Bench Racing: 2009 World Superbike

BMW Motorrad Motorsports has kicked off the 2009 WSBK season for them with this press release. It seems like a logical starting point for our inaugural World Superbike thread.

The thread starts with BMW but feel free to add anything about WSBK. During the season we will cover lots of teams.

Superbike World Championship 2009


Monday, 16 February 2009

BMW Motorrad??s new challenge.
The 2009 Superbike World Championship promises to be more exciting than ever, with BMW Motorrad Motorsport making its debut in the ultra-competitive series and taking on no less than six other manufacturers, four Japanese and two European. Although this is BMWÔÇÖs first attempt in World Superbikes, their racing heritage goes back 86 years, starting with their R 32 motorcycle in 1923. Since then BMWs have raced successfully on the Isle of Man and at other world-famous racetracks and have enjoyed many successes. The last success of the official BMW factory team was Walter ZellerÔÇÖs runner-up place in the 1956 World Championship. BMW officially returned to roadracing in 2007 with the HP2 Sports Boxer taking part in the Endurance Championship 24 hour classics in 2007 and 2008.

BMWÔÇÖs first ever ÔÇÖSuperbikeÔÇÖ success took place at Daytona, USA, in 1976, when American Steve McLaughlin won the AMA Championship Superbike race in a thrilling photo-finish with team-mate Reg Pridmore. Both were riding R 90 S BMWs prepared by Butler & Smith, BMWÔÇÖs American importers. Back then the ÔÇÿSuperbikeÔÇÖ class was a support race to the main event, but nine years later the first ideas for a Superbike World Championship (a world championship for production-based motorcycles) began to grow. The series was born in 1988 and since then has become the hallmark for close-fought, competitive racing, without sacrificing any of its friendly paddock atmosphere. It may be all-out combat on the track, but off it, it has an atmosphere unmatched by any other world championship.

BMW Motorrad have a very long history, but they are the ÔÇÿnew boysÔÇÖ of the Superbike World Championship. The company has decided to enter the series at, without a doubt, the hardest and most competitive time in its 21-year history. Any new manufacturer joining the series is going to face a tough time and BMW are under no illusions about the challenges ahead. BMW are entering World Superbike because it is a championship where fans and customers identify with the brand and the bikes. And fans will not have long to wait for the S 1000 RR roadbike from which the racebike is derived: it will make its public debut in early summer 2009.


Troy Corser
ÔÇ£The BMW S 1000 RR racebike has a good base and we are all working hard to be competitive as soon as we can. This is BMWÔÇÖs first time in World Superbikes and none of us underestimate the challenge. But the challenge is part of the excitement and we are determined to do the very best we can.

As the season progresses IÔÇÖm sure weÔÇÖll improve a lot, but we are at a bit of a disadvantage because every time we go to a track we will be starting from scratch, whereas the others will have info and data from previous years. Even so, as the year goes on, IÔÇÖm sure weÔÇÖll get better and better and maybe even surprise a few people along the way.ÔÇØ

Ruben Xaus
ÔÇ£This is a great challenge and I am so happy to be riding for a factory team and working with a great bunch of guys. I think I always knew that I would probably have to modify my style (after years of riding a twin) but I am very pleased with the progress we made in this direction at the recent tests.

For sure, it is not easy for any new manufacturer to enter this incredibly competitive series, but I believe that BMW can make a big impact on the championship and I am very happy to be a part of this big adventure.ÔÇØ

Berti Hauser - Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport
ÔÇ£This great adventure began not so long ago, but now we are about to take part in our very first World Superbike Championship race and it is an exciting moment for us all. I firmly believe we have two great riders ÔÇô Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus ÔÇô and a very committed and enthusiastic team. Troy is the most experienced rider in WSBK and brings a lot of knowledge and information to the team. Although Ruben is not as experienced as Troy, he has so much enthusiasm for this project and I feel that he and Troy are a perfect combination. I am very pleased with the amount of progress we have all made in the past few months and now, like the whole team, I am really looking forward to this great challenge.ÔÇ£


BMW S 1000 RR SBK racebike.
Technical Specifications.

