BMW S1000RR
Thu, 18 Mar 2010
BY CHRIS MOSS
PICTURES BY MIKE WESTON
If there’s one thing I really enjoy in life it’s witnessing success. I love seeing people doing well. Taking in triumphs like Rossi’s wins, Rooney’s goals, or apprentices getting hired by Sir Alan gives me a big buzz. Now it’s the turn of the men at BMW to lift my spirits, and they’ve done that by virtue of their own very special achievement – making the world’s best superbike, the S1000RR.
Believe me, the new German machine is an utterly fabulous bit of kit and represents a remarkable story that’s already making history. Its Munich based designers have, at their very first attempt not just matched, but beaten their more established rivals. And much like the bike itself, that’s an incredible accomplishment for those so relatively inexperienced at building machines in this class.
I’ve just spent five brilliant days and over 600 miles on British roads with the RR, and to be honest it’s just blown me away with its brilliance. It’s not a perfect machine, and there have been times when it’s caused some frustration. But even when the weather or circumstances were less than ideal, I always ended up totally loving the BMW. It’s very hard not to be bowled over by many new bikes these days. But this one is very special, very special indeed.
I had a bit of déjà-vu when the chance came to test the superbike. Just like I did when I put the new Honda VFR1200F through its paces on Spanish roads following its faraway track launch in Japan, I was to do a similar thing with the BMW. This time I jumped on the S1000RR not long after it had been tested at its launch in the warmth of the Portuguese Portimao circuit. My less glamorous task was to clock up some more realistic mileage on the roads of south-west of England. And let me tell you, it wasn’t warm or sunny very often! Here’s my account of a life in brief with the BMW.
Ride One: Guildford > Cirencester (85 Miles)
Getting to the BMW dealer in Guildford at around 3:30pm didn’t put me in the best position to try the S1000RR. I’d ridden there on my trusty VFR800 and couldn’t claim to be too content with life on arrival. Very nice and accommodating though the staff there always are, their warmth and hospitality was ineffective at cheering up a man who’d just ridden 85 miles on cold, wet roads, capping off the miserable journey by getting lost in nearby Basingstoke. The prospect of returning home in what was forecast to be much wetter and colder weather, half of it in the dark, aboard a 190bhp superbike that I’d never even sat on before, was not bringing much joy to my heart. After a quick general guide on how to use the BMW’s electronic trickery like the mode switch which instantly alters the 1000’s traction control, engine management, and ABS, I set off less than enthused at 4:10pm.
I’d made a pact with myself to get home using as many different routes as possible. And given the predicted change in weather and the inevitable heavy traffic that chokes roads at the end of any commercial day, it wasn’t likely I was going to be happy again until I was home in the front of the TV. Even so, at least I was sure to learn a thing or two about the bike.
Luckily the earliest impressions were very favourable. The lean, stylish superbike is light and manageable at lower speeds, and even before I’d covered a couple of miles I certainly felt a lot better about the next couple of hours’ riding. Every rider input on the BMW is met with a very taut and precise reaction. The quality of the suspension movement is very reassuring, and though I did worry a bit about what challenges the almost tread-free Metzeler tyres might bring in the wet, at least I had ABS and traction control to bail me out.
With the ‘RAIN’ setting selected, the engine seemed to deliver its power in a smooth and predictable way. Even accelerating keenly when an opportunity presented itself wasn’t the daunting experience I’d anticipated.
Once out of Guildford’s traffic congestion fuller use of the throttle revealed no surprises further up the rev range, and extra speed comes without any unwelcome surprises. Travelling quickly doesn’t spoil the overall surety of the bike either. With around 40 miles under my belt, the far from perfect environment of busy, wet and unfamiliar roads wasn’t fazing either me or the BMW. So far, as they say, so good.
A quick blat down the M3 motorway proved the S1000RR has plenty of surge when revved harder, and by the time I turned off the three-laned route to take my chances getting through Basingstoke once more, I felt impressed with the new superbike. It has a very secure and together feel about it, suggesting its long development period of over four years has paid off well.
Getting through the town’s ring road on the correct heading this time revealed more qualities with the superbike’s overall poise and balance making the biggest impression. Though I could hardly describe the test as comprehensive so far, the journey up until then had revealed plenty about the real world qualities of the bike. It might well be the basis for the German firm’s WSB racing effort, and clearly a very fast and powerful machine, but not once had I been intimidated by it. I’d always felt at home, triggered neither the traction control nor ABS once, and was even physically comfortable. But then I saw, by virtue of not seeing, a darker side to the bike.
