Will BMW Ever Make This Electric Supercharger For The S1000RR?

Bike people and car people sometimes overlap—but even if that isn’t true for you, one thing that many of us have in common is wanting to go faster. Also, hating turbo lag. BMW apparently feels all of us on this issue, because the company recently filed a patent for an electric supercharger for the S1000RR with the German Patent and Trademark Office. 

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I’m not an engineering expert, so I will instead refer you to this excellent Engineering Explained video that goes to great lengths to explain exactly how electric superchargers work, using the system that Audi developed in 2018. Simply put, it maximizes your power when you open the throttle, while simultaneously eliminating the delays in the system that are endemic to turbochargers. Upshot: You get the power you want, when and where you want it. 

As Ben Purvis from Bennetts pointed out, this could effectively reduce or eliminate the need for an S1000RR fitted with such an electric supercharger to constantly rev higher to produce more power. In terms of compliance with ever-tightening emissions regulations, this could only be seen as a plus in BMW’s book. 

So, in summary, an S1000RR with an electric supercharger could be good for riders seeking more responsive power delivery—while also being better for the environment. Go faster, save the planet. What’s not to love? 

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Of course, we have no idea when or if this will ever come to pass in a production setting. A patent is always a step along the way, and BMW may of course choose to explore other options at any moment, for any number of reasons. However, it’s an intriguing path, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m very curious to see where this one leads. The fact that the company filed this patent and that we’re able to discuss it amongst ourselves now can only be taken as a positive if you’re curious about it, too.

Sources: German Patent and Trademark Office, YouTube, Bennetts

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