Capacity: 999 cc, 4-stroke, 4 cylinder, liquid-cooled
Gearbox: 6 speed
Power: 200 + hp @ 14,000 + rpm
Bore & Stroke: 80 x 49.7 mm
Compression ratio: 14:1
Fuel system: 48 mm Dell?? Orto injection system
Fuel tank capacity: 23 litres
Lubrication: Wet sump
Dry weight: 162 kg
Wheelbase: 1,428 mm
Length: 2,056 mm
Width: 532 mm
Front suspension: ?ûhlins upside down telescopic forks, 43 mm diamete
Rear suspension: ?ûhlins TTX
Front brakes: Twin disc 320 mm, Brembo, 4 piston calliper
Rear brake: Single disc 220 mm, Brembo, 4 piston calliper
Wheels: Front 16.5 inch x 3.5 inch, Rear 16 inch x 6.25 inch
Tyres: Pirelli

Riders.

Troy Corser, # 11.
Date of birth: 27.11.1971
Place of birth: Wollongong, Australia
Home town: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Marital status: Married to Sam, with two children Kalani and Kelissa
Height: 1.75 m
Weight: 66 kg
Personal sponsors: Alpinestars, Shark, Riders for Health
Hobbies: Golf, go-kart, jet-ski, motocross
Passion: Racing
Favourite country: Home
Most respected riders: All
Favourite tracks: Phillip Island, Valencia, Portimao
First bike: Yamaha TY80 (road), Honda CR80 (race)
First race: 1989 Australian 250 Production series (Suzuki RGV250)
Career highlights: 1996 ÔÇô World Superbike Champion, 2005 ÔÇô World Superbike Champion
World Superbike history: 413 races, 128 podiums (33 wins, 47 seconds and 48 thirds), 42 pole positions
Website: www.troycorser.com

Ruben Xaus, # 111.
Date of birth: 18.02.1978
Place of birth: Barcelona, Spain
Home town: Andorra
Marital status: Married (to Mariona), with two children Julia and Paula
Height: 1.83 m
Weight: 71 kg
Personal sponsors: Arlen Ness, Premier, Oakley, Dea Due, Cabutti motor A.S.E, Chianchia, Biga, BRC, IPA, Fratelli Scotto, Faro, Commencal bicycles
Hobbies: My family
Passion: My girls (3)
Favourite country: Spain
Most respected riders: Team mate first
Favourite tracks: All
First bike: Montessa Cota 25cc
First race: 1992 Solo Moto 75cc Criterium
Career highlightss: 2003 ÔÇô World Superbike Championship ÔÇô 2nd
World Superbike history: 152 races, 35 podiums (11 wins, 13 seconds, 11 thirds), 1 pole position
Website: www.rubenxaus.net

SBK team structure 2009.
Team name: BMW Motorrad Motorsport
Team partner: alpha Racing
Director of BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Berti Hauser
Race team manager/Project leader: Rainer Baeumel
alpha Racing management: Josef Hofmann, Josef Meier
alpha Racing technical director: Thomas Franz
Riders: Troy Corser, Ruben Xaus
Troy Corser crew chief: Tom Larsen
Ruben Xaus crew chief: Wolfgang Martens


Superbike World Championship
2009 Race calendar.
March 1 Phillip Island, Australia
March 14 Doha, Qatar
April 5 Valencia, Spain
April 26 Assen, Netherlands
May 10 Monza, Italy
May 17 Kyalami, Republic of South Africa
May 31 Salt Lake City, USA
June 21 Misano, Republic of San Marino
June 28 Donington, Great Britain
July 26 Brno, Czech Republic
September N??rburgring, Germany
September 27 Imola, Italy
October 4 Magny-Cours, France
October 25 Portimao, Portugal










http://m1ka.smugmug.com/photos/475738038_u88sg-L.jpg[img]

[img]http://m1ka.smugmug.com/photos/475737633_YweEy-L.jpg

That is one sweet bike! Should have a blue or white rear wheel though, just sayin'................

WorldSBK

motorcyclenews.com: Sneak look at 09 updates


caradisiac.com translate: Australia tests ÔÇô Aprilia meets and explains to Ducati


superbike.com: Yamaha Racing WSB spec R1


corrierdellosport.it translated: Biaggi fastest at Phillips Island


worldsuperbikenews.co.uk: Will Geregorio Lavilla be racing for the Pro-Ride Honda Team?

Sharp looking, but...
Now that it's in bright colors it's easier to follow the contours of the bodywork and I'm picking up on some KTM "origami" creases in the upper bodywork, and the right side "shark gills" look very Ducati 900 SS to me. Is this styling by police composite? Does everything they build nowaday's have to look like Johnny Cash's Cadillac?
Come on BMW, be original!

