stuman Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Well, as Cobie mentioned on the "what we are up to" thread, a few of us here at the US school got to spend a day on the track with our new steed, the BMW S1000RR. I thought some might be interested in a little write up on the day so here goes. A while back Cobie asked me if I could go to Florida and help out with the BMW dealer launch for the S1000RR and I told him I would have think about it. So after thinking for about 10 to 15 seconds I said I would go. I mean, who would pass up the chance to ride a new bike around a nice race track in the tropical sunshine for a day? I have to start out by saying this was not your normal Superbike School road trip. I show up in FL and Keith picks me up at the airport and drives a few others and myself to the hotel. Turns out the hotel was the 4 Seasons so we were off to a real good start. After a kick butt dinner hosted by BMW it was off to bed early as we had to be at the track at the break of dawn. Christmas day, well it least it felt like it. We show up at the track and the techs from BMW have all the bikes lined up and ready to go they give us a run down on the features of the bike and how to operate the ABS and Traction Control (more on this later). I have to say the bikes look really nice, I love the Red/White and Blue paint scheme, but the black/ti and the green look pretty rad as well. Next it is time to open our presents, new leathers from AGV Sport, new gloves and boots from Alpine Stars. My new leathers are sooooooooo nice, super soft, they fit perfect and don't make my butt look fat. AGV has done some upgrades to the new leathers and they are super sweet. They put this cool suede like material in the cuffs and around your neck and it is very soft and comfortable. Our new sponsor Alpine Stars hooked us up with new SuperTech boots and they totally rock. These boots are very comfortable and offer great protection as well. The Alpine star gloves are pretty rad looking and offer great protection to boot. So we all suite up and get ready to jump on the S1000RR. We will be leading the dealers around Moroso for the day and we have a lot of riding ahead of us. The first thing you notice when you sit on the bike is how small and light it feels, if you were blind folded you would think it was a 600cc. That is until you get rolling and notice that BMW made the bike small but laid out the controls and foot rests for normal sized people. I'm typically pretty cramped on a 600 at 6'1" but I was very comfortable on the S1000RR. Once rolling the bike feels outstanding, it flicks into corners easily but remains totally stable. So here's the kicker, I know that some riders have voiced concerns about riding a 1000cc bike at the school. With the electronics this bike offers I would not be concerned AT ALL. If you are bit intimidated at the thought of riding a 1000, just put it in rain mode and the bike is a pussy cat. The traction control/abs/engine mapping on the bike is really cool. Basically there are four different riding modes and each affects the ABS, Traction control and Throttle Response. Each mode has a very distinct effect on the way the bike behaves overall. Also because the traction control senses the lean angle, it can control how much power it will allow at different lean angles in each mode. In Rain Mode, the throttle response is really soft. The hp is also limited to 150hp at full throttle and the ABS is very sensitive. It was actually really fun riding around the track in rain mode as it almost made the bike fool proof. You probably could pin the thing at the apex without fear of sending yourself to the moon. In Sport mode the throttle response is a little snappier and the ABS not noticeable at all. The traction control still limits the power at different lean angles, but hp is not limited when you open the throttle all the way and the bike is more upright. In sport mode the only time you notice the ABS is if you try to back it in as the rear abs won't allow the use of the rear brake to help get the rear tire to slide. Also the traction control will not allow the bike to wheelie much at all, it keeps the front end pretty much planted. In Track mode the throttle response gets even more aggressive and the traction control allows the wheel to slide/spin just a little before it limits the power. Still no wheelie or backing it in. In Slick Mode (which can only be accessed by adding a jumper to the ecu) the throttle response is very aggressive (maybe a little too much from off throttle) and the traction control less aggressive. I had a nice little slide while riding in Slick mode and the traction control kicked in before it went too far. Also you can wheelie for 5 seconds in slick mode and the rear ABS is disabled so you can back it in. And speaking of backing it in this bike has the best slipper clutch I've ever used. It is very smooth and has very little friction. You can switch between these modes very easily while riding using a button on the bar. Just press the button to access the next mode and then roll off the throttle and grab the clutch once to confirm your choice. You can independently disable ABS or Traction control using another button on the other bar. So you can ride with traction control and without abs or vice versa. Or ride with no electronics at all. I never bothered to turn off everything and see how the bike rode, I liked having the traction control and ABS. If you're a stunter you can turn off TC and wheelie all you like. Electronics aside, this bike has BIG POWER, like waaaaaayyyy more power than any other stock 1000cc bike I have ridden or raced. I've raced 1000s for the past 5 years or so and this bike felt like it had WAY MORE POWER than any of my race bikes. The thing is it delivers this power really well, lots of low end and a big top end rush. I believe one of the guys reported hitting 180mph on the back straight and the bike seems like it would go faster than that on a longer straight. Let's just say I think the kink in the front straight at VIR is going to be a little more interesting this year. So besides having big power, cool electronics and great ergos the bike pretty much does everything else really well. Brembo brakes provide HUGE stopping power with great feel. The stock suspension felt pretty darn good as well. Maybe a little soft for my fat butt, but add a little preload and a few clicks of damping and I'll be happy. The bike turns super well, you can flick it in easily and once leaned over it is VERY stable which is highly unusual for a bike of this nature. Most 1000s I have been on weren't what you would call stable, this one is yet it still turns in well. The slipper clutch works so well I think it might make blipping the throttle on downshifts unnecessary, well at least for me anyway (shhh don't tell Cobie I said that). Anyway, I could go on and on about this bike but hopefully many of you will get the chance to ride it for yourself this year at one of our schools. If you have any questions about the bike I'd be happy to answer them as best I can here on this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faffi Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Very well written report Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregGorman Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Very cool Stu. How'd you like the track? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullet Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Yeah man, that thing sounds amazing. Great report Stu, really enjoyed reading that, I almost felt there doing it with you guys. Brought back so many cool memories of riding a new bike for the first time.. I felt like that when I rode the Growler R1 on track. That also the switchgear modes, and it sounds much the same. Normal is the best mode, rain is very soft, and A is almost unridable (too snatchy for me mid turn). I can't wait to try and blag a go on one from one of my students. Bullet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuman Posted February 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 The track was OK. Pretty smooth and some fun corners where you could stay leaned over for a while. No change in elevation. Not the worst track I've been on, but not one of my favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AQAJR Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Nice write-up. Thanks! I'll see you guys and gals May 10th. woo hoo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregGorman Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Here's some pics of the event posted on another forum - you may have to join... hope not. A crew shot showing off everyone in the new BLACK???? leathers. Keith, Dylan, Cobie, Pete, Lonnie, Stuman, James (I think) and 2 others I can't recognize. http://www.soflasportbikes.com/forum/gener...-pbir-pics.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acebobby Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Thanks for the great write up on the bike stuman, now I want one, I might have to organise a holiday to America at a location where the school conveniently happens to be doing a 2 day camp just to get my hands on one! Bobby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khp Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Here's some pics of the event posted on another forum - you may have to join... hope not. You need to sign up to see the big pics, but not the thumbnails. Oh well, we have stuman's pics here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonzilla Posted February 7, 2010 Report Share Posted February 7, 2010 I just read about this bike. Your write-up was good. I want to try one just to see if I can get the traction control button to light up. I hope it becomes something the big 4 feel they have to keep up with. Your explanation of how it feels like a 600 reminds me of the 2009 R-1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketPunch Posted February 10, 2010 Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 Good read. Just wondering if the school will be setting the bike up for individual students for the 2 day camp, or will the bikes will basically have a unified school setting for everyone. I can tell you right now even with riding the bike, it will be over sprung for my weight and probably for some lighter students also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuman Posted February 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 We tyipcally don't setup the bike for each student. We have a setup that is kinda middle of the road on all the bikes. This is the way we have been doing it for years with all the rental bikes and the settings we use work pretty well for most riders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobie Fair Posted February 10, 2010 Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 We tyipcally don't setup the bike for each student. We have a setup that is kinda middle of the road on all the bikes. This is the way we have been doing it for years with all the rental bikes and the settings we use work pretty well for most riders. It really hasn't been much of an issue, with a good base line set up. Could be a little more if we had a rider really extreme in one end or other, very light, or very heavy, but most do fall in the middle. I didn't hear one comment at the dealer day from any of the coches, and we probably an 80-90 diff in weights from lightest to heaviest coach. CF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkeppenne Posted February 20, 2010 Report Share Posted February 20, 2010 I'll be at the code race school end march in wilow springs and I must say I am pretty excited to try this bike! (and also a little scared to be honest...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash106 Posted February 22, 2010 Report Share Posted February 22, 2010 I want an S1000RR for my commuter bike! You know, because of all the safety features. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faffi Posted February 22, 2010 Report Share Posted February 22, 2010 This is how bits of it works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuman Posted February 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 I'll be at the code race school end march in wilow springs and I must say I am pretty excited to try this bike! (and also a little scared to be honest...) There is nothing to fear. The different traction control/abs settings can make it pretty docile. Once your confidence in the bike comes up, you can up the settings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkeppenne Posted February 23, 2010 Report Share Posted February 23, 2010 I'll be at the code race school end march in wilow springs and I must say I am pretty excited to try this bike! (and also a little scared to be honest...) There is nothing to fear. The different traction control/abs settings can make it pretty docile. Once your confidence in the bike comes up, you can up the settings. I guess what I meant is also that it will be the first time attending the Code race school (I did CSS level 1-2 in 2008 and 3-4 in 2009) and I am not sure what to expect. I have never raced before but do about 15 track days per year and would like to start racing in 2010; reason why I join the school. My current track bike is a Ducati 848 but to start racing it would be on a CBR125 (that's something else than a BMW S1000RR !!!) Also the fact that I live in Canada and therefore the dates at the end of March will be the first time on a motorcycle since last October... All those reasons create a little "anxiety" and a lot of excitement also!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonzilla Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Most of you have probably seen this, but I just did. It's cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobie Fair Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 Most of you have probably seen this, but I just did. It's cool. No I hadn't seen that, thanks! CF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screaming skull Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktk_ace Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 wow, just wow! PS. thats alot of ponies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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