As previously reported, BMW made a brief announcement about its WSBK intentions during the Paris Motorcycle Show in late September and has now released more detailed information about the project.
During 2008 a new BMW race team will be formed under the management of Berti Hauser, general manager of motorsport at BMW Motorrad, and in partnership with alpha Technik GmbH, based near Rosenheim.
BMW's 1000cc in-line four-cylinder motorcycle will be tested and further developed in an extended series of race simulations during 2008, ready for its 2009 WSBK debut.
"By entering the Superbike World Championship we will be competing against manufacturers and teams which are many years ahead of us in terms of experience in a segment which is new to us. We know it won't be easy," said Peter Müller, BMW Motorrad executive vice president of development and model lines.
"With alpha Technik GmbH we have found a partner with a lot of development expertise and over 10 years of experience in Superbike racing. We anticipate that we will be able to establish ourselves successfully within the strong international competitive field with our new motorcycle," he added.
Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki and Yamaha all have factory supported teams competing in the World Superbike championship, while Aprilia, KTM and MV Agusta are - like BMW - also expected to have some form of official presence in the near future.