108625 said:

Sharp looking, but...
Now that it's in bright colors it's easier to follow the contours of the bodywork and I'm picking up on some KTM "origami" creases in the upper bodywork, and the right side "shark gills" look very Ducati 900 SS to me. Is this styling by police composite? Does everything they build nowaday's have to look like Johnny Cash's Cadillac?
Come on BMW, be original!

Click to expand...

I hear you if this were another street styling exercise but as a race bike we have to blame it on the wind.

The only BMW that has spent more time in a wind tunnel in the last three years is their F1 car. In that comparison keep in mind F1 designers have more surfaces to use in molding the look of their cars. Bike designers steal ideas from each other all the time. With the same elements to deal with in the process they seem to end up in much the same place. Unfortunately wind tunnel designs are about drag coefficients, frontal area and air flow; they are not about art.

That said, in F1 there is the herd and then there is Ferrari. Ferrari designers seem to be able to achive a much more elegant and distinctive design than the others. Maybe BMW Motorrad should poach their wind tunnel guy.

Now I've been highlighted in Kawasaki racing green! More copycatting!

I would add Ducati to the Ferrari mold (but for the Terblanche years), they won with a distinctive superbike that nobody could mistake for anything else. When they let function dictate form however, they didn't do so well; on the track or in the showroom. A return to trademark styling characteristics (and a rule change) was a success in both fields, again.

I guess we'll be dependent on rondels and quirky headlights to recognize the new beemer. That, and there will be guys on sportbikes wearing hi-viz yellow.

WorldSBK

BMW Motorrad Motorsport - Superbike World Championship - Phillip Island, Australia - Test.

02/23/2009

The progress continues as the first race gets closer.
Munich. BMW Motorrad Motorsport's World Superbike team successfully completed their two day test at Phillip Island and are now looking forward to the first race of the year, which will take place next week at the same circuit. During the two days there was a mixture of sunshine and cloud, together with strong gusty winds on day one. But although there were a few spots of rain on the first day, the track remained dry throughout.

Troy finished the test early, thanks to a collision with a bird early in the afternoon of day two. He was going about 230 kph, when he hit the bird and the force of the impact on Troy's left bicep was enough to wrench his left hand off the handlebars. Somehow Troy managed to keep the control of the bike and not crash, but the doctors advised him to sit out the rest of the day. Ruben continued his learning curve and was happy to end up far more comfortable with his S 1000 RR by the end of the test.



Troy (97 laps, best lap 1:32.9)
The tests went very well, though it's a real shame that I had to finish early because we still had lots more to try out. But, I guess I'm lucky that I didn't crash and hurt myself badly when I hit the bird. I'm really not sure how I managed to stay on the bike, because it's not easy when you've only got one hand on the bars, but somehow I was able to recover. I had seen the bird on the track and tried to avoid it by going up the inside.

But instead of staying put, or flying away from my bike, it flew up right in front of me. Hitting a one kilo or so bird at over 230 kph is like hitting a brick wall, so I'm lucky that my injury isn't any worse. We have learnt a lot in these two days and I've been able to get a better idea of how the bike works in different conditions and set-ups. What I can say though, is that my S 1000 RR feels as good as any other bike I've ever ridden round here.




Ruben (114 laps, best lap 1:33.5)
Generally I'm happy with the tests and how they went and it's been really good to get more kilometres under my belt. I'm getting used to the S 1000 RR and it's becoming more and more comfortable for me. We've done a lot of work here and made good progress so I'm pleased about our prospects for next weekend. We tried many different set-ups and have given the technicians lots to think about. Now we need to put everything together and keep on improving, but I am confident that this team will get better and better each time we go to the racetrack.


motociclismo.es: Start the 2009 World Superbike
The Superbike Championship will begin Friday in Australia

I've heard rumors of some form of desmodromics on these bikes, but in the latest issue of Bike magazine they suggested we might be looking at a third cam for variable valve timing. Curiouser & curiouser... I can't wait to hear one.

108625 said:

I've heard rumors of some form of desmodromics on these bikes, but in the latest issue of Bike magazine they suggested we might be looking at a third cam for variable valve timing. Curiouser & curiouser... I can't wait to hear one.

Click to expand...

I have read to much and remmeber to little. The valve system has some similarity to the F1 engine IIRC. I will try to track down the article informaiton. If you find more please post.

