Electric GS? Buried Deep in the Drawer

During the Concorso d'Eleganza at Lake Como, we had the opportunity to chat with representatives from BMW Motorrad. Joining us was none other than the chief, Markus Flasch! Not only was he tasked with presenting the "Concept RR" bike to the audience at Lake Como, but he also discussed current and future topics concerning BMW Motorrad in the interview.

The Concept RR looks spectacular - How much of it will become reality?

Markus Flasch: This week, I rode the first prototypes of the next RR generation in Miramas. We're at the stage where we're defining aerodynamics and the package. These influences come directly from motorsport. We've taken a current World Superbike and tailored a carbon outfit over it—with an airflow-oriented tail and new wing architecture. Aerodynamically, we're not fully matured yet, but there's a clear indication of where we're headed. Motorsport experience is clearly being integrated into the production models—this is not just empty talk—we're putting it into practice thoroughly.

Does that mean a smaller frontal area as well? The S 1000 RR is quite large at the moment. Markus Flasch: Exactly, several riders have already said that less width would be helpful. Additionally, we have new insights into how airflow works better when leaning. These two aspects will lead us to approach the aerodynamics concept differently than before.

Are you planning any innovations for the drive system?

Markus Flasch: We'll raise the bar but without changing the concept. We are so well-positioned—you can see that in racing and in the test reports. There's no stopping our drive system. We're proceeding more evolutionarily.

Markus Flasch: The industry has just learned the hard way that not all strategies work. You can't just say, "There's a trend in cars, so it must come to motorcycles too." The key is to stay closely attuned to the customer. Combine that with market insight and a rational approach to physics—weight, package—and you'll quickly realize that an electric motorcycle competing with a BMW R 1300 GS or BMW M 1000 RR is not feasible in the long run. Nor is it in demand. Therefore, our strategy focuses on e-mobility for urban transportation, the city sector—not for Saturday morning rides or long trips. An electric GS or Double R? That's buried deep in our drawer.

Can the 1.3-liter Boxer engine get even bigger? A 2-liter successor?

Markus Flasch: We'll soon be discussing the successor to the 1300. Within our company, there are different perspectives: some say "bigger is always better," while others advocate for "scaling back a bit, returning to the roots—leaner with fewer features." With the R 12 G/S, we've launched a test balloon. The feedback shows it will perfectly complement the 1300—completely different bikes for different purposes. This helps us understand whether customers will want a lighter bike with fewer features in five years or something with more punch. The displacement question is still undecided. However, a smaller Boxer isn't economically viable—you'd be lugging most of the complex and expensive parts unnecessarily in a smaller vehicle.

When will the R20 concept go into production?

Markus Flasch: I can confirm: We will bring it to market. The feedback was surprisingly clear. With the R18, the evolution from concept to reality didn't fully resonate. The feedback for the R20: "Make it exactly like the concept. Preferably in pink too." We're following this path now. What I've seen on the test bench makes me very confident that we'll hit the mark.

Are you planning on smaller displacement classes?

Markus Flasch: We're seriously looking into offering something below the 450 class. However, how, with whom, and for which markets—we're still figuring that out. But I can't rule out the possibility of teaming up with a partner to launch a 125cc model. We're discussing this internally right now.

Other topics are keeping us busy too. In the UK, there's a fantastic cup series based on the F900R. The bike offers amazing motorsport for 16,000 euros, race-ready with an incredible sound. So even in motorsport, we're considering not always having to offer 200+ HP. We're currently exploring how to bring this compact format to other countries.