gixxer lacks cornering ABS (despite having an IMU for traction control), uses a full monochromatic LCD rather than TFT, and doesn’t come with even a shock quickshifter. The higher-spec R model does have cornering ABS, bi-directional quick shifter, but not fancy features like cruise control or heated grips.

Spec2017-2018 BMW S 1000 RR2017-2018 BMW S 1000 R2017-2020 BMW S 1000 XRPower145 kW (199 hp) @ 13,500 rpm121 kW (165 hp) @ 11000 rpm121 kW (165 hp) @ 11000 rpm

If you’re buying a used BMW anything, make sure you buy one with a complete maintenance log. BMW buyers can be quite fussy and expect the log to be complete.

If it’s the former, it’s resolvable, and BMW may do it themselves on their coin. But if it’s a problem with the camshaft, it’s higher risk, and there are some stories of engine failures. If the top-end is noisy and the previous owner hasn’t resolved it, it would be safer to walk away, unless you’re confident you can resolve it yourself..

This is my buyers’ guide to the BMW S 1000 R — an “everyday awesome” sportbike that can do everything. I’ve included analysis of model changes over the years, factory options, spec changes, designs, colours, what can go wrong, and maintenance.

A few months ago I bought a BMW S 1000 R (which many refer to as the “S1000R”), after a very careful and exhaustive analysis of what motorcycle to buy (using something I call the “regret avoidance framework”).

Whether the BMW S 1000 R is right for you depends on a lot of things. Do you like naked bikes? Do you like BMW? Do you like inline four-cylinder engines? If the answer to those three things is “yes”, it’s likely to be it.

The S 1000 R was released first in 2014, five years after the BMW S 1000 RR thundered onto the sportbike scene in 2009, suddenly changing many things for BMW.

Before the BMW S 1000 R, the closest parallel to the bike was the K 1300 R. The K 1300 R shared some features with the S 1000 R — it was an inline-four motorcycle with a large-displacement engine and 127 kW/173 hp — a bit more power than the S 1000 R’s detuned engine when it was released in 2014 (118 kW/160 hp).

They’re dissimilar enough that the K 1300 R was still sold until 2017, when it was discontinued — though I’m certain BMW will replace it at some point.

In the original 2014 spec, the BMW S 1000 R had the same 999 cc 4-cylinder in-line liquid-cooled engine, detuned from the spec of the S 1000 RR to produce a peak of 118 kW (160 hp) at 11000 rpm.

In 2017, BMW revised the S 1000 R. Even though it wasn’t extensive, it still means that the 2017+ is the earliest model I’d suggest you look at, if you have the choice. For two reasons — better handlebars, and ABS Pro!

Also, this is in the generation of motorcycles at that sweet spot of technological moments where you get a bunch of ride aids (like cornering ABS and cruise control) but you don’t have a TFT display. I don’t hate TFT displays — they are great when they help you avoid having to use a phone mount — but in general I just have a thing for analogue gauges + LCDs.

I really liked the BMW S 1000 XR in particular. It was very nice to look at, and well-priced. But in the end I didn’t buy it because a) the position was a little too gentlemanly, and b) I just had to admit that those handlebars were too buzzy.

Other motorbikes all vibrate, or buzz. Harleys vibrate, and it’s called “character”. Kawasaki Ninja 1000s have a buzz around 6,500 rpm that’s well known. Does any of it matter? It depends entirely on your expectations. When I bought a BMW, I did so because I wanted 100% smoothness everywhere — just as I’d expect from a Honda Goldwing or a Yamaha FJR. So a little buzz is OK, but my threshold of tolerance on a BMW is a low lower because I expect (and pay) more.

BMW added in the TFT display that was on the earlier S 1000 RR. I do acknowledge the old-looking LCD looks old. I prefer old, but not everyone does! Here’s how the new TFT display looks.

One of the things that disappointed many pundits is that the 2001 model doesn’t get the ShiftCam variable valve timing that the S 1000 RR got two years previously in 2019. So the S 1000 R’s “de-tuned” engine now means not just different timing but a different valve timing system.

For the 2023 model year, BMW announced its first ever M -single R. There has been an M 1000 RR models before, as well as HP4s based on the S 1000 RR. But this is a first.

So BMW compares the M 1000 R with the S 1000 R, as they look similar, but it’s also important to look at how it compares to the 2023 S 1000 RR (which has very similar specs to the 2019+ model).

Theoretical geared top speed at redline314 kmph / 195 mph284 km/h / 176 mph313 km/h /Combined effect of all gearing changesCore spec changes of the BMW M 1000 R vs the S 1000 R

A question I had — and which people often have on the forums — is what is the difference between the standard BMW S 1000 R and the “Sport” package? Or as it’s known from 2021 onward, the “Dynamic” package?

According to BMW themselves in their 2014 press release (and every magazine article that’s just a re-write of the press-release), for the S 1000 R “up to 7500 rpm, this engine version develops 10 Newton metres (approx. 7 lb-ft) more torque than the S 1000 RR.”

Even though there may have been some small (+/-2%) errors in my transcription, at first blush the difference in the charts supports BMW’s claim, roughly matching their published charts in shape.

Secondly, the twin personality of the S 1000 R’s riding range. It’s set up with somewhat high pegs and a slight forward lean that are more “streetfighter” than “standard” — this isn’t something you’d compare to a Bonneville. The BMW S 1000 R wants to go quickly.

The number of features that the BMW S 1000 R has is also its only downside. There’s nothing the S1KR can’t do, unless you can’t do it. It will cover your faults and let you accelerate through them. If you want a bike to become a more skilled rider, I’d pick a simpler one, and probably a less powerful one.

The competitors to the BMW S 1000 R are formidable and awesome. It’s such an incredible list, and I’d be happy with any of them as my only bike, honestly.

Ducati Streetfighter (S or V4)— You’d pick the old Streetfighter S (up to 2012) if you wanted a formidable, raw bike, with a brutish 116 kW/155 hp v-twin package pushing through a dry clutch and relatively tall gearing with no electronics. You’d pick the modern Streetfighter V4 (2020+) if you don’t mind the premium cost of Ducati valve maintenance — even more expensive than BMW’s. You’d also forego heated grips and cruise, but you’d still have cornering ABS. Streetfighters are very good-looking bikes. See some pics in our model history here.

Honda CB1000R — The Honda lacks a lot of tech, and isn’t that powerful at “only” 122 hp (91 kW) for the 2019 model. No cornering ABS, no cruise control… there are few reasons to pick the CB. The only reason I would is that you get Honda’s reputation for reliability. On top of that, you’d get a platform that has been producing easy-to-ride, nice-looking bikes of this generation for decades. But otherwise, it’s the least exciting bike on this list, but that said, it’s still a great bike, just in awesome company. (Note — 2020 sees throttle by wire including traction control, so maybe it’ll get more tech soon.)

You can do most of the minor service (probably all of it) yourself. But you won’t get that pretty stamp in a logbook, and you’ll need to have a BMW tech do the reset for you.