| 11.25.2009 | S1000RR Production Debut BMW Super Bike In Portugal – The Euro Debut Of The Street Bike By Nate Kern Since November of 2008 the door slowly opened for me to learn about the S1000RR, and from then on it has been a historic new chapter in my life. It began with the daily thought of "man, this may be my last season on the Boxers I love." Every one of the 6 weekends I raced the Boxers this season, I went faster than ever before. If only I could have ridden with that in mind last season! At first I wondered how 2009 would play out; there were already thoughts about other things I might want to do with my life. My cup is pretty full, considering I never knew there was a cup to fill regarding racing and making a living at it. Doors just keep opening for me in the BMW road racing world, and as you know, I’m very much into it! When it’s finally time to race there’s a fire and passion that I cannot fathom until the flag drops, and then it’s on. Any other time I am really enjoying seeing people learn (and break bad habits) while riding with me at track days. The PR and marketing campaign with The RR has been a wild one. June 1st until about 6 days ago I drove 44,200 miles showing The RR. Man, that BMW X5 is about the sweetest SUV I could ever imagine! The first RR delivered was considered PP1 (pre-production one). The molds on the bodywork were not the final finish, the weld around the gas cap rather big, and the water pump finish was from WW2. The bike came with zero DTC and ABS. The Modes were non-existent too. It was just straight motor and chassis. I could not believe how well the first slip of the clutch felt. Turning onto hot pit at New Jersey Motorsports Park and cresting the hill into turn 1, the power was very predictable and instantly she wanted to spin up. Very romantic, I have to say, when the contact patch decides to lose traction! The chassis flex and the rigid swing arm combine for a forgiving feel that is very controllable. To be able to change lines and keep it spun up with control is the best feeling imaginable! The Sachs suspension is well-suited for even the fastest track day riders. So acute are the adjusters that anyone can feel a difference with each of the ten easy clicks. Massive Brembo monoblock brakes are strong, but thankfully the 46mm baseball bats they decided to use on the fork can handle the stopping power! Nate and Mini Cooper at Portimao for the Euro release of the street bike. Effortlessly you can pass anything on the track. Go ahead, laugh and sit back, and snicker at that comment. I’m talking about track days I have attended. Not until yesterday while testing parts for BMW at Portimao have I had a chance to ride against full-on “built” race bikes. Back to that in a minute; if you were here you would not be able to stop laughing. After PP1 came the second RR, PP2. This had a much cleaner weld around the gas cap, water pump was better, and finally had the Modes for different throttle responses. So tame and smooth was this 181 RWHP "M" class on two wheels. Without DTC you still have little chance of spinning the tire in "RAIN" mode. "RAIN" mode will allow anyone to ride the most powerful stock litre bike ever built. It’s just like cheating! It’s amazing in any weather condition. Remember, this is still without DTC. 150 crank HP in Rain, but you would never be able to tell, it’s so soft and muted, but still allows you to get going. Now that I’ve been invited to Portimao in Portugal to test and ride for 2 weeks on the final production bike, it is almost too much to digest just how much more this bike can do for any rider. Once you ride it, you will see. Each and every journalist I rode with looked at me and shook their heads with the biggest smile I have ever seen on a human face! Do you hear what I’m saying here? The lean angle sensors make this bike even more rideable than the first two aspects (chassis and mapping). Here it is; pay attention: LEAN ANGLES that DTC unobtrusively kicks in: RAIN: 38 degrees, SPORT: 45 degrees, RACE: 48 degrees, SLICK: 53 degrees. What does that mean? Plain and simple, "PIN THAT THROTTLE"; once at the predetermined lean angle (you will have to shut one eye during the process, but trust me please!). It is so hilarious and you cannot stop smiling as any rider can finally feel like a pro! So, you have mapping in each mode that only allows a percentage of power to be applied, thus already keeping you safe regardless the lack of smoothness a rider may have. You can flat out pin the throttle and watch the DTC light up on the dash and you feel such a tame and very muted feeling of power loss, but nothing that will upset even one millimeter on the chassis or suspension. There is nothing intrusive about DTC. It’s as smooth as wet glass. Once above the determined lean angle that DTC works, it’s back to that originally smooth chassis that gives so much feel while laying the power down. BMW did it! DTC also has what so many call “wheelie control”, but It’s NOT