Photo: BMW
2020 is finally coming to an end, and its approaching doom means for most of us a chance to look with hope to the future while also getting some well deserved R&R after the exhausting past 12 months. In the racing world, however, a new year means almost immediate commitments. As a result, restless preparation, even in the final days of the year, is key to a successful new season.
At the end of November, German bike maker BMW announced it would field the new M 1000 RR motorcycle in the WorldSBK with three teams - its own and two partner crews. BMW Motorrad, RC Squadra Corse, and Bonovo Action will all be riding on the back of the first-ever BMW M-handled superbike.
We’ve seen the two-wheeler several times since its introduction, as BMW spared no effort in advertising it. But the company’s latest announcement of Motorrad’s newest rider, Michael van der Mark, getting some time on the track with his bike gives us the first glimpse at the monster in its natural environment.
Lacking any team livery and going for an all-black, bad-to-the-bone look instead, the M 1000 RR was taken out last weekend on the Miramas circuit in France. Racing teams call this shakedown, and it’s their way of getting accustomed to a new rider’s preferences.
“With the information that we gathered during this shakedown, we know the direction we need to go in with Michael’s bike to be well prepared for the first proper tests in 2021,” the team said in a statement.
BMW unveiled the M 1000 RR in September as a bike powered by a variation of the four-cylinder in-line engine used on other racing bikes. With it on, the S 1000 RR-derived machine develops 212 hp and 113 Nm (83 lb-ft) of torque.
BMW is still tight-lipped when it comes to availability and price for the new machine.
We’ve seen the two-wheeler several times since its introduction, as BMW spared no effort in advertising it. But the company’s latest announcement of Motorrad’s newest rider, Michael van der Mark, getting some time on the track with his bike gives us the first glimpse at the monster in its natural environment.
Lacking any team livery and going for an all-black, bad-to-the-bone look instead, the M 1000 RR was taken out last weekend on the Miramas circuit in France. Racing teams call this shakedown, and it’s their way of getting accustomed to a new rider’s preferences.
“With the information that we gathered during this shakedown, we know the direction we need to go in with Michael’s bike to be well prepared for the first proper tests in 2021,” the team said in a statement.
BMW unveiled the M 1000 RR in September as a bike powered by a variation of the four-cylinder in-line engine used on other racing bikes. With it on, the S 1000 RR-derived machine develops 212 hp and 113 Nm (83 lb-ft) of torque.
BMW is still tight-lipped when it comes to availability and price for the new machine.
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