BMW S1000RR: German bike a rising son

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The S1000RR gives other supersport bikes a serious run for best-in-class. It delivers superior handling and versatility at a reasonable price, says Costa Mouzouris.

Costa Mouzouris

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Portimao, Portugal–The rider who'd just sneaked ahead of me entering a high-speed right-hand turn was BMW Motorrad's Stephan Zeit. That move marked the first time I'd ever been overtaken – while riding around a racetrack at a nine-tenths pace – by the project manager of the motorcycle I was riding. He pulled away.

We were on BMW's latest and boldest creation, the S1000RR, at the bike's media introduction, at the recently opened Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.

Zeit conceived the S1000RR – BMW's first true supersport machine – and he designed it to compete in a motorcycle segment created and dominated by the Japanese.

"My main influence was the Suzuki K5 (2005 GSX-R1000)," said Zeit, who began development of the German superbike four years ago. He is an avid rider who regularly attended track days on the Honda CBR1000RR that he used to own.

At the S1000RR's core is an inline four-cylinder engine with all the go-fast trickery you'd find in the latest crop of race-bike replicas – twin cams and 16 valves, ram-air induction, ride-by-wire throttle control, mass centralization, stacked transmission shafts – and it all amounts to a class-leading claimed output of 193 horsepower at the crankshaft, about 10 more than its nearest rival.

To help keep the rear wheel obedient under that much power, BMW followed Ducati by incorporating true traction control on a production supersport motorcycle.

BMW's dynamic traction control (DTC), however, is a more elaborate system than the one used on the big Duke. Like it, it senses front- and rear-wheel speed, but it also compensates for lean angle, something the Italian superbike does not do.

BMW's DTC uses a combination of electronic throttle manipulation, ignition timing variation and fuel cut-off to manage engine output if the rear wheel spins faster than the front, indicating that it is either losing grip or the front wheel is leaving the ground.

DTC combines with racetrack-derived, linked ABS to provide four selectable riding modes (rain, sport, race, slick). You can switch modes on the fly with a handlebar-mounted switch, thus altering the engine's power characteristics, as well as the levels of DTC and ABS intervention. The only other supersport machine with ABS is the Honda CBR1000RR, which also uses a linked system.

In rain mode, power output is limited to 150 hp and throttle response is softened, while DTC is most intrusive. ABS is set to trip at a low friction coefficient, such as on wet pavement. On a dry track, the restrained power in this mode was easily noticeable when exiting corners, where full throttle was applied but revs remained steady until the bike straightened up and power surged.

Full power is available in sport mode and throttle response is more direct. DTC is less aggressive than in rain mode, allowing harder corner exits, and ABS is adjusted to trip at higher friction coefficients. I was caught by surprise during one session in sport mode, though, when I braked a bit harder than on previous laps and tripped the ABS, almost overshooting a turn.

One of BMW's test riders suggested that a switch to race mode would remedy this, which it did as it was set to trip at an even higher friction coefficient. The ABS was almost unnoticeable, and only an occasional pulsing in the rear pedal while braking hard indicated the system was watching over me.

Race mode allowed a far more aggressive pace, still within the confines of the bike's remarkable electronic intervention, which allowed full throttle application as soon as the bike was past a corner's apex without the usual unfortunate consequence of such a ham-fisted approach: the highside.

DTC operation was seamless when leaned over, though one peculiar characteristic was the machine's tendency to hiccup at high speeds while hard on the gas. I was told it was just the DTC reacting to either front-wheel lift or rear-wheel slip. As this was happening in a straight line at speeds above 160 km/h, I was somewhat skeptical.

So I switched the bike to slick mode, which sets the DTC to its least intrusive level and turns it off for five seconds at lean angles less than 23 degrees. That allows showboaters an appropriate amount of time to balance on the rear wheel.

Slick mode is meant for competition using slick tires, and can only be activated after a special plug (supplied) is inserted under the seat. As in the other modes, ABS works on both wheels through the front brake lever, but the rear wheel can be locked using the brake pedal, allowing skilled riders to "back it in" to a turn.

The bike hiccupped no more in this mode. Instead, it lifted its front wheel high after shifting into fourth gear at speeds well above 160 km/h. Even more impressive, or daunting in my case, was the bike's tendency to lift its front wheel high after cresting the small hill at the beginning of the front straight – at 220 km/h.

Aggressive chassis geometry puts the S1000RR right in the midst of its contemporaries, as does its crouched, forward-biased riding position, which, curiously, isn't adjustable, as it is on the GSX-R1000.

Handling easily matches the best machines in the class and despite its intimidating power output the S1000RR's electronics made it the easiest-handling open-class supersport I've ridden. Its slipper clutch worked flawlessly, allowing smooth corner entries.

Although DTC and ABS are offered on the S1000RR as options elsewhere in the world, they are standard equipment in Canada on the $17,300 machine, as is the electronic shift assist, which allows clutchless wide-open-throttle gear changes.

That's between $500 and $1,300 more than the Japanese competition, but a negligible increase when considering the BMW's advanced electronics. By comparison, the traction-control equipped Ducati 1198S will set you back $27,000.

DTC and ABS can be turned off independently for the ultimate heart-charging experience. The weight penalty for the ABS hardware is a mere 2.5 kg, bumping the S1000RR to a claimed 206.5 kg wet. That's four kg lighter than the ABS-equipped CBR1000RR and two kg lighter than the ZX-10R.

Even without the high-tech electronics, the S1000RR's superbike handling and performance make it a formidable match for its competition. For me, however, the true value of this machine lies in the complete package, which includes DTC and ABS.

And if you take your track-day riding as seriously as the people who developed this bike, you'll find they are indispensable tools.

Travel was provided to freelance writer Costa Mouzouris by the manufacturer.

wheels@thestar.ca.

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