BMW M1000RR and S1000RR (2025) – Technical Review

After 15 years of trying BMW finally secured the WSBK riders’ title this year with Toprak Razgatlioglu at the helm and records toppling as the brand led more than 40% of the race laps during the year, won over 60% of the time and appeared on the podium in 90% of the races. Throw in an unbroken streak of 14 race wins mid-season on the way and it was a dominant performance – albeit thanks largely to Razgatlioglu as the other BMWs on the grid couldn’t do quite enough to steam the manufacturers or teams’ championships from Ducati.

The achievement was all the more remarkable because despite being a WSBK competitor since 2009, BMW had previously topped the podium just 13 times.

Going into 2025 BMW’s rivals won’t have much relief, either, as the M1000RR that’s the basis of the WSBK racer, plus the more affordable, street-worthy S1000RR that shares most of the same parts and accounts for the majority of sales, are both getting updated to improve their competitiveness.

Pros & Cons

2025 BMW M1000RR and S1000RR - Price

There’s an old adage “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” that’s used to justify the enormous budgets involved in racing – but while the 2024 WSBK title won’t do BMW any harm the records show that it’s complete rubbish.

In UK, BMW’s superbikes have continually bucked the trend of declining sales in that market segment. While others are backing away – the Suzuki GSX-R1000 disappeared from the market a few years ago and the Yamaha R1 will be sold only for track use in 2025 – in the face of sales that struggle to justify further investment, BMW goes from strength to strength. In the UK, S1000RR sales reliably pass the 600 bikes mark each year while most rivals struggle to hit 200. Even the Ducati Panigale V4 struggles to manage half the sales of the BMW. On top of that, the company finds UK owners for around 100 M1000RRs per year despite the bike’s vast price tag.

How big are those prices for 2025? The homologation special M1000RR comes in at £32,850 and will reach dealers in April. That’s a near £2k price hike but still slips below the WSBK cap of €44,000 (around £36,700).

The S1000RR, meanwhile, is a more affordable proposition, with the 2025 model starting at £17,990, or £19,310 for the ‘Sport’ version.

For next year, the colour options are familiar with the M1000RR remaining in either white for the base model or black for the M1000RR M Competition variant, while the S1000RR comes in black for the base bike, blue for the Sport model or white with M colour graphics for the M Motorsport version.

2025 BMW M1000RR and S1000RR - Engine & Performance

When it comes to engine upgrades for 2025 BMW’s main focus has been the M1000RR – and while the absolute power increase is just 5hp or so (albeit from a very high starting point of 209.2hp that the 2024 model offered) the changes have the potential to release even more when race mods are made.

As well as tweaks to ensure compliance with the new Euro5+ emissions standards, the M1000RR’s motor gets new titanium valves, a compression ratio that’s upped from 13.5:1 to 14.5:1, redesigned oval ports for the intakes and exhausts, reshaped combustion chambers and bigger 52mm throttles to replace the old 48mm versions. Furthermore, there are new pistons to suit the revised compression and combustion chamber geometry, revised valve guides and valve seat angles, and a modified exhaust to suit the now-oval-shaped ports that it bolts to.

The S1000RR, by comparison, retains its previous 206.5hp output and does without major mechanical updates to the engine, sticking with last year’s 13.3:1 compression ratio (already fractionally down on the M bike’s level). Even so, there’s relatively little performance difference between the two bikes in street form. The M1000RR might make 8hp more than the S1000RR, but it needs to be taken to 14,500rpm to reach its 214.6hp maximum, while the S1000RR’s 206.5hp arrives at 13,750rpm (250rpm higher than in 2024).

Both models make identical torque – 83.3lbft at 11,000rpm – which is also unchanged from last years’ versions.

While the outputs don’t differ much from last year, or at all in the case of the S1000RR, the feel will change thanks to a much faster-action throttle for both models. Where it used to take 72 degrees of twistgrip rotation to go from idle to flat-out, the 2025 bikes drop that to just 58 degrees, not only sharpening the response but also improving bike control at wide-open-throttle as your wrist won’t be at such an extreme angle.

Engine electronics have long been a strong point for BMW, and for 2025 the S1000RR gains extra riding modes because the ‘Riding Modes Pro’ package that was previously optional has been made standard. That means you get three ‘Race Pro’ settings as well as the standard ‘Road’, ‘Rain’, ‘Race’ and ‘Dynamic’ modes.

 In turn, that means you gain two additional combinations of throttle response and torque, three levels of engine braking adjustment, and Hill Start Control as standard.

