Whenever I have gone riding at The Creek in the last ten years, I keep asking myself: “What the Hell am I doing here?”, while making a concerted effort to keep the turtle from touching cloth, as it were. It’s a juggling act, for sure.
Let me explain. I’m a year off being 65. I’m a bit busted up. Most life-long riders are at this age. I’m better off than most, so there’s that. But, let’s be honest, I’m no longer even vaguely interested in setting lap records.
The Creek is crazy strange and beaut in the dark.Which is exactly why I am the correct bloke to lever onto BMW’s 2025 S1000RR, and pull the trigger. Because nowhere in all that intro shit did I say anything about not loving to go fast. Because I still really, really, really dig doing that.
And if you want to go fast, you will not find anything on two wheels that does going fast better than the S1000RR. It is fast incarnate. With a stiffie.
Also, there’s no better place for going fast than a racetrack. Ask anyone who is addicted to track-days. All the joy of shit-your-pants quick, without any of the pressure of actually racing – which is, of course, always the next step.
Just pull the trigger. It’s loaded.Anyway, this brings me to what I was doing at Eastern Creek on what was the last warm night Sydney was gonna have for a few months. I was there to essay the new BMW S1000 RR in all its four variants – the base S1000 RR, the S1000 RR Sport, the S1000 RR Race, and the S1000 RR M Sport.
This graphic saves me writing all that.And when I say “essay”, what I mean is to go as fast I possibly dare without wrecking the bike, intriguing the bone-surgeon, and disappointing my wife. And let’s face it, no normal rider is “testing” any of these S1000 RRs. The days when even skilled reviewers could push a sportsbike to its limits, thus “testing” it, are long, long, long gone. They are so far beyond us in terms of bike ability versus rider ability, it’s not even funny.
But that does not mean you should run away from them whimpering in fear. Do not do that. For while the new BMW S1000 RR is the very definition of “superbike”, and is designed precisely to hammer around racetracks, it’s loaded with so many standard features and mind-numbing electronics, it’s so refined and sophisticated, all you can do is wonder how much better a bike can actually get.
“Sorry, can’t hold your hand…busy…”I said that about last year’s S1000 RR. I have to say it again for this year’s S1000 RR. Last year’s weapon, already razor-edged, beautifully balanced, and purpose-perfect, has nonetheless been honed and polished just a little bit more.
I feel the Scott Redding helmet didn’t make me any faster. Very disappointed.Did I notice a difference. Surprisingly, yes. And even more surprisingly, it had to do with the new aero. Yes, I know. I read the screeching on Social Media all the time. “Bloody aero. It’s got no business on a bike normal people ride. It’s just a wank.”
I can accurately predict that screeching is coming from people who have never hate-opened the throttle on a 210hp superbike while coming out of Turn 12 in third gear.
Just so you know, then...So I did that a few times, and sure enough, the 2025 S1000RR did not, upon the instant, make an effort to hoik its front wheel into the air and scare the living piss out of me. I was so pleased with this, I changed up and kept it in fourth all the way down the straight. I saw speedo numbers that started with two, shifted to fifth, backed off and sailed around Turn One with my mouth dry, my eyes wide open, and a song in my heart.
BMW has ensured this year’s aero is significantly more serious than last year’s aero. Thirty-seven per cent more serious. The 2024 S1000RR generated 4.3kg of downforce at 150km/h. This year’s model offers 5.9kg at that speed. At 250km/h, last year’s pushed the front down with 11.9kg. This year’s provides 16.03kg.
The M.Is this important? If you’re going fast, absolutely. The rest of the time it just sits there looking cool and upsetting people on Facebook.
I ain’t no great shakes on a bike. But the S1000RR doesn’t care about that. It’s good and happy with whatever dumb input I’m feeding it. That’s how sophisticated its electronics package is. You wanna be a foaming, red-eyed psychopath chasing a lap record? No problem. It’s eager to oblige. You wanna be the wrong side of sixty, a bit busted, and just keen to keep your oar in the water, so to speak? Very cool. It’s got you. Computer science, bitches.
So what else is different on this year’s iteration? The Pro riding mode is now standard on even the base model. The throttle action has been reduced to 58 degrees, from somewhere over 70 degrees. It means you can jam it to the stop faster. But that rotational reduction is also utterly unnoticeable in terms of how it vomits petrol into its bang-chambers. You’d have thought this might have made the throttle-response a bit…well, abrupt. Nope. Smooth as.
I’ll have that elbow down in another life.And then there’s the whole new front guard with ducts that shoot air at your Brembos. Just like on the serious grown-up bikes.
So, the new S1000 RR is even more of a track-weapon. It’s been polished and sharpened and improved in significant ways. But, and this is important, this has happened in ways that have not made it harder-edged on the road. Which is very important, I would think. It’s all well and good building a bike that slays at racetracks. But if that bike also has to be street-registered and used to commute or go for a scratch on the weekends, then it has to work in that sphere as well. Just stick it in Road mode, pilgrim. Or customise one of the other maps to suit your specific mental condition.
I came away from the evening at Sydney Motorsport Park, pleasantly weary, but very pleased with myself and indeed the S1000 RR. Here was a bike I really had no business riding, certainly not as speed around a racetrack. But I kinda did, because I wanted to. And I was able to do so very easily and confidently, and in surprising comfort.
Depending on which variant you decide on, will dictate what tyres get fitted as standard.I had one other thought as I made my way home in the dark. I was thinking people would certainly want to compare the S1000RR to the Panigale V4. This made me smile, because that is an easy comparo to make, despite the wincing it will cause.
People who seriously want to go seriously fast will buy an S1000RR. People who want other people to think they go seriously fast will buy a Panigale. You will see one parked in pit garages. You will see the other parked outside cafes. One of them will burn your right leg with its insane exhaust positioning, while chucking you at the horizon with mad ferocity. The other will just rip your soul out with insane acceleration and throw you at the horizon without scorching your leg-meat.
BMW Motorrad General Manager, Steve, wondering who these two grinning fools are staring at his bikes.If I was rich, I would buy both. The red one is simply gorgeous and crazy and is all about making a statement while standing still. The other? It makes its statements on the field of battle. If you can’t buy both, you just have to decide which statement means more to you.
PS – BMW sent me an S1000RR Sport (ride-away $31,711.68) a day before Rainmageddon set in. All I have been doing lately is staring at it as it sits in my garage, all black and hateful. Best it stop raining soon, or I am gonna go out and get it dirty…
