Just a few days ago, we told you how some patent images registered in India revealed an S 1000 RR, a direct heir to the BMW Concept RR, with an estimated power of 215 HP. Now, the British media Visordown has gone one step further and has published the first photographs of a prototype rolling on the track, specifically on the Nürburgring, one of the usual settings for the final development of German superbikes before their homologation.
From the Indian patent to the asphalt of the Nürburgring
The first thing that catches your attention in these new images, captured by photographer AJ Jase, is the level of finish of the prototype. We are not looking at a test mule with temporary black plastic parts: the optics, the switch and the TFT panel look practically final, as if BMW was fine-tuning the last details before giving the go-ahead for series production.
This fits with what we already anticipated a few days ago: the Bavarian firm seems to have accelerated the times to have the new generation ready for 2027, and these track images reinforce that hypothesis. When a motorcycle is seen with this degree of definition, it usually means that the validation phase is very advanced.
Goodbye to the Wonder Wheel: the four-direction joystick arrives
The most striking change, and the one that will undoubtedly generate the most debate among BMW owners, is the disappearance of the Multi-Function Controller, the well-known “command wheel” or Wonder Wheel that the brand introduced in 2013 and, since then, has been a hallmark of practically its entire sports, touring and adventure range.
Instead, the prototype hunted at the Nürburgring mounts a conventional four-way joystick, accompanied by several additional buttons to adjust driving modes and electronic parameters. It is a relevant conceptual twist: the Wonder Wheel has been for more than a decade one of the differentiating elements of the BMW interface compared to the competition, with Ducati, Aprilia or Kawasaki betting on more traditional schemes. That BMW is taking this step on its biggest-selling superbike suggests the change could spread, over time, to the rest of the range.
New chassis and Panigale-level Brembo Hypure brakes
Beyond the handlebars, the photographs show a chassis that appears to be a completely new design compared to the current S 1000 RR, and that we already saw a few days ago when they revealed part of the BMW 2027 Range. The subframe would be anchored in a different way to the main chassis, and the rider’s footrest anchors would also have changed position. These are details that, on paper, point to a profound structural redesign and not a simple evolution of the current platform.
In the suspension section, everything indicates that BMW maintains the collaboration with Marzocchi, at least in the front axle. Where there is a clear novelty is in the braking system: the prototype mounts high-end Brembo Hypure calipers, the same hardware already used by references such as the Ducati Panigale V4, the Norton Manx R or the Honda CBR1000RR-R. It is a decision that raises the starting level of the S 1000 RR in one area, that of braking, where every gram and every millisecond of response counts when it comes to defending itself against its most direct rivals.
Aesthetics closer to the current S 1000 RR than to the Concept RR
In terms of design, this prototype moves slightly away from the Concept RR shown at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2025, and is closer to the lines of the current S 1000 RR. The headlights are larger and more conventional, and the fairing’s aerodynamic appendages now incorporate upper and lower endplates, a solution that helps stabilize the airflow generated by the winglets.
It is a common pattern in the transition from concept to production: the most extreme shapes are softened to comply with homologation regulations, while the underlying aerodynamic philosophy is maintained. We already saw something similar in the Concept RR itself, which drew directly from the M 1000 RR Superbike.
When will we see the 2027 S 1000 RR in dealerships?
For now, the German manufacturer has not confirmed an official presentation date. Given the very advanced state of development that this prototype shows, everything indicates that BMW could reserve its launch for EICMA, the Milan fair held in November and which is usually the showcase chosen by the brand for its great sports novelties.
If the deadlines that we already managed are met – with production starting in May 2027 and arrival at dealerships during the summer of that same year – the presentation in Milan would fit perfectly with the calendar. We will have to wait for BMW to confirm definitive figures for power, weight and price, but between the design inherited from the Concept RR, the new chassis and this change in philosophy in the controls, the new S 1000 RR is already shaping up to be one of the most interesting superbikes of next year.
