BMW has refined its high performance roadster, the S1000R, for 2021.
The new S1000R gets a new LED headlight up front that replaces the distinctive but not universally popular asymmetrical headlights that had appeared on multiple BMWs in recent years. There’s also an optional adaptive turning light available for improved illumination during cornering.
BMW says the 2021 S1000R is 14 pounds lighter, bringing the weight down to 439 pounds in base form. The M package reduces weight another 11 pounds. Weight was cut from both the engine and the new frame, which BMW calls the “Flex Frame” and uses the engine as a stressed member. The frame is also narrower in the rider’s knee area.
The new S1000R will be powered by a 999cc inline-four-cylinder pinched in part from the S1000RR. BMW claims it has a flatter torque curve than before, and 4th, 5th and 6th gears have been lengthened to make it a bit less buzzy at cruising speeds.
There are three rider modes: Rain, Road and Dynamic. As well as adjusting the softness of the throttle response, each mode limits torque in various gears: Rain reduces it in 1st, 2nd and 3rd while Road and Dynamic reduces it in 1st and 2nd. Dynamic Pro is the only mode that allows full torque in all gears.
BMW quotes a 0-200km/h (0-124mph) time of 8.0 seconds – which is, apparently, 5% faster than the previous S1000R.
From launch you can get the S1000R in plain red, grey/yellow and the red/white/blue M colours.
