Tupperwolf
Well-known member
I'm turning 30 in less than two weeks. This is my 1/3 life crisis.
(click pick for an album)
My review of the S1000R:
My last bike was an F800R, which some of you may have seen at the recent BARF bash. This bike is like an F800R turned up to 11, fed generous quantities of trenbolone, and shocked by Dr F. (IT'S ALIIIIIIVE)
A friend of ours (Z3n) made the irresponsible but totally awesome life decision of buying a Super Duke 1290R. Riding that bike, which is totally non-threatening when you just want to pootle around, yet will make your eyes bulge out like an ACME cartoon when you give the right handgrip a twist, gave me an itch that only another ridiculous supernaked could scratch. That bike is perfect for his personality; I feel this one is perfect for mine.
I test rode the Aprilia Tuono V4R APRC a couple of days ago; The engine is incredible, but many things on it are not. The switchgear sucks. The ergonomics are a bit painful even though it has a handlebar. First gear revs to the moon and, as a result, the fuel mapping chugs sadly when trying to lane split and do slow speed maneuvers. The quickshifter clunks a bit. Half a block into the ride a fan was roasting my lower half with hot air. I wanted to love it but didn't.
I was interested in the S1kR, but all the '14s seemed to be sold; That was when I read a post elsewhere that a BMW dealer near me had one that was unsold. I gave them a ring. "What color is it? What options?...... White? Fully loaded? I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't sell it before I arrive, please."
I looked at the bike in person for the first time. I sat on it. I touched the switchgear. I admired the riding position. I said that while I was very interested, I didn't want to commit to buying unless I could take it for a quick ride. So long as I didn't put more than 5 miles on it, I was told, that was fine, so long as I gave them my info for a credit application. Fine with me. I returned with 2 miles on the otherwise virgin odometer. The first time I touched the quickshifter into second gear at a measly 5k RPM I was sold.
Phone calls to banking institutions were made, hands were shaken, and I left having dropped the old F800R on the unsuspecting dealer as a trade-in and flying away on my new tingly magic carpet. I slabbed it for 45 minutes to some twisties that I'm fond of; The mirrors vibrate at speed, but the overall bike has a relaxed, slightly 'electric' feel to it, rather than my F800R's "I HATE YOU AND I'M GOING TO VIBRATE YOU UNTIL YOU QUIT RIDING OUT OF DISGUST" sensation. Like all naked bikes, around 85 MPH the wind becomes noticeable, but that can be a good thing for those of us with sketchy driving records.
Did I mention the cruise control? Because it has it. It has electronic cruise control. The kind where you touch a switch and then sit there while the bike hums down the highway of its own accord with you aboard as a daydreaming passenger. As soon as you twist the throttle or touch the brakes or clutch, you're in full control again, ready to dodge that Prius doing 52 MPH that you were in danger of ass-packing.
Once off of the slab and in some curves I had a chance to play with the electronic damping control. Soft mode wallows slightly through the corners but soaks up bumps better than most sportbikes I've ridden; Normal feels, well, about normal, and hard is reserved for the smoothest of tarmac (which I was lucky enough to find). Given that the bike was, at the time, uninsured, with 80 miles on the odometer and brand new slippery tires, I didn't scrub off the chicken strips completely, but I had a chance to determine that this bike handles better than anything I've ridden before.
As one of the chosen few (y'know, Californians, that can lane split) I want to mention probably the best feature of this bike: the tremendously good ride-by-wire fuel injection. The BMW mavens have obviously put in some hours on this. When you're stopped, and you ease out the clutch to pull away, the fuel mapping has a wonderfully soft feel. There's no drama or sense of impending horsepower about to make your life difficult when the light turns green and you move off; Likewise, splitting between cars is completely drama-free.
When you're riding on a horribly bumpy road and the bike is making your throttle hand twitch, the bike doesn't jerk forward and back - it smooths out all abrupt changes in throttle so that it's like they didn't happen. After pulling away from a stop, when you get above around 3k RPM, that soft, gentle feeling that makes controlling the bike so easy seamlessly becomes POWWEEERRRRRRRRR
The most addictive part of this bike is rising up through the revs at part-throttle and touching the quickshifter. The gearbox is even smoother than my last Beemer's, which is impressive, because that bike received thumbs up from every one of my moto friends that rode it. The throw on the shift lever is miniscule and rapping up through the box generates an aural orgasm, with pops on each shift and generous crackles and barks every single time you let off the gas to slow. No reason to put a louder pipe on this bike, it sounds incredible stock.
The dash looks great, especially at night when it lights up with a soothing white LED glow. The info and modes are easy to scroll through and select using the well thought-out switchgear. The clear taillight plastic glows like a sci-fi movie prop. Fit and finish on everything is outstanding, like you'd hope a BMW would be.
