The S1000RR has never been a looker. Some call its asymmetrical design fugly, others just don't care because it can warp time and face. Now it's got more power, less weight, cruise control, and a lean angle sensor to distract you from that awful schnoz.

BMW isn't messing with a good thing for 2015, so the S1000RR makes do with a slight horsepower bump – rising by 6 ponies to 199 – and a bit more torque (83 lb-ft) that comes on earlier in the revs. Weight is down by about 9 pounds (mainly from the exhaust), coming in at 450 pounds wet and with the Race ABS system on board.

The suspension's been tweaked, along with a few odds and ends (pivot points, head angle, etc.), and the Dynamic Damping Control gets some new programming, which is the smallest change on the electrical front.

First, there's the electronic throttle control, which helps to boost the number of riding modes from four to five. There's the standard Rain, Sport, and Race modes, along with a dedicated "Slick" mode for tires and then a programable "User" mode, both of which come along for the ride when picking the "Pro" riding mode option.

That option also gives you a pit lane mode as well as launch control, something only a handful of other bikes offer, and two firsts: a lean angle sensor to spark forum battles and cruise control, which has never been offered on a sport bike before.

There's also this new taillight design that looks like something off the crown of an ice queen. No pricing yet, but expect ticking all the boxes to run the 2015 model up against the $20k mark.