Went for a test ride on a Gen 4 sport model today.
Here are my initial impression from a 1 hour ride in ?Dynamic? mode.
TLDR
Very good bike that is most definitely a dynamic improvement on the previous bikes. Based on this initial test ride, it isn?t necessarily good enough to warrant Px ing for the sake of it, as the Gen 3?s are still outstandingly good bikes. But, if you do need a new bike, and are in market for another sport bike, this is where my money would be going, and may well be going very soon!
Initial Impressions:
Reach to the bars is less than Gen 3. Clip-ons are wider, with less pullback and flatter with less drop than Gen 3. Seat is quite narrow, but with moderate padding so feels fine initially. Tank is narrower than Gen 3. Rearsets feel at a moderate height, not too low but definitely not overly high either. The only thing I don?t like is the standard exhaust hanger, as I found the sole of my right boot kept interacting with the rearset attachment, as if one was always in the way of the other. Overall though, the ergos are very well judged. I like.
Starting the bike you are greeted with a lovely growl as it fast idles at ~ 2 k rpm, for a while. Selecting first gear the clutch is light and smooth in the hand. Letting the clutch out I am expecting a late bite point, based on previous reviews and discussions with friends who have already ridden the bike. Christ, the bite point is sharp, so sharp I never got used to it during the course of the test ride, but have no doubts one would become accustomed to this, in time. Pulling away it sounds just like in the review from guys from 44Teeth lol. But I didn?t stall it, so all good!
The throttle is smooth as silk and super light, BMW make the best throttles in the business. The moment you rev the bike it spins up immediately, absolutely no lag at all and it feels very responsive in the way it gains and looses engine speed. It feels light internally, which it is.
My route took me from Cannon?s straight back to my local roads, as I have literally done thousands and thousands of miles on sport bikes on this very route, so wanted have the best possible comparison between my Gen 3 and the new Gen 4.
The gearbox feels very slick. It still feels like a BMW box, but the positive feedback selecting gears and the operation of GearShift Assist Pro is smooth and consistent and at higher engine speeds smooth as silk.
The next thing I wanted to test seeing as the first 15 mins of the test ride were on boring roads was the vibration. The engine has the trademark S1000RR vibration at ~ 4k rpm through both the clip-ons and reaersets. However, this is not buzzy to the point it causes any issues whatsoever, it is a non-issue in my opinion and is purely a character quirk of these engines. I tested the cruising performance at, what I would consider ?all real-world motorway cruising speeds? and the bike is smooth through the clip-ons and both rearsets. It does buzz a little bit at the higher speeds, but it?s nothing that I would consider a concern on a long motorway journey.
Most frustratingly, the bike I test rode had not been run in yet, so was unable to explore the higher rev range. That being said, I have read on the American forum that these new Shift Cam engines have a vibration between 8-10 k rpm. I wanted to test this, but couldn?t properly, however, I did notice a very pronounced buzz through the clip-ons, but weirdly, not the rearsets at ~ 8 k rpm. Not sure if this starts to clear at 9 rpm, as you end up hitting the electronic limiter. I don?t think this is a major issue, as in real-world road riding you?re only ever dipping in and out of these engine speeds. But if you were cruising on an autobahn and were at 8 k rpm, out the box this would be an issue. I am quietly confident though that switching to conventional clip-ons and installing heavier bar ends would go someway to minimising this, if one is so inclined to do so.
I test rode the bike in Dynamic mode. I wanted to try the road mode and if I had a weekend with the bike a Race Pro mode, as I suspect these are the two modes that I would regularly use. In dynamic, the suspension feels supple before you even turn the bike on, it feels more softly spring at the rear than the Gen 3 and the damping feels open. Before you even ride the bike it feels as though the bike will ride road bumps pretty well. On the move, the bike feels smooth, stable and very well composed over country lane road surfaces. I was really surprised at this given the feedback the 44Teeth guys had about the bike being ?way more racey than the previous bike ? and being rattled to shit here? lol. One thing I did notice, is that as stupid as it sounds, to me in Dynamic mode, the suspension feels more clearly ?dynamic? than the DDC on the Gen 3 RR. It feels like the damping is changing a lot, on the move. This isn?t an issue at all, and as mentioned previously the suspension feels very good, but all I would say is that if someone doesn?t like, or isn?t willing to adjust to the feel of DDC on the Gen 3, then I really don?t see them gelling with the standard riding modes on the Gen 4. Race Pro modes are totally differnet, in that they operate something like 90 % traditional analogue suspension, so I would suspect the feel/feedback you get is conventional by comparison.
In terms of the handling, the bike feels quite significantly lighter than the Gen 3, just rolling around at slow speed it feels, weight wise, like a smaller bike, it reminds me of my previous Triumph Daytona in that regard, i.e. not so top heavy, and almost more stable/easier to manage at slow speeds.
The two biggest differences dynamically compared to the Gen 3 are in my opinion, is the bump management and the turn in. With regard to the former, the bike feels really stable at speed and with regard to the latter the bike turns in quicker than the Gen 3. The only thing I didn?t like, with regards to the out the box setting, is whilst I have no idea as never got round to checking, it feels as if the steering damper is wound quite tightly out the box. I personally always set steering dampers to the most open setting, i.e. least intrusive setting, as don?t like the way they slow the steering and personally am of the opinion that a well setup chasis shouldn?t require much augmentation via a starring damper. Turning the bars whilst stationary required more effort than I am used to, and whilst the turn in was singifcnlty quicker than my Gen 3, I do think if it was a like-for-like comparison I would have been more impressed.
With regard to the engine, I was impressed with it, but not blown away ?
I was expecting armageddon for the midrange, but in dynamic mode it just didn?t pull like I was expecting. I thought this would be the standout, takeaway impression of the bike ahead of time, but it never really wowed me, in that mode, at 30 degrees C, pre-run in. Having ridden the Gen 4 and the new XR, I get the feeling that the new Euro5 emission standard holds stock bikes back considerably these days. I am confident if one was to fit full system and have the fuelling sorted, there would be significant midrange torque and power gains to be had, and a lot of ?character? released too. That being said, I suspect that, like on the Gen 3, overly intrusive wheelie control may well be the culprit.
The other thing I was disappointed with, was the engine brake management. Naturally, the higher the engine speed, the greater the engine braking. In an engine with lighter internals, there is more engine braking. So I was expecting more engine braking than my Gen 3 in Race mode. However, in Dynamic there is very little when in the midrnage. I found myself having to touch the front brakes when hopping past cars in a line, something I rarely need to do on my Gen 3 RR. However, when you close the throttle on the Gen 4, and the revs drop, after a couple seconds it seems to increase the amount of engine braking on offer. It is as if the bikes fuelling/throttle bodies don?t fully close when you close the throttle, and then do after a couple seconds. It isn?t an issue, it?s just little strange, counterintuitive and not what I am accustomed to. I would expect a lot more engine braking in the road mode, and given the choice I would configure the Race Pro mode with maximum engine braking, as it?s so useful on road.
The brakes are absolutely fan-bloody-tastic. Whilst the Hayes callipers have had the weeping issue, the way they perform is faultless. The bike I test rode had a strong initial bite, a firm lever feel and ample power. On road, they are spot on and with the right pad and fluid I am sure they would be stellar on track.
The rear brake is unchanged from pervious generation RR?s, and it too is excellent. I have never understood how people can complain about the rear brake on these bikes, as it?s very progressive and has more than sufficient power. Really, very good indeed.
To conclude, I really enjoyed the bike as it is still very well judged for road use in terms of ergonomics, creature comforts and the smooth flexible engine character. It is a step forward in every respect, but it does go to show how much of a game changer the original S1000RR was.
Decisions decisions lol.
Hope this was helpful, or at the very least an enjoyable read.