wheelie control: It is Dynamic Traction Control! DTC works by sensing front and rear wheel speeds. Each mode has its own level of input as to how much it allows the front wheel to come off the ground. RAIN mode - barely at all, if you can even get it to come up. SPORT mode - a little bit, sits down and keeps you accelerating hard. RACE mode - maybe a good 3 feet and for a bit longer, then cuts in and smoothly sets down on its own. Then comes SLICK mode - only for 5 seconds maximum. Turn DTC off in any mode and you can have the forgiveness of the throttle mapping, but you can wheelie as much as you want. SPORT mode is where the majority of these bikes will be ridden on the road. RACE mode has the 1:1 throttle ratio, but the 48 degree lean angle sensor that actuates the DTC for a brief moment, allowing you to drive hard off of corners on initial throttle pick up (then be ready to counter steer like you have a rudder at the rear!) SLICK mode can be accessed through an adapter plugged in under the seat. Still a 1:1 throttle response, but a very strong and unleashed throttle opening that you can just hang onto, but still with a high level of control. There is no point when even pushing hard in SLICK mode with DTC off, did the bike react violently or unhappily. I had a big moment testing an RR that had over 70 laps on Metzeler Racetec road tires, not race tires. These had been thrashed for two straight days. Now it was time to see how quickly the bike can be recovered from a massive almost full lock slide. My ass was eating the seat, but I was still on two wheels, and heading down the big drop onto the front straight. Awesome! Oh yeah, I will finish my earlier thought. Thursday about mid-day there were a few trucks unloading bikes. These bike were coming off the trucks with full race plastics, number plates, and in every brand available, from hyper 600's to all of the liter class bikes sold, including the new RSV4 Aprilia. They were there for a race weekend. At dinner Thursday evening, I was asked to join the a test being held the next day, during the race practice, on our straight Production S1000RR's with full-on road tires (the same ones that are supplied stock on the RR for the customer (K3's). There is an A, B, C, and D group - the last being the fastest. Out of 80 bikes the 4 of us testing were in the top 6 fastest and Fuchs had the fastest time of everyone, on an S1000RR street bike! I was 4th fastest out of everyone and 2nd of the 4 RR’s. Many people think I should be shot out of a cannon getting out of the time capsule I have been in while racing Boxers. I am fighting hard to change what is the most difficult, the riding style. I now have a shorter wheelbase, conventional forks, and tons of ground clearance. To be good at both, no problem, but to be great is what everyone wants. Jurgen Fuchs is an amazing rider. He has helped me improve my lap times in just a day. I have all next week too. I have to start pushing the bike down right at the apex of decreasing radius turns to get it to carve hard the way it can. Instead of leveling off at a certain lean angle and running a hair wide like we do with the Boxer. You don’t need as much corner speed as you do on the Boxer. Stay tuned for more soon! N8! |
| 11.18.2008 | BMW Motorcycle Rider Training at the BMW Performance Center Riding a BMW motorcycle makes everyone a better rider because the machine is so supremely capable. But when coupled with a rider who is equally as capable, the entire two-wheeled experience becomes light years more rewarding. And now there's a way for every BMW owner to amp up their skills and maximize their riding potential like never before. That's because for the first time ever, official BMW Motorrad rider training is now available in the U.S. at the BMW Performance Center in South Carolina, near BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC, the birth place of the BMW X5 SAV in Spartanburg. It's also only four hours away from Deal's Gap, one of the most stunning riding locations in the United States. The BMW Performance Center will be offering one day and two day riding instruction for both on and off-road. If you don't have a BMW motorcycle, it's no problem; you can just rent one at the Performance Center. Whether you're an off-road rider, love to tour, or are more sport-bike oriented, the drills and instruction you'll receive at the Performance Center will bring your riding skills and confidence to a whole new level. After taking these classes, riders will acquire the practical and technical skills to make every ride safer and more enjoyable than ever before. It should be noted that these courses are recommended those with intermediate riding experience. Here's how it works: choose whatever discipline you prefer, road or off-road, and take a one day class. Or choose both road and off-road and do them both in a two day on and off-road class. Our off-road program is patterned after the curriculum at the BMW Enduro Park In