Negotiating Newbury’s heavily congested urban streets had been one thing, but on the backroad to Lambourn and beyond, life was far from sweet. Along that quite narrow, twisting and undulating ribbon of Tarmac one major feature the 1000 lacked quickly became apparent – a decent headlight. To describe the journey as a nightmare would be an exaggeration, but it was certainly very unpleasant for much of its length. On main beam, decent enough progress could be made, but on dip the illumination is simply insufficient to travel above 45-50mph in any safety. Quite often I let cars lead the way for fear of making the sort of navigational errors that could have easily led me into the nearest ditch. Suddenly the rest of the bike’s many virtues were lost on me. I hated the thing! OK, it didn’t help that the rain had started to fall and make visibility even worse. But while many motorcycle headlights are below par these days, not many are fitted to BMW’s, so it was especially disappointing to feel so uneasy on this one. Better-lit dual carriageways thankfully made up the last 15 miles of the journey and by home my approval returned once more, albeit tainted somewhat.
Ride Two: Cirencester > Banbury > Cirencester (160 Miles)
The second day of testing provided an altogether more positive view of the bike. In fact, on Friday February 5th I had one of most stimulating rides on a motorcycle ever, and totally fell in love with the S1000RR. What an incredible motorcycle! It certainly helped that the weather had improved and I could at least see where I was going now. The roads were still a bit damp in places but along my familiar test route I got a much better chance to discover just how brilliant the superbike is.
With greater scope to examine it more, the BMW’s engine soon impressed me. For the improved conditions I selected the ‘SPORT’ setting and was pleased to experience the sharper throttle response if offers. But even with the greater enthusiasm and power (up from the RAIN setting-capped max of 150bhp, to much nearer an ultimate 200bhp – though that varies depending on which of the six gears you’re in), the in line four still has to be described at very friendly. Of course you must always pay maximum attention if you’re going to use the throttle more, but the very smooth, friendly and linear build up of power is highly impressive, not to mention welcome.
Matching the manners of the engine is the equally stunning chassis. Out along Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire’s finest roads the manageability of the superbike is really quite breathtaking. It just seems to take everything that’s thrown at it, continually remaining calm and very effective. Those bald-looking Metzelers grip well when warm, and as long as there’s no standing water then they’ll give unexpectedly sure-footed performance. Combined with beautifully light and accurate steering, super-strong brakes, and superbly controlled suspension that gives exemplary levels of feedback, rider confidence rockets within a very short time. After just thirty minutes I stopped to jot down some notes to make sure I captured the moment. Comments like………..is this really a BMW? What a bike! What a story! This is surely a match for any sportsbike ever made? They’ll not be able to keep up with demand.........were some of the highly complementary remarks I scribbled down.
With more miles came even higher confidence and a chance to briefly sample the engine power all the more. But to be honest, sample it is all I ever did. It might be very well-mannered, but once the revs start getting near the 10,000rpm mark things begin to happen very, very quickly. By then so much power is being made, the acceleration almost feels too much to deal with. To remain sane, I virtually always just tapped the quick-shifter to interrupt the gorgeous exhaust note and slickly hook a bigger and calmer gear. In fact during the entire time I spent with the S1000RR I think I only went over 11,000rpm twice. The redline is set at 14,000rpm, and short of going on track, I don’t think that’s a figure I would ever see the tacho needle pointing at. Don’t forget, this motor is making around 20bhp more than any of the other Japanese four cylinder-engined bikes. And that’s a staggering level of superiority.
You’ll have to pay if you start using the motor harder though, and my first fuel stop (at a garage I use regularly, and one I filled the air with emphatic levels of praise) recorded 38mpg. As two-thirds of that was from the steady-ish ride home the day before, I suspected the Bee-Em might like a drop or two of unleaded. And so it was to prove with that figure being the general average, dropping to as low as 32mpg during a more spirited ride along more open roads. With a steady 70mph on motorways and dual-carriage ways returning 48mpg, expect a tank range of around 120-180 miles. For a sportsbike, I’d deem that as sufficient. Though given the comfort offered by the roomy riding position, decent enough seat and surprising level of shelter from the screen, it’s perhaps a pity it couldn’t go a bit further between refills. I never once felt any hint of aches or pains when it came to either visit the pumps or put the sidestand down for the last time at the end of the day.
Its general civility is even evident in town, where the agility is obvious for those frequent needs to change direction. And with a riding position that’s obviously sporty, but not as extreme as it is on some superbikes, there’s no excessive weight placed on the wrists. Nor is it a problem to look up to see traffic signals when you’re at a standstill, thanks to the less than canted-forward angle the sensibly placed bars relieve you from. In short, though it’s no K1300GT, the 1000 is certainly good for a few miles. I only did 160 on this particular day, but I got the feeling I could easily have done double or even treble that.
It wasn’t too easy to part myself from the BMW that evening. It’s such an intoxicating bike to ride it’s hard to give up. But there was still much to learn about it and the fact that I’d still not forced the traction control or ABS into action clearly underlined I’d only scratched the surface of its abilities.
Ride Three: Cirencester > Chipping Norton > Brackley > Cirencester (110 Miles)
A shorter day, but in many ways one of the most telling, with the round trip including a chance to take some action pictures and learn a bit more about what the bike is capable of. Any bike journalist will confirm we all have favourite corners to photograph bikes, and numerous regular visits soon makes them become very familiar. With the repetition involved with running past the ‘snapper’ you soon get to know what the bike in question can do. In the case of the S1000RR that’s plenty. Under these circumstances I deliberately tried to provoke the traction control into action on the corner exits. To be honest I only got the orange warning light flashing a few times, and that was only on the lower performance modes. In ‘SPORT’ you have to be very aggressive with the throttle to get a reaction, and with ‘TRACK’, and ‘SLICK’ settings it’s almost impossible unless the road surface is very slippery or you’re either a WSB racer, or stupidly ham-fisted.
