Lawrence Photographic

2017 UPDATE:
New 2017 Model now available - BMW S1000R Sport

I am enjoying my motorcycles but I guess every biker has their eye on the next motorcycle they would like to own.

Mini Review
After having test ridden a few sports superbikes like the Honda Fireblade SP and the Suzuki GSX-R1000 I was curious to find out how the BMW S1000R SPORT motorcycle would perform. Well I managed to get one (21st April 2016) for a test ride in and around Dalkeith, Scotland.

I could sum up this mini review in a couple of words to describe the BMW S1000R SPORT motorcycle - "Freaking Phenomenal" and it has to go to the top of my 'desirable' list.

The S1000R has it all including superb low end grunt - you can ride along at 35mph in 6th gear without a problem and on the dual carriageway in 6th gear she will pull away from 50mph to 70mph faster than a horses fart and that is seriously fast. If you drop her down through the gears and turn the throttle full on, she will propel you forward like a jet plane as you effortlessly gobble up the gears using the gear up-shift (up-shift only) assistant. Going down through the gears using the conventional throttle/clutch/gear lever proved just as effortless and the S1000R gear box was super smooth and slick. With a torque of 112Nm at 9,250rpm you would expect to be forced to drop down the gears a lot but that is not the case because there is ample torque at the low, middle and top ranges of the rev' band.

I had the bike in 'Road Mode' and left it there for the duration of the ride and I felt very comfortable. The stock seat was excellent and the riding position seemed to be in-between that of a sports/touring bike and a super sports. The riding position seemed an excellent balance for me as I did not have any pain in my bum, lower back, wrists or shoulder blades.

The front wheel of the bike feels like it is underneath you but the handling and feedback you get is truly awesome. The S1000R is lightweight at 207kg and you can flick it about with ease and thanks to it's low centre of gravity you can feel the fantastic road grip as you lean her down on the corners. Thankfully the ABS brakes are not over the top so you have a great sense of how much brake pressure to apply and if you have to brake in an emergency you better have knee grips on either side of the tank or at least very strong arms and wrists because she has serious stopping power. I especially liked the rear brake which was not sudden and offered me total control with the throttle and clutch for slow manoeuvres. The engine braking was excellent and even in 6th gear, the engine alone will drop the speed very quickly when you ease of the throttle.

Did I mention that glorious 'stock' exhaust sound as you pop her up through the gears. It howls for you to slow down followed by a phenomenal burble in appreciation when you do. It took a bit of getting used to as my Suzuki GSX-1250FA sports/tourer exhaust note is none existent and even during tick over at the lights the S1000R exhaust note was in my ears. Why anyone would want to change the stock exhaust is beyond me?

I liked the instrument panel and when cruising along, despite it being nearer to my eye line, I could still read it without losing too much of the oncoming view. The controls were well laid out and I had no difficulty using them although the indicator switch had less of a tactile feel than I am used to. I did not get into the (switching on the fly) road mode controls as I had no intention of taking my eyes of the road in front with a £1,500 excess insurance for accidental damage hanging over my head. Road mode was exhilarating enough but I could not help wondering what the PRO mode would be like?

Riding around the streets of Edinburgh and Dalkeith in Scotland can be a spine jerking experience with so many potholes to avoid and you cannot avoid them all. Its a different story out on the twisty country roads where you require a tighter suspension setup. Scotland is well known for its changing weather in a single day with sun, rain, wind and snow but I reckon the S1000R SPORT model with it's dynamic traction and dynamic damping control can handle whatever is thrown at it.

I am not sure just how much of motorcycle the BMW S1000R is for longer trips, especially touring? For sure on the windy motorway, yes folks in Scotland it can be a fantastic sunny day but with a lot of wind rushing down the Edinburgh (bypass) dual carriageway, I felt the high wind hit me pretty hard at 70mph and in those moments the crosswinds did 'slightly' unsettle the bike but then it is fairly light at 207kg wet. The S1000R seemed to have enough of a fairing to deflect the oncoming wind from my legs so I would hope that it would do so in the event of heavy rain. Without a doubt if I was purchasing the S1000R, I would purchase the higher sports windshield and the comfort seat for those longer weather changing trips - how I envy those bikers in Las Vegas.