Hechlingen, Germany, and involves a variety of drills and exercises, ranging from basic bike set up and body position, throttle and clutch control, to braking and cornering. After that, riders will then hit the trail with a BMW-certified instructor. If off-road isn't your thing, you can go for the on-road instruction, which stresses the same sort of control and finesse, only on the pavement. The on-road course also involves some dual-sport drills which will help every street rider handle the section of gravel or unpaved road that inevitably occurs on a ride. The techniques and maneuvers that students learn during these classes are invaluable, and will make everyone a more safer, skilled, and competent rider. After these classes, there will be no road you cannot conquer as you will possess knowledge and abilities that can be put to use everywhere you ride, whether it's on the trail, the race track, or just racing around town. Call the BMW Performance Center for more information and a full schedule of available classes: 1-888-345-4269 |
| 10.22.2008 | Study: Antilock brakes trim fatal motorcycle crashes By KEN THOMAS Associated Press October 22, 2008 WASHINGTON (AP) — Antilock brakes could help motorcycle riders avoid fatal crashes, according to a study by the insurance industry. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Wednesday that the fatal crash rate involving motorcycles equipped with optional antilock brakes, or ABS, was 38 percent lower than the rate involving similar motorcycles without the systems. Antilock brakes, like their counterparts on cars and trucks, help motorcycle riders stop their bikes abruptly without locking up the wheels or fishtailing. The system evaluates the brake pressure multiple times per second, allowing motorcycle riders to fully brake both wheels in an emergency situation and avoid hitting the pavement. Antilocks are more typically found on touring bikes and have been available on a limited number of motorcycles since BMW AG introduced ABS on the K100 in 1988. "Even though adding antilocks won't make motorcycling as safe as going by car, it's something manufacturers can do to reduce the risk of traveling on two wheels instead of four," said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Rob Dingman, president and CEO of the American Motorcyclist Association, said the study shows the potential of antilock brakes, but it also underscores the need for a "long-overdue" federal study of the causes of motorcycle crashes. "Our members would welcome an ABS option on more models, but there must be a broader strategy to reduce motorcycle accidents and fatalities that includes increased education and motorist awareness," Dingman said. Safety officials have been concerned about a steady rise in motorcycle deaths. More than 5,100 motorcyclists died in 2007, compared with 2,294 fatalities in 1998. The deaths have climbed as vehicle miles traveled have grown by more than 20 percent during the period and motorcycle registrations have surpassed 6 million, compared with 3.8 million in 1998. In the report, researchers studied eight motorcycles that offer antilock brakes as an option. They found there were 6.6 fatal crashes per 10,000 registered motorcycles without antilocks in 2005-2006. The rate for the same bikes equipped with antilocks was 4.1, or 38 percent lower, during the same period. In a second study, the IIHS found that antilock brakes appeared to reduce collision claims — insurance losses were 21 percent lower for motorcycles with antilock brakes compared with similar motorcycles without the equipment. The findings were based on a data set of 72,000 insured years of 2003-2007 model year Honda, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha bikes. IIHS said antilocks were standard or optional equipment on about 40 motorcycles from the 2008 model year; top manufacturers include BMW, Harley-Davidson Inc., and Honda Motor Co. ABS typically adds about $1,000 or more to the cost of a motorcycle. Ty van Hooydonk, the Motorcycle Industry Council's director of product communications, said ABS can be effective for some riders but it depends on factors such as road conditions, skill level and the type of riding involved. "For a number of experienced enthusiasts out there, they're able to stop with a non-ABS motorcycle quicker than they are with an ABS-equipped motorcycle," van Hooydonk said. "It's all very situational." Ray Zimmerman, executive director of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, said ABS could be very valuable when trying to bring a bike to a stop on slick and icy roads. Zimmerman, of Ellisville, Mo., said he has been riding motorcycles for more than four decades and logged nearly 250,000 miles on BMW motorcycles. His ABS system has come in handy on two occasions, and he's glad he had it. "You keep a bike from swerving out of control one time, and it's worth (it)," he said. On the Net: * Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: http://www.iihs.org |
