Carbon Fiber BMW HP4 RACE Production Model to Debut in Shanghai

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

BMW will premiere a brand new motorcycle at the 2017 Auto Shanghai show later this month, and all indications suggest it will be the production version of the carbon fiber BMW HP4 RACE.

The German manufacturer is keeping tight wraps on any details about the new model before the show opens April 21. The only thing BMW will say is that it will be “one of the most exclusive motorcycles ever developed.”

BMW used similar phrasing when it debuted the HP4 RACE prototype at EICMA, calling it “the most exclusive BMW motorcycle of all time.” At EICMA, BMW said it would reveal more information in the spring which would line up with the timing of the Shanghai show.

Even at EICMA, BMW was pretty coy with details. The company has only confirmed that the HP4 RACE will have a carbon fiber frame and carbon fiber wheels. The prototype also had bodywork, fenders, subframe and exhaust shielding made of carbon fiber, and we expect that will remain in the production model.

The prototype’s fairing has a similar design to the S1000RR, including the gill-like openings on the right side. What we could see of the engine also looked identical to the 999cc inline-Four powering the S1000RR, though we don’t know if any internal changes were made. The HP4 prototype used Öhlins’ FGR 300 fork and a TTX rear shock as well as radial-mount monobloc brake calipers from Brembo.

The HP4 RACE prototype lacked lighting and mirrors and had a carbon fiber cover instead of a pillion seat, indicating a track-only focus (though we can’t entirely rule out the small possibility the production model will have the necessary components to make it street legal). The prototype was unpainted in order to showcase the carbon fiber texture; the production model will likely be offered in at least a BMW tricolor paint scheme similar to the drawing shown below.

We’ll have more information, including pricing and availability, when we draw closer to the Auto Shanghai 2017 show, which opens April 21. Of course, there’s a chance that BMW will show something else entirely, but anything other than the HP4 RACE would be a disappointment at this point.

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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