This thread is a followup to my previous one "First Test Ride - What to Expect" (http://www.wiltshirebikers.co.uk/sho...What-to-Expect)
So, after loading up the car with all my bike gear and making the hour-long journey to Oxford I arrived at the BMW Motorrad Dealership with a feeling of excitement, anticipation and terror.
Walking into the Dealership I dealt with Nathan who seems to know what he’s on about. He talks me through some of the specs of the bike as though I haven’t been reading up on it for the last four years, unaware that this is my dream bike. I show him my drivers license, sign a few forms and then he walks me over to the bike - a stock grey 2012 BMW S1000RR. He shows me the various features of the bike, such as how to change the traction control, heated grips, quickshifter etc. I nod to show that I understand and he hands me the keys. I had no idea it would be this easy to get a test ride!
I go and get dressed in the changing room, strap my GoPro on, kiss my girlfriend and tell her that I love her and not to worry, and walk over to the bike. It looks simply stunning. In my opinion, this is the best looking bike ever built, better than a Ducati Panigale or anything else. Whichever angle you look at it from it looks completely different; its completely asymmetrical. Though some people dislike the front headlights (so much so that I’ve even seen people mod them so they are identical), I love them and think it gives the bike a menacing look. The shark gills on one side, the sharp lip at the front and the jagged rear lights… how could anyone not like this bike?
I jump up on the bike and am immediately surprised at how high-up it feels. Going from an old Kawasaki ER500 to one of the best superbikes on the market suddenly feels like a foolish idea. My feet can both be planted on the floor, but only just. I lean forward and grab the handlebars – I didn’t realise how hunched I’d be! I put the key in and watch as the dash lights up and the counters start moving. I press the ignition and it kicks into life – it sounds awesome. I manoeuvre the bike so that I’m facing down a long straight road, kick down into first and release the clutch. It’s so easy and effortless as the bike slowly starts to move off. I lift my legs up to place on the footpegs and – wait, where are they? I can’t find them! They are considerably higher than the Kwak that I ride, but I soon get used to how much higher this bike is than my own and the riding position required.
I leave the dealership and join the dual carriageway that is the exit. Without using the clutch, I kick up into second gear. The quickshifter feels amazingly smooth and the sound it makes is phenomenal! I kick up through all the gears until I’m cruising in 6th at 40mph. The engine is quiet as a mouse and really low in the rev range (probs 2-3k). I travel nice and slowly for a while until I realise I need to pull over – I didn’t set the GoPro to record! In my excitement to get out I completely forgot to turn it on. I pull over in an industrial area and set it going. I try and turn around and realise how bad the turning circle of this bike is. I needed the full width of the road to turn myself around!
I set off again and kick up into second and the bike revs massively. The green neutral light on the dash indicates that’ll be a missed gear then! I go up into second properly and start my journey properly.
I keep playing with the quickshifter and soon realise that you have to be going a steady speed or accelerating in order for it to work. Obviously you still need to use the clutch to go down the gears and never had any issues with that on the ride.
I’m riding along for quite a while until I realise I’m lost. I start to see signs for an A road leading to Oxford and so follow them until I come to another dual carriageway. I’m stuck at a red light before I can get on and I’m front of the queue, so decide that this is a good time to test the acceleration a bit. The lights go green and I go, opening the throttle just a little bit. I’m forced to really grab onto the handlebars as the bike pulls away from under me, the power and acceleration is unbelievable! I quickly release the throttle and look at the rev counter – I didn't even get it over 5k! At the end of the dual carriageway I arrive back at the BMW dealership; that's handy! I go around the roundabout and decide to do another lap of the same route now that I know the roads a little bit. I ride a bit faster now that I know the corners a little better and begin to get really comfortable with the bike before I get back the BMW dealers. I’m still not ready to go in yet though, so decide I’ll have one more lap.
This time when I arrive at the dual carriageway towards the end of the lap I decide I’m going to really give it some. The lights go green and I open the throttle. I’ve got no idea what speed I did, but I felt the front wheel lift up and the engine screamed away underneath me. It felt absolutely incredible and I could not stop giggling to myself for the rest of the day! I came to some traffic on the carriageway and decided to overtake the car. I opened the throttle in sixth gear and the bike pulled as though it were in second. I overtook the car, and then another, and then another, all in one go! The bike had so much power that it just ate up the road and made overtaking easy.
I arrived at the dealership again with my heart pounding away with excitement with the power of the bike. I wanted to take it home there and then, I didn't want to ever give it back. I watched as the dealership slowly came into view, and then slowly went disappeared.
Just one more lap…
It’s been over two weeks since the test ride that confirmed to me that the S1000RR is the bike for me. I’m still saving and hope to have enough to get it in time for Spring 2015. So, if in the Summer of 2015 you see an S1000RR go screaming past with a young guy in his 20s giggling away at the helm, that’ll be me. I’ll be sure to give you a nod as I fly past!
The GoPro video:
