Current 1000cc sport bikes are so light and agile that creating a 600cc sport bike makes less sense than it used to, as development costs are high and prices low. That is the essence of BMW management comments on that subject these days.

Here is what an S 600 RR could look like, as imagined by our master illustrator Philippe. You can't tell the difference with the 1000 easily? That would be the point! Photo: Philippe Champoux/Moto123.com

But wait! How about taking one cylinder off the S1000RR engine, decreasing bore and stroke to go from 750 to, say, 699cc? This would create an insurance-friendly sport bike that would be inevitably lighter than the 1000 and cost less to develop and build than any all-new four potter would.

Come to think of it, some mad Englishmen are doing that right now, and with great success as they are growing profitably by 20% per year despite the economic disaster we live in these days.