Yes - I rode it. I endured flying, full body pat downs, and a heartburn inducing $7.00 sandwich to get to Florida and about the same coming home - except they ran out of food on the return flight. And it was worth it! I've been figuring out the various ways I can acquire an S1000RR ever since.
I owned a couple Japanese liter class bikes but, truth be told, I found the big sport bikes a handful to ride - either with twitchy handling or two stroke like power delivery and I basically lost interest in the category. I like bikes that go fast though and owned a couple recent K Bikes like the 1300S - Ride what you sell. Now, BMW
introduces the S1000RR and here I am in Florida, on the bus, in my gear, getting ready to ride it - the most powerful and lightest sport bike made.
Keith Code from the California Superbike School now uses the S1000RR in his program and here the man is himself, with an assortment of young men in Keith Code school leathers. We are at the
Palm Beach International Raceway and have an hour of first class play time. The briefing goes like this: "Stay in 4th gear for the first two sessions then use all of it, and never pass your session leader". "This isn't a race, it is a familiarization session". Right.
We start out in Rain Mode and hold in 4th gear for a lap or two then run in Sport Mode holding in 4th, then Race Mode and use all the gears. Rain mode is just that - progressive power application - excellent for the rain and will keep a lot of riders from crashing. Very comforting as an intro to both the track and the bike.
Sport mode gives you all 193 hp and a simple twist of the go thing and 145 mph is in your face instantly, and then get passed as if standing still by the fast riders. A couple of them claim to have been north of 175 mph. I believe it.
Race mode.....way more aggressive, in your face performance.....you just want one more lap, and then one more please. Exhilarating.
The brakes work awesome, and haul you down from where you were to where you need to be, and the slipper clutch helps that process admirably. The chassis/suspension holds the corners at speed till you turn the go faster thing.
Traction control, ABS, all of it works as explained. Most fun I've had a corporate function - ever!
Our demo bike is ready to ride :)
All that said, if you prefer a more traditional BMW, please note there are likely to be some special programs on close out 2009 models. Please refer to our web site under OEM promotions for details and know the supply of 2009 bikes is becoming quite limited in terms of color and options available.
Sincerely,
Marty Hamilton
Sales Manager
South Sound BMW