Ride safe and have fun [emoji41]
Oli
Here are my initial impression from a 1 hour ride in ?Dynamic? mode.
TLDR
Very good bike that is most definitely a dynamic improvement on the previous bikes. Based on this initial test ride, it isn?t necessarily good enough to warrant Px ing for the sake of it, as the Gen 3?s are still outstandingly good bikes. But, if you do need a new bike, and are in market for another sport bike, this is where my money would be going, and may well be going very soon!
Initial Impressions:
Reach to the bars is less than Gen 3. Clip-ons are wider, with less pullback and flatter with less drop than Gen 3. Seat is quite narrow, but with moderate padding so feels fine initially. Tank is narrower than Gen 3. Rearsets feel at a moderate height, not too low but definitely not overly high either. The only thing I don?t like is the standard exhaust hanger, as I found the sole of my right boot kept interacting with the rearset attachment, as if one was always in the way of the other. Overall though, the ergos are very well judged. I like.
Starting the bike you are greeted with a lovely growl as it fast idles at ~ 2 k rpm, for a while. Selecting first gear the clutch is light and smooth in the hand. Letting the clutch out I am expecting a late bite point, based on previous reviews and discussions with friends who have already ridden the bike. Christ, the bite point is sharp, so sharp I never got used to it during the course of the test ride, but have no doubts one would become accustomed to this, in time. Pulling away it sounds just like in the review from guys from 44Teeth lol. But I didn?t stall it, so all good!
The throttle is smooth as silk and super light, BMW make the best throttles in the business. The moment you rev the bike it spins up immediately, absolutely no lag at all and it feels very responsive in the way it gains and looses engine speed. It feels light internally, which it is.
My route took me from Cannon?s straight back to my local roads, as I have literally done thousands and thousands of miles on sport bikes on this very route, so wanted have the best possible comparison between my Gen 3 and the new Gen 4.
The gearbox feels very slick. It still feels like a BMW box, but the positive feedback selecting gears and the operation of GearShift Assist Pro is smooth and consistent and at higher engine speeds smooth as silk.
The next thing I wanted to test seeing as the first 15 mins of the test ride were on boring roads was the vibration. The engine has the trademark S1000RR vibration at ~ 4k rpm through both the clip-ons and reaersets. However, this is not buzzy to the point it causes any issues whatsoever, it is a non-issue in my opinion and is purely a character quirk of these engines. I tested the cruising performance at, what I would consider ?all real-world motorway cruising speeds? and the bike is smooth through the clip-ons and both rearsets. It does buzz a little bit at the higher speeds, but it?s nothing that I would consider a concern on a long motorway journey.
Most frustratingly, the bike I test rode had not been run in yet, so was unable to explore the higher rev range. That being said, I have read on the American forum that these new Shift Cam engines have a vibration between 8-10 k rpm. I wanted to test this, but couldn?t properly, however, I did notice a very pronounced buzz through the clip-ons, but weirdly, not the rearsets at ~ 8 k rpm. Not sure if this starts to clear at 9 rpm, as you end up hitting the electronic limiter. I don?t think this is a major issue, as in real-world road riding you?re only ever dipping in and out of these engine speeds. But if you were cruising on an autobahn and were at 8 k rpm, out the box this would be an issue. I am quietly confident though that switching to conventional clip-ons and installing heavier bar ends would go someway to minimising this, if one is so inclined to do so.
