BMW and Toprak Razgatlioglu dominated the 2024 Superbike World Championship, with the Turkish superstar scoring 14 race victories on the bounce and finishing on the podium in 90% of the races. It also won all three big bike races at the 2024 Isle of Man TT Races and, given those numbers, it would have been easy for BMW to sit back and enjoy the success it has been fighting for since the introduction of the first S 1000 RR in 2009.
Instead the German manufacturer has seriously updated the premium M 1000 RR on which Toprak's superbike is based. They’re modifications aimed mainly at giving their man the best possible chance of defending his title, but they’re changes which will benefit racers in lower level championships and the lucky few customers who shell out for a super exotic 215bhp, £32,850, superbike.
The headline story is that, for 2025, this racer for the road gets six more horsepower, a modified frame, improved aerodynamics and updated electronics. We got the opportunity to spin some laps around the Cremona circuit in Italy, to see if it goes as fast as it looks.
Although 1000cc sportsbikes are no longer sold in the vast numbers they once were, the race for superbike supremacy remains a badge of honour for manufacturers still in the game.
BMW, Ducati and Honda all produce showroom machines making between 210bhp and 220bhp, and instead of looking at ways to make even more power, are now competing to make their bikes more usable and rideable for everyday customers, while also making sure the race teams are also catered for.
No one doubts BMW could have added 20bhp or more for this latest model update but instead settled for an increase of just 6bhp, which is not a huge amount in the grand scale of things.
However, by introducing newly designed titanium valves, a new combustion chamber shape, pistons, airbox and oval-shaped intake and exhaust ports, as well as larger 52mm diameter throttle valves and increasing the compression ratio from 13.5:1 to 14.5:1, BMW's engine boffins have significantly boosted the potential of the 999cc inline-four for race teams, both at national and world level. It makes the bike much more tuneable for those customers.
Modifications have also been made to the steering head area and engine mounts to optimise flex in the frame. A redesigned and extra-large pair of aero carbon wings – officially called M Winglets 3.0 – produce 30kg of downforce at 186mph, up from 22.6kg, and have also got race teams salivating. While road riders may not feel much benefit, track day riders and pro racers will. And let's be honest, oversized wings are a must for sports bike afficionados in 2025 (even if only for the look – Ed).
With more power and more downforce come a number of rider aid updates and general tweaks. An even quicker quick-action throttle goes from fully closed to fully open in just 58 degrees (rather than 72 degrees of twist on the previous model).
The new bike also receives slide control, which takes its key measurements from a steering angle sensor to determine and optimise the slip or 'drift' angle of the rear wheel during hard track use. It also works in conjunction with the updated brake slide assist.
On the aesthetics front, the M 1000 RR looks even faster and angrier. Sat in the Cremona circuit pitlane it looks mean, menacing and very aggressive. BMW’s M series models are not usually at the top of my good-looks chart, but this mean look works well, especially those striking CFK wings. As you approach it, the M RR looks like a pure race bike that's been converted for the road, which essentially it is.
As you would expect, it's not cheap. At £32,850 in standard spec it's already pricey but that figure can easily escalate to over £40,000 when you click a few boxes in the BMW configurator – our test bike had the £7690 competition package fitted. Even Ducati’s Panigale V4S is less than £30,000, while Honda’s CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP is under £25,000.
BMW continues to swim against the tide in this high-end superbike class by deploying conventional, manually adjustable suspension units on the M 1000 RR (Ducati and Honda use semi-active electronically controlled units by Öhlins on their premium sports bikes). With high-grip Pirelli slicks fitted, BMW made some tweaks to our bike's damping settings and sent me off down the pitlane and into the fray
In simple terms, Cremona is very flat and twisty at first, with a long back straight just shy of 800m, another very tight section again towards the end of the lap, before ending with a relatively long start-finish. The first few laps are mainly about getting into the flow of the M 1000 RR while maintaining the heat in the slicks.
Straight away, the M RR feels neat and full-factory, like it was made for the track. There’s no quirkiness: the power is linear and very smooth, the hugely oversquare inline four loves to rev, the up-and-down quick shifter works effortlessly, and each gear change is matched perfectly. Yes, the M 1000 RR is expensive but even on those sighting laps it feels very special and shot through with engineering quality.
Normally, it would take me the best part of a 20-minute session to get dialled in and click with the bike, but this M RR feels natural and easy from the off. Despite that crazy peak power figure, those winglets and its furious demeanour, there's nothing scary or intimidating here if you don't want it. It rides with impeccable manners.
