Picked up a copy of British "Bike" magazine over the weekend. I believe it is the first full 2010 literbike shootout to hit the news stands here and the new S1000RR blew the competition away in just about every category as predicted. Horsepower was no contest with the S1000RR spinning the dyno to 190.6 rear wheel HP with the 2010 ZX-10R a very distant second at 171.6. That's a 19 HP difference in case your suffering from a math defficiency, you won't be able to make that up with just a pipe and PCIII! Overall spread between the Beemer and the lowest HP bike, the R1, was 28 HP, that is mind blowing! The ABS braking, traction control and the handling were also in a class of their own according to the testers. They concluded the new BMW is at least one full generation ahead of the Japanese competition. Don't hate the messenger here folks just reporting what I read.
Performance Bike magazine also tested the new Beemer heads up against a 2010 R1 with British Superbike ace twisting the throttles. No comparison, he said, the new BMW is the closest thing ever to a World Superbike capable motorcycle right off the showroom floor.
It will be interesting to see how the BMW fares in shootouts this side of the Atlantic but I think they're going to win everything in sight. The Japanese have a LOT of work to do to catch up. I don't see it happening before at least 2012 with the world economic situation the way it is and R&D budgets tight.