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2022 BMW M 1000 RR: M Division's Spectacular First Crack at Performance Bikes

BMW puts as much stake in its motorcycle division as it does its automotive sector. But one of BMWs most prized IPs, that being M division, has always remained separate but equal to bikes in Germany's third-largest automaker. In the year of our lord 2022, this conventional wisdom finds itself up in smoke.
BMW M 1000 RR 30 photos
Photo: BMW Motorrad
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Ladies and gentlemen of all ages, feast your eyes upon the 2022 BMW M 1000 RR and put some respect on the name. This is what happens when you take the oldest name in German performance automobiles and merge it with its even more historic and well-celebrated motorcycle lineup. Why it took so long for such a car to take place is anyone's guess. But good heavens above, first impressions have us saying it was worth the weight.

Now, BMW M Division need not have an introduction. We all know and love it as a nexus of quirky, fast, and fun-to-drive sports cars. But BMW's exploits with motorcycles aren't nearly as celebrated, at least in car enthusiast circles. But to make a long story short, they've been building bikes just about as long as they've been building cars. Safe to say, that's a century-plus worth of hardware.

In this lineage of performance-oriented bikes, the 1000 RR line is often seen as its crown jewel, the perfect vehicle for collaboration with M-Division at least 50 years in the making. So then, enough mincing words, let's dive into the meat and potatoes. First thing's first, racing-oriented sports bikes are often less like traditional motorcycles and more like powerful engines with complimentary wheels and handlebars as courteous gestures.

The M1000 RR is much the same. Considering the S1000 RR, which the M Division variant is based upon, has a reputation for class-leading power to weight ratios, this is a given. In this case, the engine is a 999-cc (61-cubic inch) naturally aspirated four-cylinder unit.

2022 BMW M 1000 RR
Photo: BMW Motorrad
But with a special M-Division tune and new goodies like titanium connecting rods and an upped compression ratio, the M 1000 RR holds a distinct advantage high up in the rev range past 6,000 RPM, where sports bike engines need to function the at peak efficiency. It's good for an estimated 205 horsepower at a face-melting 13,000 RPM.

Peak torque comes 2,000 RPM lower, at 83 lbs-ft (112 Nm), not that it really needs to make any more. Because a 0-100 kph (0 to 60 mph) sprint is thrashed in 3.1 seconds. Considering the base S1000 RR can master the quarter-mile in 10.1 seconds at 150-plus mph (240 kph), expect the M variant to be even faster. Eat your heart out, Dodge Hellcat. In truth, the S1000 RR and its M-branded cousins are more like racing bikes that happen to have number plates and indicators rather than souped-up sports bikes for regular plebians to ride.

As for components other than the engine, this M-bike doesn't disappoint. 320-mm floating font disc brakes with quad-piston fixed M calipers work in tandem with 220mm single-piston disks in the rear for supremely precise and reliable stopping power on the streets or on the track.

Both the front and rear suspension systems are fully adjustable and sit partially shrouded by the lightweight aluminum-alloy composite bridge frame. It's all tied together with twin Michelin Power Cup 2 tires, the most aggressive road-legal motorcycle rubber Michelin currently offers.

2022 BMW M 1000 RR
Photo: BMW Motorrad
Because it's a race bike for the streets, the custom decal set shown with the launch of this bike needed to have a distinctly M-Division flavor to it. In this department, BMW absolutely knocked it out of the park. The aggressive and angular patterns in blue, purple, red, and white make for an unmistakable correlation with M-Division. With a curb weight of fewer than 450 pounds (204-kg) and a fuel tank capacity of just under four and a half gallons, expect to see fuel economy returns in the 36 mpg (6.5 l/100 km) region combined, assuming you don't ride it like a maniac.

A total of 500 M 1000 RRs will be manufactured by BMW starting late last year for the 2022 model year. After that, it's really anybody's guess whether or not M-Division becomes a force to be reckoned with in the motorcycle sector.

The truth is, it's far more likely that this was a one-time promotional tactic with no definite plans for a follow-up in the future. But please, BMW, prove us wrong. We don't think we'd be happier to be wrong in our entire lives if the end result was a fleet of M-Division bikes to go along with all the cars.

At a base MSRP of $32,495, it sure beats the Honda Accord you could buy for the same money, at least in terms of fun factor.

2022 BMW M 1000 RR
Photo: BMW Motorrad
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