German superbike - complete with all road gear -
trumps AMA spec Suzuki GSX-R1000's time at US track
AN AMERICAN racer riding a bog standard BMW S1000RR has
trounced the current lap record set at a US racetrack on an AMA
specification Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike.
Chris Peris rode the all-new 1000cc BMW at a motorcycle dealer's
promotional event, where sportsbike riders who probably wouldn't
normally go for a BMW could see the new 193bhp machine in action.
"We have this great new product in the BMW S1000RR and we were looking
for a way to introduce the bike to the sportsbike crowd who may have
never set foot inside a BMW dealer before," said John Cartwright, owner
of Iron Horse Motorcycles, an Arizona-based BMW dealer.
Peris rode the slick-shod stock BMW, complete with headlights and all
street equipment- minus the mirrors and passenger footpegs. On his
second session at the brand new Inde Motorsports Park, he beat the
standing superbike lap record by over a second, posting a 1:54.07. Peris
was familiar with the track, having set the motorcycle lap record, with
a time of 1:55.60, on his AMA Superstock specification, VIR podium
finishing GSX-R1000 racer.
After the test, Peris said: "Wow. I've never ridden one of these new
BMWs before, I can't believe I went faster on a stock bike with
headlights, then I did on my own personal racebike. I can't wait to ride
it after the ESP boys turn it into more of a racebike."
It reminds us when the Yamaha R1 turned up in 1998 and obliterated
everything in its path.
