Handbuilt BMW HP4 Race unveiled

BMW Motorrad has surprised everyone with the unveiling of its handbuilt HP4 Race superbike at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.

The Bavarian manufacturer sent the press embargoed releases on all its bikes to be revealed at the show, but kept this back as a surprise.

It’s been a busy month for BMW releases with the unveiling of the R nineT Pure naked and Racer with bubble fairing at the Intermot motorcycle show in Cologne last month.

That has been followed by the unveiling at EICMA of the new G 310 GS and R nineT Urban G/S, as well as updated R 1200 GS, F 800 models and K 1600 GTS with reverse.

But their show stopper is this initial glimpse of the most exclusive model in the company’s history, the BMW HP4 Race.

The bike will feature a full carbonfibre frame and wheels and will be built by hand in an exclusive limited series and supplied in the second half of 2017.

Super-sportsbikes

These handbuilt super-sportsbikes are becoming just the thing to satisfy those elite riders with never-ending pockets.

MV Agusta and Ducati have been doing it for a while and Honda joined last year with the RC213V-S which cost more than a quarter of a million dollars.

There is no word on how much this BMW will cost.

However, it has been slightly overshadowed by the Ducati Superleggera also unveiled at EICMA.

The Superleggera comes with the world’s first carbon fibre swingarm on a production bike, plus a carbonfibe frame and wheels.

It has set the benchmark for power-to-weight ratio weighing in at 156kg (dry) and producing 158kW (215hp) from their 1285cc Superquadro engine.

There are no technical details yet on the HP4 Race, but BMW Motorrad president Stephan Schaller says they will reveal more about the bike next spring which is our autumn.