Bikes have come on a bit, eh?

CGrieves

CGrieves

CGrieves

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Joined
25 Oct 2002
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2,377
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Sarf Lahndahn
Coming off a TL1000S/VFR800/KTM200EXC after a 25 year journey of just about everything available, I picked this up yesterday.

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Just beautiful to ride. Beautiful. Power and torque, even limited to 9000rpm for running-in is plenty, no surprises there. But the brakes are epic, throttle response is stunning, DDC suspension is Jeckyll and Hyde- smooth and pliant on crap surfaces, taut when chucking it around and pressing on. The quickshifter is hilarious! Overall it's just fabulous. We're lucky to have access to this kind of tech, and I feel a lucky boy to own one.

Looks-wise I'm not completely sold on the rimtape, but unfortunately it's lacquered in. The textured plastic under the tank and at the top of the fairing panels is strange and feels a bit cheap, but I'm sure they have a reason- probably because it's light. Exhaust isn't pretty, but god it sounds so good, so I'm going to live with it and not bother with an aftermarket can- it's offensive as it is! The pops and crackles are absolute music- I literally have no idea how BMW got this homologated.... No chance it'll pass trackday noise restrictions though.
 
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Yep, it's the '15 model. I specced it with all the options except the forged wheels (can get them later, and it's damn useful having a spare set).

I think it's been pretty much proved that the best way to run in a motor is a few heat cycles then chuck it on the dyno. BMW are always going to be conservative about this sort of thing though! A cynic might think the 9000rpm limit is more about avoiding noobs scaring themselves in the first few weeks of ownership...
 
Yh they have come on a bit,you now need a laptop and a computer degree to fix em

Nice machine though
 
CGrieves said:
Yep, it's the '15 model. I specced it with all the options except the forged wheels (can get them later, and it's damn useful having a spare set).

I think it's been pretty much proved that the best way to run in a motor is a few heat cycles then chuck it on the dyno. BMW are always going to be conservative about this sort of thing though! A cynic might think the 9000rpm limit is more about avoiding noobs scaring themselves in the first few weeks of ownership...
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Excellent choice! 7 weeks this Friday 'til I pick mine up, exactly same spec/colour as yours, cannot wait :cool:
 
Very nice :cool:

I look forward to the day when the new full electronic packages are on bikes that mere mortals can afford, although Aprilia's APRC was one of the first and Tuono V4's with this can be picked up for £8000 upwards now. Not long until they'll be £6-7k. 3-4 year old S1000RR's are about the same price too, roll on 4-5 years time when the current crop of 200bhp superbikes will be affordable :D
 
I'm so tempted by one of these - would have to be a 2nd though as have 3 two up tourrs planned for later this year.

I think I read in one review that the exhaust has the flap that means it will pass track day restrictions at the rpm they test at. I'd definitely want to track it if I had one
 
Sagalout said:
I'm so tempted by one of these - would have to be a 2nd though as have 3 two up tourrs planned for later this year.

I think I read in one review that the exhaust has the flap that means it will pass track day restrictions at the rpm they test at. I'd definitely want to track it if I had one
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Yep it's got an Exup-style flap, but I really don't think it'll pass any track limits anywhere. It's race-can loud, I was giggling on the way to work this morning popping and crackling at people- it really is borderline offensive.

It does had a removable endplate on the can outlets, so I don't think it'd be a massive job to rig up a couple of baffle pipes. Like you say, this thing has to be tracked. Even reined in to 9000rpm it's already massively frustrating loping around London between the lights.
 
bakes0310 said:
Update for us pal, love the look of this bike.
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Up to about 250 miles now, won't have had a chance to get out this weekend though unfortunately.

The thing that really impresses is how responsive it is, the throttle is just pin sharp, yet if someone jumped on it now they'd have no idea it's ride-by-wire, expect perhaps that it's so light. The brakes are just staggering- I rode the VFR yesterday with the missus on the back and it was amazing how limp and spongy it's brakes felt (they're not, they're just average brakes!) You can lift the rear with one finger. Haven't touched the rear brake once, the bike sorts it all out for you. Under hard braking you can feel the ABS modulating the rear and keeping it moving. Very clever stuff. Haven't got close to invoking the traction control, and probably never will.

Have to admit the DDC suspension hasn't blown me away yet, but then I'm not really pushing the bike. At the moment it just feels like fairly stiff conventional suspension. Obviously it's all new and needs a bit of wear, but I'm also going to try a find the front suspension travel sensor. Unlike the HP4 it only comes with a rear sensor as standard, but only BMW's race division supply it (?!).

Bike safe is arriving on Tuesday, that'll be a relief, at the moment it's chained to a concrete post in my back garden, but still not happy.
 
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I would love one, went so far as a test ride for a week, and all the papers ready to sign for a spanker, but i could never shake away the feeling it was cheating. They are stunning to ride though.
 
I'd love to try out the new ktm 1290 adventure, it's packing a serious amount of tech in it as well. Would be interesting to ride after my ktm 990 smt, I think it'd make mine feel like an old tractor now. I think it has abs, traction, electronic damping, anti-dive, ride by wire etc etc.
 
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