I might not even have been impressed with my bike given the test route & conditions under which I had to ride so here's something better. We should get test rides like this.   No music except for the bike.  TURN IT UP!!


BMW S1000RR Nürburgring

Hope you liked it.  More about my experience in a bit.

Wow...makes me re-think my not buying a SBK...but then again my skills are nowhere near that so...

My test route was down the back service road along the North Ramp of the airport, up onto the freeway and out to Pearl Harbor and Stadium where we turned back onto Moanaloa Freeway heading east. Up over Red Hill to Puuloa Road and back to Kam Hwy and the shop.

Emile had, by far, a much better route and less restrictions than I did.

Given that I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Ducati fan and didn't get to ride where & how I usually do I can't give a really good evaluation. You can feel the bulk and the weight of the bike but it turns easily enough. Possibly better than the stock Ducati and suspension is firm enough without being harsh. It is comfortable to ride, has a nice, cushy seat and the bars are set higher than the Ducati SBK. I don't know how this bike would work on Tantalus with the weight & gearing.

The transmission is super light shifting. In fact, when I pulled out of the South Seas and went for the shift to second I blew right by it and had it in 3rd. You have to be very easy with your left foot. This bike was set up with the ignition cut out shifter and that was pretty cool. Just tap the lever & go. Makes me think about putting a quick shifter on the 848 but I don't think the basic transmission layout of the Duc is in the same class as the BMW.

Although I never got the engine over 10K rpm the power delivery up to that point was very linear and didn't display any super explosiveness. Very easy to handle in the two power settings I used (Sport & Race) and I could only discern a slight difference between the two settings.

The build quality of the bike is definitely better than the Suzuki.  All the pieces show a good finish and attention to detail.

If someone were in the market for a new bike in the liter class this bike would be high on the list in my opinion. Value wise it should be better than the Ducati and especially so if you like I4's. The Ducati is more animal, more visceral, and I like that. My boss would like to see me sell the 848 and get one of these because of the BMW flag and the fact that we work on the cars. I'd have to get a much longer, much better test drive to convince me. Right now I'm in love with my bike and don't see switching anytime soon.

Quote from: mac900 on February 23, 2010, 07:58:33 AM
The build quality of the bike is definitely better than the Suzuki.  All the pieces show a good finish and attention to detail.

Well you are comparing
to

Coincidentally a friend sent this video yesterday. S1000RR valve train WOT.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/video-bmw-s-1000-rr-valvetrain-at-full-bore-shocks-and-awes/

Seeing this reminds me how advanced spring & metallurgical technology are today. I can now graphically see why valve float concerns could have inspired some to go the desmodromic route.

cool.  i'm glad you got to ride it.  i agree with everything you said.  it reminds me of my r6, just with almost twice the hp:)

i don't understand the 'bulk and weight' comment.  this thing is seriously small for a liter bike,
and the (dry) weight is right at 400 lbm.  there really isn't anything out there that comes
close.

It's different from the 848, 1098 & 1198 Ducs that I've ridden in that it's wider and feels heavier. Maybe that's just the bulk. It's also noticeably bigger than the GSXR 750 I used to own. To be fair I haven't ridden any of the Japanese liter bikes so I can't comment on "seriously small". It doesn't seem small to me in any way but it's not cumbersome either.

mac,

great ride report! From 9,000rpm up to the limiter the acceleration is just mind bending if you´re used to around 100-130 rwhp. It´s highly illegal, addictive and  the induction roar makes my spine tingle.

I really like this bike.

NuTTs

I would have very much liked to have an hours worth of time on that machine and I'm pretty sure I would have been able to report on a whole different level. I had to settle for about 20 minutes with the Sales Manager riding along on his scooter.    I may have another, better opportunity later.