However, I’m already up to speed and starting to push. That long back straight gives the M 1000 RR enough space to stretch its legs and use that extra power. The extra downforce generated by those winglets should in theory reduce the top speed as they also create more drag. But BMW claims the 2025 bike's top speed is identical to the previous bike's 314kph (or 195mph).
The fairing is excellent; you can get tucked in behind the huge screen and bodywork. When you're in that bubble of calmer air the bike doesn’t feel particularly fast and is certainly not as physical as some of the competition, which are hard to hold onto at high speed. Stability is impeccable, which I can only assume is down to the aero package and wings, and it all boosts rider confidence. It’s only when you pop up like a meerkat at the end of the straight that you realise how ridiculously quick you are going.
The braking hardware is carried over from the previous M 1000 RR. What is different are the engine brake strategies, while those more efficient wings also come into play. Now braking stability is so immense you feel compelled to brake ever later, trailing the lever deep to the apex. My confidence was so high I was braking later than reason or experience alone would ever allow. I simply trusted in BMW's boffins and squeezed; yet the ‘M’ remained as planted as an oak.
Normally, at very high speed, the forks extend as front of the bike lifts; therefore, when you hit the brakes, there is significant dive and weight transfer as the forks are higher in the stroke. On the 2025 M RR the wings keep the bike level, with more weight on the front, so when you hit the brakes the forks have less travel because they are lower in the stroke, which is presumably why it's so stable on the initial bite of the brakes.
Trusting the slide assist system allows you to get on the power sooner with confidence, and I’m pretty sure the M 1000 RR and S1000 RR are the only bikes on the market that measure steering angle. I tried the same system on the standard S RR last year in Almeria and could just feel it working when the tyres started to deteriorate.
The handling is light and easy, and nothing appears to unsettle or faze the M at pace. Accelerate early and it holds its line; brake a little late and you can still pull it to the apex. There’s a lovely connection with the BMW, which might in part be down to those minor flex-related tweaks to the frame.
You could argue it’s a little revvy, but even out of the slow second-gear corners, the M pulls hard, giving its rider aids and rear Pirelli a workout. I must have done close to 30 minutes of continuous fast lapping, and still I wasn’t exhausted. It might look like it will hit like Tyson, but looks can be deceiving.
Verdict
When I rode the previous BMW M 1000 RR on track, I thought it was excellent and I still think that. BMW, however, has upped their game with the new 2025 bike by improving engine performance – more so for race teams than trackday and road riders – while at the same time giving ‘normal' riders more sophisticated rider aids which work in conjunction with those huge wings.
For me, the biggest step over the previous bike is its stability. The 2025 M RR is phenomenal on the brakes. Meanwhile, the updated rider aids will be especially beneficial when riding conditions are less than perfect or when the rear tyre starts to give up. The new slide control won't be felt on the road, but track day riders will feel added security from even more advanced rider aids.
Not everyone is going to like the M RR's big-wing looks and that salty new price can’t be ignored. The ‘base’ bike is £32,850, and the bike we tested £40,540, and you can spend more. Ducati’s Panigale is V4S is £29,999 and Honda's top-level Fireblade £23,699. Is the BMW M 1000 RR £10,000 better than the Honda?
BMW M 1000 RR specification
Price: From £32,850
Engine: 999cc in-line four, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, liquid cooled
Power: 218bhp (160kW) @ 14,500rpm
Torque: 113Nm (83lb-ft) @ 11,100rpm
Transmission: Six-speed, chain final drive
Frame: Cast aluminium bridge type
Suspension: (F) Fully-adjustable 45mm USD fork, (R) Fully-adjustable mono shock.
Wheels: M carbon, 17”/17”
Tyres: (F) 120/70 x 17, (R) 200/55 x 17
Brakes: (F) 2 x 320mm floating discs, four-piston Nissin radial calipers, Brembo master cylinder (R) 220mm disc, two-piston Nissin caliper. Cornering ABS as standard equipment
Weight: 194kg (kerb)
Wheelbase: 1458mm
Seat height: 865mm
Fuel tank: 16.5 litres
Fuel consumption: 43.5mpg
Service intervals: 6000 miles/12 months
Warranty: 36 months unlimited mileage
Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk
By Adam Child ‘Chad’
Photography by BMW/Joe Dick
