There is only 1 bad thing on the S1000RR: I DO NOT OWN ONE...

Give me your BMW s1000RR and you will not hear a single complaint about this bike.

20 SECOND SUMMARY: + Smooth, not japanese "honda" smooth + Frickin' fast - Bit of vibration starting at above 4000 rpm - Get's really really hot, even hotter than his old Ducati(s) - False neutrals (showing neutral but not really neutral) - Not really useful in low speed, hard to operate in city - 1st to 2nd in low speed is clunky - Difficult to get smooth down shift even with blip + Still happy about it He is driving on the Australian F1 GP track... which explains the ultra smooth surface :)

Fricken

S1000RR has unbalanced crank (check specs) that's where the SLIGHT vibrations come form @ certain revs, nothing of great concern especially in lower or I would call it crawling RPM range (4K RPM). Japanese bikes aren't much better! New ZX10R has them on higher rev range and this is a call for concerns especially when your fairings start to crack. It's a very slight trade off for superb performance. Gearbox is superb as well when you really ride the bike, not when the engine is just idling :-P Heat if any also disappears and the bike sits at comfortable 70-80deg C (all R1s cook in traffic and track). True, no one before you maybe talked about this because what is the point, you can't really expect to get probably the best performance bike to be the best town commuter. It's almost like saying that your Harley is a best cruiser but it's not good on the track and off-road - Daa!! On the other hand, I'm on my fourth S1000RR, HP4 now and except for track days and fast breakfast runs I do commute as well, but I never, never, never remember riding my bikes as slow as this ;-) It's a waste of a brilliant bike and secondly people commenting here mustn't get they hopes up and think that their bikes are better and faultless. I had many different bikes and tested even more and I could make a long lists of shortcomings for each one of them and often much more serious than this. Good video though and I hope you will find some good roads where you will really be able to appreciate how magnificent this bike really is :-P

Thanks for such an excellent review. Straight up, Honest and to the point... Very Envious over here in Éire...

Thanks for a great review Tom. You taught me things on the new model I did not know. When I had the one or two years prior model at Eastern Creek the downshift was awesome. I think it loves high rev downshifts not slow ones. I love your commentary that was "frickin" awesome. Thanks mate. Regards, Jim.

It shouldn't take that long to cover the bad things about the S1000RR.

Thanks mate, wished all reviews could be like that showing us both good and bad. Really nice vid

Excellent information that I've never heard of after watching like 20 reviews on this bike! Good deal

Hey man sick video and very envious of you living right by the F1 track!!! ;P As for the downshifting and bliping not being smooth its all related to your clutch. Either adjust the friction zone on it a bit and or ease it in a slightly. I found that helpful, I rode that bike for a weekend and over 100 miles. It helped! LMK if it works, sick bike and congrats; ride safe!

Wow, you said everything I wanted to say about the s1000rr. I too love mine, except the very little issues about the QS and vibration. Kudos for a very nice video.

I know you're excited about having the grand prix in Melbourne, but back in the 80s when they had the GP in Adelaide, that street circuit was incredible track! and FAST in bits too.

changing to racing oil for the engine will smooth the gearbox alot it did help me.

I love your videos Tom and I selfishly wish you'd upload them more often.

Thanks for the extra insight. Nice to know all the little shit before you get one and have to figure it out. Sick ass ride too on the F1 track. Hope you were able to go to the race.

thanks for the excellent review, great points brought up

You are spot on with your review mate, I had a Yellow one, the vibration, heat, downshifting, very small niggles really but they just got me down after a few Months of ownership with regular use, so I went back to the Honda CBR I know some will think that's just a crazy thing to do as the S1Krr is a brilliant bike no real massive debate, it was just these very small things, the vibration in particular took away my enjoyment of how good it is in the end. great colour choice mate.

subbed! Great video.. and congrats on the new 2015 s1000rr :)

Thanks for an honest review. Cool. Stay happy and be safe.

riding around with you is so much fun tom!

Thanks for the honest appraisal. I find the engine heat is the only negative I had. A couple of foam rubber pads to protect the knees fixed that. The downshift was fine once I adjusted the clutch bite point. My quick-shift has always been amazing even at low revs. Someone posted elsewhere that the dealer adjusted theirs.

I was expecting a 10 second video where you just say "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SUCKERS" then scream off into the hills.

This is cracking me up a bit, because you are talking with your hand(s) as you are riding. Unique take on a review, well done.

Hey mate, great video :). Good to hear some of the bad things.

The gear box gets smoother after breaking the bike in. Mine was like yours at first. Neutral was sometimes hard to find and it just didn't seem as smooth as it should be. After about 1000 miles though it felt like a much smoother tranny. I didn't have anymore neutral issues and the shifting seemed more crisp as well. Not sure about your downshifting issue though. Mine always preformed flawlessly. Oh and yes, the quick shifter was not designed for low speed use. It even states so in the manual. The shifter is meant for high rpm high speed use, when something like a clutch-less shift would actually be beneficial.

Still love that Beemer, Quirks are character, Thanks for the ride bro

Cool vid Tom, man I wish I lived in Melbourne with the F1 track on my doorstep like that :) regarding the quick shifter, have you tried letting off the throttle when you shift up at low revs? I clutchless shift on my CBR but I haven't tried an actual quickshifter yet, but I'm jus thinking if you let the load off manually at low revs it might make it smoother.

Hey Tom. Ive been into riding for about a year now and I have a dirt bike, but am curious what bike I should get. I have a Kawasaki KLX 140L. What motorcycle do you think it should get to start road riding. I am in intermediate self taught rider who likes anything with an engine, thanks.

Nice video Tom. What camera and mic are you using. It looks and sounds great. Enjoy that beautiful bike.

7:22 His impression of his bike is soooooo funny

Cool review .. I still feel the bike is amazing .. Love it's versatility ..

Best review I've seen and so good.. me and my misses are now disputing the next bike.

Thanks for this. You have spared me my paranoia that I have a problem. I've noticed many of the negatives. That said there are so many positives it really doesn't matter.

Thanks for the info mate. Hope you could solve the vibrate problem. Would like to hear more about the problems and solution for it

Thank you for an objective review on a great bike!

ive got a S1k too, and live in WA. i agree with generally everything you've said during the vid, though i don't have problems downshifting at all, nice and fluent, though i know the quickshifter hinders it a touch. the bike, in my opinion, is most comfortable in the race crouch. ive just got a full race akra system put on and... its just amazing. nice vid man, a different take on it for once

I will agree 100% about the heat and the vibration. I found on the one that I rode that if you went slower than 60mph it stayed about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Sucks for in city riding where my 07 gsxr 1000 would maybe hit 185 degrees. The vibration was crazy until about 6k rpm. Then it was really smooth. About the quick shifter. It's junk compared to a Bazzaz or Dyno Jet. And btw they are ment to be used under high engine torque. So basically you were ruining your transmission when you shifted at low rpm.

What do you want with this bike in a city?

I have motivation weighted bar ends and changed the grips - helped out a lot. If you change the mode to 'race' smooth downshifts are easier. I updated mine with an HP4 exhaust and factory ecu reflash - made a significant difference.

Very nice video. Great review and amazing scenery. Very well done

Hi mate , I love your bike. I have the 2010 model . I've seen all your vids and they're great. You asked a question about trying to get a smooth downshift from your gearbox. Well I had that problem too , but what you have to do is barely pull the clutch in on the down change and you'll get very smooth down shifts at almost any rpm . Just try that mate.

My Triumph Scrambler runs really hot as well. A real treat on those hot days and nice on cold day, would be great to ride in the winter to bad we get snow.

Agree with the down shift a bit of a clunk at times does not seem to matter if you blip the throttle or engine break, if bike was purchased new mine ran as rough as guts for the first few 1K's, then it smoothed out and is great now, the false neutral I get it all the time using the quick shift from 2nd to 3rd and some times while winding it out from 5th to 6th does not matter if riding hard or putting along just happens all the time. I use the quick shift all the time now.

thanx for this special ride

Probably you have problems on downshift because of one of those two: the height of the clutch isn't in your favour, or the "gap" into no-throttle and on-throttle is a bit much, try changing that.

With that HD cam, you had a very good reason to show us exactly how fast the bike is lol

Tom,how does this bike compare to the honda cbr 1000 rr you drove back in one of your older videos?

Great Vid and nice to see the track like that. Interesting comments about the S1000 but I'd still chop my leg off to have a go !

The reason for the downshift issues is because the s1000rr has an electronic throttle instead of a cable throttle which means there is a very slight delay in the throttle response. Takes some getting used to but I'm sure you will get used to it after a little longer on the bike

Hi Tom, any chance you could do a short video on the major differences you've noticed between going from your old bike to this one please? Reason I ask is I want to get one of these bikes, and I'm currently on a gsx650f sports tourer, so I'd appreciate your opinion on the major difference i might need to be aware of, some people for example have mentioned throttle management etc.. Thanks

I think the throttle blipping definitely depends on what power mode you have. Cause the torque curve and throttle position completely changes. So if you had it in rain mode and tried to blip then you would have to wrap the throttle a lot further. Thats my only guess. Cause on mine the difference between how much throttle you need on rain vs race is insanely noticable

Where and how do you attach your GoPro? The perspective is great! :-) Greets from the home country of BMW

nice honest review! I hope you will review the new 899 panigale

Keep up with the good vids man :)

No stock bike can keep up with a motherfucking f1 car.

Hey man where do you mount your GoPro? Like exactly, obviously it's on your helmet, but how do you get that perfect centre view? Mine would be hitting the tank lol

tom, would you be changing into a full exhaust??or will this be loud enough for people to know to are coming??i guess it a good safety tin also.. thnks!!

2.35, that place haunts me now

Tom for city commute the s1000rr or fireblade? Also did you find a fix for the heat?

good review, nice to hear something more honest but not bashing. I found the quickshifter on the daytona 675R sucks at low revs and especially between 1-2, its just the nature of the best, its also hard to quickshift an older bike in those circumstances too. In my experience anyway...

awesome, looking forward to more vids on the s1000rr :)

what type of mic are you using? sounds very clear.. *link please* Looks like u have it chest mounted.. correct?

Thanks for the vid. How did you get on with the bar weights?

What you said about the bars vibrating at 3-4k rpm was my biggest problem with the S1000R when i tested it a few weeks ago. Cruising at slowish speeds to get to fun roads i got pins and needles in my fingers from the vibration. Wonder how much diff the bar ends make.

If you're not using the clutch while downshifting, try pulling it almost to the stop. I noticed that I have to pull the clutch a lot if I am to downshift smoothly. It's still happens almost instantaneously but I pull the clutch almost, if not, to the stop. A little getting used to and you'll be butter smooth.

how did you find the effect of the weighted bar-ends on the vibration? i feel the same vibrations on my S1000R.

do you have the same downshift problem in race mode? I'm wondering if it's the throttle response setting, I get nice crisp downshifts in race mode on my duc, but sport mode and rain mode soften the throttle response and I can't get a good blip like I can in race mode.

Hey, have you ever read about not revving it in N? Or was that only something in my Kawi 250 manual?

Good honest review helpful.

What year is that? Thanks :)

Hello.. I have a first yr bmw s1000rr ( 2010 ) and have felt the vibration myself.. I did find going into first gear a little harsh from a stop, The upshift's have always been smooth and going into neural have never been a issue. I will even down shift without the clutch with the rt rpm's... The thing I did not like was the bar position but with a set of riser bar's and triple clamp now it is awesome...

@RidingWithTom what kind of camera mount do you use?

Have you considered frame covers to help with the heat?

3:31 HEAT ISSUE: Does the "unbearably hot" issue get better of worse the faster you go? Crusing at 130km/h on the highway with high air-flow versus city riding/slow traffic? In summer or what season? Is hot air blowing on your ankles, foot pegs.

was the slip on an upgrade from bmw, do you have the standard muffler ?

Did you buy it brand new or used?

I have the same issue with my r6. I find if I try to rev match and downshift when the rims are low, (4-5k) the throttle isn't as responsive and it's hard to blip. When the rpms are higher the downshifts are much smoother

Thanks for the movie I already bought one of those :) Before i have wached ur videos! :) Nice to see, some people making good movies about bikes. Thanks! :) Happy Owner.

everything correcto - just like to add the angle of the seat keeps giving me wedgies when I ride it with jeans and armpump and wrist pain... but everyone keeps saying how comfortable it is :D

My downshifts cleaned up a lot after about 1500 miles. I was feeling a clonking in the clutch lever during almost every downshift. Also, it takes much less of a blip than on any other bike I've ever risen. Not much of an rpm difference through the gears at lower revs.

Everything you said is so true. Downshifts are very clunky no where near as smooth as my r1. But it's smoother than my R1 In a different way

I really liked the video. I ride a Sv650s 03' and never ridden an other bike though I enjoy informing myself about them. And in my opinion the BMW S1000RR is a really sharp tool made preferably for the track - its a superbike. It's hard to make it as nearly as comfortable as it is for any other purpose and yet it performs really well overall. So, yea, no other bike is as perfect as it is. Why would you quickshift at 2k rpm?

We all know how to get into your phone if we can catch your bmw now: 6:02

Everything you said is accurate and like you said nothing too major. Heat is true but the cbr1k gets really hot on the seat. I rather be hot on the legs. Vibration is definitely there. Shifter is a little pain sometimes. The bike is great and like you said the transmission is weird. It is the weakest to this bike. Maybe if they put a Honda transmission. Lol

this video was uploded 4 days after the f1 gp. Was the video filmed befor that?

Hi tom, how long did it take to ship you that bike? Thanks

loving the skrr my buddy just picked one up and after riding it a few times i think i have to have one.

have a 2010 model , still goes like a champ never a problem, collecting a 2017 model on monday:)

Man throttle vibration is such a main concern for me. My 08 Ninja ZX10R had hellacious vibration and was the main point in me selling it, after 5 minutes i wanted off. I will not have another bike that vibrates so bad it don't wanna ride it. So i guess something i need to consider in my bike purchase here in a couple weeks. So either buy the 2014 Beemer and find something to help with the throttle vibration or buy a 2014 Blade possibly an SP model..which would u guys pick?

Miss the 636 at all? I'm thinking about getting one.

I have the same gloves, love em!

Thank you so much for your in formations as i was wondering why the ppl selling their s1000rr after a short time, i knew something wrong but no one was telling me why? like the vibrations and the heat of the engine, its very obvious now. Thanks you again

hey man bout the engineheat , here in holland (next to Germany ) its a bit colder , and the engine heat is only bad in summer , on any bike when yr in traffic . i lived in Adelaide , and i mean isnt any bike too hot in summer there ? wouldnt wanna wear leaders there anyway innit

How tall are you how dose it fit you. I sat on it im just 5.7 or 170 cm but it feelt big

Also the really small movement for the indicators takes a bit of time to get used to.

What are those 2 red things on either side of the ignition?

Hello, official BMW service take to repair this bike?

Its insane to think they use an F1 race track as a public road, haha I love it. Wonder if they will do it with silverstone here in the uk ;-)

RidingWithTom did ur s1000rr ever stall when u come to a stop?