BMW's insane HP4 Race bike has World Cup powerplant and carbon-fiber frame

According to BMW Motorrad, the HP4 Race is the first time a production motorcycle's main frame is built entirely out of carbon-fiber. The frame weighs a little more than 17 lbs, which is mountain-bike grade. In addition to the frame, both wheels are carbon, and BMW says they are roughly 30-percent lighter than comparable light alloy forged wheels. All told, the HP4 Race tips the scales at 377 lbs. Brakes are Brembo, suspension is Öhlins, and the parts are identical to the ones used in Superbike and MotoGP racing.

But it's the engine that's the most impressive: a reportedly World Cup-level powerplant which puts out 215 horsepower at 13,900 rpm, and compared to an S 1000 RR engine it revs farther – all the way to 14,500 rpm instead of the S 1000 RR's 14,200. Maximum torque of 88.5 lb-ft is reached at 10,000 rpm. There is a close-ratio, six-speed gearbox with honed racing ratios, and a host of electrical wizardry to help the rider keep the bike under control, ranging from Dynamic Traction Control to Wheelie Control.

BMW says the systems, including the Engine Brake EBR, can be adjusted 15 ways to suit a specific rider's needs to get the most out of the bike, and that there is also Launch Control "for perfect race starts." That probably doesn't mean red-light racing.