Rode BMW S1000RR at Keith Code School: Barber

[CAlexio]

Had an exceptional experience at Barber motorsports riding the bmw s1000rr at the keith code school. Main highlights:

-incredible track, good elevation changes, blind turns, that I learned to attack more confidently throughout the day until I was powering over a blind right hander hill (turn 3-4) leaned over hard during the last session... epic feeling!
-the bike was simply astounding. I had never ridden anything that powerful, and as we progressed throughout the day we went from rain to sport setting (never tried race or slick mode). The traction control, electronic shifter, slipper clutch and ABS combine to give an utterly stable and intoxicatingly fast ride. If I had ridden like such a lunatic on my 749R, even at slower speeds I would have surely flipped the thing. Having said that, I would never buy one, too fast, no soul, ugly, IMO.
-the experience of upshifting a 190hp bike to redline (to 5th was as high as I got) with an automatic shifter and TC keeping me straight... was the greatest acceleration I had every experienced. M-EFFER that was awesome.
-great instructors/class sessions (did I mention the bikes?)/... overall great day.
-probably the greatest fun was towards the end of the day, integrating everything I had learned, and starting to pass people all over the place. For a few minutes there, I almost felt like I was in WSBK...ok, WERA, but still... biggest adrenaline rush of my life.

PS. one thing i feel badly about, was when during 3rd session, I handed over the bike to the guy in the other session with whom I shared #11, I joked with him that the bike had been telling me he was riding her too slow. He looked at me like he didn't get the joke, and promptly proceeded her to flip our bike (#11) end over end exiting turn 2. (pic attached, with my silly mug trying to look sad about the whole thing)

[metalhead]

Glad you had fun. Nice write up.


Now, what the hell kinda move is that? Is that that finger to the mouth move in those Michael myers movies? I don't remember the name.



Just fraggin. I did like the write up though. I wish I was 30, No kids, no wife, and all the Goddam money in the world.










Ass.

[CAlexio]

Dr Evil is who you are thinking of... ha!


the day was only $490!!!!!!! it was subsidized by BMW I think to get people to ride their bikes and then want to buy them. It's a good effort, and you can't have a track day with instruction from keith code/food/free bike (tires/gas/maintenance etc) for that price anywhere.

Look around as they have other dates available... deal of a lifetime if you ask me.

[DuckMan]

Damn, that must have been a killer experience. When I did the Code school way back when to get my WERA license we only got to ride GPZ550S! But, what the hay, in photo #7, are those chicken strips I see?

[John]

Nice write up. But I've wondered whos left holding the bag if you throw down one of those bikes? Glad you didn't like the looks of the bike, I had another chance to look at one close, its kind of cheap feeling and looking. I think my 999R has a superior build quality over it. I don't feel the same about the RSV4 however, what a machine that is and I would love to twist the throttle on it. Glad you had a great time.

[CAlexio]

it was $1500 if you crashed the bike... pre-deposited on your C.card. Compared to crashing your own bike... that also was a total steal.

[Mospeada]

Most of the time, student riders never go Full Tilt. 'Cause.....it's not their bike! I've seen hundreds of students go so-so on the school bikes, get bettter, get faster, get more comfortable, and once on their own bikes, they really step it up.

I'm still not a fan of liter I4's.

But I am curious to ride the BMW. Would never buy one (except maybe a GS1200), but would love to ride one.

[CAlexio]

maybe I left my senses at home that day, but I did go full tilt (surely no track records were broken) the last 2 sessions. The bike is just so intuitive... the word videogame comes to mind. It doesn't wobble, if you're hamfisted (like me) the TC keeps you straight. If you overcook the brakes (into turn 4 hairpin for example) the ABS intervenes, and you can just peg the throttle under acceleration until you run out of track with the e-shifter.

I had never ridden an i4 either, but this bike was just unreal. Anyway, my thought was, I won't get to ride on a track like this with this bike again, so might as well just go for it, and I did. A crash is never as cheap as $1500 anyway, so what the heck. epic time!

I'm going back to Barber for a SBTT on June 27th with the hyper and the 749R... I will be taking it MUCH easier.... no electronics to save my butt there.

Mospeada... contact your local BMW dealer and see if the keith code deal is still available.

[KPK]

Those bikes are Nasty two of my friends have them bone stock one dyno'd 187 to the tire and with full pipe Eco tune 196 . Just curious would they have let u ride the bike in slick mode or did they limit u w the training wheels Ecu I believe that cuts back power also.

[eericc]

Nice write-up! I'm doing the 2 day (Levels 1&2) CSS at Streets of Willow in Oct. Can't wait to experience riding that beast. My buds took CSS Levels 3&4 at LVMS on the S1000RR and said the bike was incredible but ugly...