There was a time when liter-class Japanese sports bikes were cheap, capable, and leading the way in the segment. But in recent times, Europeans have well and truly taken over. This isn’t just in terms of performance, either. Overall value and starting MSRPs are better than those of the latest Japanese superbikes, too, along with the latest technologies and equipment. The result is that you can buy a latest-gen BMW superbike for less money than the latest-gen Honda CBR. The price difference is quite massive, too! Honda Sports Bikes Focus On The Mass Market Today HondaNo one wants to do the boring things in life. And that’s why people who do these things with heart often end up with billions of dollars. Honda is a perfect case study for this. It focused on establishing itself as a bread-and-butter name for commuter bikes first, rather than chasing bragging rights or world titles. The result? It is currently the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world. Honda PowersportsThat approach has hurt its sports bike lineup, though. Two decades ago, the Honda CBR lineup comprised serious machines with a focus on chasing tenths. Today, things are almost the opposite of that. The mass-market approach means the CBR lineup is a bit unimpressive today. Out of the five CBRs on sale, only three–the CBR500R, CBR650R, and CBR1000RR-R–have had notable updates in the recent past. And out of these, the 500 and 650 are road-focused machines with an emphasis on comfort rather than track ability. HondaThat leaves only one new-age superbike in the lineup: the CBR10000RR-R Fireblade SP. Being a homologation special, the RR-R SP is quite special. It has top-drawer components all over, along with the most powerful naturally aspirated inline-four engine today. But you need to pay a big sum for these things. $28,999 to be exact. That makes it out of reach for most of us, which is why alternatives from Europe are worth looking at. The BMW S 1000 RR Rivals The Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP At A Lower Price BMWSpeaking of alternatives, the BMW S 1000 RR is what we recommend. It offers a similar pure-bred inline-four experience to the flagship Honda CBR, while being considerably cheaper. The base price is $19,895–a sizable $9,104 less than the Fireblade SP. Quite ironic when you consider that the original S 1000 RR cost around $2,000 more than the flagship CBR1000RR upon its debut in 2009. The massive price difference also means you can even add BMW’s Premium Package, yet you’ll still save around $6,500. The package will get you an Akrapovic exhaust, heated grips, cruise control, endurance chain, and electronic suspension control. The S 1000 RR Has Gotten Better Than Ever In Its Latest Avatar BMW MotorradDiving deeper, the S 1000 RR serves as the pinnacle of inline-four superbikes today. And it is the only one that can keep up with the dominating V4s in stock trim. A lot of that is down to its regular updates, which show BMW’s dedication to the superbike segment. Some of the updates even come from the world of WSBK, where the German company already has two titles to its name. Here’s the nitty-gritty. Powered By A ShiftCam-Equipped Inline-Four Engine BMW MotorroadThe RR-R and S 1000 RR both have inline-four engines. And the Fireblade promises more peak power (around four ponies more). But the devil is in the details. The RR’s engine is more innovative, thanks to the ShiftCam technology (BMW’s terminology for variable valve timing). It helps boost performance throughout the revs. That essentially balances out the otherwise peaky nature of an inline-four engine. The result shows in dyno charts where the RR has more power than its V4 rivals and the RR-R in the meat of the rev range. As for numbers, the S 1000 RR produces 205 horsepower (210 in Europe) and 83 pound-feet. The power reaches the wheel via a six-speed transmission and, if you keep it pinned, you will see speeds of close to 190 miles per hour. It’ll be easier to do as well, since there’s a new WSBK-derived quick throttle as standard now. Fully Adjustable Suspension And Proven Chassis Make Up The Underpinnings BMWComing to the underpinnings, BMW has equipped the S 1000 RR with a twin-spar aluminum frame. It is identical to the homologation-spec M 1000 RR and joins hands with a race-derived aluminum swingarm and subframe. Ironing out the bumps is a set of 45 mm USD forks and monoshock, both of which have full adjustability as standard. Topping the underpinnings off is a set of 17-inch cast alloy wheels, dual 320 mm front disc brakes, and a 220 mm rear disc. Tips The Scale At Under 440 Pounds All the race-derived underpinnings help keep the weight down to just 437 pounds fully fueled. That’s 8 pounds less than the RR-R Fireblade SP. Things can get even better since BMW sells carbon wheels as official accessories, among other carbon bits. As for other dimensions, the RR is friendly elsewhere, too. Some highlights include: Seat height: 32.8 inches Wheelbase: 57.3 inches Tank capacity: 4.3 gallons Length: 81.6 inches Cutting-Edge Electronics Sweeten The Pot BMWLike all else, the RR brings top-notch equipment in terms of electronics, too. In fact, this is one of the most sophisticated packages in the superbike segment today. It all starts with a crisp 6.5-inch TFT instrument cluster, which has smartphone connectivity included. Next up are the rider aids. Riding Modes Pro brings you a total of six ride modes, where the Race Pro modes let you toggle through various pit lane limiter, launch control, dynamic traction control, engine brake control, wheelie control, and slide control settings. Topping these are cornering ABS, a lap trigger, hill start control, and brake slide assist. Bigger Wings Should Promise More Stability BMW MotorroadA small shoutout also goes to the aerodynamic package. The new RR takes heavy inspiration from the WSBK racebike, now featuring massive aerodynamic wings at the front. These are said to promise 13 pounds more downforce than the previous bike at 186 miles per hour. We’re not too sold on them design-wise, though.Source: BMW