Last week I went along to Vines in Guildford as a friend was picking up their brand new S1000RR. Whilst there I got chatting to the dealer and was offered a test ride on one. Not one to turn down some free fun, I said I'd come back when the weather was better and so I duly rode down there today. Had over an hour's ride down on mine, about an hour on the S1000RR, then over an hour's ride home again on my SP - so it's very easy to compare them when you hop straight from one to the other. The S1000RR was a 19 model with 3k on the clock. Sport (not M Sport) so didn't have the clever wheels, but did have full electronics package. As such it was a pretty even comparison - both bikes have electronic suspension and a full set of rider aids, although the BMW has clever navigation and phone integration built in (as well as a bigger/better) TFT screen. First impressions though of the BMW aren't that great. When you put the bikes side by side the Honda looks to be the more expensive and better built bike. Componentry and build quality are qualitatively better, bike looks and feels much less 'plastic'. The red colour doesn't help the S1000RR - the M Sport blue/red/white looks much classier. Pulling away the impression is reinforced - everything feels a bit 'soft' - from the response of the gear shifter when you tap it down to check first (soggy), to the plastic looking levers and slack on the throttle. Then you get up to 20mph in traffic and the engine sounds like an old 500cc twin - clattering away. I even wondered if there was something wrong with it. But then after a mile you settle in and realise the riding position is actually much more comfortable - you feel like you're sitting IN the bike, rather than on it like the Blade. The seat feels lower, as do the pegs, and the bars feel higher. The seat is softer, and the suspension is MUCH more supple - in ROAD setting almost too much so. I switched it up to DYNAMIC and then it felt a bit tighter, although still gobbling up the bumps much better than my blade on its softest mode. (modes on the BMW ascend from rain-road-dynamic-race). In fact, it reminded me of my old (2017) CBR650F - in a good way. That bike had an uncanny ability to gobble up road imperfections and make you feel in control even on the worst B-road surfaces. Obviously it was soft on when taken on track but with only 90bhp that wasn't a massive issue. I felt at home on the BMW much quicker than I did on my SP - and to be honest I'm only just starting to tune into the Blade after 500 miles. On the BMW I was bunging it into corners after just 5 miles - that front end is just so quick and trustworthy, it gives a huge amount of confidence. The bike itself is gruesomely competent at demolishing the road in front of it. It made me feel a bit like I did when I took a KTM 790 Duke out - that bike turned you into a hooligan, and the BMW does a bit of the same thing. Just feels so chuckable that you end up doing overtakes you wouldn't have otherwise have done, squirting the straights harder than you otherwise would... On the power you can feel the extra torque of the shiftcam system - the bike is gruntier than the Blade, no question. Can't compare ultimate power as you're never able to completely open up either bike on the road. But it's not like it's just torquey like a twin and runs out of juice - I got it up to about 10k rpm on 3/4 throttle and it was still picking up. The front brakes have epic bite, much more than the Blade. Don't know how ultimate stopping power compares but certainly felt safer with the BMW's front brakes. Although the rear was positioned horribly and I could barely even reach it. I've heard other complaints about that - that you can't even adjust it up into reach. That seems pretty basic and dumb! Once the engine is up and spinning it sounds totally fine, less highly strung than the Blade, and gives you some nice pops on the overrun, even on the stock exhaust. Also - heated grips, very glad of those. Hill start control is useful. Tyre pressure monitor - likewise. Cruise control I didn't get a chance to use but would love that when stuck on the motorway for a bit. The Blade feels like a tight, precision engineered, quality machine. Which it is. But I can see why the press has been raving about this generation of S1000RR. It's easier to ride fast than the Blade, it's more comfortable than the Blade, it's got more toys and more sophisticated electronics. I can't compare what they're both like as track machines (yet) but as a road bike - dare I say it - the S1000RR is better. Now where it's not an entirely fair comparison is that I got a great deal on my '19 SP - so I'd need to find at least another £5k to put myself on the BMW. And is it worth that? Maybe, to some... However, one final thought - when it comes to the Nigel living room furniture test, the Honda wins Just don't think you get as much joy from admiring the BMW as you do the Fireblade. Anyone else ridden this latest generation of S1000RR? What did you think?
I fully agree with your thoughts above I had a hour on a m sport last summer....,,my sp just felt better when I got back on it but I have covered 4K on it ......but yout overview is the same as I thought good review....no way woukd you put 5k in pot to change ....3 yr warrenty on them but it needs it....easy to ride quick
Interesting comparison. Thanks for posting. I had the same experience. Parked my 19 SP up at the same dealer (better than any I have experience with Honda btw) and took the S1000rr Sport out for a test. Absolutely concur on the quality; the blade is significantly up on the S1000rr. I also found the S1000RR easy to ride and the feedback and front end feel was superb but no better than the blade. But here is the funny thing. On the blade there seems to be more out in front of you from the bars than the S1000RR.... more to point into a corner ...... sounds weird ... but I have more corner confidence on the blade than I had on the S1000RR because of that. Probably just needed to become more familiar with the BM. But I prefer the line of site from the blade. Also on the bike I took out there was a fair amount of vibration felt through the bars. I think I would have issue with that over distance. By comparison my 19 SP is silky smooth with no vibes felt through the bars. On the roads, yes the BM felt torquier than the Blade but on the street it felt no faster .... or to put it another way, road conditions would rarely allow that comparison.
