This Budget Fast Motorcycle Outperforms Models Twice Its Price
Used superbike prices have never made more sense than they do right now. While new liter-class machines push ever deeper into six-figure territory, the used market quietly offers some of the most capable track-bred hardware ever built — at prices that would have seemed laughable when these bikes were new. Few examples illustrate that better than the 2010 BMW S 1000 RR, a motorcycle that rewrote the rulebook when it arrived and still embarrasses much newer, much more expensive machines on a quarter-mile strip today.
With the controversial “Gentleman’s Agreement” still in place at the time, manufacturers begrudgingly kept the top speed of their superbikes below the 186 mph mark. As time wore on, this seemed less and less relevant — until one of the manufacturers who had lobbied for that limit brought out a superbike of their own.
The 2010 BMW S 1000 RR Outperforms Models Twice Its Price
Price Range: $7,000 – $11,000
For reference, it is pretty hard to look at any lap times because there are just so many variables involved. Quarter-mile times, on the other hand, can at least paint a portion of the picture. The current Yamaha YZF-R1 is able to do a consistent quarter-mile time of 10.4 seconds…and a 2010 BMW S 1000 RR does it in 10 seconds flat.
Aside from being astonishingly fast, the S 1000 RR has become seriously affordable on the used market. Retail values typically sit just over the $10,000 mark depending on condition, which is a bargain for a bike that runs a stock quarter-mile in 10 seconds flat. Finding one that is completely unmodified may take some patience, and a clean, original example will almost certainly command a small premium.
Price Range
- Poor Condition: $7,000
- Trade Value: $7,120
- Good Condition: $10,000
- Great condition: $11,000
The S 1000 RR Had A Game-Changing Inline-Four
Power: 193 Horsepower
BMW always seemed to have some sort of problem with all its inline-four motorcycles. All plagued with one reliability concern or another, and the first-generation S 1000 RR was no exception. It is worth noting that the only significant recall did not affect the 2010 model. Bikes made between 2011 and 2012 were recalled because of connecting rods that could work themselves loose at high revs — and you can imagine the consequences inside the engine.
At the end of the day, this is a high-performance motorcycle, and this kind of performance was beyond anyone’s wildest imagination when it debuted. A 200-horsepower motorcycle was not yet thought possible. BMW took that from fiction to reality: in stock form, the S 1000 RR produced 193 horsepower. The brand had effectively brought a gun to a knife fight, with very few superbikes even coming close to that kind of output. But to harness all that power, another revolution was required.
Engine Specifications
|
Engine Type |
Inline-4, liquid-cooled |
|
Displacement |
999cc |
|
Max Power |
193 HP |
|
Max Power |
83 LB-FT |
|
Transmission |
6-speed |
The S 1000 RR Was The First Truly Modern Superbike
Welcome To The Digital Age
To harness this previously unheard-of power, BMW packed the bike with a host of new technology. It was among the first superbikes to offer ABS as standard fitment — remarkable by the standards of the day. It also featured a ride-by-wire throttle that enabled three distinct ride modes. That was just the baseline equipment. BMW also offered a forward-thinking options list, and most bikes sold in 2010 left the dealership equipped with a new traction control system.
It was the first of its kind on a production motorcycle, and what made it so significant was that, up until this point, high-horsepower superbikes like this were strictly reserved for the most experienced — or craziest — riders. Suddenly, there was a system to help keep things the right way up in damp conditions: a superbike that didn’t punish every minor error severely. This made it more accessible regardless of its price point… and strangely, it wasn’t all that expensive compared to its direct competition. Even with traction control fitted, the original asking price only climbed to around $16,000.
Standard Features
- ABS
- Ride-by-wire throttle
- Ride modes
Optional Features
- Cornering ABS
- Traction control
- Quickshifter
The S 1000 RR Faced Stiff Competition From All Over The World
Throughout the 2000s, a new all-conquering superbike seemed to arrive every year. The competition was fierce by any measure. BMW came out swinging in a way nobody really expected, breaking convention with a host of technological firsts packed into a bike that shattered the long-standing “Gentleman’s Agreement.” With a recorded top speed of 188 mph, this was, for a time, the fastest motorcycle on the planet.
2010 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
With ram-air, this Ninja actually made even more power than the BMW. Like any of the Japanese liter-class superbikes of the era, it was not quite as sophisticated as the BMW and simply didn’t offer the same suite of tech features. In the wrong hands, any superbike is dangerous, but 200 horsepower raises the stakes considerably. Novices need not apply here.
2010 Ducati 1198
Although the 1198 was a fantastic superbike, it was more expensive, less sophisticated, and less powerful than the BMW. On the used market today, it has also been hit slightly harder by depreciation, making it a little cheaper depending on condition. That twin-cylinder engine is still worth the hype, though.
In the world of superbikes, certain models represent a definitive moment — a turning point within the industry. The S 1000 RR is one of those machines. It may have arrived with its sights set on the racetrack, but it was as a street bike that it truly made its mark. It forced every other manufacturer to respond, dragged superbikes headlong into the digital age, and remains one of the fastest motorcycles money can buy to this day.
Sources: BMW, KBB
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments