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FastestThings

Motorcycles

BMW S 1000 RR

BMW states 303 km/h for the 2023-on S 1000 RR. Bike Review and Bennetts print that homologated figure, which is 188 mph.

Also known as S 1000 RR, S1000RR
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Top speed

Published as 303 km/hPublished as 303 km/hPublished as 303 km/h

Manufacturer claim for the 2023-on BMW S 1000 RR (about 210 hp, 46-tooth rear sprocket). BMW Motorrad UK technical data states 303 km/h. The US technical-data page prints 188 mph for the same bike. 303 km/h is 188.3 mph. Bike Review and Bennetts both print the homologated 303 km/h. The pre-2023 figure near 306 km/h / 190 mph is a different final drive. The M 1000 RR's 314 km/h is a separate entry.

ClaimedBMW Motorrad (opens source in a new tab)

In context

  • 2.9× a cheetah's timed top speedSourced · Cheetah, 29 m/s. Sharp 1997, mean of three timed runs over 201.2 m
  • A football field in 1.1 sConstant · American football field, 100 yd (91.44 m)
  • London to New York in 18 h 23 minConstant · London to New York, 5,570 km great-circle

Worked out from the sourced figure above, which stays the ranked number.

This list

Why it's so fast

A motorcycle is fast because the air only has to get around a rider and a fairing, not a cabin. The engine still has to stay in its power band, and many of the big numbers are factory limiters.

  1. A small hole in the air

    Less frontal area means less drag for a given speed. The rider's tuck is part of the shape. A sitting-up test is a different motorcycle.

  2. Limiters are common

    A published top speed on a modern sport bike is often an electronic cap the makers agreed to, not the speed the engine would reach with the cap removed.

The capped one people mean is the Suzuki Hayabusa.

This is how the category works. A note written for this entry appears here once it is in the database.

Provenance

Every measurement

Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.

  1. 303km/h188mph84.2m/s164knRanked figure

    Manufacturer claim for the 2023-on BMW S 1000 RR (about 210 hp, 46-tooth rear sprocket). BMW Motorrad UK technical data states 303 km/h. The US technical-data page prints 188 mph for the same bike. 303 km/h is 188.3 mph. Bike Review and Bennetts both print the homologated 303 km/h. The pre-2023 figure near 306 km/h / 190 mph is a different final drive. The M 1000 RR's 314 km/h is a separate entry.

    Claimed
    BMW Motorrad (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Model
2023-on, about 210 hp
Class
Superbike
Separate bike
M 1000 RR is its own entry

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