I tried the 2019 s1000rr and I really struggled with the seat height so never enjoyed it. The dash display is superb though very fancy and really impressive. I quickly swapped to the s1000r sport which is the detuned naked bike and that was ok but not exciting g in any way. I agree the honda build finish is top notch and I still dont think anyone else matches it. I cant compare either rides to the blade as I haven't ridden one (yet) but I was more comfortable sitting on the blade and have better contact with the ground via my feet. Maybe I can offer more once my new 2018 SP arrives next week and I get to eventually ride a blade
Took out the s1000rr in August before I bought the SP2, bad points were engine rattle on tick over, vibration though both bars and foot rest, and white finger dealer said I was first to mention that, and poor plastic finish tbh not what you'd expect,from BMW. As for everything else it was spot on tbh. Then I jumped back on the 1299 and thought what's all the fuss about. Bought the SP2 solely due to the deal I got, only done 42 miles but didn't get white finger and fantastic build quality..
Interesting as I don't recall noticing any vibrations on my ride, though my ZX10 is already quite vibey, I have for years been meaning to fit heavier bar end weights but not got around to it so maybe I'm now just too used to vibes to notice. I do remember the brakes though, I found them a little strange. Nothing at all for the first few millimetres of travel so you pull a bit harder and then a massive sharp bite. This makes your riding look rubbish , you start pulling the brake, nothing happens so you pull them a bit more (all the time your running out of road) and then they hit really sharp and the front would dive. This happened several times and it really did feel like panic braking, could have been particular to that bike or maybe its something I would have just got used to and thus make adjustments for. Who knows but it did stay in memory! Fit and finish was okay but nothing special and I don't think it was as good as my F700GS, certainly not as good as the blade. It just felt a little top heavy to me which was great on the move but less so when in heavy traffic and trying to filter. The throttle response was very quick too but it did ride very well over any surface. It also feels quite a big bike where as sitting on a blade the first thing you think of is 'this is tiny' so complete opposites there. Weather permitting I should be better placed to compare with the blade in a week or so.
I had a 2017 SP Blade, i have a Panigale v4 with full system. I have a BMW S1000RR M Sport. I found the M sport much better at everything than the blade, the blade looks stunning but thats all it has on the BMW. I used to be in denial as well.
Well it's not denial ( that's a bit harsh) as I haven't bought a honda since 2000 so 20 years elsewhere wouldn't make me a honda fan in denial. I tested the bmw as I have a smaller one (F700GS) I use for winter work and I wanted a sports bike to replace an ageing zx10r. I chose the Honda as it appealed to me more that's all. The BMW was great but it didnt get my money this time, nothing about being in denial or a fan one way or other
Maybe ? But dont shoot me for this but I cannot get away with the aesthetics of the R1, I know loads who love its looks but it doesnt work for me. Maybe I've gone blind with too much .....
You Sir are one very lucky boy not just for your taste but also being able to have ownership of a MSport, when did you order ? Quoted in August a delivery of June at the earliest !
Used m sports are coming on the market now....no doubt the ones that have blown up fixed under warrenty but the owners have rejected them most have 2k miles on....my friends blew up at 1200miles 6k to put right as above if you ordered now looking at end of July....
They are good bikes but there is a definite quality control issue with the these 2019 bikes. I've heard a few horror stories about the carbon fibre wheels cracking or chipping at the first sign of a pot hole. That said BMW seem quite good at sorting stuff like that out and dont usually make you jump through hoops to prove it's a manufacturing issue unlike some other manufacturers..! They often just take it on the chin and get things sorted.
I bought an ex demo with 1500 miles. They fitted new tyres and still 2 years and 4 months warranty. Saved myself a few grand and didnt need to run it in. Im sure the new SP is stunning but its not gonna sell like the BMW and we will see how they go at the TT.
I have BM and thinking to get 2020 Honda. 2019 SP no way. A guy with me at Jerez last year, said you need to take half of the bike apart to change quickshifter to GP style.
The new one won't it's a track bike....BMW better road bike however when it comes to the TT stick Hickman or Dunlop on most things and they would win.....Demo BMW can be had for 16 to 17k a lot of bike for the dosh..keep that warrenty booklet safe you may need it but as others have said BMW do a great job in looking after there customers....loan bike etc....
That's about the measure of things at the TT at the minute. The new blade could be out of this world but if it's not got Hickman, Harrison or Dunlop onboard it will have to make do with mopping up the leftovers.
Not sure if TT is anywhere close to be a good measure of bike/rider performance. Hickman is a bleak mid-pack in BSB, not to say WSBK or MotoGP.
I like the fact that new Blade is an ultimate machine right now. I'm curious to see it on track and get feedback from average Joes. BM is overall a nicer package I think. Very good support by Alpharacing for aftermarket track parts. But new blade is fast and by the looks of it has excellent geometry.