The piece I was thinking of was part of the press release for the street S1000RR.





Download 1:


[ Print Preview ]

________________________________________
The Race is on: Supersports Bike BMW S 1000 RR Comes off the Production Line at the BMW Motorrad Plant in Berlin.
02/05/2009

Munich. Staff and fans of BMW Motorrad are looking forward to March 1st 2009 with great excitement. At the introductory race to the Superbike World Championship in Phillip Island / Australia, two BMW motorcycles will be in the starting line-up for the first time. After recent tests in Portimao and Valencia, riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus are optimistic about the future and the mood in the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team is positive. The racing bikes will be fairly close to serial production models, allowing for the greater audience identification characteristic of the sport. Behind the scenes meanwhile, production of the serial machine is getting underway: the BMW S 1000 RR.
The package of this completely newly developed motorcycle with its 999cc in-line 4-cylinder engine is very compact and light. The dry weight of the motorcycle is 183 kg.
Both its supreme performance figures and its outstanding riding properties make the BMW S 1000 RR an extremely attractive offer in the supersports segment.

The engine has a very compact cylinder head and is narrow in shape. The valves are activated by means of very small, light cam followers, virtually at Formula 1 level in terms of their dimensions. This construction ensures very high engine speeds and allows maximum freedom in engine design in terms of torque and output.

For the supersports bike BMW S 1000 RR, a completely newly developed sports ABS featuring four different modes as well as the dynamic traction control system DTC will be available. The functional principle of the traction control system has been borrowed directly from racing.

The distinctive design of the S 1000 RR reflects the general style of the segment but also clearly represents the brand BMW. The new S 1000 RR will be available in the four finishes Mineral Silver metallic, Acid Green metallic, Thunder Grey metallic and - based on the BMW Motorrad racing colours - Alpine White/Lupine Blue/Magma Red.

The serial production machine BMW S 1000 RR will be presented to the public in the early summer of 2009.
________________________________________




As soon as I post this BMW will put out more information

The valve control system has been referenced in a number of articles and most use one of the BMW press releases whole or in part as their basis. The one in Motorcycle.com is a good one. All have been speculative thus far

motorcycle.com: 2009 BMW S1000RR ÔÇô A closer look

For now your guess is as good as mine as to how these will work. I agree motorcycle.com that a pneumatic system is out of the question for a variety of reasons. What ever the system turns out to be it will be discussed by many in terms of the Ducati desmo system. Here via Wikipedia is some information for everyone to bone up on.


Via- Wikimedia.org

WorldSBK


MCN interview with Troy Corser at the London MC show
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m9vjIcO3m8w&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m9vjIcO3m8w&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

motorcyclenews.com: Carlos Checa rates his title rivals

motorsport.com: Paul Bird Motorsport 2009 Season Preview

crash.net: WSBK season preview ÔÇô the rookies

Another look ÔÇô worldsupebikenews.co.uk: Test at Phillip Island

WorldSBK


worlsbk.com: Corser fit to race despite getting the bird at the Island


motorcyclenews.com: Why Haga will win the WSB title in 2009


roadracingworld.com: Seven manufacturers will contest 2009 FIM Superbike World Championship

WorldSBK


worldsbk.com: Media day ÔÇô WSBK kicks into gear


worldsbk.com: Superbike  Free practice  20 Troy Corser, 21 Reuben Xaus Ouch!

WSBK Phillip Island, Australia, Friday qualifying

BMW Motorrad Motorsports
published at 27.02.2009, 11:38

BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus ended the first day of qualifying at Phillip Island with the sixteenth and twentieth fastest times respectively. But lap times are very close and Troy was only a second slower then todayÔÇÖs quickest rider, Jakob Smrz (Ducati), with Ruben just seven tenths of a second further behind. Since the test last weekend, some new parts have arrived for the team to evaluate and the work carried out in this area meant that neither Troy nor Ruben were able to chase any lap times.

Troy 1:33.377
Since the test last weekend we received some new parts to try out and today thatÔÇÖs what we did. The new parts affected the way the bikeÔÇÖs chassis worked, so we had to find out what was going, what we had to do and then try and do it. But, I think we did a lot of good work today and definitely got some info and ideas that we can work on tomorrow. Considering what we were doing today, I think that itÔÇÖs pretty good to be only one second off the pace. All day, I was just working on evaluating the new stuff, improving the bike and not chasing any lap times. I had a little tip-off this afternoon when I lost the front end in Honda corner, but it was a very slow speed crash and I didn't hurt myself at all.

