There are a few different types of 'cool bike videos' in this world. Some are the short-form kind, taking up around 10 minutes or so, and are nice for taking a break in the middle of a hectic day. Others take considerably more of your time, such as this fascinating look inside the BMW factory in Spandau, Germany, where you get to see exactly how the Ola Stenegärd-designed S 1000 RR is built via an appropriately balletic assembly line. Is this the sound of your soul? It might be.
It's a full 49-minute-long program, but it's well worth your time. That's especially true if you, like me, are the type of person who's loved watching "how it's made"-style videos since they were tiny children. From seeing the engine assembled piece-by-piece, to finally seeing the finished S 1000 RR roll off the line, interspersed with some footage of track testing via a German race series nearby, it's some pretty riveting viewing.
Both human technicians and robots work together to complete each S 1000 RR. It takes about two hours to complete, from start to finish. Some tasks require the combination of precision and speed that robots bring, but others—like double-checking the welded cast aluminum frame parts, and touching up those hard-to-reach-areas—require that expert human touch.
There's something soothing about watching the extremely precise ballet that goes into assembling this particular scalpel of a sportbike. I realize that each and every person working here is a professional who does this work every single day, but it's still sort of comforting to see everything working in perfect harmony like this.
If you're looking for a great video to watch with your family after stuffing yourselves for a holiday meal today or tomorrow, you could do a lot worse than to gather 'round and pull this up. Even if Santa isn't bringing you an S 1000 RR this year, this video can still be the type of gift that keeps on giving, long into the New Year.
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