afterburn
Modding Mechanic
People have been asking for a report on my new (to me) BMW R1100S. I have the bike for 2 weeks now, and done a few hundred miles so far, so I guess I can give my initial impressions on the bike.
First of all, it is light. At 209kg dry weight it is significantly lighter than the FJR, and its low CG boxer engine makes it feel even lighter. Even though the FJR is pretty good at hiding its weight when rolling, the S feels lighter. Seating position is obviously sporty. It is not as sporty as modern sportsbike, but being used to the FJR it is pretty extreme.
Handling is excellent. It is very easy to flick it around left to right, and the bike seems to be exempt from any understeer behaviour regardless of speed. In long fast turns, the FJR required force to keep on the chosen line even with the raised rear I had. Not so with the S. It seems to ask you 'Is this as fast as you can go?' instead. The torque of the engine allows you to power out of turns from low rpm and it is powerful enough to do powerslides should you want to.
The front Telelever suspension system really is special. The lack of dive under braking is amazing, as is the amount of control under braking. You can brake into a turn unbelievably long and the bike just responds to inputs as it would without brakes. Really fun when you want to outbrake someone for a turn. Downside of the Telelever system is less feel from the front tire compared to a conventional fork. You need to learn to trust your front tire.
The brakes are awesome. The lever is hard and doesn't require a lot of force and there is good feel. Two finger braking is no problem. Mind you, I have the non-ABS version so no partial integral servo assisted brakes here. These are just straight conventional stainless steel lines going down to two big 4-caliper Brembo pots. The rear brake is just typical sportsbike: crap. Little feel, little braking and easy locking.
The engine is smooth in its powerdelivery, but there are vibrations. Especially above 5000rpm they are noticeable. Not annoyingly so in my opinion, but very much present. The longitudinal design of the boxer motor does give some reaction to abrupt load changes, though it is not as pronounced as the old airheads used to be. Opening the throttle mid turn does not make you feel the bike is falling over or standing up, but aggressively downshifting and hard engine braking will give you some suprises. The aircooled motor is very quiet. Transmission is quiet and precise, and I dare say better than the FJR. A small clunk shifting to 1st gear, but barely audible compared to the noise my FJR made when putting it in gear.
In all, it is a very nice bike and I love riding it. It fits my riding style better than the FJR does and it invites you to ride it hard. The bike is alive and it talks to you, which is a world of difference compared to the turbine FJR. I don't like using the word 'character' as it is too often used to cover up bad things and design faults of a bike, but the S has soul and lots of it. I don't think this is a bike anyone will like, the motor is too present for that. But if you do, and I do, I think it is a bike that is very rewarding to its rider.
First of all, it is light. At 209kg dry weight it is significantly lighter than the FJR, and its low CG boxer engine makes it feel even lighter. Even though the FJR is pretty good at hiding its weight when rolling, the S feels lighter. Seating position is obviously sporty. It is not as sporty as modern sportsbike, but being used to the FJR it is pretty extreme.
Handling is excellent. It is very easy to flick it around left to right, and the bike seems to be exempt from any understeer behaviour regardless of speed. In long fast turns, the FJR required force to keep on the chosen line even with the raised rear I had. Not so with the S. It seems to ask you 'Is this as fast as you can go?' instead. The torque of the engine allows you to power out of turns from low rpm and it is powerful enough to do powerslides should you want to.
The front Telelever suspension system really is special. The lack of dive under braking is amazing, as is the amount of control under braking. You can brake into a turn unbelievably long and the bike just responds to inputs as it would without brakes. Really fun when you want to outbrake someone for a turn. Downside of the Telelever system is less feel from the front tire compared to a conventional fork. You need to learn to trust your front tire.
The brakes are awesome. The lever is hard and doesn't require a lot of force and there is good feel. Two finger braking is no problem. Mind you, I have the non-ABS version so no partial integral servo assisted brakes here. These are just straight conventional stainless steel lines going down to two big 4-caliper Brembo pots. The rear brake is just typical sportsbike: crap. Little feel, little braking and easy locking.
The engine is smooth in its powerdelivery, but there are vibrations. Especially above 5000rpm they are noticeable. Not annoyingly so in my opinion, but very much present. The longitudinal design of the boxer motor does give some reaction to abrupt load changes, though it is not as pronounced as the old airheads used to be. Opening the throttle mid turn does not make you feel the bike is falling over or standing up, but aggressively downshifting and hard engine braking will give you some suprises. The aircooled motor is very quiet. Transmission is quiet and precise, and I dare say better than the FJR. A small clunk shifting to 1st gear, but barely audible compared to the noise my FJR made when putting it in gear.
In all, it is a very nice bike and I love riding it. It fits my riding style better than the FJR does and it invites you to ride it hard. The bike is alive and it talks to you, which is a world of difference compared to the turbine FJR. I don't like using the word 'character' as it is too often used to cover up bad things and design faults of a bike, but the S has soul and lots of it. I don't think this is a bike anyone will like, the motor is too present for that. But if you do, and I do, I think it is a bike that is very rewarding to its rider.
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