In 2009, BMW Motorrad launched the original S 1000 RR. It soon became a massive success story - not just in terms of sales, but also on track, where it dominated national superstock and superbike championships all over the world, winning no less than 13 titles and well over 120 race victories in its first full year of competition.

Improving a machine that made such a huge impression in the Supersport segment was never going to be easy, but the new RR is already being called a revelation by those who have been lucky enough to ride it. With a whole host of technical improvements and visual design updates, the 2012 RR promises to be an even harder act to follow than its predecessor.

We caught up with RR Product Manager and former racer Sepp Mächler at Valencia circuit in Spain, as he prepared to unleash the new RR to the world's media.

What are you most proud about with the RR project to date?

There are many things to be proud of with this project, right from the beginning. Firstly, I'm proud that we delivered the horsepower that we always promised with our RR. I'm also delighted at how successful we have been with the RR in comparison tests which are the real 'benchmark' for potential customers. As for all the titles that RR racers won in national championships worldwide, this is the 'icing on the cake'.

The series production RR has been a massive success, but did you expect it to win so many accolades in its first two years?

After the first comparison test at Almeria circuit in Spain in December 2009 I knew that the original RR could become very successful with customers. But what was more important to me was that this success would continue throughout its second year on sale.

Approximately how many RRs have been sold worldwide so far?

Around 20,000.

Its success in racing championships worldwide shows just how good the 'stock' RR is? Was this a surprise?

No, we knew that a good rider could just take it and win. Ok, it sounds very easy but in the stock class we are the benchmark. The first time we raced the stock bike was at the Barcelona 24 Hours at Catalunya circuit in July 2009. We finished in first and second place in the Superstock class - an amazing result considering that one of the RRs used in this race had already completed 25,000 kilometres of hard use by our team of test and development riders! It was also the first win on a bike with ABS and DTC.

There are changes in almost every area of the new RR. Was it important to show continued innovation in this segment?

For sure, but our main aim is to give the rider a better feeling in every situation that they encounter, be it on the road, on the track, or even in the rain. To give a rider the feeling of control is the best way to improve their confidence and help them relax. This way, they will always ride better.

Have you involved owners and racers in feedback and development?

Definitely. It is important to be on the pulse and understand all the different needs of our target market. Outside of our development teams, we have involved normal customers, dealers and of course, racers.

How much synergy is there between motorsport teams and the model line product engineers?

We listen very closely to our racing colleagues in many teams, especially the BMW Motorrad Italia superstock team or the IDM Team BMW Motorrad Wilbers Suspension. We help these teams out and they give us quick and reliable feedback, which helps reduce development times. For example we wanted to improve the application of the Race ABS and DTC [Dynamic Traction Control] and throughout the 2011 season we have been racing in the IDM German Superbike Championship with Race ABS.

Which changes in the new RR do you think will make the most difference?

Where do I start?! There are a lot of changes, so it's hard to be specific but what I can say is that the previous model feels really old in comparison to the latest RR. If I had to summarise I would start with the 'Ridability' of the new RR, which is optimised to give a more linear, homogeneous torque curve, resulting in improved pulling power and the highest torque in the segment at over 5,000 rpm. The throttle response is completely different in the new model too. The twisting force has been reduced by 25% and the throttle angle by 9 degrees, which will offer a more instant, direct response to rider input.

The RR's handling characteristics have been adapted to offer riders a better feeling for the limit - important in the sector - helped by a mechanically adjustable steering damper and options such as refined RACE ABS, DTC traction control and shift assistant.

A new instrument panel includes innovative functions such as 'Best Lap in Progress', which shows the rider whether his current lap is faster than the best one saved so far. There is also a 'Speed Warning' which can be set to warn the rider when he exceeds a defined maximum speed. There are also new options such as two-level heated grips, an HP titanium exhaust system that is 5.8kg lighter than the standard unit, and an HP data logger with GPS - the first complete one in the Supersport segment. These improvements are just the 'tip of the iceberg' though, as there are so many other detailed revisions. We've also set up a new HP Race support department especially for racers so that we can offer them technical advice and support them with their racing aspirations.

The new RR will be shown at the EICMA motorcycle show in Italy next month, but when will it be on sale?

January 2012.

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