A dramatic opening round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship in Australia resulted in a day of mixed fortunes for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. During the final warm-up at Phillip Island circuit, team rider Ruben Xaus collided with Ducati Xerox’s Noriyuki Haga. Neither of the riders suffered any serious injuries but Ruben felt disoriented after the collision, so after consultation with team doctor Vincenzo Tota and team management, he decided not to participate in today’s races.
This left Troy Corser to fly the flag for BMW Motorrad Motorsport at his home circuit, and he did so in style, finishing both 22-lap races in the top ten, with a great seventh place finish in race two.
At the same track where he has enjoyed seven victories, Corser made an excellent start to race one on his BMW S 1000 RR, moving up to seventh place from the fourth row of the grid. However, the likeable Aussie was forced to take avoiding action on lap three, when James Toseland crashed right in front of him. This allowed several riders past and left Troy with a lot of work to do.
By half race distance, Troy was in 10th position and was only 10 seconds behind leading rider Leon Haslam. Consistently posting quick laps, Corser moved up into ninth when Leon Camier went off the track on lap 15. The BMW factory rider managed to hold this position until the end of the race, eventually finishing just 20.291 seconds behind winner Haslam, who scored his maiden victory in probably the closest finish in WSBK history, beating Michel Fabrizio by just four thousandths of a second.
Race two was equally entertaining, with Troy up to 11th place after another good start on his BMW S 1000 RR. Before long he had caught a group of seven riders and proceeded to move through the pack. He passed Cal Crutchlow on lap 6, and then gained several places in quick succession when Jacob Smrz, Leon Camier and Chris Vermeulen all made mistakes. Before long, he had James Toseland in his sights, and passed the double WSBK champion to move into sixth place, with just eight laps remaining.
With a five-way battle for the lead up front, Troy’s terrific ride on the S 1000 RR continued and he succeeded in pulling a small gap on Yamaha riders Toseland and Crutchlow. However, with just three laps remaining he was surprised by a challenge from Jonathan Rea, who slipped by and held a lead until the chequered flag. Nevertheless, Corser finished this dramatic race in seventh place – just 12.026 seconds behind winner Carlos Checa – moving himself up to eighth in the points table.
Troy Corser: “I had a good start in the first race and gained a couple of positions but unfortunately the tyre dropped quite quickly and I was unable to push as much as I wanted but I was still a good result. We changed the settings on the bike before the start of the second race and things were a lot better. The grip was a lot better immediately, and it was easier to do consistent lap times. I was able to push and fight in the second race like I wanted to in race one. I had to work really hard to pass James Toseland towards the end of race two but I did and managed to pull away slightly. Overall, we can be happy with what we achieved here today at Phillip Island.”
Berthold Hauser: “The weekend was like a rollercoaster and we had a lot of difficulties to overcome. We had to manage the pressure on the team, deal with some technical issues and of course I feel sorry for Ruben who decided not to race due to his crash in today’s warm-up session. However, the team kept focussed and did a fantastic job. We are definitely closer to the top teams than last year. Thanks to everybody in the team, and thanks to Troy who had a great second race. We can now travel back to Europe with our heads held high. Also congratulations to Reitwagen Racing who did a really good job this weekend.”
This is how you build a superbike!
The BMW S 1000 RR.
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Technical Data
Engine Type: Water-cooled 4-stroke in-line four-cylinder-engine, two camshafts, four valves per cylinder
Bore: x stroke 80 mm x 49.7 mm
Capacity: 999 cc
Rated output: 193 hp (142 kW) at 13,000 rpm
Max. torque: 83 ft-lb (112 Nm) at 9,750 rpm
Compression ratio: 13.0 : 1
Mixture control / engine management: Electronic intake pipe injection/digital engine management including knock sensor (BMS-K-P)
Emission control: Catalytic- 2 Closed-loop 3-way catalytic converter, emission standard EU-4 ready
Performance / fuel consumption
Maximum speed: Over 125 mph (200 km/h)
Fuel consumption per 100 km at constant 90 km/h: Euro Rating: 5.7 l
Fuel consumption per 100 km at constant 120 km/h: Euro Rating: 5.9 l
Fuel type: Unleaded premium, octane number 91-93, automatic knock control
Electrical system
Alternator: three-phase alternator 350 W
Battery: 14 V / 10 Ah, maintenance-free
Power transmission
Clutch: Multiple-disc clutch in oil bath, anti hopping clutch, cable operated
Gearbox: Constant mesh 6-speed gearbox
Drive chain
Chassis / brakes
Frame: Bridge-type frame, cast aluminum, load-bearing engine
Front wheel location / suspension: 46 mm Upside-down fork, rebound and compression adjustable
Rear wheel location / suspension: Cast aluminum swing arm, Continuously adjustable rear inbound-rebound damping, high and low speed
Suspension: travel front / rear 4.7/5.1 inch (120 mm / 130 mm)
Wheelbase: 56 inches (1,432 mm)
Casto:r 3.7 inches (95.9 mm)
Steering: head angle 66,1 °
Wheels: Cast aluminum
Rim, front: 3.50 x 17"
Rim, rear: 6.00 x 17"
Tyres, front: 120/70 ZR 17
Tyres, rear: 190/55 ZR 17
Brake, front: Twin disc, floating brake discs,radial-fixed 4-piston calipers, diameter 320 mm, 5 mm thickness
Brake, rear: Single disc brake, one-piston floating caliper, diameter 220 mm, 5 mm thickness
ABS: DTC**: DTC 4 mode dynamic traction control adjustment, only avalibale with Race ABS, disengageable
Race-ABS*: 4 mode Race-ABS adjustment, disengageable
Dimensions / weights
Length: 80.9 inches (2,056 mm)
Width: (incl. mirrors) 32.5 inches (826 mm)
Height: (excl. mirrors) 44.8 inches (1,138 mm)
Seat: height, unladen weight 32 inches (820 mm)
Inner: leg curve, unladen weight 71.2 inches (1,810 mm)
Unladen: weight, road ready, fully fuelled 1) 450 lbs (204 kg), 455 lbs (206.5 kg) incl. Race-ABS
Dry weight: 2) 403 lbs (183 kg)
Permitted: total weight 859 lbs (390 kg)
Payload: (with standard equipment) 412 lbs (187 kg)
Usable tank volume: 4.5 gln (17.5 l)
Reserve: approx. 1 gln (4.0 l)
1) According to guideline 93/93/EWG with all fluids, fuelled with at least 90% of usable tank volume
2) Unladen weight without fluids
