I’m riding my beloved baby for almost 2 months and around 4600 KM. I think it’s the appropriate time to tell you what I love about it (after reporting what I didn’t like about it after the first week).

So, this is what I love about it:

The contrast between it’s small size and it’s power

No need to elaborate much on this point. I simply love super-sport bikes and this one is so small and powerful.

The riding position

Yes, the riding position. I the previous post I wrote that I dread the downhill ride on the start of my day, but after almost 5000 KM I got used to this position. I know how to offload the pressure from my wrists and palms and I feel totally comfortable.

Moreover, when riding on open roads, the tucked position is the exact position my body wants to be in – me and the bike becoming a single unit – feeling it is part of my body. And, in that position my body is fully relaxed, with no stress anywhere.

Its handling

it’s so easy to take turns with this bike – to tilt it from side to side. I read that fighter planes like the F-16 are designed to be unstable in flight and therefore can make quick maneuvers. I feel that my bike is sort of the same. It reads my mind an knows how to turn with almost no conscious effort from myself. I feel it a machine perfectly engineered for its task.

I thought that it would be difficult to maneuver in low speed in traffic jams especially switching lanes in crowded traffic. But I see that its very simple and it can make relatively tight moves even when standing before a stop light. When moving there’s no problem at all in changing lanes smoothly.

The electronics, the riding modes and the display

The display provides lots of information, most importantly the tire pressure. Tire pressure is important because, in Israel, we often ride on the shoulder of the roads to avoid traffic jams, and there’s a better chance to get the tires pierced from screws lying on the shoulders. Therefore I’m monitoring the tire pressure relatively often.

The riding modes really change the handling of the bike. I use dynamic mode for open roads, the “road” mode in the city and I even use the “rain” mode. The bike really handles differently when switching from road to dynamic.

Its versatility

The S1000-RR is suitable for every day use because it can be used in both low and high (legal of course) speeds. Its not that I’m riding very slowly in 6th gear, but there’s no problem at all to ride in a traffic jam in 2nd, 3rd or 4th gear and low RPM. It behaves smoothly and comfortably.

Summary

The S1000-RR is perfect for me for my daily 140 KM ride because 95% of the distance (and time) I’m riding on an open road and I have to wait at only three stop lights in each direction. I wouldn’t use it for a daily ride in city traffic.