Ruben 1: 34.080
ItÔÇÖs going good here and we were able to solve some problems we didnÔÇÖt get round to solving last week. This morning was not so easy, but we made some changes to the bike and the afternoon was better. We are trying to get both my bikes set up well for the race, but one bike is working better than the other one and so we have some work to do. I know that this is the first day of a race weekend and there is a lot to do, but I know that we are improving every time out and as long as we do that, I think we are all happy.

Rainer Baeumel (Team manager)
In some ways today was a little frustrating because we had some new parts to try out and I guess it was necessary to go a bit backwards before going forwards again. The riders had to work with a lot of new stuff, but IÔÇÖm happy because they did this very well and gave the team lots of information. I am sure that we will improve and improve. We have some ideas about what to do and now we are all eagerly waiting in anticipation to see how it all goes tomorrow.

Friday qualifying
1 Smrz (CZ-Ducati) 1:32.312, 2 Haga (J-Ducati) 1:32.569, 3 Haslam (GB-Honda) 1:32.623, 4 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki) 1:32.673, 5 Kagayama (J-Suzuki) 1:32.704, 6 Nakano (J-Aprilia) 1:32.928, 7 Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 1:32.932, 8 Spies (USA-Yamaha) 1:32.939, 9 Sykes (GB-Yamaha) 1:32.971, 10 Kiyonari (J-Honda) 1:32.991, 16 Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:33.377, 20 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:34.080

crash.net: Corser bemoans ÔÇÿstrangeÔÇÖ Supepole after tactical error.


Superbike ÔÇô Superpole
Update: February 28, 2009, 06:09 PM ET

1 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'31.069
2 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1'31.402
3 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'31.596
4 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'31.600
5 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'31.837
6 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.112
7 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.537
8 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098 RS 09 1'32.649
9 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1'31.843
10 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'31.860
11 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'31.867
12 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'31.881
13 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'31.907
14 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'31.916
15 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'32.119
16 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'32.719
17 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.873
18 44 Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.997
19 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.152
20 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'33.363
21 24 Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'33.588
22 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'33.709
23 86 Badovini A. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'34.174
24 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'34.194
25 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'34.341
26 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'34.390
27 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.767
28 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.363


Race weekend
ÔÇó Friday
o 1st free practice (60 minutes) and 1st qualifying (60 minutes)

ÔÇó Saturday
o 2nd qualifying (60 minutes) and 2nd free practice (60 minutes)
The times of 1st and 2nd qualifying are combined and the 16 fastest riders qualify for Superpole. The rest receive a grid position based on lap time, starting with 17th. To qualify for the race, riders must record a lap time no longer than 107% of the time recorded by the pole-position rider.
ÔÇó Superpole
Riders go out one by one in reverse order of qualifying position; in Superpole, riders may use a qualifying tyre. If Superpole is declared wet, a 50-minute session takes place for all 16 riders to set timed laps; each rider may complete no more than 12 laps including in and out laps.

ÔÇó Sunday
o Warm-up (20 minutes) Race 1 and Race 2
Race distance must be from a minimum of 90 km to a maximum of 110 km.


Point System

P ÔÇô Points
01 ÔÇô 25
02 ÔÇô 20
03 ÔÇô 16
04 ÔÇô 13
05 ÔÇô 11
06 ÔÇô 10
07 ÔÇô 9
08 ÔÇô 8
09 ÔÇô 7
10 ÔÇô 6
11 ÔÇô 5
12 ÔÇô 4
13 ÔÇô 3
14 ÔÇô 2
15 ÔÇô 1

For the ManufacturersÔÇÖ Championship, points are awarded for only the manufacturer's highest finishing motorcycle

28 February 2009 07:44
BMW Motorrad Motorsport news
2009 Superbike World Championship
Round 1, Phillip Island, Australia
Final qualifying, Saturday 28th February
Circuit: 4.445 kms. Conditions: Dry, cloudy/sunny 20-23 C.