I test rode the bike in Dynamic mode. I wanted to try the road mode and if I had a weekend with the bike a Race Pro mode, as I suspect these are the two modes that I would regularly use. In dynamic, the suspension feels supple before you even turn the bike on, it feels more softly spring at the rear than the Gen 3 and the damping feels open. Before you even ride the bike it feels as though the bike will ride road bumps pretty well. On the move, the bike feels smooth, stable and very well composed over country lane road surfaces. I was really surprised at this given the feedback the 44Teeth guys had about the bike being ?way more racey than the previous bike ? and being rattled to shit here? lol. One thing I did notice, is that as stupid as it sounds, to me in Dynamic mode, the suspension feels more clearly ?dynamic? than the DDC on the Gen 3 RR. It feels like the damping is changing a lot, on the move. This isn?t an issue at all, and as mentioned previously the suspension feels very good, but all I would say is that if someone doesn?t like, or isn?t willing to adjust to the feel of DDC on the Gen 3, then I really don?t see them gelling with the standard riding modes on the Gen 4. Race Pro modes are totally differnet, in that they operate something like 90 % traditional analogue suspension, so I would suspect the feel/feedback you get is conventional by comparison.
In terms of the handling, the bike feels quite significantly lighter than the Gen 3, just rolling around at slow speed it feels, weight wise, like a smaller bike, it reminds me of my previous Triumph Daytona in that regard, i.e. not so top heavy, and almost more stable/easier to manage at slow speeds.
The two biggest differences dynamically compared to the Gen 3 are in my opinion, is the bump management and the turn in. With regard to the former, the bike feels really stable at speed and with regard to the latter the bike turns in quicker than the Gen 3. The only thing I didn?t like, with regards to the out the box setting, is whilst I have no idea as never got round to checking, it feels as if the steering damper is wound quite tightly out the box. I personally always set steering dampers to the most open setting, i.e. least intrusive setting, as don?t like the way they slow the steering and personally am of the opinion that a well setup chasis shouldn?t require much augmentation via a starring damper. Turning the bars whilst stationary required more effort than I am used to, and whilst the turn in was singifcnlty quicker than my Gen 3, I do think if it was a like-for-like comparison I would have been more impressed.
With regard to the engine, I was impressed with it, but not blown away ?
I was expecting armageddon for the midrange, but in dynamic mode it just didn?t pull like I was expecting. I thought this would be the standout, takeaway impression of the bike ahead of time, but it never really wowed me, in that mode, at 30 degrees C, pre-run in. Having ridden the Gen 4 and the new XR, I get the feeling that the new Euro5 emission standard holds stock bikes back considerably these days. I am confident if one was to fit full system and have the fuelling sorted, there would be significant midrange torque and power gains to be had, and a lot of ?character? released too. That being said, I suspect that, like on the Gen 3, overly intrusive wheelie control may well be the culprit.
The other thing I was disappointed with, was the engine brake management. Naturally, the higher the engine speed, the greater the engine braking. In an engine with lighter internals, there is more engine braking. So I was expecting more engine braking than my Gen 3 in Race mode. However, in Dynamic there is very little when in the midrnage. I found myself having to touch the front brakes when hopping past cars in a line, something I rarely need to do on my Gen 3 RR. However, when you close the throttle on the Gen 4, and the revs drop, after a couple seconds it seems to increase the amount of engine braking on offer. It is as if the bikes fuelling/throttle bodies don?t fully close when you close the throttle, and then do after a couple seconds. It isn?t an issue, it?s just little strange, counterintuitive and not what I am accustomed to. I would expect a lot more engine braking in the road mode, and given the choice I would configure the Race Pro mode with maximum engine braking, as it?s so useful on road.
The brakes are absolutely fan-bloody-tastic. Whilst the Hayes callipers have had the weeping issue, the way they perform is faultless. The bike I test rode had a strong initial bite, a firm lever feel and ample power. On road, they are spot on and with the right pad and fluid I am sure they would be stellar on track.
The rear brake is unchanged from pervious generation RR?s, and it too is excellent. I have never understood how people can complain about the rear brake on these bikes, as it?s very progressive and has more than sufficient power. Really, very good indeed.
To conclude, I really enjoyed the bike as it is still very well judged for road use in terms of ergonomics, creature comforts and the smooth flexible engine character. It is a step forward in every respect, but it does go to show how much of a game changer the original S1000RR was.
Decisions decisions lol.
Hope this was helpful, or at the very least an enjoyable read.
Ride safe and have fun [emoji41]
Oli
