Officially Official: BMW S 1000 RR race bike

Click above for high-res gallery of the BMW S 1000 RR

Let the speculation end! BMW has officially pulled the covers off of its S 1000 RR race bike, which will sprout a production model next year. General Director of BMW Motorrad Hendrik von Kuenheim says that the company is committed to building 1,000 units of the new model next year. Featuring a 1000cc inline-four transversely mounted between the frame rails and an upside-down front fork, the RR is rather conventional by BMW standards. This has allowed the Motorrad to keep the bike as compact as possible, which can be attested to by the fact that it has been spotted lapping tracks in Yamaha R6 bodywork. So far, no specifications have been given regarding power levels, but we fully expect it to be competitive with the Superbike front-runners. Traction control is also reportedly put to good use. Judging from the extensive use of (bare) carbon fiber, we'd expect the weight to be on par with the competition, as well. There's an entire speech pasted after the break, so be sure to check it out.

BMW plans to crack the top ten next year in World Superbike racing and is expecting podium finishes the following year. Considering the fact that the Big Four Japanese manufacturers literally have a head start measuring a few decades on BMW, it's probably wise to set attainable goals for now. Though we're looking forward to more details regarding the S 1000 RR superbike, at least we have some pretty pictures to gaze at until then.