A lighthouse made of carbon.
It is more than the sum of its parts. The HP4 RACE may well amaze with its fully carbon frame and carbon rims, but it really comes into its own out on the race track.
A full carbon frame: this is the key element of the HP4 RACE, the masterpiece of its inventors and their favourite part at the same time. Produced with carbon-drive technology in industrial small-scale production. Project manager Christian Gonschor brings the topic of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFK) into the HP4 RACE Team. And he doesn't let go until everyone is convinced of the fact that the frame and rims can be made industrially entirely of carbon. In May 2017, production of the HP4 RACE begins in the BMW Motorrad plant in Berlin. Three mechanics are specially assigned to assemble the machine. They are highly qualified and highly motivated. The timeframe is a challenge – like everything else about the HP4 RACE. Making the impossible possible; this is the character of the machine and at the same time its big task.
But the real coup is not the world's first standard production of a motorcycle with a fully carbon frame and rims. The effects of the innovative and hitherto unique implementation are much more astounding. They become all too clear out on the race track. The HP4 RACE reacts good-naturedly and at the same time sharp as a knife, giving feedback right from the first round. "The machine does not master you but vice versa. It is a superbike for everyone, regardless of whether they are a pro or amateur", says product manager Josef Mächler about the 146 kilogram bike. For him, the HP4 RACE has all the characteristics of a standard bike like rideability and safety – nevertheless it makes no compromises. "From the combination of the individual components, something great has been produced", Christian Gonschor states. He sees the HP4 RACE as a lighthouse with an incredible radiance. A lighthouse made of carbon.
FOUR-CYLINDER FOUR-STROKE IN-LINE ENGINE
A revolution in vehicle technology.
A revolution in vehicle technology.
The HP4 RACE is the first standard-production motorcycle in the world to have fully carbon chassis and rims. The bike is being handmade in a limited edition by our specialists in the BMW Motorrad work in Berlin. Each individual machine embodies the passion for motorcycles and writes innovation history.
A look at the factory workshop.
A look at the factory workshop.
Can a motorcycle manufacturer begin production of a racing bike in just 14 months? Absolutely. Combining the worlds of performance and production requires going beyond limits. The factory workshop at the BMW Motorrad plant races against the clock.
Test run on the Isle of Man.
Test run on the Isle of Man.
A spectacular test on the Isle of Man: Peter Hickman rides the HP4 RACE on what is arguably the harshest course in the world and with the innovative motorcycle brings the future to a racetrack steeped in tradition. A test run on the limit.
