Photo: BMW
When it unveiled the M 1000 RR superbike back in September 2020, BMW advertised the two-wheeler as “pure racing technology for the highest performance requirements in motor sports and on the road.” To make sure everyone gets the message, several of these bikes were enlisted in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK).
Motorrad itself, but also a number of private companies, are racing these motorcycles in the series, but for some reason, it seems things are not as easy as they should. The 1000 RR only managed to snatch its first podium positions in the WorldSBK back in July, and it took it another three months or so to land its first real win.
Over the weekend, Motorrad’s Michael van der Mark was on the tarmac in Portimão, Portugal, where the 11th round of the series took place and, at the end of the Superpole race of the event, managed to finish the run first.
It was the M 1000 RR’s first win ever and gave the BMW people hopes things would go just as smoothly during the second run of the day. Sadly for the team, an unspecified technical issue prevented that from happening, and van der Mark ended up in sixth place.
“I’m happy to take the win for BMW Motorrad and the whole team,” the rider said in a statement.
“Race 2 I didn’t get a good start, but I felt I had good pace but unfortunately we had some issues which cost me a lot of time and then my race from there was a bit lonely as I couldn’t catch up the guys in front. We have to learn, but at the end it was not a bad Sunday.”
As for the bike, the M 1000 RR is powered by a water-cooled four-cylinder in-line engine, modified to develop 212 hp and 113 Nm of torque. The M division also worked its magic on the way the two-wheeler was designed, fitting it with special carbon fiber winglets up front, and, for the first time ever on a bike, M brakes slapped on the M carbon wheels.
Over the weekend, Motorrad’s Michael van der Mark was on the tarmac in Portimão, Portugal, where the 11th round of the series took place and, at the end of the Superpole race of the event, managed to finish the run first.
It was the M 1000 RR’s first win ever and gave the BMW people hopes things would go just as smoothly during the second run of the day. Sadly for the team, an unspecified technical issue prevented that from happening, and van der Mark ended up in sixth place.
“I’m happy to take the win for BMW Motorrad and the whole team,” the rider said in a statement.
“Race 2 I didn’t get a good start, but I felt I had good pace but unfortunately we had some issues which cost me a lot of time and then my race from there was a bit lonely as I couldn’t catch up the guys in front. We have to learn, but at the end it was not a bad Sunday.”
As for the bike, the M 1000 RR is powered by a water-cooled four-cylinder in-line engine, modified to develop 212 hp and 113 Nm of torque. The M division also worked its magic on the way the two-wheeler was designed, fitting it with special carbon fiber winglets up front, and, for the first time ever on a bike, M brakes slapped on the M carbon wheels.
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