BMW HP4 Race: Features explained

The BMW HP4 was meant to push boundaries and drive innovation. This exclusive hand-built bike with a run of just 750 units has an insane power to weight ratio but no headlights. It is in fact not road legal. Yet at its price of just under RM 492,000, it is a bargain considered to what you’d pay for an equivalent Ducati 1299 Superleggera or the much more expensive Honda RC213V. This bike is a very good example of the difference between a normal road and race bike. It takes an uncompromising approach to deliver the best performance possible on the track.

Blistering performance

The engine like everything else on this bike is race developed from WSBK. It is hand built and perfectly runs in and adjusted by technicians in Berlin. The lightened crankshaft is similarly precision balanced. Thanks to this fanatical attention to detail, the 999 cc 4-cylinder DOHC water/oil cooled engine redlines at 14500 rpm. The actual power output is an unbelievable 215 hp at 13900 rpm and the torque figure is 120 Nm at 10000 rpm. This allows the bike to reach a top speed of over 300 kmph. The engine is the same HP4 motor with added enhancements in the form of titanium parts including valves, racing camshafts, milled oil sump, and Pankl connecting rod. It is also equipped with 4 power modes and is fueled using racing fuel injection with variable intake pipe length. The 6-speed EVO transmission uses straight cut gears and is controlled via the HP RACE shift assistant pro.

Fully carbon

 

From the steering head to the swing-arm pivot, the HP4 Race uses a single piece carbon fibre chassis – the first in the world – that saves 4 kilos over the original. The monocoque frame uses the engine as a stressed member. It also comes with carbon fibre wheels. As is necessary in any race bike, this chassis can be infinitely adjusted to accommodate the rider’s requirements and ergonomics. Even the footrest comes with 8 different settings. Adjustments can be dialed into the chassis to optimize its performance for any kind of racetrack.

Top shelf suspension

The spec sheet on this bike reads like a serious racer’s Christmas wish list come true. Ohlins FGR300 Superbike World Cup forks for the front and Ohlins TTX36 GP monoshock for the rear with an adjustable Ohlins steering damper can all be adjusted for the best track performance. Then there is the Suter developed pressed Aluminum race swing arm. There is even a front wheel quick-change system for quick wheel changes on the side of the track. The fork legs are rotatable meaning that there is no need to remove the brake callipers to change the wheel.

Racing tires

The lightweight 17-inch carbon wheels are fitted with super sticky 120/70 front and 200/60 Pirelli Diablo Superbike slick SC2 tires. Being slick tires, these don’t have any treads and are in fact not road legal and can only be used on the track. They also need to be brought to an optimum temperature before they are put to use.

Impressive electronics

The bike is equipped with 15-level traction and engine braking control. The power on tap can be adjusted according to four ride modes – Wet, Intermediate, Dry 1, and Dry 2. Then there are the usual race bike features like lane speed limiter, launch control, and wheelie control. Data logging needs are also addressed with the bike’s very own 2D software package. This covers all the data logging needs with a stick logger, lap timer, GPS sensor, dashboard, and comes with spring travel and brake pressure sensors.

Superlative braking

Dual 320 mm-diameter discs with Brembo GP4-R callipers with titanium pistons clamps driven by a Brembo RCS 19×18 master cylinder do duty on the front. The rear gets a 220 mm disc with a four-piston Brembo calliper with titanium pistons. Then the bike uses Brembo RCS to tie down these elements for the best braking performance.

In truth, we can go into endless detail about how amazing this bike is. But even so, this bike is more than just the sum of its very expensive parts. Like anything developed on the race track, it is a snapshot of what is achievable at the current level of technology. Combine this with a rider that can appreciate and use these tools to their highest potential and you get an emotion that is unsurpassed except for a few other things.