BMW S1000R Review

I was never really a bike guy. I never had a bike before. When I was a student in Indonesia, I use a car or sometimes a public transport, in Australia (college), I had a Subaru RS. In my entire life, I’ve only ridden a bike around 5 times on a public road, the rest is probably on a track. In all honesty, I had a trauma of riding bikes and that was because I fell off a Harley (don’t know what kind). But that all changed around 2 days ago when I finally bought my first very own bike, a BMW S1000R. Personally, I prefer naked standard bikes mainly because of their upright riding position.

Getting on the S1000R is pretty easy for a 5’10 guy but if you’re under that, the S1kR will be a bit hard and tall. It’s a “MoGe” (Abbreviation of “Motor Gede”, Indonesian for Big Bike) and yeah, it is tall. Once your on it (my dirty mind is thinking about all sorts of things), you’re greeted by a rather simple gauge cluster and a riding position that is pretty much upright. The styling of the S1000R is beautiful but I’m not a fan of that headlights design. Sure, you might like it but that’s you and yo’ ass ain’t me, dawg. The way the S1000R feels like is like a superbike and probably because it is based on its brother, the way I call its brother is the Double R but the way you call its brother is the S1000RR, and I can safely say that the Double R is just plain scary to me. The R? It’s a much more composed and sensible than the Double R but it also has the right amount of lunacy.

Its raised, one-piece handlebar qualifies the S1000R as a naked roadster, but in fact it’s modestly clothed in a small headlamp fairing plus some colour-matched bodywork around its engine. It’s close to the RR in other respects, too, with a similar squint from asymmetrical headlights – and an equally belligerent attitude.

Its engine is a de-tuned version of the Double R’s DOHC, 16-valve unit, featuring a redesigned cylinder head, new camshafts, revised injection system and new exhaust. It rev limit is 2000-pm lower, @ 12,000rpm. But it still makes 160bhp, 30bhp down from the Double R’s 190bhp and is stronger below 9000rpm. The way the engine delivers power is like when the V-Tec unicorns fart out and kick in at idle. Why did I say “at idle”? The low end torque is mad, absolutely mad.

Similarly the chassis shares its aluminium twin-spar frame layout with the Double R but its geometry is modified to suit the S1000R’s more upright riding position. The steering geometry is less steep and the wheelbase longer for added stability.
This bike also incorporates sophisticated electronics for both engine and chassis.

The standard S1000R has a softer Rain engine mode (with 136bhp maximum) alongside the normal Road setting. BMW’s ASC traction control system is included, as is ABS braking. The Sport model (mine) adds two extra riding modes, intended for fast road or track riding, and incorporates the Double R’s more sophisticated Dynamic Traction Control. It also features Dynamic Damping Control, the semi-active suspension system introduced on the super-sports HP4.

Reaching the handlebars of the S1000R is pretty easy, even if you’re a shorter guy than me. Throttle response is excellent, making smooth, strong torque available everywhere from below 5,000rpm to the redline. This combines with the bike’s light weight (at 207kg with fuel it matches the Double R) and efficient, quick shifter-enhanced gearbox to provide fierce acceleration. Yet the Sport is also very controllable, backed up by the efficient yet unobtrusive traction control system. The way the bike pulls is just unbelievable. You put your hands down, and…nothing. The upright riding position makes you feel like you’re going at slow pace but when you start looking your speedometer, um…..you’re probably going 100mph+. It’s a beast and with almost instant torque, this thing is a blast. My personal favorite mode is the Dynamic mode which adjusts along with the roads, the conditions, and your riding style. The S1000R is classified as a “moge” in Indonesia but does it feel big? Nope. You can zip through traffic just fine. Are there any shortcomings? Well, for starters, the brakes are much too aggressive for any type of riding outside the confines of a racetrack, the initial bite will literally send you over the handlebar if you’re not careful, and there’s so much power through the pull that it’s almost overwhelming. Learn to modulate the stopping power with your finger and you can get by, but don’t and you’ll be oft reminded of what it’s like to hit a wall at 70 mph; the stopping power is that significant.

If I can describe the S1000R with one sentence, what would it be? It’ll be: As good as a naked S1000RR could be.

Thank you for reading the #Blogpost, everyone!

-Tony