BMW HP4 RACE 2018

In 2017, a non-street legal, track-only variant, the HP4 Race was added, made in a limited production run of 750 units. The BMW HP4 (HP stands for High Performance) is the ultimate incarnation of the words sports bike. The 2018 BMW HP4 Race gets slimmed to 377 pounds wet due to three chassis elements that are entirely constructed of carbon fiber–the frame (17.1 pounds), the self-supporting rear frame and the wheels. This is immediately noticed when you sit on the HP4 Race, and the lightness feels greater when you release the throttle. Awareness for the lightness slapped me quickly while tipping her into any one of 20 corners on the 3.4-mile Formula 1 circuit. This made the already super agile S 1000 RR feel, dare we say, doggish? Also, the carbon-fiber frame seemed to flex a bit more than the S 1000 RR, which provided more feeling while mid-corner, allowing you to read the tarmac easier and judge traction from the Pirelli Superbike SC2 slicks. Though the HP4 Race’s light weight is apparent in handling, the carbon-fiber wheels, which are 30 percent lighter than light alloy forged wheels, have a tremendous affect on braking. There’s less rotating mass up front, which allows for much quicker braking. Fortunately, the feel at the lever end of the Brembo GP4 RR monoblock calipers squeezing 320mm calipers wasn’t harsh; initial pull is light, and you can easily moderate pressure for trail braking or slowing from triple-digit speeds into tight corners . There’s no speedometer, but the speeds reached at the back of COTA’s 3/4-mile straight, which were surely faster than the 180+ reached on the S 1000 RR, were quickly slowed for the slow turn 12. The HP4 Race arrives with a race-ready 1000cc inline four that is derived from BMW efforts in FIM Endurance World Championship and World SBK S 1000 RRs. The engine produces 215 horsepower @ 13,900 rpm, and 88.5 ft/lbs of torque @ 10,000 rpm, and only a true pro can capitalize on the upper end of this much power. When dumped WOT onto COTA’s front or rear straights, the HP4 Race never gave up on offering power. Also, when in any of the two “dry” modes, wheelie control is not active in gears four through six. This was apparent while flogging her in fifth and floating the front wheel along at well over 150 mph. That’s serious power–the most I’ve ever felt on a motorcycle. The suspension features online the best Öhlins suspension components–an FGR 300 fork and TTX 36 GP shock–which are identical to the components used in WorldSBK championship. These Öhlins provided optimal feeling at COTA, whether offloading the fork and compressing the shock on hard acceleration, or offloading the rear shock and compressing the fork during hard braking. The 2018 BMW HP4 Race arrives with a Suter swingarm that was designed with input from former factory BMW S 1000 RR pilots Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies. The BMW HP4 Race arrives with four riding modes–Intermediate, Dry 1, Dry 2 and Rain. The 2018 BMW HP4 Race arrives with a 2D dashboard and 2D data recording, and setup can be fully customized.