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previous sentence were not<br />
affected in any way by the fact<br />
the Rob went to that launch,<br />
and I did not. An age seems to<br />
have passed since then with<br />
various little tweaks and local<br />
legislative bureaucracy causing<br />
various delays, but it is good to<br />
finally sit on one in the flesh and<br />
feel it rumbling its way onto a<br />
track we call our own.<br />
The full report was offered<br />
after the launch but herewith<br />
a highlights package – the<br />
motor now shoves out 207 hp<br />
at 13,500 rpm, two figures that<br />
have since been out-claimed<br />
by the Italians. However,<br />
these are German figures that<br />
tend to be portrayed via an<br />
efficiently-produced clipboard,<br />
whereas the Italians convey<br />
theirs through the medium<br />
of arm waving and crotchgrabbing.<br />
The S1000RR has<br />
also been munching the diet<br />
pills. Previously, it sat at a<br />
somewhat rotund 208kg, a<br />
figure BMW dismissed as not<br />
a problem due to their clever<br />
use of mass-centralisation.<br />
Sadly, for them, the opposition<br />
also used mass-centralisation,<br />
except with less mass. The<br />
current bike, with the lightened<br />
M Package, weighs a daintily<br />
athletic 193 kg ready to ride.<br />
Where the previous model<br />
was a pillar of stability, it had a<br />
wayward manner deep within<br />
the corner, preferring to go<br />
straight when you would rather<br />
it would turn. There are no<br />
issues now, and immediately<br />
it feels light on its feet with<br />
far better tipping and less<br />
negotiation mid-turn. The<br />
strange throttle setup helps this<br />
further; at all stages of opening,<br />
the bike feels bogged down as<br />
though it’s in the wrong gear.<br />
This might not run up and give<br />
you the kick you were expecting,<br />
but it does make controlling<br />
speed through the turns a little<br />
less traumatic.<br />
When all hope appeared<br />
lost, you open up onto the<br />
straight with the anticipation<br />
it will merely struggle through<br />
the revs, but the moment the<br />
throttle goes full, suddenly the<br />
engine comes to life with the<br />
kick of 207 ponies. The struggle<br />
here is that you had just begun<br />
to relax your kidneys when<br />
suddenly they are shot out your<br />
backside. The theory behind<br />
this phenomenon is part down<br />
to the ride-by-wire throttle<br />
setup and a good chunk down<br />
to the ShiftCam motor. It also<br />
goes some way to help curb<br />
the shortfall of the inline-four,<br />
screamer motor, a format<br />
that traditionally offers huge<br />
punch down the straights but is<br />
clumsy within the turns.<br />
Where some manufacturers<br />
seem to base their superbike<br />
ergonomics on the dimensions<br />
of smurfs, BMW has hired<br />
Hans, who moonlights as a<br />
heavyweight kickboxer, to<br />
model theirs. There’s enough<br />
room to conduct a gymnastics<br />
tournament.<br />
The electronics were never<br />
noticed, meaning that they’re<br />
either working exceptionally<br />
well or are not working at all<br />
and will be sorely missed when<br />
they are suddenly needed. The<br />
quickshifter is one of the best<br />
available anywhere – further<br />
begging the question of why the<br />
system on BMW’s boxer motors<br />
is so awful – and the TFT dash<br />
is magnificent, especially in<br />
track display mode.<br />
On the race track, some<br />
little flaws do sneak their way<br />
through the net. The brake<br />
callipers used are from some<br />
company you have never<br />
heard of and have the letters<br />
“BMW” emblazoned on them.<br />
There are stories that Brembo<br />
34 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE MARCH <strong>2020</strong>
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