Im developing an itch for the above bike. Most likely a Gen 3. Said itch just wont go away and is getting worse. I have had my 2014 blade for around a year and i love it. BUT i do find it uncomfortable after a couple of hours in the saddle. Im 6.2 and the screen is too low for me but im not really able to change it due to the race paint job. I have also read the riding position is quite roomy and comfy on the RR. I have not ridden a beemer yet but am attracted to the semi active suspension. Does it make any difference really? My blade can be bumpy as hell and yes i have had the suspenaion set up professionally. Reviews of the RR say it does a good job of gliding over rough roads. I also like the idea of abs, traction control and all the other electronics the beemer offers. Has anyone ridden the 1000rr and a blade to offer a comparison. I have a test ride planned but would be interested in the opinions of forum members.
Hi Kirk, I’ve had two S1000rrs, one with active suspension and one without. I found them both very comfortable - I’m 5’11” - but for both the suspension felt a bit on the harsh side for me. I used to find myself avoiding certain roads because of that. It might be down to my weight as perhaps I’m a bit lighter than the average rider at 11.5 stones. The second bike with active suspension was definitely a bit better than the first one. I would have probably stuck with the BMWs if it wasn’t for my poor experience of reliability with both bikes - I was really looked after by the dealership, but I tired of constant gremlins. I’m now on a 2018 sp and it really works for me. I find the suspension plush (for a sports bike) and I love changing the suspension settings on the fly to suit the road and my mood. I would say that the Ohlins active suspension is a step above what I had on the BMW, but I’ve not ridden the current S1000rr to see what that is like. I find the blade is a tad more cramped than the BMWs, but it’s still all day comfortable for me. I’ve ridden bikes with quality non-active suspension set up for me and, for road use, I think I would be hard pressed to choose between this and active suspension. What’s great about the active suspension is that you can just ride it without worrying about suspension set-up.
Thanks for the reply Sam you make some interesting observations. Im yet to ride a bike with any electronics tbf. I just need to test ride one to decide for myself and not get caught up in all the advertising crap. Some of these things sound amazing but make no real world difference. I considered the 17 blade but was turned off as its heavily based on the 14 bike so not significantly different and i can not afford the 21 model. I plan to do some touring in the uk this summer so want something i can do some good miles on without being uncomfortable but retaining the thrill of a superbike. I do like my blade and its far better looking than the Gen 3 1000rr although the Gen 4 is lovely. I did read that the early 1000rr had reliability issues but i expect thats been ironed out by the gen 3 models.
Just a thought mate, if you like the look of yours so much, have you not thought of a set of rearsets for more adjustment?
Its a number of things in addition to the foot position. Low screen, desire to venture into the modern world of electronics, more power lol, plusher ride and a newer bike. Havent been on my bike for a few weeks so been spending too much time dreaming and not enough riding.
Tall screen is well worth it on the Fireblade if you're 6ft+. Definitely the best mod I made for touring. If yours is a custom paint job then thats going to add to the price of getting the Repsol lettering added to the new screen but easily done. If you were on the standard 2015 Repsol paint scheme you can get OEM decals from Honda for your new screen. @raphael do you know of any rearsets for our model year that offer adjustment down and forwards? I thought most of them only provided adjustment higher and further rearward. Doubt you'd be disappointed if you test rode the BMW. If you can afford it and you're anything like me I'm sure it's already a forgone conclusion.
Ive got a Gen 3 S1000rr as well as the blade. Love the BMW ive had it for 4 years, very fast and fun to play with the electronics. Quick shifter up and down is really slick. Not as reliable as my Honda's... Camshafts failed and had to be replaced. Quite a well documented problem with this era. BMW covered most of the cost under goodwill as it had full history with them and low miles.
Suspension is electronically adjustable from the handlebars so can soften it or harden to suit the conditions which is an advantage. Im 6ft 2 and find the stock seating position and riding comfort absolutely fine.
@CharlieR85 the Gilles I’ve had on previous bikes had a lot of adjustments mate and were very high quality
I’ve got a 18 s1000r. The DDC is set up for my weight 84kg and it gives a firm ride and can be a bumpy ride on anything less than perfect tarmac. Certainly not the magic carpet ride some journalists suggest.
ive always preferred the blade on the road, as it handles better IMO. I ride a 2014 blade, i have installed rear sets for better rider position, with a K-tech rear shock, for me it has improved my comfort of riding longer on the road trips. I have taken a Beemer out for a test ride, a few years ago, and admired its handling, comfort and styling. But I struggled to release my love for the blade for the road. Ive got a Gen3 trackbike, its got a higher ride position for a 5.7 midget. It does give a lot more satisfaction on the track than the older blade. No reactive suspension, but changed to bitubo, which transformed the handling. Good luck with your decision.
I had a 2014 blade then a 2015 s1000rr then 2017 rsv4rf now got a 2018 s1000rr. For me the s1000rr is a far better bike, I've fitted the bmw comfort seat and rear sets
Great track bike mate, until i crashed it. Not great on the road. Not had the s1000rr on track yet, but im flying out on friday for 4 days at andalucia
Well i had a little scratch today.... Thanks to Vines BMW Guildford. Rode a gen 3 for a short blast but going back to try for a bit longer. My first impressions are; Its smoother on the road. The ride is more plush in Sport mode compared to my 14 blade. On some b roads it felt less jolty on poor road surfaces. Thats a good improvement. The engine is a powerhouse and thrilling above 8k rpm. Low down pull did not seem too different to my blade although i have a 44 tooth rear sprocket which quickens things up. Seat is more comfy even comapred to my Sadlecraft gel seat. Foot pegs are just as high but wrists felt they had less weight on them. Love the quickshifter, so slick both up and down although the gear shifter felt like it flexed underfoot. Like weak metal. The bike was a 17 plate and i was suprised at the pitting on the engine and suspension components. My 14 plate looks new in comparison. I hope this was just a poorly looked after bike and this does not represent BMW build quality. Its not worth the extra 5k in terms of improvement imho. Although i may think differently when i get to spend more time on it. Its certainly not as pretty as my bike. I will be trying a gen 4 back to back with the gen 3 next. Having a play with the dash today i must say its impressive and the seating position is roomy. The handlebars are nice and wide too. I like the idea you can link it to your phone to display a sat nav on the screen. Also the rear indicators are the break lights which look good as leds. They had an M version in and it looked awsome but at 30k it should.
So you found the BMW more roomy ? Before I got my Fireblade last April i went to Kawasaki , Suzuki and finally BMW as I love the s1000rr but quite simply at 6ft 3 it wasn’t happening on none of them . The Fireblade was more roomy , I then put pegs on with a drop of 40mm which made a difference. I can manage a hour before my legs need a stretch (old mans knees) but then I wanted a bike for Trackdays etc not touring. Good luck .