2025 BMW M1000RR and S1000RR - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Both the M1000RR and S1000RR get revised front bodywork – but as before the two models are noticeably different from each other. In both cases the changes improve aero and handling thanks to greater downforce from redesigned winglets.

On the M1000RR, the new carbon-fibre wings are claimed to boost both straight line and cornering performance, with an absolute peak of 30kg of downforce at 186mph, up from 22.6kg. That’s achieved without increasing drag or denting the bike’s 195mph top speed.

On the S1000RR the winglets are noticeably larger than the previous model and manage a maximum of 23.1kg of downforce at 186mph (that’s 300km/h, in case you’re wondering why BMW picked that speed), up from 17.1kg for the 2024 version. The S1000RR’s aero changes also include new brake cooling ducts integrated with the front mudguard to improve braking performance on track.

When it comes to the chassis itself, the S1000RR’s is unchanged – with the same frame, suspension and brakes as last year’s bike – while the M1000RR’s is tweaked fractionally to boost the bike’s changes in top-level racing. The M1000RR’s change is a revised set of engine mounts, relocating the left upper mount from the cylinder head to the engine housing, and ‘optimised’ stiffness in the steering head.

The spec sheets show that both the M1000RR and S1000RR are 1kg heavier than the previous versions, with the M1000RR coming in at 194kg and the S1000RR at 198kg, each measured fully-fuelled and ready-to-ride. If you’re desperate to reduce the S1000RR’s figure, the optional Race Package with a titanium exhaust cuts it to 195.4kg, while the M Package, which includes carbon wheels, drops it to 193.5kg.

2025 BMW M1000RR and S1000RR - Comfort & Economy

There’s no change to either the M1000RR or S1000RR when it comes to the riding position, fuel tank shape or seat, so on board you’re unlikely to notice any difference in comfort compared to the previous model. And let’s face it, on bikes as race-focused as these, it’s very much a secondary concern.

The new, faster-acting throttle that reduces the amount of wrist movement between fully closed and wide open should make a slight improvement, though.

Fuel economy is likewise unchanged, even on the M1000RR with its more substantial engine modifications. As before, the S1000RR manages a WMTC tested 44.1mpg, while the M1000RR is a fraction behind it at 43.5mpg under the same test regime. With a 16.5-litre tank for each bike, that translates to a theoretical max range of 160 miles for the S1000RR and 158 miles for the M1000RR.

2025 BMW M1000RR and S1000RR - Equipment

When it comes to kit, both the M1000RR and S1000RR were already brimming with tech but BMW has found a way to add even more for 2025 – and particularly to the M1000RR.

On the M bike the already-impressive traction control, governed by the six-axis IMU that’s expected on bikes like these, is upgraded with the addition of a new Slide Control feature that takes extra inputs from the bike’s steering angle. Combining that with other information from the IMU and the bike’s wheel speeds, the computer can work out how far out of line the rear wheel is and depending on the setting you’ve chosen the bike will either rein in a slide before you even notice it or allow the back to step out to a predetermined drift angle.

The same steering angle sensor also allows the 2025 M1000RR to add a ‘Brake Slide Assist’ riding aid to the package as standard. It works in much the same way as the Slide Control, with inputs from the IMU and steering sensor, but modulates the rear brake pressure and engine braking settings rather than the throttle to control how far out of line the rear wheel can step on the way into a corner.

2025 BMW M1000RR and S1000RR - Rivals

The two BMW’s showroom rivals are exactly the same bikes that go head-to-head on the track – so anyone considering an M1000RR or S1000RR is sure to be thinking about the competition from the likes of Ducati, Honda and Kawasaki. With the Yamaha R1 unavailable as a road bike for 2025, and the Suzuki GSX-R1000 long having disappeared from sale in the UK, you’re left with the choice of the Panigale, Fireblade or ZX-10R. Comparing price, kit levels and performance, it’s not difficult to see why the S1000RR in particular sells so strongly in the face of these rivals.

Ducati Panigale V4 S | Price: £29,995

Read more

Power/Torque

216bhp / 89.2lb-ft

Weight

187kg (without fuel)

Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP | Price: £23,499

Read more

Power/Torque

214.6bhp / 83.3lb-ft

Weight

201kg (kerb)

Kawasaki ZX-10R | Price: £17,499

Read more

Power/Torque

200bhp / 84.7lb-ft

Weight

207kg (kerb)

2025 BMW M1000RR and S1000RR - Verdict

We’ll offer a full and detailed road and track-based verdict when we’ve ridden each bike

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.

2025 BMW M1000RR and S1000RR - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.