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S1000r First Ride

Discussion in 'Other Bikes' started by bradders, Oct 21, 2018.

  1. Managed to actually get out today, 100 miles or so down top Steel Horse outside Abergavenny (nice little place, worth a visit for coffee).

    First thoughts:
    Wow its different to the multi, cant believe how different. Not a great deal of comfort to start with, pegs are quite high, lots of weight thru the shoulders. Got better as I adjusted and sat as if on a sports bike.

    But very light, so easy to steer and change direction, so much so I kept hugging inside not outside of corners as its too easy to turn at the speed I was going. Compared to the multi, its like switching from a Hercules to a spitfire (or at least, what I imagine it to be like ;) ). I reckon if ridden with nobody weight hitting around this thing will cut thru turns so easily. But will need more speed to make sense...Harder to ride fast off the bat IMHO, and will take some getting used to.

    The higher screen I put on made 80mph cruise easy, as is the cruise control. In fact all the controls are easy and uncluttered, given it has so much tech.

    Ride is very sports bike too. The multi really is the best thing out there for bumpy roads, and BMW version of skyhook as its flitted to this bike is miles apart (not started playing with settings yet but there don’t seem many). I’m going to have to start avoiding potholes and shitty bits of road again...!

    6th pulls from anywhere, and it feels like it needs 9 gears! 6k revs and sounds like its about to explode into a power band...but it has 6k left to go! But is spins so quickly, when I did have a bit of a red light drag, it was hitting the 9500 limiter in what seemed a blink of an eye in every gear.

    It seems to prefer QS change than regular clutchless, and boy is it smooth! It’s like riding semi-auto bike. Blipper downshifts, didn’t use much and didn’t seem to like lower speed shifts. But clutched down shift is crap! Clunky, snatchy at the clutch lever. Boy it pulses.

    Managed to get a bit more into it coming back, not ridden for months and kit tighter than it should be...and reckon its is going to be a weapon when I get on track!!

    Suspect a second bike may be needed for soft, comfy days, and either a big scoot or a scrambler type thing could fit the bill.

    Jury out still....need to ride it with others I know ride at a decent pace to really experience what it has!

    Now washed, polished & ACF 50’d

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  2. You still got chicken strips!!;) was it damp roads?:D
     
  3. Ha as it happens, yes ;)

    Slightly less on the way back..you know me..I like to take it easy :upyeah:
     
  4. Bradders you don't sound too impressed?...
     
  5. It shifts, for sure, but so different to my last tow bikes (both multi) it will take some time.

    If I’d have test ridden I probably would have had a goi on the XR and maybe bought that. But then I’m not really changing, and I fancied a change
     
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  6. They're a very impressive bike and I really liked mine, intrigued to try the 2nd Gen
     
  7. were sort some track days out next year mate @bradders
     
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  8. Donny? 21st March? No Limits £139.
     
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  9. 6k plus 6k equals 12k but the limiter is at 9,500??
     
  10. Until it's run in.
     
  11. Your write up bradders reminds me of the choice problem I had when choosing a gixxa and I suspect a few pani owners will have had too. I had the choice between the 1000 or the 750 and after testing both I found the 750 an all round far better road bike and the 1000 was more of a track bike.

    That maybe more down to my ability, or lack of, but some bikes seem to need to be ragged to get the best from them, so much so that they simply are just not best suited to the road and the restrictions that the roads offer
     
  12. Aha
     
  13. Next time you go out take a spanner and socket with you to adjust suspension, your a bigger bloke like me so with the engine running wind both front and rear all the way in, then start backing them off, my setting is approx 6 turns out, the difference is incredible, I can now go down B roads, also try switching between rider and pillion modes to give the rear more preload. I never use my clutch now as the blipper just works as it should, keep trying to shift to 7th tho.
     
  14. Until first service. Then they move limiter out
     
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  15. Assume you mean for front preload ala multi?

    It’s mad at 6k, sounds like it’s gonna break.

    Miss the torque too, and found myself having to brake in villages rather than just down a gear and roll off.
     
  16. Yes mate front and rear, 19mm spanner for the front as the tool they supply in the tool kit does not fit as the handlebars are in the way, obviously deigned for the rr, put a bit of tape in the end of the spanner to stop it marking the plastic adjuster and then a 13mm (i think) socket for the and small extension for the rear, i had to wind both the adjusters all the way in to get within the sag range as per the manual, but it was way to hard so backed off 6 turns front and rear, different bike now, but remember it must be adjusted with the engine running. IL4 takes a bit of getting used to after years of twins but loving it now and dreading getting back on a Ducati if i am honest, i have sorn the 1299 and Multi so it will be spring next year before i get back on a Ducati and i am sure it will take me a while to get used to them again as the bm is just so easy to ride, i do need to try the comfort seat as it gets a bit uncomfortable after a few hours.
     
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  17. Its shoulders for me. Need to sort the riding portion, as its quite sore already after 100 mile round trip.
     
  18. Just ride it more. You will adapt...
     
  19. Doesn’t sound exciting. When are you selling? Bikes are heart, not head.
     
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  20. LOL i'll give it a decent go first....or wife will murder me!
     
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