BMW S1000RR Group Test [motorcyclenews.com]

[st ryder]

Let's see....

It is faster than the others, stops better than the others, handles better than all but the Honda, and has traction control, which none of the others have.

Yep- no doubt about it.  The only reason they like it is because of the exclusivity of it being a BMW.

Not what I asked.

[SpitfireTriple]

I have serious doubts about skills of those wankers....

There is a story about one of those idiot trash talkers crashing his brains out while desperately trying to get close to Ulrich (RRW) lap times during one of the bike intros.

I have no respect for MCN whatsoever.

MCN might not always be the most reliable of sources, particularly when it is speculating rather than reporting.  But after reading your diatribe, I'd trust MCN ahead of anything you ever write.

BMW 1000 production was suppose to start in September,so those high 180 hp numbers were achieved on pre-production,no doubt blue printed,not necessarily EPAed  motors.Expect mid 160s in the real world.YMMV.

Oh, I can't be sure from your avatar pic, but given your desperate refusal to consider that a BMW might be better than a Yamaha R1, I wonder if we might make a guess as to what you ride...

[tomek]

MCN might not always be the most reliable of sources, particularly when it is speculating rather than reporting.  But after reading your diatribe, I'd trust MCN ahead of anything you ever write.



Oh, I can't be sure from your avatar pic, but given your desperate refusal to consider that a BMW might be better than a Yamaha R1, I wonder if we might make a guess as to what you ride...

Yes it is R1,have you ridden anything more powerful then what is in your Avatar on the racetrack ?

[tomek]

Funny thing...if you are coming out of a 2nd gear corner at those RPM's you should have been in 1st.  Why? For the exact reason you mentioned....it makes it so the tire can only spin for so long before it hits the rev limiter which acts as a reasonable amount of traction control.

But this bike has some very advanced electronics which will help tone this bike down.

It is not that easy,typically the ratio between 1st and 2nd is about 20 % ,1st would put you in 9500-10000rpm and consequently you would not be able to finish the corner without shifting to 2nd. You would hit rev limiter at severe lean angle.
That would also mean additional downshift before the corner,more unwanted engine brake,etc.
I actually tried to do it once,rode with the stock gearing .Basic idea was to just use 1st instead of second in lower corners,but it did not work.

[Mr Sunshine]

It is not that easy,typically the ratio between 1st and 2nd is about 20 % ,1st would put you in 9500-10000rpm and consequently you would not be able to finish the corner without shifting to 2nd. You would hit rev limiter at severe lean angle.
That would also mean additional downshift before the corner,more unwanted engine brake,etc.
I actually tried to do it once,rode with the stock gearing .Basic idea was to just use 1st instead of second in lower corners,but it did not work.

Then go faster and make 2nd gear work.  Or sometimes....you are you screwed and you have to be good on the throttle.

[SpitfireTriple]

Yes it is R1,have you ridden anything more powerful then what is in your Avatar on the racetrack ?

A Rolls-Royce Merlin puts out around 1,500 to 2,500 HP depending on spec.
No, I have not ridden anything more powerful than this on the racetrack.

[tomek]

A Rolls-Royce Merlin puts out around 1,500 to 2,500 HP depending on spec.
No, I have not ridden anything more powerful than this on the racetrack.

It is incorrect,first production version of Merlin as used Spitfire I or Hurricane put out about 1000hp.

You must have gotten that wrong info from MCN.

[SpitfireTriple]

1.  My apologies to anyone expecting to be reading about the BMW S1000RR

2.  Where did we specify "First Production version"? My avatar depicts not a 1938 Mk I or even a Mk II but a wartime Mk IXC - June 1942 onwards.  The particular aircraft depicted -RFM- was built in 1943.  It had a Merlin 61 engine, rated at 1,560 HP @ 3,000rpm @ 12,000'.