Okay, so I love it. Critiques? There isn't much of a way to attach luggage. That's... about it.
(click pick for an album)
My review of the S1000R:
My last bike was an F800R, which some of you may have seen at the recent BARF bash. This bike is like an F800R turned up to 11, fed generous quantities of trenbolone, and shocked by Dr F. (IT'S ALIIIIIIVE)
A friend of ours (Z3n) made the irresponsible but totally awesome life decision of buying a Super Duke 1290R. Riding that bike, which is totally non-threatening when you just want to pootle around, yet will make your eyes bulge out like an ACME cartoon when you give the right handgrip a twist, gave me an itch that only another ridiculous supernaked could scratch. That bike is perfect for his personality; I feel this one is perfect for mine.
I test rode the Aprilia Tuono V4R APRC a couple of days ago; The engine is incredible, but many things on it are not. The switchgear sucks. The ergonomics are a bit painful even though it has a handlebar. First gear revs to the moon and, as a result, the fuel mapping chugs sadly when trying to lane split and do slow speed maneuvers. The quickshifter clunks a bit. Half a block into the ride a fan was roasting my lower half with hot air. I wanted to love it but didn't.
I was interested in the S1kR, but all the '14s seemed to be sold; That was when I read a post elsewhere that a BMW dealer near me had one that was unsold. I gave them a ring. "What color is it? What options?...... White? Fully loaded? I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't sell it before I arrive, please."
I looked at the bike in person for the first time. I sat on it. I touched the switchgear. I admired the riding position. I said that while I was very interested, I didn't want to commit to buying unless I could take it for a quick ride. So long as I didn't put more than 5 miles on it, I was told, that was fine, so long as I gave them my info for a credit application. Fine with me. I returned with 2 miles on the otherwise virgin odometer. The first time I touched the quickshifter into second gear at a measly 5k RPM I was sold.
Phone calls to banking institutions were made, hands were shaken, and I left having dropped the old F800R on the unsuspecting dealer as a trade-in and flying away on my new tingly magic carpet. I slabbed it for 45 minutes to some twisties that I'm fond of; The mirrors vibrate at speed, but the overall bike has a relaxed, slightly 'electric' feel to it, rather than my F800R's "I HATE YOU AND I'M GOING TO VIBRATE YOU UNTIL YOU QUIT RIDING OUT OF DISGUST" sensation. Like all naked bikes, around 85 MPH the wind becomes noticeable, but that can be a good thing for those of us with sketchy driving records.
Did I mention the cruise control? Because it has it. It has electronic cruise control. The kind where you touch a switch and then sit there while the bike hums down the highway of its own accord with you aboard as a daydreaming passenger. As soon as you twist the throttle or touch the brakes or clutch, you're in full control again, ready to dodge that Prius doing 52 MPH that you were in danger of ass-packing.
Once off of the slab and in some curves I had a chance to play with the electronic damping control. Soft mode wallows slightly through the corners but soaks up bumps better than most sportbikes I've ridden; Normal feels, well, about normal, and hard is reserved for the smoothest of tarmac (which I was lucky enough to find). Given that the bike was, at the time, uninsured, with 80 miles on the odometer and brand new slippery tires, I didn't scrub off the chicken strips completely, but I had a chance to determine that this bike handles better than anything I've ridden before.
As one of the chosen few (y'know, Californians, that can lane split) I want to mention probably the best feature of this bike: the tremendously good ride-by-wire fuel injection. The BMW mavens have obviously put in some hours on this. When you're stopped, and you ease out the clutch to pull away, the fuel mapping has a wonderfully soft feel. There's no drama or sense of impending horsepower about to make your life difficult when the light turns green and you move off; Likewise, splitting between cars is completely drama-free.
When you're riding on a horribly bumpy road and the bike is making your throttle hand twitch, the bike doesn't jerk forward and back - it smooths out all abrupt changes in throttle so that it's like they didn't happen. After pulling away from a stop, when you get above around 3k RPM, that soft, gentle feeling that makes controlling the bike so easy seamlessly becomes POWWEEERRRRRRRRR
The most addictive part of this bike is rising up through the revs at part-throttle and touching the quickshifter. The gearbox is even smoother than my last Beemer's, which is impressive, because that bike received thumbs up from every one of my moto friends that rode it. The throw on the shift lever is miniscule and rapping up through the box generates an aural orgasm, with pops on each shift and generous crackles and barks every single time you let off the gas to slow. No reason to put a louder pipe on this bike, it sounds incredible stock.
The dash looks great, especially at night when it lights up with a soothing white LED glow. The info and modes are easy to scroll through and select using the well thought-out switchgear. The clear taillight plastic glows like a sci-fi movie prop. Fit and finish on everything is outstanding, like you'd hope a BMW would be.
Okay, so I love it. Critiques? There isn't much of a way to attach luggage. That's... about it.
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