No biker is ever pleased to see rain forecast. And when you’ve made the effort to travel a thousand miles or so south, to Almeria in Spain, to avoid said precipitation, the mood darkens further.
What could make it worse? Well, we’re here to ride round the brilliant Almeria circuit, and we’re doing it on a series of 200bhp+ BMW superbikes. Curses!
This is actually the second day of a BMW launch gig, and we’ve already spent a day riding the new F900 twin models on the road. Day two is based at the track though – all the better to try out a couple of the latest hyper-naked roadsters from Bavaria – the 2025-model M1000 R and S1000 R.
Both these bikes have their roots in the firm’s superbikes – the M1000 RR WSBK homologation racer, and the ‘standard’ S1000 RR litre sportster (also here, but I’m focusing on the naked bikes today).
They use variants of the 999cc motor in track-ready chassis and sit in the modern super-naked roadbike sector, alongside the Ducati Streetfighter V4 and Aprilia RSV4 Tuono 1100, with 210bhp from the M1000 and a lower but still impressive output of 170bhp from the S1000.
They look amazing in the pit garages: the blue and yellow finish on the S1000 R looks great in the flesh, and the M1000 R has a ‘factory race’ feel to its design: from the blue Nissin M brake calipers through the carbon wings and wheels on these test bikes and the beefy braced swingarm, there’s no compromise anywhere here.
A sizzling smorgasbord of supernakeds then – but as we warm up the engines, that rain gets heavier and heavier, and small rivers are running down pit lane. The Iberian peninsula had a dreadful March in terms of rain, and it’s not looking great. What to do? Well, the bikes are on road tyres (albeit sticky supersport fitments with minimal tread), and I did bring my waterproofs…
So the first session sees me out on a drenched circuit, following race legend Steve Plater around for some sighting laps. Not that there’s much sighting going on: the dark race visor on my Arai RX7 is misting up (I forgot to bring a Pinlock, since I was going to sunny Spain), and I keep having to crack it open to let the steam out. The water is creeping into my vented Alpinestars SuperTech boots, and up the sleeve of my leathers – grim.
Luckily, I’ve been around Almeria a few times over the years; indeed the last time I was here was on another BMW superbike launch, the HP4 Race in 2018. So I sort of know where it goes, though a refresher is always welcome. I’m on the S1000 R for the first session, and it’s actually working really well here.
The Bridgestone S22 tyres are a sporty fitment, but they’re still mostly aimed at road use, and they’re grippy enough for a bit of a handful of gas when you’re upright. The nice BMW techs have already dialled in the ‘Rain’ mode, so we’ve got the targeting computer very much switched on at the moment: the traction control is earning its corn, as is the Motorrad ABS Pro.
After a few laps though, the rain gets properly biblical, and I’ve had enough, pulling into the pit lane for a rethink.
For the second session, things are improving a little, and I get on the M1000 R. On the face of it, it’s a very similar bike, but with an extra 40bhp, Nissin ‘M’ brake calipers up front, bigger aero wings, and an even angrier bark from the ShiftCam-equipped engine (todays test bikes also have the optional carbon wheels fitted).
There’s not been too much in terms of change for the M1000 R this year: it gets the same quick-action 58° turn throttle twistgrip as on the rest of the range (just what I need in the conditions today…) and the DTC traction control has been revamped and improved (very much what I need in the conditions today). Add in a new dual-unit headlamp setup and some minor cosmetic tweaks, and that’s pretty much your lot for the 2025 M1000 R.
Around Almeria, I’m still properly tip-toeing around, this time without a Steve Plater to guide me, although I’ve swapped helmets: I brought my Shoei Neotec to ride on the roads, and the clear visor with Pinlock fitted is making life much easier. The M comes with even sportier rubber: Bridgestone RS11s, with minimal tread, but to be honest they’re working pretty well on the wet track.
I’m still in rain mode and the electronics are performing some mad witchcraft below me of course, but I’m managing to wobble round at a reasonable rate, dialling the track in a bit more before lunch.
The dinner bell brings an end to the clouds and rain, and while I’m munching on my salad and pasta, the sky over Almeria turns a sparkling blue with flecks of white cloud. The access roads are drying fast – how’s the track doing?
Not great, but not terrible, is the Chernobyl-type answer, as I head out on the S1000 R once more. There are large dry sections, enough for me to click out of ‘Rain’ mode and into ‘Dynamic’, but there are still some spots of standing water, and I’m being properly cautious: this really is the time when you can easily fall off.
Drift a little bit off the dry line, onto some messy bits of track, and you can lose the front fast, with no chance of the electronics saving you.
The naked BMW below me is a friendly beast though. In times gone by, a superbike-based hyper-naked could be a bit of a handful, with sharp power delivery, edgy handling and narky suspension, trying to wheelie all over the place.
But the modern package of premium fuel injection, electronic semi-active suspension and the ultimate safety net of the smart rider aids all soothes the mind, allowing you to concentrate on the track and your lines.
The Bridgestone Battlax rubber is working even better now that it can keep some heat in, and I’m feeling more confident about pushing back the braking point on the long uphill back straight.
There’s still a tiny pucker every time I slam on those powerful Brembos though: the S1000 might be the baby of the BMW superbike range with ‘only’ 170bhp but it’s still easily hitting 155mph before I hit the brakes, without trying too hard.
The S1000 session ends, and half an hour later it’s time for the last ride of the day. I’m back on the M1000 R, the sun is fully out, and the small streams which were still dotted around the track have stopped completely. I’ve got my Arai and its dark visor back on, race gloves donned, and ready to give it one last blast.
The M-bike fires down the hill from the pits into turn one, and we’re away. The carbon fibre wheels make a big difference to the front end over the S thou’, and I can feel what’s happening down there much better. It’s not as precise as I remember the HP4 Race being here around the super long left-handed turn three but that’s probably down to the damp asphalt and road tyres rather than the baking hot Tarmac and race slicks I had on the HP4 ride.
I’m getting onto the gas harder now, in ‘Dynamic Pro’ mode (the damp patches and my fearful old brain puts me off selecting ‘Race’ mode) and the ShiftCam M motor roars away beneath me. It’s a daunting prospect on paper, 210bhp, but out here on the track, there’s no intimidation or worry: just a very fast motorbike, that’s keeping you fully in control.
A couple of laps in, the tyres feel as grippy as you’ll get from road rubber on track, and the M1000 is flying. I get one or two warnings from below though: the off-camber downhill entry to turn three has a huge dark damp spot, and I can feel the back end stepping out a little bit as I hammer on the gas.
Nothing too scary, but a definite message from the IT department under the seat: things can still get a little sketchy if we’re not all very careful… Those messages are starting to appear down the pitlane straight too: you’re hard on the gas here to give the garage gawpers a nice aural display, and the M1000 is just starting to buck and weave a little as it spins over the damp spots under the footbridge. Very exciting stuff.
The chequered flags come out, and my day is done. It’s been an amazing sample of the state of the art in 2025 supernaked machinery, albeit restricted to a few sessions on a race track.
These bikes are great for pottering around on a Tuesday morning commute, with their comfy riding position, good vision of the road ahead, useful kit like hot grips, cruise control and Bluetooth LCD dash. But they’re genuinely capable as solid trackday weapons too, on par with a ‘proper’ superbike everywhere except the top-speed part of a back straight.
And when it rains even in Spain? Well, those early laps in the wet showed how good the electronics, tyres and suspension can perform in less-than-ideal conditions, adding a massive margin of safety in the ‘real-world’. Then, as the rain fades, the full assault on the senses of a modern 999cc machine is revealed. Amazing stuff.
2025 Technical Updates
BMW S1000 R
- Dual-flow LED headlight
- Compliance with Euro 5+ emission standards
- 170 hp (+5 hp)
- M short-stroke throttle (58° rotation angle from 72°)
- Engine drag torque control (MSR)
- Optimized Shift Assistant
- Shorter final drive ratio
- USB-C charging socket under the seat
- Short license plate holder
- Intelligent emergency call E-Call
BMW M1000 R
- Dual-flow LED headlight
- Compliance with Euro 5+ emission standards
- M short-stroke throttle (58° rotation angle from 72°)
- Winglets in black textured paint
- Clutch/generator covers in black
- Rear frame and swingarm in Platinum Grey
SPECIFICATIONS
S1000 R (M1000 R in brackets)
Price: from £13,760 (£19,990)
Engine: DOHC 16v, parallel twin, l/c, 999cc, (Shiftcam variable valves)
Bore x stroke: 80×49.7mm
Compression ratio: 12.5:1 (13.3:1)
Carburation: BMS-O ride-by-wire fuel injection
Max power (claimed) 170bhp@11,000rpm (210bhp@13,750rpm)
Max torque (claimed) 84ft lb@9,250rpm (83ft lb@11,000rpm)
Transmission: six speed gearbox, wet slipper clutch, chain final drive
Frame: bridge-type cast aluminium
Front suspension: 45mm USD front fork, fully-adjustable, optional DDC semi-active electronic control (standard semi-active suspension)
Rear suspension: aluminium dual-sided swingarm, fully-adjustable monoshock, optional DDC electronic semi-active suspension adjustment (standard semi-active suspension)
Brakes: dual 320mm discs, four-piston radial-mount Brembo (Nissin M brake) calipers [front], 220mm disc, single-piston sliding Brembo caliper [rear], BMW Motorrad ABS Pro
Wheels/tyres: cast (forged) aluminium wheels/Bridgestone S22 (RS11), 120/70 17 front, 200/55 17 rear
Rake/trail: 24.2°/97.6mm
Wheelbase: 1,447mm (1,455mm)
Seat height: 810mm (830mm)
Kerb weight: 199kg
Fuel capacity: 16.5 litres
Image Credit – Jamie Morris/BMW
Alan Dowds has been riding bikes since 1989, and working as a motorcycle journalist since 1995. He’s written for Motorcycle News, RiDE, SuperBike, Fast Bikes, MSL and CMM magazines, amongst others, and ridden almost everything, from 50cc mopeds and electric scooters, to WSBK and MotoGP racebikes. He’s also written several books about bikes, including his latest work celebrating 100 years of BMW Motorrad.
Al’s our Devitt news hound, tracking down new bikes to ride and write about, as well as the in-house bike tech expert.