FIFTH ROW FOR TROY AND RUBEN AFTER NEW SUPERPOLE.
The new Superpole system ended in disappointment for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus and, as a result, they will now start from the fifth row of the grid for tomorrowÔÇÖs opening round of this yearÔÇÖs Superbike World Championship. Two qualifying tyres were available for each rider in the Superpole 1, 2 and 3 and, in view of TroyÔÇÖs fifth quickest time in normal qualifying, the team elected not to use a qualifier in Superpole 1. The gamble appeared to be working until the final few minutes of the session, when some other riders went faster and Troy ended 17th - and out of Superpole 2. Ruben also didnÔÇÖt manage to qualify for Superpole 2, due to a small tyre misunderstanding, but hopefully the races tomorrow will end positively for him and team mate Troy.

Troy - 17th, 1:32.843
I donÔÇÖt really like this new Superpole system because, at the end of the day, the rider who gets pole position is not necessarily the fastest rider. We thought that because I had done the fifth quickest time in regular qualifying, we didnÔÇÖt need to use one of our two qualifiers in the (three) Superpole sessions. So I went out in Superpole 1 on race rubber and lost out on going into Superpole 2, by just one place. ItÔÇÖs a bit of a shame, because now I will have to start the races tomorrow from the fifth row of the grid and that is not going to be easy at all.
Obviously, IÔÇÖm going to try my hardest, but itÔÇÖs a pity that a new Superpole system has ruined what wouldÔÇÖve normally been a place on the second row of the grid and that wouldÔÇÖve been just reward for all the hard work the team has put in. But strange results have happened in the past, so who knows what will take place tomorrow.

Ruben - 19th, 1:33.152
I think that there may have been a small misunderstanding about what tyres to use in Superpole 1 and so we paid the penalty for that small mistake. But just like our team, Superpole is a new system this year and we are all going to have to understand it and play it right. It is just another part of our learning process and something we have to go through, but weÔÇÖll manage it for sure. ItÔÇÖs not nice to be on the fifth row, but this is not a bad track for overtaking and slipstreaming, so we shall see what happens tomorrow.

Rainer Baeumel (Team manager)
Before we entered this hard project, we knew that we would have a lot to learn, and today was proof. It was a shame that Troy didnÔÇÖt get into Superpole 2, because we were all sure that he wouldÔÇÖve got on to at the second row of the grid. But thatÔÇÖs racing and we just have to accept and try and work hard for the results tomorrow. For sure, itÔÇÖs going to be a hard day for both the riders, but I hope that we can leave Phillip Island with some good results.

Final qualifying and Superpole
1 Spies (USA-Yamaha) 1:31.069, 2 Biaggi (I-Aprilia) 1:31.402, 3 Rea (GB-Honda) 1:31.596, 4 Smrz (CZ-Ducati) 1:31.600, 5 Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 1:31.837, 6 Haslam (GB-Honda) 1:32.112, 7 Checa (E-Honda) 1:32.537, 8 Laconi (F-Ducati) 1:32.649, 9 Nakano (J-Aprilia) 1:31.843, 10 Kiyonari (J-Honda) 1:31.860, 17 Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:32.873, 19 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:33.152

108625 said:

Now I've been highlighted in Kawasaki racing green! More copycatting!

I would add Ducati to the Ferrari mold (but for the Terblanche years), they won with a distinctive superbike that nobody could mistake for anything else. When they let function dictate form however, they didn't do so well; on the track or in the showroom. A return to trademark styling characteristics (and a rule change) was a success in both fields, again.

I guess we'll be dependent on rondels and quirky headlights to recognize the new beemer. That, and there will be guys on sportbikes wearing hi-viz yellow.

Click to expand...

I think the production bike is a fairly distinctive shape, to be honest.

108625 said:

I've heard rumors of some form of desmodromics on these bikes, but in the latest issue of Bike magazine they suggested we might be looking at a third cam for variable valve timing. Curiouser & curiouser... I can't wait to hear one.

Click to expand...

Yeah. I've heard that too. I think BMW is calling it "Positive valve closure" or something.

Apparently, they've built a very oversquare motor, which will allow this thing to rev to 600 sportbike territory.

I wouldn't be surprised if they've implemented some kind of alternative valve actuation, but I would be surprised if it was desmodromic. It wouldn't be like BMW to use someone else's trademark, would it?

I suspect they've got something along the lines of a variable length intake tract, variable valve timing (they've had VANOS and double VANOS in their cars for years) or direct injection.

I went back and looked at the Bike article again. Pictures of the engine (external only, of course) show indications of a third shaft in the head, near the intake valve cam. Nothing is apparent on the exhaust side, so a true desmo-type system is unlikely. A variable valve timing setup on the intake side is more probable. The writer suggested that with modern engine management systems, it could be possible there is no throttle system in the intake tract at all; engine speed could be controlled by fuel delivery, spark timing and valve timing alone. (That would also integrate well with an engine speed based traction control system.)