Flight magazine, 1946, had this to say:

By the end of the war the "little" engine was delivering over 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) in common versions, and as much as 2,060 horsepower in the Merlin 130/131 versions specifically designed for the de Havilland Hornet. Ultimately, during tests conducted by Rolls-Royce at Derby, Merlin 130 series engines generated over 2,600 horsepower.[18]

No idea why you raised the matter of the Merlin's output, can't see how it is relevant to the BMW's output.

Derail - off

[kevin_stevens]

So was anyone else surprised to see the comment about the Fireblade being significantly revised for 2010?  I thought this was a BNG year for the CBR.

KeS

[kevin_stevens]

Looks like both dogs hunt.  At Valencia...

http://www.motociclismo.it/edisport/moto/MotoCiclismoR2.nsf/gd/Video--Aprilia-RSV4-contro-BMW-S1000-RR-a-Valencia-



273km/h = 170mph, btw.

KeS

[tomek]

Ulrich from RRW rode 1000RR at intro.

His impressions:

-brutally powerful motor,equal to old 1000 superstock race bikes.( DMG killed this category)

-engine was perfectly mapped

-don`t even think about getting base model without DTC,with DTC off bike was "very difficult to ride"

-shift assist not so good

-if you are fast track rider get slicks,bike he rode was metzeler R3 equipped,rear just could`t cope with the power.

-ABS is very good although he said in the order to get the most of trail braking it needs to be turned off

-in handling department Bimmer reminded him 2007 gixxer 1000.



I would have scanned article but I only have electronic edition,,,,,,,,,,

[kevin_stevens]

Nate Kern discusses the BMW electronic controls and what it's like to ride with them on the track:



KeS

[kevin_stevens]

Nate's comments on riding the various pre- and production S1000RRs.  At this point, Nate probably has more mileage on the bike than anyone outside of BMW.  It should be noted that he is affiliated with BMW, so grains of salt on his enthusiasm may be appropriate, but the commentary is informative.

KeS

[ice-cycle]

When you figure what BMW had to do to come up with a competitive sport bike, their accomplishment is really nothing short of amazing.  My latest copy of Canadian Biker does a good job of addressing the challenge:

"The S1000RR belongs to a race of motorcycle BMW has never even been close to...and while the new RR uses similar technology as the rest of its class, the technology isn't common by any stretch of the imagination.  We're taling almost 200 horsepower per litre, 14,000 rpm red line for 1000cc and unimaginable chassis stress in a package weighing about 200 kilos in running order.  All feats of engineering BMW Motorrad never had to achieve before."

I think that even barring hype and promotion, the new bike is a significant accomplishment.

[tomek]

[Admin edit]

Post removed at request from Road Racing World.

Please don't post the entire text of copyrighted articles.  Post a small teaser, quote the source, and link to the original source.

Thanks.

[miles]

It seems he liked it.  That's the first mention in any review of a balky transmission- I wonder if he's just super sensitive or did he get a clunky one?
The complaints about the wheelie control seem pretty universal, though, as are the complaints about the abruptness of the TC when leaned over, especially in the softer modes.  My guess is that BMW will update the maps in the reasonably near future if too many people find the abruptness a problem.

[atadaskew]

   As of right now, the Japanese need to step up their programs if they want to remain at the top of the 1000cc Sportbike pile, because the Germans have arrived and they’ve brought one serious machine with them. RW

Sez it all.

As for the transmission issue... Aprilia had some bikes lunch motors on their press release but that was later (supposedly) fixed.  We'll see how that transitions to production models for BMW.

[kevin_stevens]

It seems he liked it.  That's the first mention in any review of a balky transmission- I wonder if he's just super sensitive or did he get a clunky one?
The complaints about the wheelie control seem pretty universal, though, as are the complaints about the abruptness of the TC when leaned over, especially in the softer modes.  My guess is that BMW will update the maps in the reasonably near future if too many people find the abruptness a problem.

Well, it says he was actually grinding gears multiple times, which doesn't sound like he was just being picky.  That's the first I've heard of anything but great shifting as well.

KeS