Apart from being a brilliant safety aid, it also teaches you about just how grippy tyres can actually be. Overall it’s a fantastic safety net that effectively makes you become a more skilled and experienced rider. And though I personally triggered it rarely, I totally approved of it and never switched it off. It’s the same story with the brakes, and though I don’t rate the BMW’s system quite as highly as Honda’s extremely clever electronic C-ABS system, it’s still hugely effective and confidence-boosting.
Ride Four: Cirencester > Newbury > Gloucester > Cirencester (150 Miles)
By the fourth day of this test I was completely won over by this exceptional machine. Not only was it one of the most safe and secure feeling superbikes I’d ever ridden, I couldn’t do anything other than marvel at the fact that it’s been built by a bike manufacturer with no previous experience of putting together a superbike. It’s clearly the product of a lot of brilliant designers and engineers. And as it feels so sorted it’s also obviously benefitted from lots of testing too. Apart from the dire headlight, criticism of anything else is quite difficult. I didn’t like the feel of the indicator switch as it doesn’t have a definitive click to let you know when it’s on or off. And I’d only give a 7/10 for the steering lock which wasn’t as generously tight as I’d have preferred when doing U-turns while taking pictures the day before. Though neat touches like the excellent mirrors, clear digital gear indicator, fuel range countdown when the level is very low, and headlight being switched off until the engine’s running all make up for that.
None of the ‘negative’ items could taint the huge levels of respect I’ve developed for this fabulous machine though. Nor could they spoil yet another marvelous day I had on it. Sure it can be a bit frustrating when you’re either blocked by heavier traffic in town, or slower moving vehicles along your favourite backroads. But that’s only because the BMW is then being hindered from achieving the truly splendid things that it can. If you can stand the frustration, the S1000RR is actually quite adept and comfortable at running at less than ten tenths. The only bad thing to report on this fine fourth day, was the opinion of my girlfriend who said the pillion accommodation was some way short of luxurious. Too small, too high, and too cramped were just some of the groans she listed. To be honest, I was sympathetic to her complaints, though with the BMW being little worse than the rest of the sportsbike fraternity, then perhaps her voice needs to be put in context.
Ride Five: Cirencester > Burford > Charlbury > Cirencester (95 Miles)
The last day of the test was one that I just took advantage of to enjoy the bike on. I didn’t ride it with my analytical test head on, instead just using it for a great ride out – something it’s so, so capable of delivering. Sure it performed as well as it had done on the previous four occasions I used it. It thrilled me just as much as it always had, and when the day came to a close it helped me to reflect more about how exceptional it is.
I really do think, all things considered it’s the best sportsbike ever made. That’s a hell of a statement to make I know, but the fact is, the S1000RR is so good at just about everything and the sum of its parts totals a huge score. Its performance is mind-blowing, but so too is its accessibility. The BMW possesses plenty of stunning speed and aggression. But that’s blended fantastically well with levels of refinement and manageability that its general design and electronics help to provide so effectively. My real world test on it proved that it’s a lot more than just a performance machine.
Perhaps the most notable feature of all though is the S1000RR’s value. The model we tested, the Sport, with its DTC/ABS package and paint job costs £12,900. That’s a lot of money, but compared to its rivals’ inferior performance and equipment levels, offers better value. The standard bike costs £11,900.
It was hard to think the superbike game could be moved on. But just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, this superbike proves that it has. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Everyone who’s played a part in this exceptional story needs to be congratulated whole-heartedly. Quite rightly they each deserve a glass of the most expensive champagne to celebrate their efforts. Though those responsible for the headlights will have to put up with a bit of tap water!
SPECIFICATIONS
BMW S1000RR
ENGINE
Type: 999cc, liquid-cooled, sixteen-valve, dohc, in-line four
Maximum power: 193bhp @ 13,000rpm
Maximum torque: 83lb/ft @ 9,750rpm
Transmission: 6-speed
Final Dive: chain
CHASSIS/COMPONENTS
Frame: Aluminium twin spar
Suspension: Front: 46mm inverted telescopic forks, fully adjustable
Rear: rising monoshock, fully adjustable (including high and low speed compression damping)
Brakes: Front: twin 320mm discs with four piston radial ABS calipers
Rear: single 220mm disc with single piston ABS caliper
Tyres: Front: 120/70-17
Rear: 190/55-17
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITY
Seat height: 820mm
Wheelbase: 1432mm
Dry weight: 183kg
Fuel capacity: 17litres
Price: £12,900
Contact: 0800 777155, www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk
Performance: 5
Handling: 5
Practicality: 3
Value for money: 5
OVERALL: 5
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