Between BMW & Aprilia's new entries, and Ducati's masterpiece, Superbike racing ought to be interesting this year.

I just returned from shipping pole saws to the engineers and marketing people at BMW Motorrad Motorsport. When the full S1000RR engine specs and information are released in the not to distant future they can use them to saw the limb off that I am going out on by writing this. I have hooked up a very thin safety rope but I donÔÇÖt expect to use even that.

I think people speculating about a ÔÇÿvalve controlÔÇÖ system, ala mechanical way of closing vales as opposed to or in conjunction with valve springs, on the BMW superbike are on a wild goose chase. I believe what they are keeping quiet about is a variable timing system for the vales.


The S1000RR specs released to date.

BMW S 1000 RR SBK racebike.
Technical Specifications.

Capacity: 999 cc, 4-stroke, 4 cylinder, liquid-cooled
Gearbox: 6 speed
Power: 200 + hp @ 14,000 + rpm
Bore & Stroke: 80 x 49.7 mm
Compression ratio: 14:1
Fuel system: 48 mm Dell?? Orto injection system
Fuel tank capacity: 23 litres
Lubrication: Wet sump
Dry weight: 162 kg
Wheelbase: 1,428 mm
Length: 2,056 mm
Width: 532 mm
Front suspension: ?ûhlins upside down telescopic forks, 43 mm diamete
Rear suspension: ?ûhlins TTX
Front brakes: Twin disc 320 mm, Brembo, 4 piston calliper
Rear brake: Single disc 220 mm, Brembo, 4 piston calliper
Wheels: Front 16.5 inch x 3.5 inch, Rear 16 inch x 6.25 inch
Tyres: Pirelli


The two lines in the specifications everyone seems to be focusing on is the 14,000+ rpm capacity of the engine and the over square bore stoke ratio. These and comments using the words heads, valves and F1 in the same sentence have resulted in the speculation of some Ducati like system for controlling the valves.

BMW has confronted this before in F1 and airplane engine design. They have systems they could pull off the shelf and use or modify to the needs of the S1000RR without having to worry about patent issues with Ducati or others. But why would they need it in the first place?

Metallurgy

This is the one word answer to why the Desmo and other mechanical means were developed in the first place. As designs allowed higher and higher rpm counts to be achieved engine builders were confronted with the limits of metallurgy in the form of distortion in two areas. First the valves themselves and each time that front was conquered spring distortion became an issue. Developments in metallurgy have effectively dealt with this up to the range of say 18 - 20K rpm depending on the mass involved.

F1 in the V-10 era introduced pneumatic valve systems in large part because the spring metallurgy did not respond fast enough to deal with closing valves in excess of this range. As the rpm range continued to increase F1 designers started looking at ceramics for pistons and valves because they were once again encountering metal distortion as the reciprocating speeds of pistons and valves increased. Ceramics held the potential for a durable material that could deal with the increases in heat at those speeds and because their reduced mass did not distort.

In the 14,000+ rpm range discussed in the specs metallurgy for valves and springs available today should be able to deal with the issue without the weight and complexity of a non spring system.

Traction control and 200+HP

IIRC the early prototype superbike was explained away by BMW as a test bed for F1 traction control. This always struck me as odd because at the same time F1 was going away from traction control systems in their rules so why develop them in of all things a motorcycle?

This brings me to the spec line suggesting 200+ hp coming from this engine and a more dynamic idea of how traction control and valves relate to each other. In addition I suspect it has much to do with the need in race or street bike form to get these ponies on the tarmac and the EU IV and V emission standards.

I think we will find this mystery is a combination of a black box with a third cam to control the timing of the valves. In race form the box would be programmed to control the hp and torque curves to help the pilot to take best advantage of what they have available to the right wrist. In street form the same idea of valve control would be set to the task of creating the most efficient fuel load burn over the rpm range allowed, thus helping those possible 200 street horses meet the looming emission standards.

The Over Square Back Story

The engine design in size, apparent rpm range and being over square intrigues me for completely different reason; when is BMW going to announce a 600cc version of this bike?


What ever the announced end result of their design is it looks like it is going to be a fast bike. Perhaps faster than the team knows how to manage and plan for a this time of team development given the current Superpole result.